Top 20 Most Epic Superhero Introductions
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were counting down our picks for the best introductory scenes for superheroes - either debuting their powers, costumes, or both.
#20: The Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Although Bruce Banner gets angry and goes green earlier in his MCU debut, its in a shadowy environment, teasing only parts of the man-turned-monster. After Bruce is gassed and confronted at a university by General Ross men, the Hulk is unleashed in broad daylight! The mean green machine takes on soldiers armed with guns and sonic cannons, not to mention a super-soldier serum-powered Emil Blonsky[a]. Its a phenomenal demonstration of the destructive power of the Hulk and, ultimately, his humanity by its end.
#19: Vision
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
When most superheroes are introduced, they havent literally just been born. Yet, thats basically what happens with Vision. Originally created as the ultimate vessel for Ultron, Vision is instead a fusion of J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone. After Thor zaps him into life, everyone freaks out a bit. Once things calm down, Vision impresses upon them that he isnt what Ultron intended. He wants to stop the omnicidal machine. Thankfully, theres quite a simple way for Vision to earn their trust and win over the audience too! Hes worthy and so is his intro!
#18: Black Widow
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, appears in a few small scenes throughout this Iron Man sequel. Its only towards the end that she debuts in costume and in action. She and Happy Hogan arrive at a Hammer facility. While Happy struggles to take down one of the guards, Natasha charges through the halls, taking them down left and right! Her use of gadgets, weapons, and that patented scissor move are all incredibly cool. The scene certainly makes for an excellent demonstration of her capabilities as a superhero.
#17: Judge Dredd
Dredd (2012)
The opening scene of this impossibly underrated comic book film introduces its dystopian world and lead character - Judge Dredd. The uncompromising future cop gets involved in a high-speed pursuit of some lowlifes high on the drug Slo-Mo and driving recklessly. Their attempts to escape lead to casualties and Dredd decides to take them down. Although two are killed when he wrecks their vehicle, the third escapes on foot, killing others. A showdown ensues that sees Dredd kill the perpetrator in dramatic fashion. Its a high-octane, action-packed scene with great music, and some of the best mouth acting ever put on film!
#16: Hellboy
Hellboy (2004)
When John Myers joins the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, the experience is a bit overwhelming. Theres a fish man in the library, holy relics on the walls, and a mysterious vault. Its a great build-up for the reveal of the vaults inhabitant - Hellboy. There are a lot of superhero introductions, but only one scene features a shirtless demon lifting iron, surrounded by cats and comic books! The awkward introduction between John the everyman and a hero whos not like any man is both a lot of fun and totally unique.
#15: Black Panther
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The third Captain America film has numerous great superhero debuts. This one sees Cap attempt to bring Bucky Barnes in after hes blamed for a bombing. A mysterious man in black interrupts, however. Black Panther engages Bucky in a fight on a rooftop, pursuing him down the side of the building and into traffic on a busy road. Between his incredible-looking, bulletproof catsuit and running faster than cars on the street, Black Panther makes a powerful first impression! Its all capped off with his reveal as Prince TChalla.
#14: The Mask
The Mask (1994)
Stanley Ipkiss[b] is your fairly average guy. But then, he decides to put on a mysterious mask. One wacky transformation later and hes become the Mask, a green-faced, reality-bending living cartoon. After playing Bugs Bunny to his trigger-happy landladys Elmer Fudd, the Mask dives down to the street. He takes some petty revenge on a driver who honks at him. Even getting mugged turns into an outrageous event, as he plays carnival barker to a gang of thugs! The Masks skill with balloon animals turns almost deadly! Its Jim Carrey at his hammy best and the cartoony effects are silly, ridiculous gold!
#13: Wolverine
X-Men (2000)
The most legendary of X-Men makes his debut in a cage fight at a Canadian bar. We see Rogue watch as Logan takes on all challengers, bringing down one with ease since his skeleton is metal. Later in the bar, the Wolverine collects his winnings and is harassed by a man who lost money betting against him. When the man pulls a knife, Logans claws come out. Even the bartender drawing a gun doesnt prove a challenge, since Logan cuts the weapon in half. In just this short scene, we learn how taciturn, fierce, and utterly badass Wolverine is!
#12: Batman
The Batman (2022)
Every version of the Dark Knight has a unique introduction. Robert Pattinsons incarnation arrives in the middle of a mugging. His footsteps echo as he steps out of the gloom. Then, when one gang member approaches him, asking who he is, Batman answers with his fists. He is vengeance and his fury is completely unrestrained! After pummeling the first thug into the ground, Batman lays into the rest. Even getting shot only makes him angrier, shocking the shooter into submission. We honestly dont blame the mugging victim for being terrified.
#11: Deadpool
Deadpool (2016)
This is one of the rare instances when a movies opening credits manage to describe the tone and its lead superhero perfectly! As the credits roll, we view various freeze frames of Deadpools SUV brawl and imminent car crash. Instead of the names of actors or crew members, were treated to irreverent, yet fitting nicknames for all of them. Of course, thats followed up by DP giving his cab driver some love advice. After talking to the camera, he leaps into the aforementioned vehicle to kick some ass and be hilarious while he does it. Thats basically the rest of the movie.
#10: Iron Man
Iron Man (2008)
He is Iron Man. Tony Stark's transformation from billionaire businessman to full-fledged superhero may not have been as obvious to him as it was to audiences back in 2008, but as soon as we see the classic gray metal suit stomping around the cave we know that Iron Man has been born. Improvised, shoddy, and far from stylish, his Mark I[c] armor might be a piece of junk compared to all of his other suits, but it certainly got the job done. Iron Man's first appearance saw him bulldozing through the terrorists with ease until his stylish exit and less-than-graceful landing that, luckily for Stark, nobody else saw.
#9: Wonder Woman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
After seeing Diana[d] Prince rub shoulders with Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent throughout Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it was only a matter of time before her more well-known persona appeared to help the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel kick some ass. Arguably the most show-stealing entrance in the entire film, complete with her own exhilarating theme music, Wonder Woman saves Batman from certain death at the hands of Doomsday and immediately establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with. Deflecting the monsters heat vision with her indestructible shield and repelling him with a clash of her iconic silver bracelets, Wonder Woman instantly proves her courage, skill, and power in this awesome introduction.
#8: Blade
Blade (1998)
What better way to begin a vampire film than a blood-soaked rave followed by a bloodbath? After realizing he has been duped into attending a party for thirsty bloodsuckers, a terrified man flees for his life before falling at the feet of the day-walking vampire slayer, Blade. So intimidating that he brings an entire horde of vampires to whats virtually an utter standstill, Blade wastes no time in making use of his extensive anti-vampire arsenal and martial arts techniques to lay the smackdown on his undead adversaries. Played with an undeniable charisma by Wesley Snipes, Blades introduction set the tone for the franchise and made a relatively obscure Marvel superhero into a household name.
#7: RoboCop
RoboCop (1987)
One of the more unique ones on this list, Robocops introduction is conveyed through an extensive period of time that shows the development of his transformation from a bullet-riddled corpse into a nearly indestructible walking weapon. Initially shown through first-person glimpses of his programming by corporate scientists, we get our first glimpse of RoboCop in action at a police station shooting range where his Auto-9 semi-automatic clearly makes him stand out among his colleagues. Obliterating the targets with ease, RoboCop then displays traces of his lingering humanity by doing his trademark gun twirl, which lets the audience know he still possesses a human spirit beneath the state-of-the-art machinery keeping him alive.
#6: Batman
Batman Begins (2005)
Taking a page from classic horror movie tropes, Batmans introduction in Christopher Nolans reboot of the franchise showed audiences just how scary the Dark Knight can be. Initially picking off the dealers from the shadows to enhance their terror, Batman eventually reveals himself to the gang of thugs and proceeds to bludgeon them into submission in a dizzying onslaught, which leaves none standing. As crime boss Carmine Falcone[e] fearfully loads his shotgun to defend himself from the black-clad phantom, he gets a much more up close and personal meet-and-greet with Gothams newest crime fighter via the sunroof of his limousine. A truly fear-eliciting scene, Christian Bales introduction as Batman captured the mystique of the character while also reinventing his legend.
#5: Spider-Man
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Although we also could have gone with Spideys comedic introduction in 2002s Spider-Man, his debut in Captain America: Civil War is simply amazing. After we first meet Tom Holland as Peter Parker, he is conspicuous by his absence from the films epic airport showdown until Iron Man finally runs out of patience. Confiscating Captain Americas shield and binding him in his signature webbing in the blink of an eye, we are treated to his newly designed costume complete with comic-inspired eyes in a breathtaking sequence which many fans of the MCU probably thought they would never see. Combining a dazzling sense of wonder with Spideys classic sense of humor, this was a spectacular re-introduction to Spider-Man on the big screen.
#4: Superman
Superman (1978)
A prime example of building suspense towards a huge payoff, the first major motion picture introduction of Superman is a magnificent cinematic achievement. When a freak accident threatens to plunge Lois Lane and her news crew to their deaths, Clark Kent decides it is time for the world to get their first glimpse of Superman. As John Williams iconic score builds to an incredible crescendo, Clark rips open his shirt to reveal the S known around the world and becomes the Man of Steel. Not only managing to rescue Lois, but also stopping the falling helicopter from crashing onto the stunned onlookers below, Supermans public debut remains a thing of beauty that still gives audiences goosebumps to this day.
#3: Batman
Batman (1989)
Reintroducing mainstream audiences to the Dark Knight decades after the campy TV show, Tim Burton unleashed a darker version of Batman, which was more faithful to his original incarnation in the late 80s. Descending from the shadows like a demon, Batman terrifies a pair of muggers who are fresh from robbing a lost family on Gothams sullied streets. After eliminating one thief with a kick that sends him crashing through a wall, Batman trips up the second and hangs him over a ledge before introducing himself to his horrified prey. An iconic entrance dripping with Gothic atmosphere, this introduction to Michael Keaton as Batman was the nail in the coffin of premature detractors who argued he was miscast as the Caped Crusader.
#2: Star-Lord
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
An introduction notable for its rapid shift in tone alone, Star-Lords first appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy arguably sums up the nature of the entire film itself in just one scene. Beginning with an ominous orchestral score on the desolate planet of Morag, Star-Lord enters an ancient ruin in search of a mysterious orb. Upon locating his destination, he casually removes his mask, turns on his Sony Walkman to Redbones Come and Get Your Love, and begins a solo dance routine. Exemplifying the films mixture of sci-fi, humor, and music, Star-Lords introduction is as much a primer to the film as a whole as it is to his own character.
#1: Nightcrawler
X2 (2003)
The show-stealing scene from the second entry into the X-Men film franchise, Nightcrawlers silver-screen debut was an unforgettable spectacle that showcased just how cool teleportation can be. Emerging from a crowd of tourists paying a visit to the White House, the mind-controlled mutants cover is blown by his prehensile tail and he quickly takes a less subtle approach to gaining access to the Oval Office. Fighting his way through waves of Secret Service with ease, Nightcrawlers superhuman agility, teleportation, and terrifying appearance help him single-handedly dismantle the Presidents last line of defense. Luckily for his intended target, a Secret Serviceman manages to hit Nightcrawler with a grazing shot that snaps him out of his trance and prompts his escape.
Is there a superduper superhero debut we forgot? Let us know which youd have liked to see in the comments!