There is no doubt that DC Comics has some incredibly powerful heroes. From Superman to Wonder Woman to Martian Manhunter, there are some truly godlike figures wandering the Hall of Justice. However, some aren't perceived as such, and a name can have a large effect on such perceptions.
Names like "Superman" and "Wonder Woman" convey power. They are names that show that these people are more than the average person. However, there are others with names that leave the average reader— not to mention other characters within the DC universe— wondering what this character is all about and what they can actually do.
10 Green Lantern, Because How Intimidating Is A Lantern?
Green Lantern is rather famous now for being one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. There have been some jokes about him, not helped by a subpar live-action movie and a former weakness to the color yellow (for the Green Lantern Corps) and wood (for Alan Scott). Another big thing that doesn't help, however, is the name.
The name "Green Lantern" only really evokes the thought of something giving off distorted light and not the most powerful weapon in the universe. One doesn't think creating physical light constructs and powerful energy blasts with a "green lantern." It doesn't help that the Green Lantern itself is something that charges the weapon of the Green Lanterns, not their actual weapon: Which is a ring.
9 Aquaman Has Powers Outside The Water, Too
Thanks to several memes and jokes, Aquaman is thought to be the most useless member of the Justice League and an all-around joke of a hero. His name implies that he is only useful in the water, but that isn't true.
Aquaman becomes weaker when dehydrated, but you could say that for any other human being on Earth. While on dry land, Arthur Curry is still superhumanly strong, an excellent fighter, and has a magic trident. He's still a force to be reckoned with.
8 Big Barda Is One Of The Strongest Heroes In DC Comics Despite A Jokey-Sounding Name
Big Barda's name is a joke on the name "Big Bertha" and kind of detracts from how powerful Big Barda is. In addition to being physically very tall and incredibly muscular, Big Barda is one of the physically strongest heroes in the DC Universe.
Big Barda's main powers are strength and invulnerability, and she takes both to a mighty extreme. Big Barda can tussle with the biggest guns DC has to offer and could take many of them down. In addition to all of that, she's also the former leader of the Female Furies of Apokolips and a very skilled fighter— so she doesn't have to rely on strength alone to get the job done.
7 Zatanna Just Goes By Her Rather Normal-Sounding First Name
Zatanna's name is just her first name. Her full name is Zatanna Zatarra, and that doesn't really convey anything of what she does. She doesn't even have a cool nickname like John Constantine the "Hellblazer." She's just...Zatanna.
That's a shame too, because Zatanna is likely the most powerful sorcerer in DC Comics outside of maybe Doctor Fate. She can conjure incredibly potent magical spells with a relatively simple practice of saying words backward.
6 Captain Comet, A Cheesy Name Belying An Incredibly Strong Hero
Captain Comet is a lesser-known DC character with a long history. His name is at once very goofy and, frankly, very awesome. He hasn't shown up in DC Comics in a while beyond appearing in Action Comics at the beginning of the New 52.
Despite this, Captain Comet has an incredible range of powers, from super-strength to telepathy and telekinesis, to energy bursts and matter alteration. Captain Comet might actually be one of DC's strongest if he showed up more.
5 Supergirl, Because She's A Grown Woman & Might Be Stronger Than Superman
Supergirl is mostly seen as the distaff counterpart to Superman. Given Superman's reputation, it's hard not to see her simply as the lesser version of Superman, as anything "other" than Superman must mean "lesser." The same goes for Superboy(s). However, it has been implied many times that Supergirl may actually be stronger than Superman.
It's also the unfortunate nature of the "girl" moniker shared by Hawkgirl, Power Girl, Batgirl, Marvel Girl, and Sue Storm back when she was called Invisible Girl. All of these characters are now adult women, but the "girl" name comes off as a bit infantilizing.
4 Geo-Force, Because He Just Doesn't Play With Dirt & Rocks
Geo-Force is a key member of the Outsiders and the leader of the government of the fictional country Markovia. He's also the half-brother to former Teen Titan, Terra. With a name like Geo-Force, one would expect him to have the same powers as Terra or the unfairly-maligned Vibe, where they can mostly just control earth matter and emit vibrations.
However, Geo-Force has a lot more going on than just that. He's also super-strong, can control his density, make force fields, control gravity, fly (those last two Terra can do as well), turn things to stone, heal himself by immersing himself in the earth, has some sort of primordial connection with the Earth, control lava, and even emit lava from his hands.
3 Blue Beetle Isn't Just A Guy Dressed As An Insect
This entry is devoted to Jaime Reyes instead of Ted Kord, though Ted also deserves more respect. The name Blue Beetle doesn't really imply anything on the surface beyond possibly a connection to insects. However, Jaime is an immensely powerful hero thanks to the Scarab attached to his back.
The Scarab is an AI weapon that morphs Jaime into a powerful warrior with any weapon and armor he can imagine. Blue Beetle's armor is one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, and its manufacturers, the Reach, are known to prey on members of the Lantern Corps.
2 The Atom, Because He Can Split An Atom With His Bare Hands
Shrinking superheroes rarely get the respect they deserve, and that extends to both Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi. Ray and Ryan are two of the smartest heroes in the DC Universe, and their abilities grant them a great deal of power.
Both Atoms retain their masses while shrunken down through increased density, meaning they can pack quite a punch while being literally too small to see. They are also granted direct access to the very molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles that make up our very reality by being small enough to manipulate them.
1 Firestorm Is So Much More Than Just A Flame-Based Character
Finally, there is Firestorm. That is a name that, admittedly, already sounds pretty powerful, but it seems to imply that the Nuclear Man is akin to the Human Torch or Fire of the JLI.
In reality, Firestorm can do so much more. He has the ability to manipulate matter, changing it to whatever he wills it to be in an instant. Firestorm is known as the Nuclear Man because he is a walking nuclear reactor, able to emit tremendous amounts of energy and play with the molecules that make up our world like toys.
0 Comments