Top 10 Superheroes and Villains Embodied by Multiple People
Superheroes focus on the men and women under the mask, as much as they do the masked heroes themselves. As a result we have tons of stories about origins, as well as the passing of the torch, mantle and identity from one hero to another. Characters like Green Lantern of The Flash have had 4 or 5 people don their respective mantles, and even villain identities like Green Goblin and Venom have been used by more than one person. So join http://www.watchmojo.com as we count down our picks for the top 10 Superheroes and Villains Embodied by Multiple People.
Script written by Jamie Leslie.
Top 10 Superheroes/Villains Embodied by Multiple People
Throughout comic book history, there have been many instances where multiple people have donned the same mantle. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our Top 10 Superheroes/Villains Embodied by Multiple People.
For this list, we'll be including all heroes who adopted the identity of the respective hero or villain.
#10: Green Lantern – Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner and John Stweart
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Wow that ring really gets around. The Green Lantern lineage began with Alan Scott, an engineer that fashioned his ring from a magic lamp. In later years this story was rebooted with Hal Jordan and the Green Lanter Corps., an intergalactic band of space-cops. When Hal Jordan’s hometown was destroyed and Jordan himself had a mental breakdown, it was Kyle Rayner who took up the ring, redeeming the Green Lantern title. Another notable human Green Lantern is U.S. Marine veteran John Stewart, who was chosen by the Corps. as a backup to Hal Jordan, and served as the Green Lantern throughout the 70s.
#9: Nite Owl – Hollis Mason and Dan Dreiberg
Mason's aspirations to become a crime fighting vigilante encouraged him to put down his badge and adopt a mask, giving birth to the Nite Owl. His stint as the hero was well lived, but certain personal matters forced him to hang up the cowl after World War II and become an author. Years later, Dan Dreiberg, being a huge fan of the vigilante planned to expand on the hero's persona with a spruced up costume and an assortment of versatile tech. Impressed with the boy's tenacity, Mason gave the protégé permission to use his name and become the new official Nite Owl.
#8: Ms. Marvel – Carol Danvers and Kamala Kahn
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Carol Danvers has not only paved the way for female superhero's everywhere with her debut as Ms. Marvel in 1977. In 2012 Danvers assumed the mantle of the fallen Captain Marvel and it was 16 year old Kamala Kahn who filled in as the new Ms. Marvel ever since. Kamala's powers differed by imbuing her with morphing abilities, but this only allowed her to adopt the name of her beloved hero, while crafting her own identity as the Marvel's first Pakistani-American superhero.
#7: Thor – Thor Odinson, Beta Ray Bill, and Jane Foster
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Thor’s title as God of Thunder rests not in his name or birthright, but within Mjolnir, a hammer imbued with great power. Enchanted by Odin so only the worthy can wield it, and damn if the hammer isn’t picky. Few besides Thor himself have proved worthy over the years; with Beta Ray Bill proving himself by besting the mighty Thor in combat, hoping to use the weapon, and Norse god's identity to save his people. Recently, Thor has found himself unworthy and it is none other than Jane Foster, Thor’s former love interest and close friend who wields the hammer and title in his stead.
#6: Venom – Eddie Brock, Peter Parker and Flash Thompson.
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This maniacal villain became infamous as Spider-Man's greatest threat and rival, time and time again. Venom is, in essence, an alien parasite. Like any good parasite, it requires a host to live and thrive off of. The Venom Symbiote's first target was Peter Parker himself, before moving onto Eddie Brock, where it coined the Venom identity. While granting its host enhanced physical capabilities, it also warps their mind and brings out the host’s darker nature. Never moving too far away from Spider-Man, The Symbiote currently resides with Parker’s high school rival Flash Thompson.
#5: Green Goblin – Norman Osborn, Harry Osborn, Bart Hamilton, Phil Urich
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Like father like son we suppose. The title of this maniacal villain was first coined by Norman Osborn, president of Oscorp. Using a secret serum, Norman was able to enhance his physical abilities and intelligence, but the compound of the drug drove him insane. After Osborn’s death during a battle with Spider-Man, Norman’s son Harry became the new Green Goblin. After Harry's passing, the Green Goblin persona was used twice by both Bart Hamilton and Phil Urich, each to settle their own vendetta with the webslinger.
#4: Captain America – Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson
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Steve Rogers became the iconic Captain America during World War 2, and remained so for most of the century. However, after Captain America was presumably assassinated in 2007, Bucky Barns, Cap’s on again off again sidekick continued the Captain America tradition. Rogers returned and briefly reclaimed the Captain America title, until a battle against the Iron Nail; who neutralized Cap’s super-soldier serium, causing Rogers to hyper-age, passing the mantle onto Cap’s other long time side-kick Sam Wilson.
#3: Spider-Man – Peter Parker and Miles Morales
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While old school Spider-Man fans are familiar with the nerdy photojournalist, Peter Parker, later iterations of the comic series introduced a new face after the death of the Ultimate Universe Spider-Man. Miles. Miles grew up highly inspired by the webslinger's antics, and when he undergoes a similar transformation from an Oscorp experiment, he designs a costume closely based off of Parker's original design, and assumes his role as The Spider-Man.
#2: The Flash – Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West And Bart Allen
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The Flash lineage runs deep with various incarnations of the Scarlet Speedster. Despite being the first version of the superhero, Golden-Age Jay Garrick is also the most obscure iteration. Barry Allen came sometime afterwards and along with being the most identifiable Flash, started the modern Flash lineage. Barry's nephew, Wally West, inherited his powers in an accident similar to his uncle's, and Bart Allen, Barry's grandson, inherited his genetically. Wally and Bart also assumed the role of Kid Flash before graduating into fully-fledged speedsters.
Before we unveil our pick for Top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Iron Patriot – Norman Osborn and James Rhodes
Baron Zemo – Baron Heinrich Zemo and Baron Helmut Zemo
Hawkeye – Clint Barton, Wyatt McDonald & Kate Bishop
Valkyrie – Brunnhilde, Samantha Parrington and Barbara Norris
#1: Robin – Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne
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Standing in the shadow of the Dark Knight himself is no easy task, but these boy wonders all proved they were up to the challenge. Dick Grayson took on the role as the first ever Robin, and eventually gew up and assumed his own identity as Nightwing. The second Robin was Jason Todd, who, much like Grayson was a circus acrobat. This character met a brutal fate at the hands of the Joker but was later seen revived as The Red Hood. Tim Drake later proved himself as a worthy Robin candidate, but was beaten out of his spot by Batman's illegitimate son, Damian Wayne.
Do you agree with our list? Who do you think portrayed their superhero or villain the best? For more awesome Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
