Random Superhero Replacements Better Than Their Predecessors (16 items)

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  (#9) John Stewart

  • Justice League Unlimited, DC Universe

  John Stewart, like Wally West, held his superhero title for an entire generation after stepping up in the absence of Hal Jordan. Jordan, the most notable Green Lantern, had broken bad in 1993 and eventually died, before he was reborn in 2005. Stewart was the de facto Green Lantern for much of this time, sharing the reins with Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner, and proved more than fit to patrol the space sector. It was Stewart who starred in the Justice League animated series, but that’s not the only reason he’s superior to Hal.

  For all his good qualities, Hal Jordan was kind of a jerk, whereas Stewart’s history in the military, along with his decision not to wear a mask, made him a real hero of the people. The fact that he was the only minority representation on the Justice League for awhile is an added bonus.
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  (#15) Otto Octavius Was The Superior Spider-Man

  When Marvel decided to kill off Peter Parker in 2012, it was already bound to be a controversial decision. The fact that Parker was killed after having his body stolen by long-time enemy Doctor Octopus made the storyline exponentially more outrage-worthy. However, a last minute blast of memories from Parker’s mind put Doc Ock on a more heroic path, and he set out to become the Superior Spider-Man.

  Surprisingly, Otto Octavius actually managed to prove himself superior to Parker. The Superior Spider-Man cleaned up crime in New York City, shutting down long-term threats like the Kingpin and Alistair Smythe for good. The Superior Spidey stumbled a few times along the way, but nothing compared to the outright tragedies that Peter Parker caused in his early career. In the end, Parker got his body back while Octavius secured his own spider-powered body, becoming the Superior Octopus!
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  (#5) Batwoman

  • Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, DC Universe

  The original Batwoman was an almost insultingly derivative character. Inserted into Batman lore in the ‘50s to abate the ridiculous “controversy” that Batman and Robin were gay, Kathy Kane was Bruce Wayne’s love interest and carried a utility purse with weaponized lipstick. The character was thankfully phased out in the ‘60s and the name remained dormant until 2006, when a new version of Batwoman appeared.

  This Batwoman was named Kate Kane, but was unrelated to Kathy Kane from the '50s. Kate Kane is a socialite with a military background, who identifies as a lesbian. This broke new ground for DC Comics and Kane's career was inspired, but not facilitated, by Batman’s. This Batwoman proved to be much more of a peer to the Dark Knight than the previous one, and she has stuck around ever since. 
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  (#1) Ant-Man (Scott Lang)

  • Ant-Man, Marvel Universe

  The first legacy hero to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Scott Lang, the second Ant-Man who actually beat his predecessor, Hank Pym, to the screen. In the Ant-Man movie, Pym is aged way up from the comics and is long retired from his Ant-Manning days, leaving Lang to be the one and only wearer of the mantle in the MCU. In the comic book, Pym was a founding Avenger and had a lengthy history before Lang was even invented.

  However, Lang was chosen for Hollywood fame because his character was a bit deeper. Lang began his career by stealing the Ant-Man gear from Pym’s lab to help pay for his daughter’s necessary surgery, giving his character some goodhearted complexity. Pym, on the other hand, had a hot temper and a history of outbursts and non-heroic activity, like infamously slapping his wife, the Wasp. Scott Lang is definitely truer hero material. 
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  (#13) Sam Wilson (Falcon)

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Universe

  Captain America is the longest-standing Marvel superhero, so replacing him is no easy task. However, over his 75 plus years of publishing history, Steve Rogers has inevitably given up his mantle on a number of occasions. Most of the replacements, like John Walker or Bucky Barnes, didn’t work out. However, one that did was Sam Wilson, the former Falcon. 

  Wilson took on the role when Rogers was rapidly aged, and he did so at a time when actual issues of race and inequality were tearing apart the nation in the real world. Captain America was always supposed to be a political character, and as a Black hero with the national flag as part of his costume, Sam Wilson fit that bill perfectly. Sam was able to represent a downtrodden and underrepresented segment of American society, and it helped that Wilson’s adventures often directly cribbed from current events. 
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  (#6) Dick Grayson

  • Young Justice, The Batman, Batman & Robin, Batman, DC Universe

  Batman is quite possibly the most famous superhero ever created. Bruce Wayne has held the mantle for most of the character’s near century-long existence, so to claim anyone is a better Batman than Wayne is quite a statement. Nevertheless, when the original Dark Knight appeared dead in the wake of Final Crisis, former Robin Dick Grayson stepped into his boots.

  Grayson had a lot going for him, with his status as a non-billionaire making him a bit more relatable to about 99% of comic book readers. Dick was also far more likable than Bruce Wayne ever was, especially since he could admit something that Wayne never could: being Batman is an awful lot of fun. 

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