Top 100 Comic Book Heroes (#100 -#91)

Source: IGN.com

#100: Groo
First Appearance: Destroyer Duck #1 (Feb. 1982)

Quote :

Barbarians don't always have to be about bloodshed and wenches. Groo is the comedy fan's answer to Conan. He's skilled with a blade but somewhat lacking in the brains department. While he may not be the brightest bulb on the battlefield, Groo is an earnest and kind-hearted adventurer whose travels are never short on laughs and adventure. And that's what's made Sergio Aragones' signature creation so enduringly popular.

#99: Wasp
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963)

Quote :

Superhero comics were still lacking for strong female characters in the mid '60s. The Wasp was one of the ladies at the forefront of the feminist superhero movement. At first merely a bubbly sidekick to her husband, Giant-Man, Wasp quickly grew and built a career of her own. She remained one of the core Avengers members for much of the franchise's history, and her extensive wardrobe rivals even the likes of Wolverine's.

#98: Nova
First Appearance: Nova #1 (Sept. 1976)

Quote :

Blend Green Lantern with Spider-Man and you have Nova, the Human Rocket.

Like GL, Nova is a cop who patrols the chaotic depths of space. Like Peter Parker, Richard Rider is a humble, working class kid who found himself drawn into a larger world. Fans saw Nova mature and grow in his time with the New Warriors. And when the Annihilation Wave struck, Nova embraced his destiny as premier defender of a battered galaxy.

#97: Adam Strange
First Appearance: Showcase #17 (Nov. 1958)

Quote :

If by fluke we were given the chance to ride a Zeta Beam into space, meet a sexy alien princess on the planet Rann, and fight extraterrestrial threats with high-tech weaponry, I wouldn’t want to go back to mundane Earth-life either. That makes us completely sympathetic to Adam Strange’s plight.

While Strange has never been a major force in the DCU, the character makes a perfect vessel for the zaniest stories the writers at DC can come up with. Just look at what Alan Moore did with the character. He literally turned Adam Strange into a breeding stud. Remember that episode of Futurama with the Amazon women? Adam Strange basically lived a “death by snu-snu” scenario. The mere fact that he’s still alive after that makes him better than A-OK in our book; he’s practically a god among mortals. Maybe that’s who Jewel was singing about...

#96: The Falcon
First Appearance: Captain America #117 (Sept. 1969)

Quote :

With the ability to fly and communicate with birds, you'd think The Falcon would be Marvel's answer to Aquaman. Instead, Sam Wilson is a social worker and hero of the people who uses his strange abilities to fight for justice. It's a mission that has made him friends and a frequent partner with Captain America. Together, these two form one of the greatest crime-fighting duos in comics.

#95: Savage Dragon
First Appearance: Megaton #3 (July 1986)

Quote :

Created by Erik Larsen, the Savage Dragon has all the trappings of a great comic book hero: he’s a hulking green humanoid with a fin on his head that suffers from amnesia (we’re off to a good start). Dragon is also a Chicago police officer that wards off the “Superfreaks” when they try to terrorize his city. He is also one of two original Image Comics series that’s still being published to this day. It’s also the only series in Image’s staple that’s still written and drawn by its original creator.

#94: Supergirl
First Appearance: Superman #123 (Aug. 1958)

Quote :

Born of the Silver Age that saw everything from a Super Baby to a Super Monkey, Kara Zor-El grew into something much more than simply another marketing ploy to slap an “S” on. When Krypton exploded, Argo City was left floating in space facing imminent destruction. Much like her cousin, Kara is sent to Earth by her father to live a full life.

A mess of continuity changes aside -- she’s gone through the obligatory death, clone, wiped from existence, and resurrection process -- Kara has risen to prominence on her own in the last decade or so. She’s stepped out of the shadow of her cousin and is slowly building a life that is her own. Operating under the secret identity of Linda Lang, Kara has the unmitigated power of Superman that she’s using to slowly understand the ways of the human world. Her amazing compassion for Earth became apparent after the destruction of her resurrected homeworld and (re)death of her parents. Though treated with prejudice and absolute fear during the New Krypton saga, Kara continues to take the high road and try to show humanity their potential, even when she hasn’t fully realized her own.

#93: Donna Troy
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #60 (July 1965)

Quote :

We’re going to be honest here; familiarizing yourself with the backstory of Donna Troy is like trying to read an encyclopedia that’s constantly being revised. She might have the most unnecessarily complex history in all of comics. First she was an orphan; then she was a cloned play-thing for Wonder Woman during her childhood; then she was both of those (plus more) in an amalgam that was self-aware of the existence of the Multiverse. Donna Troy has gone by Wonder Girl, Darkstar, Troia and Wonder Woman for a short stint coming out of Infinite Crisis. Geez, talk about a true identity crisis.

But even if Donna Troy’s origin flip-flops every other week, the character has served a major purpose in the DCU since her inception. It seems the powers that be at DC are still searching for that perfect niche to place Donna Troy into. But something can be said for the major roles Donna Troy has played in multiple DCU company events. Her crazy origins do not change the fact that she’s a hero no matter which version you study up on.

#92: Usagi Yojimbo
First Appearance: Albedo #2 (Nov. 1984)

Quote :

Many people may only know Usagi Yojimbo as a figure from the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line. But comic readers know better. Miyamoto Usagi is writer/artist Stan Sakai's signature creation. This rabbity ronin travels the historic Edo period of Japan and battles other anthropomorphic animal warriors. Despite his charming looks, Usagi is a serious hero whose adventures pay homage to classic samurai films and even the adventures of fellow Top 100 hero Groo. And after all these years, Usagi Yojimbo remains as enjoyable as ever.

#91: Cerebus
First Appearance: Cerebus #1 (Dec. 1977)

Quote :

Few names hold as much sway in the independent comics scene as Cerebus. This Aardvark debuted in the late '70s as a spoof of barbarian heroes like Conan. But creator Dave Sim was far more ambitious than that; through his hero, Sim worked to push the boundaries of the medium as far as they could go. Cerebus embarked on a long, multi-decade odyssey that spoofed and satirized much of pop culture while also making bold statements about art, religion, and life itself. Often controversial but always revered, Cerebus' mark on the industry will be everlasting.

interesting list so far.

I recognise a few names. I'm not a huge superheroes fan, so I'm not expecting to know many at this end of the scale though.

I know three of them so far.