Top 20 Underrated DC Characters

A cowboy from the Wild West, Jonah Hex has kicked butt and taken names every time he’s popped up. But this physically scarred gunslinger with a chip-on-his-shoulder could never hurt from more exposure. Despite being primarily from the past, Jonah has managed to cross paths with famed heroes on multiple occasions. His collaborations with Batman tend to be the most popular. While he’s had live-action adaptations, none of them quite propelled Jonah into super stardom. The ill-received movie based on him arguably made sure of that! But with the right material, this hero of the past could become a beloved fixture of today.

#19: The Huntress

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Born into the prominent Bertinelli crime family, Helena's life took a drastic turn after her family was murdered. She became a vigilante named the Huntress who showed little mercy to enemies. Along the way, she often ran into Batman. While her status within the Batfamily is often up in the air, she’s definitely a skilled hero who deserves the spotlight. Huntress’ connection to the Batfamily is also deeper than you might think. During the Silver Age, Huntress was actually Helena Wayne, Batman and Catwoman’s daughter. That’s one hell of a family tree. She’s also been a reserve member of the Justice League and a core member of the Birds of Prey. Helena definitely has a story worth telling.

While initially reluctant, Jack Knight eventually inherited his father’s mantle and became Starman, the protector of Opal City. It might be cliché to say, but Starman’s not like other heroes. Jack was part of the early counterculture wave of superheroes that have become so popular today. He didn’t dress like a hero, didn’t sound like one and definitely didn’t always act noble. But Jack eventually proved to be truly worthy of his dad’s cosmic staff. This Starman even had a critically acclaimed comic written by James Robinson. However, the closest thing we’ve gotten to seeing him in live-action was Sly Pemberton’s version of the character on “Stargirl”. We think Jack needs some time to shine.

It might be odd to admit that we love a character who’s a literal demon, but we honestly love to root for Etrigan! When the knight Jason Blood betrayed a king for Morgaine Le Fay, he was punished swiftly. The warrior was subsequently given immortality while being cursed to share his body with the demon Etrigan. He’s an imposing, fierce, and powerful demon who loves to light up enemies. But the most striking thing about him might be that he mostly speaks in rhymes. While Etrigan might be a demon, he’s not actually that bad of a guy. This gruff icon has helped DC heroes numerous times. Etrigan’s combat skills are only surpassed by his talent for rhymes! Oh great, now we’re doing it!

A lot of corners of the internet would have you believe that Plastic Man could single handedly defeat the entire Justice League. And maybe he can, but honestly, that’s not really why we love him. We’re huge fans because he’s a big goofball! When Patrick O’Brian was exposed to a mysterious substance after a botched heist, he discovered his whole body was now elastic. This got him into all kinds of zany hijinks before he became the hero known as Plastic Man. He can stretch his limbs out for miles and miles, turn himself into virtually any object, and even shrink himself. Plastic Man is so versatile that the fact that he’s not in more DC media is downright criminal.

At first glance, John Constantine looks like someone that you should avoid. And the chain smoking, vulgar, occult detective has screwed over just about everyone he’s crossed. But despite that fact, you can’t deny that John’s very resourceful and wickedly cool. He’s gotten one over on demons, devils, and all sorts of other nasty entities. Despite having a wide knowledge of the occult and access to tons of useful spells, Constantine still isn’t a household name. But his great stint on “Legends of Tomorrow” alone is proof that he can be a compelling and powerful hero. This is someone who seriously knows how to raise some hell with a sly smile on his face.

#14: The Doom Patrol

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Being constantly overlooked is kind of the Doom Patrol’s entire thing. This team of individuals who were shunned from society has existed for a while. They even predate the X-Men by a few months! But throughout their tenure, they've been seen as little more than rejects. Admittedly, they do tend to get into plenty of bizarre and wacky scenarios. But that’s part of their whole charm. Robot Man, Crazy Jane, the Chief and more defy the superhero mold. However, they still have saved tons of lives by staying true to themselves. Their critically acclaimed live-action show has done a great job getting their names out there. But if they don’t get into more media soon, the terrific team may be doomed to languish in obscurity.

#13: The Human Target

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Christopher Chance is either the bravest man alive…or the most reckless! As a bodyguard, he takes protecting his clients to a whole new level. Using his special expertise, Christopher disguises himself as clients who are often in serious trouble. He then puts his life on the line to save them as the Human Target. He’s a thrilling, no-nonsense, Bond-eque action hero and you can never go wrong with that. Tom King wrote a brilliant “Human Target” series for DC Black Label. But outside of a few scattered appearances, he rarely appears outside of the comics. This sneaky character is just begging to suit up as anyone in more DC projects.

This magician will take your breath away. And she probably literally could with the right spell. Having been trained by her father Giovanni Zatara, Zatanna quickly became a skilled magician. She’s able to cast her spells by speaking backwards. While it may sound a little silly at first, trust us when we say she makes it extremely effective. She’s capable of doing anything from pulling rabbits out of hats to altering reality. Zatanna’s been a member of both the Justice League and its Dark counterpart. Between her incredible magical abilities and iconic costume, she’s a heroine that is perfect for the spotlight. Zatanna’s a character that would definitely enchant audiences in a big live-action spectacle.

#11: Captain Atom

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Captain Atom’s the bomb, literally! Nathaniel Adam was an officer in the Air Force whose body became gifted with nuclear-energy powers after intense experimentation. As Captain Atom, he’s an immensely powerful superhero with virtually limitless energy and time based abilities. He was also an inspiration for “Watchmen’s” all-powerful Doctor Manhattan. You’d think having all that power and being the basis for a legendary powerhouse would make him a major focus. Instead, DC has mostly just relegated him to being a guy who blows up all the time. Captain Atom is absolutely a superhero who could use more love and screen time.

While some heroes fight evil with incredible powers or high-tech gadgets, this catsuited crimefighter makes due with just his fists. A former heavyweight prizefighter, Ted Grant was framed for the murder of one of his opponents and created a costumed alter-ego while attempting to clear his name. After he was exonerated of the crime, Ted kept fighting crime and became a member of the Justice Society of America. Despite being a humble pugilist, Ted’s gone toe to toe with some of the DC Universe’s nastiest villains and has trained numerous other heroes in the art of combat. This includes Ted’s son Tommy, who has the ability to transform into a were-cat.

This powerful hero dates back to the Silver Age of comics and is actually the classic version of Supergirl, whose Earth was destroyed in DC’s epic “Crisis on Infinite Earths” event. At least, that’s who she is these days. Like many DC characters, her origins have had a revision or two over the years. But regardless of where she comes from, this is one powerhouse you don’t want to mess with. Like all Kryptonians, she has staggering strength and resilience, which she puts to good use when the time comes to dish out the pain. She’s loud, proud and doesn’t take any nonsense, and we wouldn’t have her any other way.

You’d think that a superhero who can channel the powers of animals wouldn’t be the most interesting character out there, and for the most part, you’d be right. But this DC underdog got really interesting really fast when his first solo series, penned by writer Grant Morrison, came out in the 1980s. Under Morrison, the character was not only used to comment on animal rights issues, but also taken on a head-spinning existential journey that ended up with him face to face with his own writer after becoming aware of his own fictional nature. And when he’s not neck-deep in complex meta-commentary, the character is also a devoted husband and father.

#7: The Spectre

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Perhaps one of the most powerful heroes in the DC pantheon, this green-cloaked antihero is the literal embodiment of the wrath of God, the angel of vengeance charged with punishing the guilty. So naturally, he’s no pushover. Over the years the character has taken a number of human hosts through which to carry out his mission, including police detective Jim Corrigan and former Green Lantern Hal Jordan. The character’s thirst for vengeance against any wrongdoers has put him firmly in the anti-hero camp on many occasions, especially when he lacks a human host to keep him grounded. So what we’re saying is, don’t get on his bad side.

#6: Doctor Fate

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And speaking of characters from the more mystical side of the DC universe, this supernatural character dates back to some of the earliest DC stories, having been a founding member of the Justice Society of America. Empowered by the otherworldly Lords of Order, the many characters who have taken on the role have all been incredibly powerful spellcasters, charged with guarding the Earthly realm against all manner of magical threats. This means that the good doctors have faced everything from gods, demons and even the sinister Lords of Chaos.

#5: The Question

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Suitable for a hero without a face, this crimefighter is an ambiguous figure waging a one-man war against crime ever since initially appearing in the pages of Charlton Comics before the character was acquired by DC. Operating from the shadows, this crusading detective is dedicated to uncovering corruption and conspiracies, no matter how sinister. He may not have superpowers, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a pushover. He’s one of the most capable martial artists in the DC universe. With his face obscured by a mask made of an experimental material called Psuedoderm, he’s been a thorn in the side of corruption and graft everywhere.

Some superheroes get into the spandex scene thanks to a deep-set altruism and a need to make the world a better place. This gold-clad glory-seeker isn’t one of them. Once a star athlete turned janitor in the 25th century, this hero would steal a number of superhero-related equipment from a museum and travel back in time to make a name for himself as a 20th-century crimefighter. He’s been….somewhat successful, but as often as he’s found glory and fame, he’s spent just as much time palling around with his best pal Blue Beetle. He may not be the most upstanding superhero in the game, but his heart’s in the right place….usually.

This electrifying hero originally debuted in the pages of Milestone Comics, a publisher with a focus on minority characters. The publisher eventually went under, but after a successful animated series in the 2000s, the character was brought into the DC universe and made a member of the Teen Titans. When not using his electric powers to fight crime, he’s just a normal everyday teenager with a passion for all things geeky, and he often has trouble balancing his personal life with his career as a costumed hero. And who wouldn’t?

Remember before when we said that DC heroes can sometimes go through several origin stories? Well, these winged heroes are no exception. The pair were originally an archeologist and his wife, who use magical Egyptian artifacts to fight crime. Later on, the pair were re-written as alien police officers from the planet Thanagar. Getting the various incarnations of DC’s favorite winged couple to make sense is a continuing headache, but the two are nevertheless some of their fiercest fighters in the DCU, using magical weapons made of Nth metal to dish out justice from their home in Midway City.

The chosen avatar of The Green, the collective power of Earth’s plant life, this mossy avenger’s mission is to protect the Earth from any who would do her harm, including but limited to us humans. This has put him at odds with other heroes before, but his wife Abigail keeps his distrust of humans in check. And thank goodness for that, as his power over plant life makes him a force to be reckoned with, one capable of going toe to leafy toe with DC’s best. He’s even given Batman a pummelling and helped fight off demons, super villains, and the primordial darkness. Think about that next time you break out the weed whacker. Is there a hero you’d love to see more of that we missed? Hype them up in the comments!