What with Man of Steel, The Wolverine, and the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, superhero movies are and will be dominating our cinemas for the foreseeable future. But I for one am getting a little tired of studios recycling the same old big names over and over again - did you know that Hugh Jackman has played Wolverine six bloody times by now!? Anyway, here are some underrated superheroes that deserve their own feature films.
Black Panther (Marvel Comics)
Black Panther is the leader of a fictional African nation called Wakanda, who ate the mystical “Heart-Shaped Herb” in order to gain superhuman strength and defend his nation. The first black superhero, when he wasn’t helping the Fantastic Four he was battling South African apartheid and studying physics at Oxford. Wesley Snipes has been vocal of his interest in a film adaptation, so fingers crossed.
Martian Manhunter (DC)
Deserving attention for his excellent name alone, Martian Manhunter is one seventh of the original Justice League line-up. As a total badass from the planet Mars he shares that extra-terrestrial connection with his buddy Superman, not to mention the majority of his powers, yet he is consistently overlooked by popular media.
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Savage Dragon (Image Comics)
More of an amphibian than any fire-breathing lizard, Savage Dragon is a member of the Chicago Police Department. Green-skinned and scaly, he saves the day dozens of times over from the hordes of evil mutant “superfreaks” that wage an endless war with the city’s unfortunate inhabitants. If his comrade Spawn can bag a movie deal, then why can’t he?
Thundra (Marvel Comics)
Thundra could be described as an honorary fifth member of the Fantastic Four, as she helps them overcome arch-nemeses the Frightful Four on more than one occasion. A time-travelling genetically engineered superhuman, she has no trouble holding her own against the likes of the Hulk. Her future matriarchal society in which men are enslaved would no doubt make for an interesting bit of cinema.
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Zot! (Eclipse Comics)
Although it only ran for six years, the Zot! series is an important entry in the comic book canon for offering a cheerful alternative to the grittier Batman or X-Men. Zot is a dimension-hopping hero from an alternate universe. His retro-futuristic utopia was contrasted with Earth’s shortcomings, and as such the comic made younger readers think about life. A potentially very awesome kids’ movie.
Sleepwalker (Marvel Comics)
Get this: the Mindscape is a parallel dimension inhabited by all sorts of nasty creatures, and the Sleepwalkers defend humanity from these monsters. Rick Sheridan is a busy New York film student when all of a sudden he and his Sleepwalker fuse to form a symbiotic superhero that fights while Rick sleeps. Think Freddy Krueger mixed with your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman.
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Aquaman (DC)
Another member of the collaborative Justice League, Aquaman is fairly self-explanatory: he is a master of all things aquatic. He can summon all sorts of marine life for aid in battle, and he can swim like nobody’s business. Think of the possibilities – big climactic fight sequences involving giant squids, Great White sharks, killer whales and more! You know you wanna see this.
Shang-Chi (Marvel Comics)
A rare example of a Chinese superhero existing in the Marvel multiverse, Shang-Chi is actually the son of legendary villain Fu Manchu. Like Batman and Iron Man, Shang-Chi doesn’t actually have any “powers”; but he’s a goddamn ninja superhero that uses double-edged swords, nunchaku and shuriken, so what more could you want!?
