Top 10 British Superheroes

AKA Megan Gwynn, Pixie is a Marvel Comics mutant from a mining town in Wales. Boasting bug-like wings and an ample supply of Pixie Dust, a mystery substance which causes baddies to hallucinate, she spent her formative years on the fringes of the X-Men, before becoming a main player in later stories. Pixie also wields the Souldagger, a mystical weapon gained when Magik messed around with her soul. And she can teleport like a boss. She looks sweet, but cross her at your peril.

Making fruit fun for generations of fans, this guy takes your stereotypical superhero and turns it yellow. Bananaman channels Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel and Popeye as an everyday school kid whose superpowers are just a healthy snack away. Sure, he’s not the smartest sometimes, but he flew through the pages of Nutty, The Beano and The Dandy, and he had his own cartoon series in the ‘80s. Plans for a feature film were regrettably scrapped, but Bananaman the Musical is all set for a theatre near you!

This Valiant Comics character wasn’t born with superpowers, but he acquired them through years of training as a martial arts master. Colin King was heir to a fortune as the son of a British super spy, but when his father is killed he throws all his energy into Ninjak, a talented, clever, badass secret ninja alter-ego. While Acclaim Comics completely rewrote the backstory after buying Valiant in the mid-90s, the original Ninjak was something to behold, selling millions of comics worldwide.

Staying with the Secret Service, and an MI6 agent turned major player in Excalibur, the British derivative of America’s X-Men. Created by Warren Ellis, Pete Wisdom can send sparks of lethal solar energy from his fingers. He’s a crafty character with an eye for the ladies, and friends in high places. But he’s not invulnerable, and he’s survived his fair share of near death experiences – not least when Captain Midlands (and yes, he is from Birmingham) turns his back on the group.

The brainchild of Paul Cornell, who’s also known for penning “Doctor Who” stories, Faiza is a medic who develops superpowers when she’s caught in Skrull crossfire. With the ability to control and dismantle anyone else’s body, sometimes to extraordinary lengths, her initial adventures played out alongside Black Knight, before she’s brought into MI:13, a super-secret supernatural branch of British intelligence. Oh, and did we mention she also wields Excalibur? The legendary sword is quite the weapon of choice, even amongst superheroes.

Comic meets myth for our fifth, and DC’s reimagining of a legendary figure. With a Round Table of gallant knights at his beck and call, plus a famed wizard as his best mate, there are few wiser or better backed characters out there. And Arthur’s definitely an original. He debuted in 1936, two years before even Superman showed up. And he’s had the Man of Steel kneel before him, as well as Batman! They say you can have too much power, but this guy’s doing just fine.

Subject to multiple rewrites, Spider-Woman scored a 50-issue original run with Marvel in the ‘70s. She was killed off but then was resurrected, and she’s part of the New Avengers and the Lady Liberators. It’s quite a history, considering the character was originally created for trademark reasons only. While later versions have her born in Transia, the original story says she’s a Londoner. She’s super-strong, super-quick, has heightened hearing, smell and biological immunity, plus she climbs walls and her suit helps her glide. Now, where have we seen that before?

A bringer of hope for generations, with three renditions and counting, this guy is more than just a flag-based pun. Lord Montgomery Falsworth was first in line, a blue-blooded Englishman and First World War veteran, who lives in a sprawling country manor. Next it’s his son, Brian, who assumes the identity shortly after his father’s paralysed by Baron Blood, Brian’s supervillain uncle. Finally, there’s Manchester’s finest Joey Chapman, the first non-Falworth to wear the suit and a real working-class hero.

DC’s love affair with Arthurian-style soldiers goes on, and we might’ve included Shining Knight here, or Sir Justin if you’re on first name terms. But we’ve plumped for Percy Sheldrake and the more simply named, Knight. Percy shapes his superhero on the Round Table legends, but he’s also inspired by Batman. Alongside the Squire, a Robin-esque sidekick, he’s an all-English custodian of the country. Another whose suit has been passed through generations, Percy precedes his son Cyril, with Beryl Hutchinson inheriting the armour upon Cyril’s death.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

V

Wolfsbane

Marvelman

Today’s winner is an upper-class Essex boy whose life is changed when he almost dies, only to meet Marvel’s Merlyn and be transformed into a patriotic keeper of the peace. Real name Brian Braddock, Captain Britain was devised as a British version of, you guessed it, Captain America. Armed with extraordinary strength and an unerring sense of justice, he’s also one part of the Captain Britain Corps – so there are other versions of him in other worlds. With a telepathic twin sister to boot, Captain Britain is Blighty’s best.