58 Fun Facts About Hard Superhero

Which Batman co-creator did DC only begin to credit officially in 2015?

Bill Finger suggested the cowl, scalloped cape and gloves that replaced Bob Kane's red tights and bat wings, yet DC only added his name to the Batman credit in 2015.

In which issue did the first Robin, Dick Grayson, make his debut?

Robin debuted in Detective Comics #38 (cover-dated April 1940), about a year after Batman, because Bill Finger felt Batman needed someone to talk to.

Besides creating Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston is credited with inventing what?

His systolic blood pressure test became one component of the modern polygraph, and he later appeared in Gillette razor ads with a lie-detector theme.

Black Panther made his first appearance in which 1966 issue?

T'Challa debuted in Fantastic Four #52 (cover-dated July 1966) by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, years before he had a title of his own.

Who scripted the 1963 Tales of Suspense #39 story that introduced Tony Stark's armored hero?

Larry Lieber, Stan Lee's younger brother, scripted Tales of Suspense #39 (March 1963) from Lee's plot, with Don Heck drawing it and Jack Kirby designing the armor and cover.

Thor's original surgeon alter ego, later revealed as Odin's invention, had what name?

Dr. Donald Blake was Thor's original alter ego; Thor #159 (1968) revealed that Odin had invented the lame doctor as a lesson in humility for his arrogant son.

Why did Stan Lee originally choose gray for the Hulk's skin in his 1962 debut?

The printer could not hold a consistent gray across the issue, which is how the Hulk ended up green in the retellings that followed.

Wolverine first appeared in which comic book?

Wolverine appeared in the final panel of Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974), drawn by Herb Trimpe, before his full debut in #181.

Deadpool was originally conceived as a parody of which DC Comics villain?

Writer Fabian Nicieza saw Rob Liefeld's design and said it looked like DC's Deathstroke, so he named him Wade Wilson as a joke on Deathstroke's Slade Wilson.

The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, discovered his ring had a weakness to what?

Alan Scott's ring was powerless against wood, a weakness revealed when a thug knocked him out with a wooden club; Hal Jordan's later ring was weak against yellow instead.

Barry Allen died saving the Multiverse in which 1985 crossover?

Barry Allen died in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 (November 1985) destroying the Anti-Monitor's antimatter cannon, and stayed dead until Final Crisis in 2008.

Which DC hero debuted in the very same 1941 issue of More Fun Comics as Aquaman?

Green Arrow and Speedy debuted alongside Aquaman in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941); Mort Weisinger created both heroes, with artists George Papp and Paul Norris.

Where in Greenwich Village does Doctor Strange keep his Sanctum Sanctorum?

Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum stands at 177A Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, home to the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation.

Namor's very first appearance in 1939 was in an uncirculated prototype giveaway comic called what?

Namor first appeared in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (April 1939), a Funnies Inc. giveaway that was never distributed, before the public met him in Marvel Comics #1 that October.

Which studio made the 1941 serial Adventures of Captain Marvel, the first comic-book superhero film?

Republic Pictures' 12-chapter serial Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) starred Tom Tyler, beating Superman and Batman to the screen.

Hank Pym debuted in a 1962 story titled 'The Man in the Ant Hill' in which anthology?

'The Man in the Ant Hill' ran as a seven-page science-fiction filler in Tales to Astonish #27 (January 1962); Pym returned in costume as Ant-Man in issue #35.

Which medication keeps Nick Fury, a World War II veteran, from aging normally?

The Infinity Formula, introduced in Marvel Spotlight #31 (1976), slows Fury's aging; he began as a World War II sergeant in 1963's Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #1.

On which planet was the Silver Surfer, born Norrin Radd, an astronomer before becoming Galactus's herald?

Norrin Radd of Zenn-La volunteered to serve Galactus to spare his homeworld, then betrayed him to save Earth in Fantastic Four #48-50 (1966) and was exiled here.

Whose 'strange experiment' brought J'onn J'onzz to Earth in Martian Manhunter's 1955 debut story?

Scientist Dr. Erdel's teleportation experiment pulled J'onn J'onzz to Earth in Detective Comics #225 (November 1955), a back-up by Joseph Samachson and Joe Certa.

Hawkeye debuted in 1964 as an antagonist of which hero?

Hawkeye appeared as Iron Man's foe three times in Tales of Suspense, from #57 (September 1964), before joining the Avengers in issue #16 with Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.

Which scripter is credited with Stan Lee and Don Heck as a creator of Black Widow in 1964?

Don Rico, writing as 'N. Korok', scripted Natasha's debut in Tales of Suspense #52 (April 1964) with Stan Lee and Don Heck; she began as a Soviet spy sent against Tony Stark.

The Vision's synthetic body was built by Ultron from a copy of which Golden Age character?

Avengers #135 (1975) revealed Ultron had built the Vision from the original Human Torch, the 1939 android created by Phineas T. Horton; later stories made it a duplicate body.

Which writer co-created Kamala Khan with editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker?

G. Willow Wilson wrote Ms. Marvel #1 (February 2014) with artist Adrian Alphona; Kamala Khan was Marvel's first Muslim character to headline her own book.

Miles Morales made his debut in which 2011 issue?

Miles Morales debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011) after the Ultimate universe's Peter Parker died; Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli created him.

Static, the teenage hero later known from Static Shock, was created by the founders of which imprint?

Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan and their partners launched the independently owned imprint through DC in 1993; Static was folded into the DC Universe after Milestone closed.

Blade was introduced as a supporting character in which 1973 Marvel series?

Blade debuted in The Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973) by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan as a human vampire hunter immune to bites; the half-vampire 'Daywalker' idea came later from the screen versions.

What was Luke Cage's birth name?

Born Carl Lucas, he gained unbreakable skin as a prison experiment subject and set up shop as Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, in 1972.

Which villain killed Elektra at the end of her first Daredevil story arc in 1982?

Bullseye impaled Elektra on her own sai in Daredevil #181 (April 1982); Frank Miller had introduced her in issue #168 fifteen months earlier.

Storm's mother was a tribal princess from which country?

Storm's mother N'Dare was a princess of a Kenyan tribe; Ororo was born in Harlem, orphaned in Cairo, and a collapse that trapped her under rubble left her claustrophobic.

Barbara Gordon made her first appearance as the information broker Oracle in which comic?

Oracle debuted in Suicide Squad #23 (January 1989), a year after The Killing Joke left Barbara Gordon paraplegic; she went on to lead the Birds of Prey.

In her 1959 debut, Supergirl adopted the identity of an orphan named Linda Lee and made her home where?

Kara posed as orphan Linda Lee at Midvale Orphanage after her debut in Action Comics #252 (May 1959); Superman kept his cousin hidden as a 'secret weapon' for years.

Before the surname Pennyworth stuck, what was Batman's butler Alfred originally called?

Alfred Beagle debuted in Batman #16 (1943) as a portly comic-relief figure; the surname Pennyworth first appeared in 1969.

Jack Cole's Plastic Man debuted in Police Comics #1 in 1941 for which publisher?

Quality Comics published Police Comics #1 (August 1941); DC picked up Plastic Man with the rest of Quality's characters when the company shut down in 1956.

Hellboy's 1993 first appearance was in a book tied to which event?

Mike Mignola's half-demon investigator debuted in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 before Dark Horse gave him miniseries of his own.

Lee Falk's The Phantom operates from which fictional African country?

The Phantom's Skull Cave lies in Bangalla, a fictional African nation whose capital is Mawitaan; the current Phantom is the 21st in a line sworn in 1536.

Watchmen grew out of Alan Moore's proposal to use superheroes DC had just acquired from which defunct publisher?

Moore's pitch used the Charlton Comics heroes DC bought in 1983, such as Captain Atom and the Question; when DC wanted to keep them, Moore and Dave Gibbons invented analogues like Rorschach.

Shang-Chi was originally introduced in 1973 as the previously unknown son of which licensed pulp villain?

Marvel had wanted to license the Kung Fu TV series and could not, so it spun the hero off Sax Rohmer's villain instead; the father was later renamed Zheng Zu after the license lapsed.

Moon Knight first appeared as a mercenary antagonist in which 1975 comic?

Doug Moench and Don Perlin created Moon Knight as a mercenary hunting the title character in Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975); readers liked him enough to make him a hero.

Stuntman Johnny Blaze became Ghost Rider after being bound to a Spirit of Vengeance named what?

Zarathos, a demon later framed as a Spirit of Vengeance, was bonded to Johnny Blaze after his deal with Mephisto to save his surrogate father, Crash Simpson.

Along with the Hulk TV show, which series' success prompted Marvel to create She-Hulk in 1979?

The Bionic Woman's spin-off success made Marvel fear Universal, which also made The Incredible Hulk show, would launch a female Hulk, so Stan Lee created She-Hulk first.

Roughly how many copies did Superman #75, the 1992 death-of-Superman issue, sell?

Superman #75 (January 1993) sold about six million copies across its printings after mainstream news coverage of Superman's death, behind only 1991's X-Men #1.

Cyborg first appeared in an insert preview in which 1980 comic?

The New Teen Titans preview in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980) introduced Victor Stone alongside Raven and Starfire; Marv Wolfman and George Perez then launched the series.

In 1994, which mutant villain was revealed to be Nightcrawler's mother?

X-Men Unlimited #4 (1994) revealed that Mystique gave birth to Kurt Wagner and abandoned him; the demon Azazel was named as his father in 2003's 'The Draco'.

Ultron first appeared in a 1968 Avengers cameo disguised as which figure?

Ultron appeared in The Avengers #54 (July 1968) disguised as the hooded Crimson Cowl, leader of the Masters of Evil; issue #55 revealed him as Ultron-5, the Living Automaton.

Which villain did Squirrel Girl defeat in her 1991 debut story?

In Marvel Super-Heroes #8 (1991), by Will Murray and Steve Ditko, Squirrel Girl and her squirrels overwhelmed Doctor Doom; later writers made such wins a running gag.

Booster Gold, born Michael Jon Carter, grew up poor in the 25th century in which city?

Michael Jon Carter grew up poor in 25th-century Gotham City and played college football at Gotham University before a gambling scandal; Booster Gold (1986) was DC's first significant new character after its 1986 continuity reboot.

Zatanna made her first appearance in 1964 in which hero's comic?

Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson introduced her in Hawkman #4, in a storyline that had her searching for her father, the stage magician Zatara, across several DC titles.

The original Swamp Thing debuted in 1971 in which anthology series?

Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's short story in House of Secrets #92 (July 1971) was popular enough to spawn a 1972 ongoing series; Alan Moore's 1980s run redefined the character.

The original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, was a military officer of which alien empire?

Mar-Vell was a captain of the Kree Imperial Militia sent to spy on Earth in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (December 1967); he sided with humanity and was branded a traitor.

Wonder Woman first appeared in which 1941 comic?

Wonder Woman debuted in a backup story in All Star Comics #8 (cover-dated December 1941-January 1942); her first cover feature came in Sensation Comics #1 in January 1942.

In which issue did the Fantastic Four get their uniforms and the Baxter Building?

Fantastic Four #3 (March 1962) introduced the blue uniforms, the Fantasti-Car and the Baxter Building headquarters after readers asked Lee and Kirby for costumes.

Under what codename did Jean Grey operate during her early years with the X-Men?

Jean Grey was Marvel Girl from The X-Men #1 (September 1963), the team's only female founder, until she became Phoenix in 1976.

Which science-fiction novelist, scripting the Alan Scott Green Lantern comic, introduced the Green Lantern Oath?

Alfred Bester, later the author of The Stars My Destination, scripted Green Lantern in the 1940s and wrote the 'In brightest day, in blackest night' oath, revived decades later for Hal Jordan.

Which hell-lord did Al Simmons make his deal with to return to Earth as Spawn?

Al Simmons bargained with the hell-lord Malebolgia to see his wife Wanda again, returning five years later with a decayed body and a symbiotic costume; Todd McFarlane first sketched him as a teenager.

Japan's Ōgon Bat (1931), an early superpowered costumed hero, first appeared in which medium?

Kamishibai combined painted pictures with live narration, years before Superman launched the Golden Age in 1938.

Golden Age superheroine Fantomah was later recast as an ageless princess of which ancient civilization?

Later writers made Fantomah an Egyptian princess; in Fletcher Hanks's own stories she was a mysterious jungle guardian who turned into a skull-faced avenger, debuting in Jungle Comics #2 (February 1940).

Which Halloween costume maker first registered 'super hero' as a trademark in 1967?

Ben Cooper, Inc. registered 'Super Hero' as a trademark for Halloween costumes in 1967; after a dispute with toymaker Mego, the rights were later assigned jointly to DC and Marvel.

Which 1936 comic-strip hero was the first to wear a skintight costume and a mask with no visible pupils?

Lee Falk's 'Ghost Who Walks' has no superpowers, relying on skill and the myth of his immortality.