Fanboys Anonymous

Hey Fanboys and Fangirls!

For my next list, I will discuss the top 10 antiheroes that made it from comic books to cartoons, TV shows, or movies. The list is based on 1 being the most-known and 10 being the least-known.

The tricky part of making this list was ordering these characters according to which were the most or least popular. The really difficult part was considering which of the antiheroes to add to the list and which ones to leave out. One example that I left out was Batman, because no matter what people might think or say, Batman is a hero!

What I consider to be an antihero is a character whose past is somewhat flawed and not so great. Because of this, the character always has a mysterious and evasive attitude toward people around him or her. For example, Superman wouldn't be an antihero, because he is a character with an epic story: his parents sent him from the planet of Krypton to the Earth but he was saved by the Kent family when he fell to Earth, so even though he is mysterious and disguises himself as Clark Kent, he became a hero, not an antihero. (Anyone who would like to argue against this can write in the comments section below!)

Instead of an epic story like Superman's, antiheroes have a sad, mysterious, and negative story. Their background usually involves their alter-ego; it's what makes them who they are, and it's how we understand what they fight for. For example, Wolverine's story begins with the murder of his father and the so-called "death" of his girlfriend and then continues with a change into his alter-ego. Logan becomes a new creature named Wolverine, the antihero (based on the movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

Another aspect of antiheroes is that they are never quite on one side—of good or evil—but rather are usually vigilantes, tending to be antisocial and keeping to themselves. They have their own principles and don't seem to care about what anybody else says. They do not commit to any rules. Still, most of them fight for good and the innocent, even if they do evil things in the process. For example, Rorschach, from the Watchmen believes in moral absolutism and objectivism, and he is determined to make the bad guys get what they deserve no matter what it means.

A final aspect of antiheroes is that they have strange and unique methods to get what they want. Unlike regular heroes, for example, the Punisher specifically uses special military-grade weaponry—along with other skills—to fight evil. Of course, there are many more examples but my choices of the top 10 ultimate antiheroes are listed below.

10. Joseph Dredd, aka Judge Dredd

Judge Dredd is an antihero because of—as his name says—his judgmental style. He is tough and distinct about his decisions against evil. As the story goes, he was one of the two clones of Chief Judge Fargo. Created by genetic scientist Morton Judd, Judge Dredd was created to "instill fear in the population." After having to arrest his clone brother, Rico Dredd, Judge Dredd was given the opportunity to become chief judge, but he declined. Instead, he preferred to serve on the streets, and so his story goes on.


9. Johnny Blaze, aka the Ghost Rider

Believe or not, there is actually more than one Ghost Rider, but the first and original Ghost Rider is Johnny Blaze. Overall, the Ghost Rider is considered an antihero due to his way of fighting against evil. Even though he does kill the "sinful" and "wicked," he still fights for the innocent. His flesh turns into flames whenever evil is around at nigh, and he thus blasts away enemies with hellfire.


8. Natasha Romanov, aka the Black Widow from the Avengers

The Black Widow was once on the side of evil. First she was a Russian spy, then she became the antagonist to Iron Man. From there she moved onto the agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and finally became a member of the Avengers. She is an antiheroine because she does anything in order to get what she wants. She even killed innocent people. This may make her more of a villain compared with the other characters on this list, but because of her background, her principles (or lack there of), and her style of fighting, she is an antiheroine.


7. Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman from the Batman series

Catwoman is an interesting comic character. She was first made in the 1950s as a supervillainess. This changed due to the Comics Code Authority of 1954. Changes were required as to how women were portrayed in comics. Soon enough, rather than an evil female antagonist, Catwoman became more of an antiheroine. First, she was a burglar, then she began fighting alongside Batman and Robin. So what makes her the antiheroine is that she does not fight for one specific side, good or evil, but she does fight for innocent people and does not stop in the face of evil.


6. Bruce Banner, aka The Hulk from the Avengers

Bruce Banner is a reclusive and withdrawn physicist, but, the Hulk is an extremely violent green giant. He is not like other characters because when he does become the Hulk, Bruce Banner usually does not have any control over his actions. The main reason he is an antihero is his violent behavior and stubborness to pursue evil. Unlike the others, however, he does not kill as many people.


5. Eddie Brock, aka Venom from Spider-Man

Along with the fact that he loathes Spider-Man, Venom is an antihero due to his method of killing, which is similar to the Wolverine. He has no remorse when it comes to killing evil people. According to S.H.I.E.L.D., Venom is the most dangerous threat after Magneto, Doctor Doom, and Red Skull.


4. Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach from the Watchmen

Rorschach is mainly an antihero due to his principle of moral absolutism, in which he does not help out any criminal in trouble no matter what the situation. Like the Punisher, Wolverine, and Deathstroke, Rorschach has no problem killing people either. Born to a prostitute mother and a missing father named Charlie, as a kid Rorschach was taken to The Lillian Charlton Home for Problem Children. From then on, he excelled in many things, until one incident in his life that affected him very deeply. Then he became the antihero he is and began fighting evil. His style includes leaving the criminals to the police in a  bloodied state.


3. Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke from the Arrow series

Even though Deathstroke was rated the 32nd greatest comic book villain of all time by IGN, he is also considered an antihero due to his siding with both the good and the evil sides. He tends to fight for both sides no matter what, and he kills anyone without regret. Originally part of the Teen Titans, Deathstroke was officially named the Terminator way before James Cameron's the Terminator series. He is unstoppable and kills people on demand.


2. Frank Castle, aka The Punisher

What makes the Punisher an antihero is the fact that he can kill or torture anyone without thinking about it. His main items of force are high-grade military weapons, but he also uses martial arts, guerrilla warfare, and stealth tactics.


1. James Logan Howlett, aka Wolverine from the X-Men

Wolverine is an antihero because he has the negative/pessimistic attitude that fits an antihero, and he has killed more people than anyone else on this list. Heroes don't go around just killing people, do they? If it wasn't for the X-Men, Wolverine probably wouldn't be the superhero/antihero he is because he does not have any boundaries and can do whatever he pleases.


When it comes to heroes, how would we ever recognize them if it wasn't for the antiheroes? Sometimes it's good to have opposites in the world to understand things/people for what/who they really are.

Hope you enjoyed my list! Did I miss someone? Do you disagree with my choices? Tell us below!