COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

[Nick Costanzo]

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THREAD : COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES
Started at Sep 13, 2007 01:24 pm by Phil Hunn
Visit at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=42978
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[Post 1]
Author : Phil Hunn
Date : Sep 13, 2007 01:24 pm
Title : COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/comix10_logo.gif" hspace=10 align=left border=0 alt="Comix-ten">The Top 10 90'S COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS

Writers: Nick Costanzo, Will Carper, Michael Regan, Erwin Rafael, Stephanie Kay
Editor: Phil Hunn

The 1990s were and still are a curiously much-maligned time for comics. The rise and spectacular fall of the speculator craze seems to be one of the most vivid memories from that time, and rightly so, as the fallout from that still affects the market to this day (and even the most ardent late-90s-fanboy like myself has to admit that the absurd overload of pointless free trading cards and holographic-foil covers was a bit much at times). Perhaps you remember the horribly drawn-out Spider-Clone saga? Perhaps you recall that the 90s could have been described as being the decade when stubbly, long-haired, grunge-rock-loving cyborgs with huge guns (and more pockets than they knew what to do with) ruled the world, or that the 90s were the time that gave us The Awesome One himself, Rob Liefeld, and wake up screaming because of it? Or perhaps you are still weeping over the time that DC had a brute called Bane break Batman’s back and then replaced him with a barely-controlled, psychopathically violent and delusional religious zealot in really pointy armour? Whatever your poison, the 90s did seem to invite a fair bit of criticism. And when even career mama’s boys like Nova The Human Rocket were running around all unkempt and ponytailed, it’s hard to argue that point (I mean, seriously – Nova? After Peter Parker, he’s like the poster child for dorkiness).

However, were the 1990s truly as shallow and forgettable a time for comics as everybody makes them out to be? I say they weren’t, and this Comix-Ten sets out to prove that there was just as much to enjoy in that decade as there was at any other time. Join my five handpicked Comixfan staff-droids as they take you on a journey through their personal 90s high-points – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll remember what you enjoyed about that time as well.

You know you want to.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/dc/kingmob.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Will Carper">When the name “Will Carper” is mentioned, other staff-droids quiver in fear. Constructed in a reclusive, technologically-advanced warrior society from the pieces of fallen gladiator-droids and the body-parts of executed criminals, Will was implanted with a number of lethal devices from a young age. Now, his unshaven, ponytailed self uses his deadly powers to fight crime and brood a lot.



<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/enigma.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 10: Character Name: Enigma
Appearing in: Enigma (DC/Vertigo)

Peter Milligan's stuff messes with my head. Skreemer, X-Statix, The Programme..........all serious head-screwers (well, The Programme has just started, but it looks like it will be that way). Milligan's Enigma takes the cake, though. The main character is a psychic, reality-altering homosexual named the Enigma who becomes a superhero in the hopes of winning the love of another man, all so he could become a little more human. It's probably the most touching love story I've read in comics. And I guess that's how the Enigma found his way onto this list. That, and I love weird comics.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/dc/swift.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 9: Swift
Appearing in: StormWatch, The Authority (Wildstorm)

The Authority are jerks. It's part of their charm. It can also get a bit tiresome at times, which is why characters like Swift and Apollo are a nice reprieve. Swift in particular. Sure, she can be self-absorbed and snarky, but she can also be the team's most compassionate member. Remember when she spared a civilization of super-evolved parasites from certain doom, or how she saved the world in John Ridley's Human on the Inside? Her relative weakness also endears her to me, as she's the team member that usually has to try the most. She can't talk to cities or predict her enemies moves. All she can do is fly.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/dc/spiderjerusalem.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 8: Spider Jerusalem
Appearing in: Transmetropolitan (DC/Vertigo)

Ahh, Spider. I'd probably want to kill you if I ever met you. Thank God you're trapped in the 2nd dimension as you're so much fun to read. Who wouldn't want to read about the misadventures of a tattooed, bowel disruptor-wielding bald man and his two filthy assistants? Who wouldn't want the Truth future-shocked straight into their brain? Not anyone with half an ounce of sense. Sense that Spider will eagerly provide.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin02.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 7: Fone Bone
Appearing in: Bone (Cartoon)

There’s nobody cuter than Fone Bone, the hero of Jeff Smith’s wonderful, heart-warming, and all-around awesome series Bone. For a decade of comics infamous for big guns and bigger shoulder pads, Fone Bone and his crew were a breath of fresh air. Anyone whose heart doesn't melt at his exploits shouldn't be trusted. Or fed for a week.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dc/wildstorm/jeronwsfeature.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 6: The Doctor
Appearing in: The Authority (Wildstorm)

Ever since I first saw Trainspotting, I’ve been captivated by drug addicts and their journey to overcome their addictions. I’m also a big fan of reluctant heroes and, lo and behold, the Doctor is both! So yeah, I quite like the guy. If I was a superhero, I’d probably be a lot like him. Nervous in battle, awkward around my teammates, hopelessly scared half of the time. I don’t think I’d be a heroin addict, but who knows. As expected, Jeroen’s drug habit quickly came crashing down around him in the midst of a global crisis. He was eventually able to save the day and kick his addiction, staying clean until his untimely death at the hands of Ed Brubaker…..I mean, Henry Bendix and the reincarnated Rose Tattoo. But Jeroen can still appear in the Garden of Ancestral Memory, providing advice to his successor Habib, so all is not lost. You hear me, Morrison? Gage? Whoever else? All is not lost!

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/Will4.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 5: Starman
Appearing in: Starman (DC)

Anyone who’s a fan of Brian K. Vaughan’s brilliant Y: The Last Man should check out James Robinson’s Starman. Jack Knight, the series’ hero, is just as witty, sarcastic, and childish as Yorick Brown. And, like Yorick, he slowly begins to mature. Jack’s growth as a character is what the book revolves around and it’s definitely one of the most compelling coming of age stories seen in mainstream superhero comics. Throw in amazing artwork by Tony Harris, Peter Snejbjerg, and others and you’ve got yourself one of the best pure superhero books of the 90s.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/Will3.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 4: Marv
Appearing in: Sin City (Dark Horse)

Marv’s an unbalanced, violent thug, but not in that cool, glorified way the Punisher was before Garth Ennis got his hands on him. No, Marv’s unbalanced in a very real and scary way. He takes medication for his condition and when he doesn’t, he’s even more dangerous then he is with them. Marv’s the guy 90s anti-heroes like Cable and Grifter would be if they existed in our world (minus the whole “getting-up-after-being hit-repeatedly-by-a-speeding-car” thing). No one with that insatiable a bloodlust could ever pass for normal and Marv illustrates that well. His tragic end is fitting, as it's the only way a guy like him could go.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/dc/jessecuster.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 3: Rev. Jesse Custer
Appearing in: Preacher (DC/Vertigo)

Jesse Custer is a simple man. He likes having a good time, believes in straightforward values like honor and trust, and will kick your ass if you cross him. Oh, and he can make you do whatever he wants just by speaking. Luckily, Jesse’s aforementioned belief in honor is stronger than whatever demons he has residing within him, so you don’t have to worry about him abusing that power. No, who you’ve really got to keep an eye on is God. With nothing but the word of a cowardly angel to go on, Jesse sets off with his girlfriend Tulip and best friend (and Irish vampire) Cassidy to find God and bring him to justice for the many wrongs he’s done by mankind. Jesse’s core beliefs drive the series and make him one of the most likable and most fun characters to root for on paper. He’s like Jimmy Stewart, with added profanity.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar5625_1.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 2: Elijah Snow
Appearing in: Planetary (Wildstorm)

Like the Doctor, Elijah Snow just makes it onto this list. Good thing, too, as he’s one of my favorite characters…..well, ever. He’s a typical Ellis bastard with a well-protected heart, but it’s definitely there, as shown in his relationships with his teammates Jakita Wagner, Ambrose Chase, and The Drummer. Snow starts off as single-minded and angry, but he’s eventually forced to realize that he’s on this world for more than just a personal vendetta. Setting aside his personal issues and accepting the fate higher powers than he have in store for him pushes along Snow’s character for the bulk of the series, and, with one issue left to go, it’s paid off wonderfully.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/images/avatars/dc/kingmob.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 1: King Mob
Appearing in: The Invisibles (DC/Vertigo)

When most people think of the 90s, they think of the end of the Cold War, the rise of the Internet, riots in Los Angeles, bubblegum pop, the tragic deaths of 2pac, Biggie, and Princess Di, and a certain blue dress.

When comic book fans like us think of the 90s, we think of bulky shoulder pads, giant firearms, excessive pouches, and extreme violence. For some, these memories cause shudders. For others, glee. I’d lump myself in with the former. Thankfully, not all comics from the 90s fit this stereotype, as the last nine entries have shown.

However, King Mob, the bastard who takes the #1 spot on my list, does fit the stereotype in many ways. He’s ultra-violent, overly cynical, and, in a few appearances, he even sported a pair of ridiculous shoulder pads. Why is he on my list, then? Because he’s not meant to be cool, like so many 90s anti-heroes were. Oh, King Mob seems cool at first glance. He certainly thinks he is. But as the series moves on, the reader slowly realizes that he’s meant to be pitied, not admired. His grim demeanor and badass antics are just a façade, adopted to cover up a wounded, insecure soul, shattered by the loss his girlfriend and the deaths of his cats. King Mob begins to see this himself and, after giving up guns and, later, violence, is able to find redemption when the wife of one of his former victims unknowingly saves his life, thus freeing him of his negative karma. It’s this commentary on the violent “heroes” that ran wild through 90s entertainment that King Mob embodies which makes him so endearing. By taking the 90s anti-hero stereotype to its extreme and showing its many flaws, King Mob effectively mirrors the transition mainstream comics have made, from the simplistic superhero books of the 90s to the more subtle and nuanced books coming out today.

Rebuttals:

Nick: Shenanigans. You were ten years old when the 90's ended, no way in hell you knew who ANY of these guys were for more than the past five years or so! Be honest and tell us who you REALLY liked back in the 90's, and after you name a bunch of X-Men (and maybe Batman and possibly a Power Ranger or two)... well, you'd probably win the poll. As it stands, you just cheated. By my rules anyway.

Michael: Heavy on Vertigo and Wildstorm to appease editorial? I'm not a big fan of either so that leaves little of the list for me to actually read, sorry.

Erwin: If anything, this list just shows how old Will is as he is confirmed to be a "mature reader" already back in the 90s. Fone Bone looks so lost in this list!

Steph: You should have sprung a surprise on Erwin and compiled a list of only Marvel characters. Or included a character who is contentious or a little crappy! I cannot insult the choices as all of them are pretty much unarguably quality and of a certain genre - ironically it's like you're playing it safe.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar199_6.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Nick Costanzo">Nick Costanzo was just an ordinary man... until he died. Returned to Earth by a capricious, manipulative Devil, with his soul exchanged for nearly-limitless power and a nifty symbiotic cape, Nick now stalks the streets of his hometown during the hours of darkness, preying on the killers, monsters and thieves that form the scum which coats humanity like a second skin. Fear him, mortals.

Honorable Mention: The Endless (Sandman), every member of The Authority, Grunge and Roxy of Gen-13, the main cast of Yu-Yu Hakusho, and any number of 90's heroes I only discovered after the 90's were over. All of these guys, for the most part, exist in better stories than what is included below, but it’s far more fun to look back and admit (in some cases, with just a hint of shame) the kind of comic book characters who appealed to me while the 90's were still happening. Enjoy

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/nick10.JPG" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 10: S... Sailor Moon... and friends...
Appearing in: Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (Kodansha/Tokyopop)

I'll be a man (and simultaneously condemned as being anything but) and just get this out of the way right at the beginning. I LOVED Sailor Moon back in the day. I had seen a few pictures online, and caught some early episodes on the USA Network back before they cancelled it in disgust. It was only after my family finally got cable and I was able to see the early Cartoon network Toonami block that I began to watch the show regularly, and by "regularly" I mean upstairs in the bedroom or otherwise hidden from the rest of my family to avoid insults. The reason for watching this show was pretty obvious... I was somewhere between 12 and 14 at the time, and experiencing all the adolescent sexual frustration to be expected at that age. What better way to let this out than watching an action show featuring girls in mini-skirts basically striking lewd poses for about 20 minutes before using the final attack that always should have been used right from the beginning anyway? Still, this was also about the same time I started to learn how to use the internet, and managed to learn much of the story behind the silly costumes and extended speeches. And that's where I first learned horrifying plot elements, like Sailor Moon's daughter and her weirdass crushes (first her dad, then a horse-man-thing), and of course the Sailor Stars and their transsexual transformations at a time where I was far from understanding of such things. Ultimately, regardless of the story of Sailor Moon, my enjoyment of this series was pretty damn superficial. Which fits quite well with the 90's, I should think. If I have to pick my favorite character from the series, its probably Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury. Gotta love the smart chicks, especially blue-haired ones with ice powers.

Now STOP laughing or I'll ban your ass.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/archangel_new2.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 9: Archangel
Appearing in: Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)

Archangel defines, probably moreso than any other member on this list, how easily I could be entertained back then. These days, I'm a fan of Warren Worthington because of his complex character, his often inventive use of his relatively humble powers, and because Joe Casey showed that he could be arguably the most dangerous member of the X-Men without using his powers at all.

I knew none of this back in the 90's. All I knew was that the (Uncanny) X-Men book, or as I knew it, "the X-Men that didn't have any characters from the cartoon," had this one blue guy with metal wings. At first I wasn't even sure if he was a mutant. Maybe those things were like a glider or something, and who cared anyway all he could do was fly and others could already totally do that. But then I found out that those wings were crazy sharp, and he could shoot little razor-sharp feather bullets. It was like Wolverine, except wings! How freaking cool is that?!?! And of course this made me geek out over the Archangel episodes of the animated X-Men show even harder (apparently some guy named "Apocalypse", who I thought was a sentinel when I first saw him, was the reason for Warren's transformation).

My love for the character remains, even though he's not as powerful anymore and took a beating by certain writers who were thankfully fired and forced to write baseball manga porn or something. However, if his nifty powers hadn't caught my eye back then, I probably would have never bothered to learn any more about him to begin with. Not that he needs those powers at all to maintain my interest nowadays.

<img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/headshots/2099/xian.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 8: Xi'an Chi Xan
Appearing in: X-Men 2099 (Marvel)

In the early 90's, when I was first getting into comics, my parents bought me a few comics for Christmas. They had no idea what the hell they were doing. They knew I liked "X-Something", thanks to a cartoon I'd started to watch, and just walked into a comic book store and picked up anything that looked close. So it is by complete accident that I ever read an X-Men: 2099 comic, and it was a happy accident indeed. Their leader, once he emerged from that cocoon thing he'd been trapped in for the first arc, stood out immediately. In fact, Xi'an became my favorite character for the simple reason that he had the coolest powers, and back then that was all it took for me. He had a death hand and a healing hand. How cool is that?

Later in the series, we saw Xi'an go through a rather radical transformation. The wise and noble leader was nearly killed by the villainous Zhao, and he was replaced by something... horrible. This wasn't brainwashing, or just a "dark" version of a former hero. The "real" Xi'an was nothing short of a sadistic bastard, more than willing to kill his former teammates and happily assuming a position in the Theatre of Pain. This is a place that, if I was following the story correctly, spent all its time hording people together to torture them for their own sick pleasure. Xi'an even went so far as to make a power play to take control of the Theatre altogether, and only then was he finally knocked back to his senses, and left a shadow of his former self.

Xi'an's story was one of tragedy, one that would probably never been seen in a "real" X-Men story because the uproar would have never stopped. It was nice to see the writers have the guts to really make a good guy go bad, and not pull any punches in the process. Mr. Lucas, this is the kind of story we should've seen for Darth Vader.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/nick07.JPG" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 7: Super Mario
Appearing in: The Nintendo Comics System (Valiant)

I snuck around the attic one day back when I was 12 or so, and came across these awesome books full of Super Mario comics from the old Valiant line! It was SO cool, that I was only marginally affected at my mom's tears for having found my Christmas present months in advance. Honestly, she should've hidden them better.

At the time, I was a whore for all things Mario, so to read comics was like a dream come true. I had all the games (though the first one remains unbeatable... level 8-2 is just impossible), had a long-running subscription to Nintendo Power, and even had this old Mario strategy guide thing that had everything in Mario's history up until that point. Comics were the next logical step. Granted, these comics only really went up to Super Mario Bros. 2, and to extract any real plot from those games would be a true feat. I didn't care. It was Mario. So Mario was having adventures with "Stanley the Talking Fish" and fighting through Shyguys not to save the Mushroom Kingdom, but only to get the latest issue of the "Dirk Drain-Head" comics. There were even Game Boy comics featuring Super Mario (Land) coming to life in the "real" world and infesting ordinary people with tiny, very annoying monsters. I'm fairly certain that the writers were on something, but... it was Mario. And therefore, brilliant in my 7 or 8 year old eyes. More than a decade later, I'm pretty sure I'd still geek out to get those old books back in my hands.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/nick06.JPG" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 6: Vegito
Appearing in: Dragonball (Z) (Weekly Shonen Jump)

Sailor Moon may have been the first anime I watched continually, but Dragonball Z was my first full-blown obsession. In the days before bittorrent and file-sharing software (at least ones I could understand), I managed to download the entire translated manga and track down dozens of Japanese VHS tapes. Long before the Funimation subs had progressed past meeting the Ginyu Squad, I knew everything about this series. I loved it. Dragonball Z taught us great lessons, like completely neglecting your wife and children in order to train harder, and that there is no villainous ambition greater than killing everyone on the planet for fun. Also, its perfectly acceptable to punch children in the face. But most of all, it taught us that there is nothing more important in the world than strength, and because of that my favorite character was Vegito, the fused combination of Vegeta and Goku. Vegito was a fun, yet short-lived character in both the manga and anime, representing arguably the strongest character to appear in the entire series. Even before going Super Saiyan, he made sport of Majin Buu, and was a cocky bastard on top of it all. After the relentless murder and destruction of the Buu arc up unti that point, it was nice to get a few chapters/episodes of light-hearted ass-kicking to break up the pace.

Hell, Buu turned Vegito into candy, and Vegito STILL beat the living hell out of him. That's a level of badass you're just not gonna see out of Japan. Plus, Vegito still maintained enough strategy to get things done, rather than wait until it was too late like EVERYONE ELSE who fought Buu up until that point. Sure it meant Vegito getting separated back into his component parts, but at least there was a reason for it. "Stupidity" was one of the common character traits of Dragonball Z, and it was nice to see that mold broken for a change.

<img src="http://x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/headshots/maggott.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 5: Maggott
Appearing in: X-Men, Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)

"WILL HE BE THE X-MEN'S NEWEST MEMBER, OR THEIR GREATEST ENEMY?!?!"

There was a cover to that effect when Maggott first showed up in the late 90's. He ultimately became one of three new X-Men to join post-Operation: Zero Tolerance, and of these three he disappeared faster than any of the rest of them. To say that he really had any lasting impact on the team is beyond a stretch, and makes those original covers look like unintentional parody. Still, I couldn't help but to like the guy. He had a truly unique, if not gruesome power, but more than that he had a refreshing outlook on life amongst the X-Men. Even moreso than veteran members, he really seemed to want to be a part of the team. He wasn't there out of desperation, but because he saw it as a good way to use his power. During his brief tenure, he helped the X-Men thwart a number of invasions both terrestrial and inter-dimensional, and proved to be a valuable contribution to the team in each of those engagements. He was a new member, but no one could ever call him a "rookie". He proved himself to be a useful member time and time again, and it’s a shame that he was more or less forgotten a year later. It’s even more a shame that he barely made it into the new millennium without dying arguably the saddest and most shocking death ever to befall an X-Man, past or present.

I know his accent and rapidly-fluctuating country of origin cost him a lot of fans, but I miss the guy, and I don’t see it as asking too much that the X-Men at least acknowledge that he existed.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/wolverine1.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 4: Wolverine
Appearing in: X-Men titles for the most part, but you could count on seeing him in just about every successful Marvel title in the 90’s (Marvel)

Included for the sake of honesty. Wolverine was my favorite character from the X-Men animated series. His story arcs stole the show, and in the 90's Wolverine became the franchise that we know him today. I know it’s fashionable among many comic book fans to hate him on this principle alone, but I think we're all lying at least a little bit if we don’t admit to LOVING him when we first started getting into the X-Men. Hell, I'd be lying if I said I hate him today; though I'm really more indifferent towards him these days. But back in the 90's, Wolverine was my first favorite X-Man, and throughout the decade he was always among my favorites. My very favorite? That comes later.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/marvel/venom33.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 3: Venom (and derivatives)
Appearing in: Amazing Spider-Man (debut), Venom (as anti-hero) (Marvel)

Venom, or as I knew him originally, "Creepy Spider-Man With Teeth," was beyond an obsession in the 90's. I collected all of his limited series (or at least the ones I could find), I blindly picked up any issue of Spider-Man that featured him on the cover, and even liked him enough to buy an action figure that oozed black stuff all over my bedroom carpet. Then came Maximum Carnage, which was just about the most gratuitously violent thing I'd seen up until that point. Just twelve issues of Carnage and buddies jumping into the middle of a crowded street and killing everyone in sight, with Spider-Man and friends occasionally jumping in to slap them on the wrist or something. It also opened the door for Venom to be somewhat heroic, while still occasionally eating brains. Even later on, there was another mini... the name escapes me, but by the time we were done, there were five MORE symbiotes cluttering up the Spiderverse, including two chick symbiotes and a green guy with tentacles coming out of his back. I don't recall any of these later models getting any characterization, aside from a later mini where one of them goes insane and kills the rest of them or something, but it wasn't necessary. Symbiotes were cool, and Venom in particular had the most distinctive look to him. And I really don't know how else to describe it.

Venom wasn't particularly deep or original, and looking back his powers had obvious weaknesses and his entire appearance(s) just screamed 90's exploitation. These days, though I did find his look kinda cool in Spider-Man 3, his appearance will usually just cause me to roll my eyes. But back then, in that innocent and very shallow era, Venom was just cool. And if you disagree, he'll eat your face off.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/nick02.JPG" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 2: Gene Starwind
Appearing in: Outlaw Star (Shueisha)

In the late 90's, a fairly unpopular anime based upon a fairly unknown manga came to the states by the name of Outlaw Star. It had the misfortune of coming out the same year as Cowboy Bebop, the same period where anime dubs weren't awful but hardly memorable either (and once again, Cowboy Bebop's amazing dub put everyone else to shame).

However, in the US, Outlaw Star experienced a bit more success on Cartoon Network, and I became so hooked on the show that it helped to generate my very first internet handle (known as my "jackass" years, if I recall clearly). The show itself was a unique spin on the science fiction genre, featuring some pretty original spaceship designs and a great cast of characters. My favorite was Gene Starwind, captain of the Outlaw Star ship and the glue that held the crew together. Other characters were stronger, smarter, better fighters, etc, but Gene had an everyman quality to him that made him so much fun to watch. He screwed up plenty of times and got his ass kicked plenty more times, but at the end of the day he usually came out on top and on one occasion managed to save the universe from magic space pirates. The ending was left open, with several enemies remaining in the shadows and the crew more than primed to continue their adventures throughout the galaxy. And if the series had managed to generate a bit more buzz, we'd be on our fifth or sixth season by now. The show managed to have one of the catchiest openings I've ever seen, and from what I can put together the manga was largely pornographic, so I guess I can settle for that.

Oh, and Joss Whedon managed to produce a few more episodes. He just used live action and called it Firefly. Yeah I'm going there, but its been like a year and this is always fun.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/headshots/iceman.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 1: Iceman
Appearing in: X-Men: Operation Zero Tolerance (Marvel)

Near the end of the 90's, my interest in the X-Men waned a bit. The cartoon had been off the air for a while, my interests were moving elsewhere, and at the time I'd be lying if I didn't admit some degree of embarrassment to show any interest in comics.

Still, I was walking around aimlessly through Waldenbooks at the mall one day, and there was this cool X-Men cover drawn by Carlos Pacheco (I think) showing off Iceman and a black lady running from a very scary-looking pink guy. I got intrigued, and picked it up. And in a time when style was much, MUCH more valued over substance, especially in mainstream superhero comics, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the best-written Iceman stories in the history of the X-Men. This wasn't just a writer trying to give Iceman another power-boost to squander, or portraying him as the clown he'd been for nearly his entire history up until this point. This was Iceman showing the kind of maturity needed in a time when the X-Men were in a very dark period. The Mansion was gutted, the "big names" were either captured or trapped halfway across the world, and the government appeared to be officially sanctioning one of the most violent anti-mutant movements to be seen in the pages of the X-Men. Bobby had basically no backup, save for a hodge-podge collection of very reluctant "new" X-Men and a few tips courtesy of the Israeli Mossad. Regardless, he put up a better fight against the Prime Sentinels than many of his more popular teammates, and managed to take down Bastion's forces almost single-handedly. Sure, strings were being pulled behind the scenes, and the rest of the X-Men weren't being completely useless, but it was Iceman who stole the show, and in that brief yet glorious moment of spotlight he assumed the role of my favorite X-Man... probably forever.

And while he has since been relegated to limbo at the best of times, and unrelenting jackassery at worst, he seems to finally be getting some of that spotlight (and good-writing) back, and it’s a very good thing. It’s like the late 90's all over again, except I can afford to buy my own comics now and if anyone makes fun of me, I can throw a ball of money of them and laugh as I compare my awesome life to theirs. Not nearly as awesome as ice slides and unkillable ice-forms, but awesome all the same.

Rebuttals:

Will: Word to the Wolverine love. Deep down, we all love him. Especially me. But Sailor Moon? C'mon, man.......

Michael: Fabulous! Flawless! (all right, that's my suck up for the year). Sailor Moon? You'll be a man, but a little girl in your alone time I guess. I could download some 'Hello Kitty' for you when I have spare time. Archangel? A re-envisioned hero of 1963 counts as a 90's? Super Mario? I pulled those Valiant comics from the bottom of the bird cage for my son recently. Wolverine? Again... that was 1974. Iceman... Hello... 1963!

Erwin: I had a good time reading the list (yay, Sailor Moon!). That is, until I read Maggott. Bleh.

Steph: I'm guessing you've written some of your list on a pure 'self hack' basis - sort of like purging the guilt right? I'm sensing a panic-stricken kind of justification in certain of the 'lengthier' entries, it's very cute. Your honesty makes me feel bad for not including Rogue and Gambit on mine - when I see Maggott, Archangel and Wolve-theXwhore-rine on yours. I guess some readers were easily pleased in the 90s! Great manga choices though, I like the diversity.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar28_1.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Erwin Rafael">Staff-droid Erwin Rafael is feared not only in his home town but across the world, his leather-trenchcoat-clad presence spelling doom for those who dare to stand in his way. He can kill you stone-dead with just one flick of his grungy ponytail.

When this idea for the Comix-Ten was brought up, I enthusiastically volunteered, being a child of the 90s myself. However, once I started writing down my list, I had a big problem. I can't reduce it to ten! There were just too many good heroes from that era if you look hard enough and I could have done a top 50 if I wanted to. Anyway, I omitted Vertigo characters on purpose as I got to enjoy their exploits not during the nineties but only when I was already old enough to be a "mature" reader. (Plus, by the time you read Will Carper and Stephanie Kay's own top ten, I'm pretty sure that you would be begging me not to mention any more Vertigo characters to keep your sanity.)

Aaaanyway...

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin10.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 10: Prime
Appearing in: Ultraforce (Malibu)

A comic book decade won't be complete without its ultimate teen superhero and in the 90s, Prime was the decade's Invincible / Ultimate Spider-man. Updating on the Shazam archetype, Prime is Kevin Green, a thirteen year old who transforms into an adult overmuscled superhero. Prime started off hot with good stories by Gerard Jones and Len Strazewski and an iconic look by Norm Breyfogle. However, he was eventually condemned to comic book hell when the Ultraverse was acquired by Marvel. Curse you, Marvel, for destroying such a good character!

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/10spiderman2099.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 9: Miguel O’Hara
Appearing in: Spider-Man 2099 (Marvel)

The 90s is the worst decade for the Spider-fan with Peter Parker going through clones, the spider-baby, an overdose of recycled alien symbiotes and holographic, platinum, webbed and gatefold covers. Fortunately, I still had my Spidey fix courtesy of the Spider-man of 2099. Miguel O'Hara is the cyberpunk Spider-man, victim of an experiment gone awry and fighting to take down a ruthless corporate empire. I remember reading the whole run of his series and thinking ”Why the hell can't the regular Spider-man stories be this good?" Reading today's Spider-man stories, I still can't help but think "What's this? Where the hell is Spider-man 2099 when I needed him?"

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/Erwin2.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 8: Quantum & Woody
Appearing in: Quantum & Woody (Valiant/Acclaim)

The 90s is also the decade of the buddy movies, with the Lethal Weapon series being milked to the last drop, Bad Boys and Rush Hour kicking off new movie franchises, Men In Black making its big-screen debut, and Tango and Cash topping video rental charts (NOT!). Thus, it is not a surprise to see the same buddy formula used in comics of that era and no comic book duo reflected the best qualities of the buddy flick than Quantum and Woody. Springing from the mind of Christopher Priest, Quantum and Woody is the self-styled world's worst superhero team. The good thing about it is that they indeed are as bad a superhero team as one can think of, which guarantees a hearty dose of laughter in every issue. Unfortunately, we won't be reading more (mis)adventures by this dynamic duo in the foreseeable future as, in typical 90s fashion, they are currently stuck in intellectual property limbo.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/4images/data/media/147/tbolts01.jpg" width=100 height=150 hspace=10 align=left alg="Comix-Ten"> 7: Thunderbolts
Appearing in: Thunderbolts (Marvel)


Arguably the best Marvel creation of the 90s, this bunch of villains masquerading as heroes provided the much-needed dose of old-school heroism that brought Marvel out of the "curse" of the 90s. The Thunderbolts kept the House of Ideas in order while waiting for the Heroes Return and I had fun reading their early stories as I kept on double-guessing their intentions. In my opinion, though, the Thunderbolts should have long been disbanded - at most a couple of years after their "unmasking" to the public. A story of redemption can only be taken so far before the novelty wears off and that's precisely what happened to the Thunderbolts who sadly became just another generic Marvel superhero team before the end of the decade.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin06.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 6: The Maxx
Appearing in: Comic Title (Image)

I'd admit that, to this day, I still don't completely get what a Maxx is, but who cares? Maxx is cool. Maxx is the best original creation from the second wave of Image Comics. Maxx made for a cool MTV animated feature. And who wouldn't fall in love with a big purple-wearing guy with a rabbit head?

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/hellboysteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 5: Hellboy
Appearing in: Hellboy (Dark Horse)

Let's go down the 90s checklist: Spawned from hell? Check. Big guns? Check. Talking through gritted teeth? Check. Trenchcoat? Check. Mysterious origin story? Check. So why doesn't Hellboy suffer from 90s bad character syndrome? Two words: Mike Mignola.



<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin04a.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 4: Supreme/Mr Majestic
Appearing in: Supreme (Image, Maximum Press, Awesome Entertainment, Acclaim), Mr Majestic (Image, DC/Wildstorm)

The funny thing about the 90s is that while Superman was busy dying, resurrecting, growing long hair and splitting into red and blue energy thingies to make himself "relevant" once again, it was two superman analogues, Supreme and Mr. Majestic, that ended up starring in the best "Superman" stories of the decade. Under the masterful hands of Alan Moore (for Supreme) and Joe Casey (for Mr. Majestic), we are reminded that the only thing needed for Superman to become relevant again is just for him to be the best Superman he can be: bigger-than-life, iconic, and most importantly, unashamed of his persona.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin03.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 3: Stormwatch
Appearing in: Stormwatch (DC/Wildstorm)

When Jim Lee started his post-Marvel work, the only thing he's capable of was copying his own past work. After all, Wildcats started off as a rip-off of his X-Men and Deathblow was just an updated Punisher mixed with a touch of Weapon X. However, with the United Nations-sponsored superhero team called Stormwatch, Lee hit the jackpot and provided the template of the superhero team for the new millennium. Specially under Warren Ellis, Stormwatch would later on influence a new generation of superhero teams such as its direct successors, the Authority and the Monarchy, and arguably even non-Wildstorm teams such as the Ultimates.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin02.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 2: Fone Bone
Appearing in: Bone (Cartoon)

No fancy powers. No over-muscled body. No big guns, double-edged swords, shoulder pads, utility belts and bladed hands. No long hair. No mysterious origins. No talking through gritted teeth. No compromised sense of morality. Just plain heroism that captured the hearts even of the non-comic book reading public.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/erwin01.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 1: The pre-1993 Valiant heroes
Appearing in: Archer & Armstrong, Eternal Warrior, Harbinger, Magnus: Robot Fighter, Rai, Shadowman, Solar: Man of the Atom, X-O Manowar (Valiant/Acclaim)

Forget those hyped but lame characters from Image Comics. These Valiant warriors are the top comic book heroes of the 1990s. While everybody at the time was trying to out-Marvel Marvel and out-DC DC, Voyager Communications under the Valiant Comics imprint launched a universe of original heroes and revived Gold Key characters that made the comic book reading public sit up and take notice. I actually tried to pick only one Valiant hero for this list but, upon retrospection, it was the collective presence of Magnus, Solar, the Harbingers, Rai, X-O Manowar and all other Valiant heroes that made a big impact in the industry.

Sadly, in true 90s fashion, corporate politics and greed destroyed these heroes: first with the firing of the big brain behind the Valiant universe, Jim Shooter, and then the cash-grabbing sale of the characters to then-video games giant Acclaim Entertainment which ultimately succumbed to bankruptcy. Had the Valiant Universe, as it was originally conceived, survived to this day, would I still be reading Marvel and DC titles? With my limited ten-comics-a-month budget, probably not. I'm pretty sure I would be a Valiant loyalist had that happened.

Damn, I need my Valiant fix!

Honorable mentions: Savage Dragon, Chance Lousie Verdella Poe Falconer, Johnny The Homicidal Maniac (he's not actually a hero, but what the hell...), Big Guy and Rusty The Boy Robot, the Slingers, Bart Allen, Genis-Vell, Marv, Madman...I did tell you I can write fifty of these, right?

Rebuttals:

Nick: Zzzzz...huh? Oh, sorry. Nothing personal... just bored now :P

Will: So, you've got a duo in one slot, full teams in two others, and then you give your number one spot to an entire publisher's line of characters? And then you've got honorable mentions?! Dude--Top 10. What have you got, a Top 36, 37? (yes I pulled those numbers out of my ass--there are probably even more considering all the people who have been on StormWatch and the Thunderbolts).

Michael: Thunderbolts, Stormwatch, Valiant heroes in general... Teams are quite the expansion of the original idea. Quantum & Woody? Could they not be included with the other Valiant heroes? Supreme and Mr. Majestic aren't the same guy are they? So, final count including all the honourable mentions is somewhere between 25 and 30?

Steph: In terms of numbers, you make me feel a little better for including one team. I like seeing someone mention a broad selection of characters but it's a little difficult to see the ''personal'' resonance when you make your number one a 'collective' as well - you've admitted choosing it primarily for its 'impact on the industry'. It's like saying your number one for 'Best Band of the 90s' is 'Seattle Grunge' or 'Bristol Triphop'. It's non committing - and thus difficult to actually criticize. However at least it's not a predictable choice.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar20055_54.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Michael Regan">Staff-droid Michael Regan has a dark secret. When night falls he succumbs to the beast within and goes on a mindless rampage, killing all who stand in his way. The night is splashed red with blood whenever he emerges from his grunge-music-filled lair, and fear grips the neighbourhood tight.



<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/10spiderman2099.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 10: Spider-Man 2099
Appearing in: Spider-Man 2099 (Marvel)

The sole survivor of an extensive line of comics, this original take on a classic hero has managed to find new life on a team of misfit heroes.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/09spidergirl.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 9: Spider-Girl
Appearing in: Spider-Girl (Marvel)

With humble beginnings as a simple one-shot character from another reality, she grew to have her own long running series. The popularity of the character also spawned spin-off titles and in spite of a threat of cancellation that has endured.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/08cable.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 8: Cable
Appearing in: Cable/X-Force (Marvel)

A man who could possibly be the strongest mutant in existence is hampered by a life threatening virus which takes much of his power to keep at bay. How does he cope with the loss of power? Guns! Big guns!

<img src= "http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/07xman.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 7: X-Man
Appearing in: X-Man (Marvel)

From another reality, this is the man Cable could have been. He had power beyond imagination, but a past not of this reality.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/06spawn.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 6: Spawn
Appearing in: Spawn (Image)

With the almost unlimited power of hell at his command, Spawn has had to deal with endless hardships but has almost always chosen to fight on the side of the angels.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/05azrael.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 5: Azrael
Appearing in: Azrael: Agent Of The Bat (DC)

Possibly the best replacement Batman has ever had. Trained in various fighting skills, he upgraded the classic costume to an extreme level and dealt with the criminal element in a way Bruce Wayne did not approve of.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/04gambit.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 4: Gambit
Appearing in: Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)

He has a penchant for the ladies, he is a rogue, a thief, and a hero. With the power of explosives in his very grasp and a way of getting out of most impossible situations, this Cajun hero has always had a love/hate relationship with fans.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/03robin.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 3: Robin/Tim Drake
Appearing in: Robin (DC)

What would Batman be without Robin? When Dick Grayson grew too old to remain in the shadow of the Batman, a streetwise punk named Jason Todd assumed the identity to the dislike of fans. Perhaps Tim Drake is more acceptable as the Boy Wonder because he is much more like the original, but who is to say? In any event, he compliments the Dark Knight with his bright costume and equally bright outlook on life.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/02bishop.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 2: Bishop
Appearing in: Uncanny X-Men (Marvel)

A mysterious man of the future with a shadowy past claims to have been brought up to follow the old doctrine of Professor Xavier and his X-Men. What more would you want, except that for a penchant for big guns, sucka!

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/01superboy.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 1: Superboy
Appearing in: Superboy (DC)

Not the first Superboy, but possibly the best, the Metropolis Kid first appeared following the death of Superman. Rising from the status of punk-kid to the level of solid hero, his status as a top notch hero became certain as his own title had quite a run. He joined Robin and Impulse to form Young Justice and eventually joined the ranks of the Teen Titan. He met his untimely end during the Infinite Crisis at the hands of Superboy-Prime giving his life to save all or reality.

Rebuttals:

Nick: Not a bad list at all... but you do realize you can write more than a sentence or two for each of these characters, right? Put some personality into your entries, let us see the REASON why you liked these guys so much, rather than just a quick description of who they are. As it stands, you took some of the biggest names of the 90's, and still managed to bore the hell out of me.

Will: Right, right, good summaries of each character........now how do you feel about them?

Erwin: No fair! Michael obviously made this list to win the popular vote! And seriously...Superboy as numero uno? In which of the multiple earths do you live in?

Steph: There is a lot of big-name power on here. I don't know what else to say, it's like a bizarre feeling of indifference. But it would be difficult to mention the 90s without including these characters somewhere. For better and for worse.

Final comment: It's a bit sad to see only one female character on each of the lists (although I'm not quite sure how many are on Erwin's!) - I guess the 90s was dire for female representation after all.

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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/customavatars/avatar9496_45.gif" hspace=10 align=left alt="Stephanie Kay">Staff-droid Stephanie Kay likes giant shoulder pads; so much so that she owns several sets which completely obscure her peripheral vision. Not that this matters much, as nobody dares to sneak up on her if they value their lives -- Stephanie is a master of several martial arts, and is so deadly that she can kill you with nothing more than a fingernail and a hard stare. You have been warned.

First note from Steph: it was difficult to devise the criteria for picking, and I’m sure we all used a different set of criteria. I aimed to pick those representative of the period or a run which is situated distinctively within that period. Thus Maggie and Hopey from Love & Rockets were omitted; with a run of 1982 - 1995, many of the most defining stories came pre-1990. There are numerous Wildstorm characters who were left off for a similar reason; being that the last seven years are so vital to the character that its difficult to view them as an easily identifiable 90s character. Plus I knew they would probably feature on another list.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/johnnysteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 10: Johnny The Homicidal Maniac
Appearing in: Johnny The Homicidal Maniac (Slave Labor Graphics)

I was thinking the other day that the title ‘Johnny the Homicidal Maniac’ was known to me long before I actually picked up the comic - hell probably before I even knew it was a comic. And yet when I say ‘the phrase’ now everyone else reacts to it with some familiarity too. And I’m quite sure many still don’t know the origins either. Johnny has it seems become not only a beloved comic icon of the 90s but also an ingrained cultural one. The Goth movement warranted its own parody (and pastiche) comic, although the premise of ‘Johnny’ tapped into all the wider counterculture of uncontained violence -- a topic of much interest in the ‘indie’ movements of the 90s, not just in comics but film and music as well.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/gen_x_2steph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 9: Generation X
Appearing in: Generation X (Marvel)

Such was my plan to be diverse with the list, I had a long and hard think about Marvel. Deadpool? Cable? Bishop? Gambit? That ‘Asian’ Psylocke’s Jim Lee outfit? Well you’d come first on my heart-of-heart’s list Betsy. And while all except Betsy (1976) originate in the 90s, they are still an ‘on-going’ feature in Marvel, to the extent of their centric expanding characterization. Plus it seemed way too obvious: besides their creation date any character in 90s comics was equally valid from a story-point of view. No I wanted something exclusively 90s, and really nothing sprang to mind the same way as Generation X did. These were characters who raised their own cult followings in that era, some of which still resonates today - although of course some sadly fell into relative obscurity after the demise of the series. It also stands as one of the most successful genuinely new-team creations of the X-World, deserving of some fond appreciation. Plus it was the start of The Emma Comeback. And we all know where she headed next…

Note: Yeah it’s a team. If I had a little time to pick out a standout character, it would probably be Chamber? Paige? Maybe Penance?

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/hellboysteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 8: Hellboy
Appearing in: Hellboy, BPRD (Dark Horse)

Hellboy and fellow characters of BPRD -- most notably Liz Sherman, Kate Corrigan and Abe Sapien -- are certainly amongst the most refreshing characters who originate from the early 1990s. And, in contrast to the majority of on-going franchises in the ‘big two publishers’, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Universe has remained as fresh and interesting as it always was. In part this is surely down to the distinct striking titular character, who brings a mystical other-worldly essence to the male heroic role. He may have been higher if I felt all of his better stories were in the 1990s, but he’s really reached a zenith of interest from 2002 onwards, probably fuelled also by the excellent BPRD series and the well received film.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/inhumans_tnsteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 7: Tonaja & Black Bolt
Appearing in: Paul Jenkins & Jae Lee’s Inhumans (Marvel)

Probably one of the most gorgeously depicted and understated comics ever to come out of Marvel, and certainly one of the very best maxi-series available. This isn’t a ranking of titles though - so I’ll mention two characters in particular who shone out in this run; Black Bolt and Tonaja. The former has been kicking around since 1965 but there was no better depiction of the tortured, strangely gentle, silent King than here. Tonaja however was created in the series but it would feel wrong trying to appreciate the character without situating her within the Attilan frame, and this particular storyline. The ‘evolutionary transformation’ which all Inhumans should go through is actually shown to us in the case of Tonaja - and thus begins an unexpected bond between reader and character which is rarely seen in comics. Moody and magnificent.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dc/wildstorm/jennysparks.gif" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 6: Jenny Sparks
Appearing in: Stormwatch, The Authority (DC/Wildstorm)

There might be an uncontrollable amount of bias for me - as a young Brit - and my fondness for what may be Warren Ellis’ best female creation. Sparks encapsulated both symbolically, and quite literally the 1990s, but also of course a period of time far greater, such was the title ‘The Spirit of the Twentieth Century’. As a character depiction itself, she was something highly unique for the late 90s and the few years after; an intelligent, honest foul-mouthed leader who stuck a middle finger up at the social conventions which permeated at the time. Her arrival at the mid-to-late 90s for us waved in a series of mature Wildstorm titles such as The Authority, Stormwatch, and early Planetary, all series growing furthermore into the next century. But a character who is never ‘destined’ beyond the 90s is an unusual representation - but it substantiates the meaning of both her appearances in the comics she was in, and the legacy found in her death.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/onizukasteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 5: Eikichi Onizuka
Appearing in: Shonan Junai Gumi, Great Teacher Onizuka, Bad Company (Kodansha; Tokyopop)

On first look you could totally get this character wrong, such is the occasionally vulgar immature aspect to his personality. But his unconventional style and behavior (later his teaching methods) have their own overblown charm. At three manga series (including runs of 31 and 25 volumes, together spanning nearly a decade) this is a lengthy account of a flawed teenager and his eventual maturity into his early twenties. Onizuka is humorous, underhanded but inherently good, and his journey is one of the most entertaining of 90s comics. First appearing as a character emerged within the 90s ‘Bosozoku’ subculture of Japan, Onizuka wishes to take a career change in teaching - it eventually sparks a more deeper level of self reflection: a genuine desire to unravel the troubles and hostilities in each one of his scattered pupils. He is arguably (and quite ironically) the most selfless character on the list. He also still stands as one of the most beloved and popular male central protagonists, both with longstanding manga readers in Japan but also in Europe and the U.S.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/gutssteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 4: Guts
Appearing in: Berserk (Hakusensha/Dark Horse)

I read somewhere that after seventeen years we are apparently barely a third way through Kentaro Miura’s Berserk - I may be wrong, someone please correct me if I am. It’s difficult to rank a character who may potentially appear on ‘best 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s’ - is the character very indicative of any decade then?? Nonetheless Guts appears here because simply put, he is a great character, and his story is certainly amongst the most epic and vast of comics I came across in the 90s and onwards. Berserk is a violent and at times quite disturbing story with Guts frequently pushed to the very edge of his sanity. He is though a fascinating creation, influenced by both ‘western’ and ‘eastern’ iconography; but identifiable as a character in his attempts to preserve his humanity in the face of atrocity after atrocity (many of which were inspired by real life events of the 90s). He is comics’ timeless wandering hero of the Byronic kind - searching for a cathartic element in a place which may or may not even exist.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/kabsteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 3: Kabuki
Appearing in: Kabuki (Caliber/Image)

David Mack’s Kabuki may not be considered ‘quintessentially’ 90s in its design, nor indicative of the period as a whole. But there lies its inclusion (and high position): Kabuki for me was the genuine ongoing indie comic of the 90s, long before the days of Marvel’s Icon. Kabuki herself was the antithesis to the regurgitated commercialized crap that dominated so much of the 90s. Here was a character presented in a fully introspective way, a solo book truly about its central protagonist. Kabuki’s psyche has been fore grounded in the structure of the comic, and she emerged as one of the most unique and poetic female characters of the past twenty years. Kabuki’s arrival in the mid 90s also marked something vastly new in the branches of storytelling techniques and artwork in comic. The image of Mack’s painted Kabuki is one of the most pleasing of the period. A breathing symbol, which made motif-laden and ‘artsy’ styles cool.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/crow_tnsteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 2: The Crow
Appearing in: Caliber; Tundra Publishing; Kitchen Sink Press; Image (Publisher)

Yes my top two choices stem from the same subculture; I have immense fondness for the comic creations which tapped into the visual and musical styles of the Goth movement, and made it even cooler on the page. These characters rose to fame in the early 1990s although both are centrally influenced by the late-70s/80s Goth movement (and arguably situated equally in those periods) as well. These characters marked a 'period of transition' in comics; in the proliferation of ''mature themed'' comics, where Gothic attributes were popular to include.

It has been noted for quite some time that the titular character of James O'Barr's dark violent comic was created as the purging process for O'Barr's real life grief at losing his girlfriend to a drunk driver - a personification of the understandable pent-up rage, loneliness and confusion. Because of that origin there is an added layer of poignancy, which is rarely encapsulated in art. The character himself pulls no punches in his emotional turmoil, but rather than stay as simple 'angst', here it strikes to the nerve. It's a personal, evocative journey -- a dark piece of avenging gothic poetry. The character has managed to achieve its own growth, from an underground niche title in 1989/1990 to obtaining its own iconic status; a cult franchise which has seen the character immortalized in other areas of comics (including a 10 issue Image series released in 1999), fiction, art, television and film (of which one film was great in 1993). But more importantly that growth is one which stands because of its own merits and is, unusually for the period, fully deserved.

<img src=" http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/death_1steph.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Comix-ten"> 1: Death
Appearing in: Sandman & spin-offs (DC/Vertigo)

A character who is a paradox to the image and reputation; Death is charismatic, perky and friendly and instantly became one of the most recognizable incarnations of the omnipresent ‘entity‘. When viewing Sandman, Death none-too-surprisingly became one of the most (if not 'the' most) popular and well received member of The Endless - who are an eclectic bunch in their own rights. Death also has the distinction of having acclaimed spin-off mini-series, with 1992’s Death: The High Cost of Living being one of my favorite stories of the early 1990s. It was ‘The Crow’ which changed my overall perception of comics and the mature lines. But Death was the first purely comic icon of the era (with no film or animated adaptations to help) that I loved.


Note: Half of these characters are contentious in their heroics. All complaints should be sent to whomever posted this article, which in any luck isn’t me.

<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/090407/red_monikasteph.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Comix-ten"> 0: Red Monika
Appearing in: Battle Chasers (DC/Wildstorm)
Holy Smoke Batman. With a chest bigger and more deadly than any recorded WMD, it would have been blasphemy for Monika to be shafted. For the record I actually do like Joe Madureira, no-one did a better looking Deathbird and Bishop. But what on earth was smoked when this character-design was churned out. Let us not forget Battle Chasers undoubtedly wins gold for ticking every 1990s pothole (I'd like to say 'parody' but I daren't): unmeasured fan service, a merging of half a dozen clashing genres, little girls, warriors with less charisma than a dishcloth, pounding muscles, boobs, boobs, boobs, oh, and a premature cancellation - that glorious limbo-ness as BC fans await the last few issues which one doubts will ever be published. But this is Monika's time dammit, and as far as being ''90s memorable'' goes then she's unbeaten for Steph. Why I remember when I, a young-Joe-Mad-fan, skipped along to buy the BC issues and lapsed into partial mortification when seeing how big my breasts were expected to be. The eyes, they do not deceive. Monika raised the game for every female reader and every mainstream female character. 10 years later and she's still reigning supreme. Popularity matters. I salute thee.

Rebuttals:

Nick: Oh I see. You're going for the "quality" angle. That's a dirty-ass trick to pull in a 90's inspired list. As for your choices themselves, not too bad even if picking a whole team is something of a cop-out. Show some conviction and choose one or two of the stand-outs; it diminishes their value if they're defined solely as members of a team. Also, your #0 confuses me... a walking pair of chesticles is a good thing for female readers? Was it tongue-in-cheek, or are you being serious? I can't decipher what I'm reading here...

Will: Great list up until Red Monika (but I guess a 90s list needed a "zero" slot, now, didn't it?).

Michael: Teams again... and now a #0 was a DC thing so is this a wave to Zero Hour? It would work if the character had something to do with the event. Marvel's Flashback happened in the 90's as well, so where is your -1?

Erwin: In the words of Sam Kieth, circa 1993, "...the concept of Death had become a whole flip, hip, slicked, black-clothes-wearing, romantic, dramatic thing. Karen Berger, Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg liked that. And I didn't."

<center><hr width=75%></center>

And there we have it – five different lists that categorically demonstrate the true, vibrant variety of the 1990s. The staff-droids have done well, and will be rewarded for their efforts with a full refit and a lengthy oil-bath. Meanwhile, I’m going to go strap on my huge shoulder pads and hundreds of extraneous pouches, arm myself with a hundred different guns of various sizes, stop shaving for a week, and then brood for a bit on how those who destroyed my life will pay dearly... yes, pay dearly indeed...

<center><hr width=75%></center>

The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers, and are not reflective of ComiX-Fan or its other staff in general.
__________________

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[Post 2]
Author : Jos1988
Date : Sep 13, 2007 01:33 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

:~( makes you kinda miss the 90s...and being 10 years old. i feel old.

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[Post 3]
Author : BritishSeaPower
Date : Sep 13, 2007 01:44 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Good lists, though extra credit to the people who managed to pick characters that originate from the 90s. (Archangel was created, or I guess recreated, in 1988, so close but no cigar. And Cable appeared in 1989. The Endless, Time Drake, Gambit, etc., etc.)

Enjoyable Top 10.

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[Post 4]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 13, 2007 03:02 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

For my list, it wasn't so much about characters that were created in the 90's, as much as it was about characters whose appearances in the 90's I particularly enjoyed. By that qualifier, characters such as Wolverine, Archangel and especially OZT Iceman are valid :)

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[Post 5]
Author : Marty P
Date : Sep 13, 2007 03:43 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Nice lists all!

My personal fave from the 90's (still is one of my fave books I own) is Tony Daniel's The Tenth.
Amazing art, great stories.....I miss that book.

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[Post 6]
Author : Will Carper
Date : Sep 13, 2007 04:46 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I went with Steph's list. Death, The Crow, Jenny Sparks, Hellboy.....what's not to love? Even though in my rebuttal I criticized the inclusion of Red Monika, I actually think it's a pretty funny entry. Great job! :)

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[Post 7]
Author : Anthony Devlin
Date : Sep 13, 2007 05:01 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I went with Steph.. sorry Will, you had a few Authority members, but she had Sparks. :P

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[Post 8]
Author : Will Carper
Date : Sep 13, 2007 05:09 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I went with Steph.. sorry Will, you had a few Authority members, but she had Sparks. :P

As long as I was in the running. :P

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[Post 9]
Author : Anthony Devlin
Date : Sep 13, 2007 06:07 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

As long as I was in the running. :P

Of course - yours and stephs lists were spot on for me - but Stephs not only had the afore mention Sparks, but it was the clever nod to the other phenomena of the 90's, the whole use of #0 was totally done to death during the 90's, so having an actual #0 slot within the list is most appropriate, and is what really swung it for me.

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[Post 10]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 13, 2007 06:29 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

For my list, it wasn't so much about characters that were created in the 90's, as much as it was about characters whose appearances in the 90's I particularly enjoyed. By that qualifier, characters such as Wolverine, Archangel and especially OZT Iceman are valid :)
Using that logic, I guess I should have chosen Spider-Man, Superman, Bat Man, etc :P

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[Post 11]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 13, 2007 06:30 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Yes, except that Spider-Man sucked in the 90's :)

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[Post 12]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 13, 2007 06:32 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

And Cable appeared in 1989.
Cable's first appearance was in New Mutants #87 (March 1990)

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[Post 13]
Author : BritishSeaPower
Date : Sep 13, 2007 06:34 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Well, Nick, I enjoyed your list of honesty. Though I hate Wolverine, it is hard to deny his promenice during th 90s. Archangel, in my honest opinion, was great until they undid his Apocalyptic conversion. Though it debuted in the month of my birth (and about three days away from it, too.) Classic X-Factor is my favorite comic book series of all time. It was the first series I ever collected and built (including all one-shots, specials, and X-Overs) from the ground up!

But yeah. Your's is most open about what you liked in the 90s.

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[Post 14]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 13, 2007 08:24 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I demand more votes!

Also, how the hell is Erwin beating Will? Not suggesting anything, just... I've never heard of most of Erwin's :D

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[Post 15]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 13, 2007 09:17 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

i told you, mine is THE 90s list. :)

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[Post 16]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 13, 2007 09:27 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Which is why your images were nearly impossible to find. Sure why not, that must be a mark of quality or something :P

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[Post 17]
Author : Faded
Date : Sep 13, 2007 10:14 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I've been wanting to try Enigma since encountering it on wikipedia! Cool to see it on somebody's list.

It really comes down to the X-Fan in me and seeing Joe Kelly love with Maggott and Iceman (though both were initially Lobdell's idea, I"m a Kelly X-Men fan through and through) and seeing Generation X. I don't know which to choose.

Still, all fail for not including RISQUE (wikipedia.com/wiki/Risque (comics)).

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[Post 18]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 13, 2007 10:34 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

it's time to call in the reinforcements. :)

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[Post 19]
Author : KenB3
Date : Sep 13, 2007 11:26 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I voted for Nick because he's honest. I love Preacher but I wasn't reading it when I was 14. I was thinking Archangel should get with Psylocke and watching Sailor Moon when no one else was around. Are they the best 90s characters? No, but it's the most authentic list, it's not somebody who bought trades starting around '04 and then acted like that's what they liked.

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[Post 20]
Author : Phoenix_Force
Date : Sep 14, 2007 01:32 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Hell yeah, I voted for Nick's list. Because hell yeah, I loved Sailor Moon. And Iceman was probably my favorite X-Man at the time because of his visuals and his appearance in the arcade game. <sigh> What a decade!

Honorable mention goes out to Stephanie, who included Generation X and Death, two of my favorites. I have the entire Gen. X series (annuals, specials, and one-shots included!) and will never forget it as a milestone in my personal fandom.

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[Post 21]
Author : dopplegager
Date : Sep 14, 2007 01:55 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

hmm...
Lets be honest. We all know wolverine is the top charactor of the 90's. He sold shirts, video games and was the star of the cartoon. Prolly the main reason comics even stayed on the map I dont remember reading that they had to be created in the 90's but the intro to the article was a little boring so I just skimmed it. Enjoyable lists though. Makes me remeber when I got into comics the first time reading terrible spiderman comics. Liked the inclusion of Spidey 2099.
My list prolly would have included in no particular order

Wolverine- as stated above. Anyone remember bone claw? I wish I didnt. But I do remember reading x-men comics when he had left the team for awhile to nurse his wounds or whatever and it felt like something was missing when he wasnt there. I dont understand how he gets around though. Maybe someone should explain his time travelling teleportation powers since those still seem to be intact.

Witchblade- we were all young once and bought it for some T&A. If only it was as well written back then as it is today

Psylocke- I love you Jim Lee. I hate you Jim Lee.

Onslaught- he was just freakin cool. He looked like magneto and killed a whole bunch of super heroes that we all knew but no one read back then

normal spiderman-comics sucked but they still sold, he should prolly be included. He did have a succesful action figure line and cartoon series

Superman- cant stand the guy in comics but hey he was like the first big super hero i can remember that died. He came back but he did die. I did enjoy the old Lewis and Clark the real adventures of superman. I watched it every sunday night.

Ghost Rider- he seemed like a plauge. He must be a wolverine clone or something. But who didnt love it when some guy with a flaming skull would just show up out of the blue to come kick someones butt?

Cable- Guns? check. Muscles? check. Pockets? check, Cyborg eye? Check. Muscly cyborg arm? check. Lots of belts??? check. Cool origin I'm a bad ass from the future and by the way cyke I'm your son? check

Hellboy- Great quality book from the nineties from Mike Mignola. Had a great origin, cool friends (i'm a closet Abe fan). Plus he just one really huge arm instead of 2 and he still kicked butt. Plus he had a trenchcoat and a gun to look cool while he wasted demons.

Crossovers- These might as well have been a charactor. Multiple covers, multiple books. Wolverine, spider man, ghost rider and at least 1 panel with Psylocke striking a pose in 30 issues a month. Hech yeah.

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[Post 22]
Author : §tormy
Date : Sep 14, 2007 05:34 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I went with Nick's list, just because of Iceman. I've never really been a big fan of Iceman, there was nothing about him that interested me but during O:ZT we got to see a side of Iceman we usually don't.

No longer was he playing class-clown, but for a while he proved himself capable, he actually stood a chance.

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[Post 23]
Author : WolverAce
Date : Sep 14, 2007 06:04 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

hmm...
Lets be honest. We all know wolverine is the top charactor of the 90's. He sold shirts, video games and was the star of the cartoon. Prolly the main reason comics even stayed on the map I dont remember reading that they had to be created in the 90's but the intro to the article was a little boring so I just skimmed it. Enjoyable lists though. Makes me remeber when I got into comics the first time reading terrible spiderman comics. Liked the inclusion of Spidey 2099.
My list prolly would have included in no particular order

Wolverine- as stated above. Anyone remember bone claw? I wish I didnt. But I do remember reading x-men comics when he had left the team for awhile to nurse his wounds or whatever and it felt like something was missing when he wasnt there. I dont understand how he gets around though. Maybe someone should explain his time travelling teleportation powers since those still seem to be intact.

Witchblade- we were all young once and bought it for some T&A. If only it was as well written back then as it is today

Psylocke- I love you Jim Lee. I hate you Jim Lee.

Onslaught- he was just freakin cool. He looked like magneto and killed a whole bunch of super heroes that we all knew but no one read back then

normal spiderman-comics sucked but they still sold, he should prolly be included. He did have a succesful action figure line and cartoon series

Superman- cant stand the guy in comics but hey he was like the first big super hero i can remember that died. He came back but he did die. I did enjoy the old Lewis and Clark the real adventures of superman. I watched it every sunday night.

Ghost Rider- he seemed like a plauge. He must be a wolverine clone or something. But who didnt love it when some guy with a flaming skull would just show up out of the blue to come kick someones butt?

Cable- Guns? check. Muscles? check. Pockets? check, Cyborg eye? Check. Muscly cyborg arm? check. Lots of belts??? check. Cool origin I'm a bad ass from the future and by the way cyke I'm your son? check

Hellboy- Great quality book from the nineties from Mike Mignola. Had a great origin, cool friends (i'm a closet Abe fan). Plus he just one really huge arm instead of 2 and he still kicked butt. Plus he had a trenchcoat and a gun to look cool while he wasted demons.

Crossovers- These might as well have been a charactor. Multiple covers, multiple books. Wolverine, spider man, ghost rider and at least 1 panel with Psylocke striking a pose in 30 issues a month. Hech yeah.

This is actually a great list. Could've voted for this one.
Completely agree with it.

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[Post 24]
Author : Alan Lynch
Date : Sep 14, 2007 06:15 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Great lists from all you guys - they're literally seperated by one or two entries. Nick almost got it with his Maggott love. And Spider-Man 2099 was on two lists! This was hard. But Steph takes it for getting both Battle Chasers (albeit in a sneaky way) and Generation X on there.

That said, anyone who mentioned Ben Reilly would've had me voting for as long as I could keep coming up with sock puppets. Chance lost, folks ;)

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[Post 25]
Author : cyborgspider
Date : Sep 14, 2007 01:51 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

"Then came Maximum Carnage, which was just about the most gratuitously violent thing I'd seen up until that point. Just twelve issues of Carnage and buddies jumping into the middle of a crowded street and killing everyone in sight"

So true, cept for it was fourteen freekin issues of that happening... and I actually own each part, stored in a garage somewehere...

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[Post 26]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 14, 2007 04:12 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I heartily approve of these votes. You please your EiC well, my flock.

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[Post 27]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 14, 2007 04:18 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

... and Am comfortable with 2nd place... I guess :D

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[Post 28]
Author : Phil Hunn
Date : Sep 14, 2007 04:42 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

... and Am comfortable with 2nd place... I guess :D

Well, for what it's worth, Mike, I voted for you :)

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[Post 29]
Author : Will Carper
Date : Sep 14, 2007 05:27 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I voted for Nick because he's honest. I love Preacher but I wasn't reading it when I was 14. I was thinking Archangel should get with Psylocke and watching Sailor Moon when no one else was around. Are they the best 90s characters? No, but it's the most authentic list, it's not somebody who bought trades starting around '04 and then acted like that's what they liked.

That was just a rule Nick imposed on his list. If that were the case for all lists, I wouldn't have been able to participate.

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[Post 30]
Author : Mj22089
Date : Sep 14, 2007 07:19 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I <3 sailor moon.. They need to bring her back

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[Post 31]
Author : AngelofDeath69
Date : Sep 14, 2007 08:12 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I began reading comics in the 90's, but not Image characters except for Witchblade, Battle Chasers (damm Madureira!!!! why????) and Wildcats Vol. 2, mostly X-men stuff, so when i think about that time i remember fondly Maggot, Cecilia Reyes and Marrow, and also Archangel and Psylocke's, wich i liked their respective arc (Crimsom dawn) and their on and off appeareances on the x-books, aaaa, good days...

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[Post 32]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 14, 2007 08:46 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

no Valiant love!

well, at least I am now popular in the Valiant fans message board. LOL

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[Post 33]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 14, 2007 08:55 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

There appears to be much love for Valiant. Super Italian Plumber Valiant at least.

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[Post 34]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 14, 2007 09:13 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

nah, they're not voting for you because of Mario. they're voting for you because of Maggott.

feh.

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[Post 35]
Author : anya
Date : Sep 14, 2007 10:49 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Had to vote for Michael. I loved Spiderman 2099 back in the day even though I know next to nothing about the 'real spiderman' (those crazy Thorites were great :P ) and gotta appreciate the Gambit love and Superboy!

Second place was Erwin because of Miggy and Prime. I bought all of Black September, but I didn't like that Spider Prime silliness. Why didn't they just leave him alone. Exiles with Black Knight and Juggernaut wasn't bad though.

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[Post 36]
Author : M-Angel
Date : Sep 14, 2007 11:28 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I voted for Michael's list.
Mostly because I'm 21 years old and I wasnt old enough to understand Vertigo. and I had a huge obssesion withe the X-men.

A lot of those characters are great but I discovered and understood most of them (Spider Jerusalem, King Mob, Death) during this decade

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[Post 37]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 14, 2007 11:43 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

:mad:

Your mighty ruler has lost favor!

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[Post 38]
Author : Loganbabe
Date : Sep 15, 2007 01:01 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I'll vote for anyone who votes for Wolverine :yeah::cheers:

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[Post 39]
Author : HandofGod
Date : Sep 15, 2007 03:57 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Ok I have to hand it to Michael for actually posting some of the characters that bring forth the best/worst memories of the 90s and actually kept to the heart of this thing instead of no offense to some...naming obscure characters with more relevance to 2001 than the 90s. With that said let me dissect Michaels choices
10. spidey 2099--i think its already been said he was what we wanted spiderman to be...instead of the bizarro world of Dolly the sheep that was 616 spiderman

9. spidergirl --if anything she represents what the 90s was a lot of...A What Ifs character having their own series

8. Cable--and Guns, techno-virus, jean grey lite...X-Force and Jim Lee--pretty much spawned Image

7. Nate Grey-- The AoA incarnate.

6. Spawn--pretty much sums up the spooky goth characters of the 90s

5. Azrazel-- A blond batman? No not val kilmer...more like Batman meets bourne identity on crack...who didn't love and hate this guy. He wasn't Batman, he wasn't Robin, but sometimes we wished he remained Batman

4. Gambit-- oh the days when Gambit had a simple power that he sometimes tried to strech to the limit but before the "new sun" incident. Oh the days when Gambit knew he was a scoundrel but wasn't overburdened with guilt. Oh the days when Gambit was just toying with Rogue instead of this unrequited BS. oh the days before Black Gambit

3. Robin--Tim Drake was the computer geek/dorky kid every fan boy was, living out every fan boys dream, being trained by the batman and kicking tail as a superhero. At least that was what he was in the 90s an attempt to get away from the less accessible Jason Todd, and Dick Greyson.

2. Bishop--Bishop, more so than Cable, illustrated the change to the X-Men. Big guns, dark attitudes, convoluted back stories, all rolled into one 2 dimensional character who rarely back then used his powers and relied more on his Big Guns...that is a 90s X-man.

1. Superboy--yup pretty much a super90s character. 2 dimensional(back then) character, always equipped with a witty remark, and a signature superpower that he somehow had to mention "My tactile telekinesis...", in a tight "cool" costume...a male 90s version of Psylocke

SO many characters were neglected though...If I made a list I would have put

10.WitchBlade
9. Green Lantern(Kyle Rayner)
8. Lobo
7. Synch
6. 616 Blink
5. Impulse
4. Darkness
3. Jubilee--What was the 90s without her
2. Pete Wisdom
1. Fairchild
-- you can figure out the reasons for the rest.

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[Post 40]
Author : bugalugs1
Date : Sep 15, 2007 06:29 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Cable's first appearance was in New Mutants #87 (March 1990)

Actually if we're gonna get technical, his actual first appearance was in X-men 201 <g>

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[Post 41]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 15, 2007 07:16 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Second place was Erwin because of Miggy and Prime. I bought all of Black September, but I didn't like that Spider Prime silliness. Why didn't they just leave him alone. Exiles with Black Knight and Juggernaut wasn't bad though.

finally, somebody who remembered Prime!

now if only somebody else would remember Valiant. c'mon, X-O Manowar? Doctor Solar? Magnus? Pete Stanchek? the Eternal Warrior?

oh, and there's a reprint of Harbinger that just came out. you can order it through Amazon. it's a good read. :read:

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[Post 42]
Author : Robert Cammarata
Date : Sep 15, 2007 03:40 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

X-MAN AND SPAWN ALL THE WAY!

And since I actually enjoyed much of the clone saga I woul add Ben Reilly and Kane.

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[Post 43]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 15, 2007 03:45 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Actually if we're gonna get technical, his actual first appearance was in X-men 201 <g>
Nah, that was the infant Nathaniel Summers :P

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[Post 44]
Author : Faded
Date : Sep 15, 2007 11:14 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I would have made my list like so(!!!!):

10. Bishop (X-Men)
9. Michaelangelo (of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
8. Wheeler (of the Planeteers)
7. Cecilia Reyes (X-Men)
6. Chamber (Generation X)
5. Fathom (Michael Turner comic)
4. Sarah Rainmaker (Gen13)
3. Marrow (X-Men foe/member; Spider-Man foe/ally)
2. Venom (Spider-Man foe)
1. RISQUE (X-Force)

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[Post 45]
Author : Robb Welch
Date : Sep 16, 2007 12:52 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

NO MADMAN LOVE???

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[Post 46]
Author : Rogue151
Date : Sep 16, 2007 02:50 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I voted for Nick, cause yea Sailor Moon and Dragonball Z were my childhood. Also from the 90's X-men cartoon Wolvie was my favorite and since I've always had a soft spot for the guy. Outlaw Star was awesome also, I miss that show.

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[Post 47]
Author : WolverAce
Date : Sep 16, 2007 04:16 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

The nineties just passed me by, it was the time when I stopped reading comics for a couple of years. The eighties were just that damn good compared), I think I stopped reading just after Larsen (Larson?) started on Spiderman and definetly after Claremont left the X-franchise.
The fact that they scared readers away with their goldfoil, silverfoil or tinfoil, plastic wrapped covers with a flavour of the month attached to them didn't help very much. :hmph:
Talk about crashdown in quality. It's only afterwards I picked up gems like the first Gen X's and AOA-books.

What stood/stands out about the nineties is the "style over substance" approach. Lots and lots of full page spreads.

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[Post 48]
Author : Janne Pietikainen
Date : Sep 16, 2007 08:13 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I liked all lists, but I voted for Nick, because his list was the funniest and the choices gave me the biggest 90s feeling. Also, you gotta love that Super Mario. :P

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[Post 49]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 16, 2007 12:48 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Keep in mind who among the four of us stuck to the rules! ;)

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[Post 50]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 16, 2007 12:51 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

What rules are these? Its our favorite characters in the 90's, so my choices more than qualify :)

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[Post 51]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 16, 2007 12:59 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

What rules are these? Its our favorite characters in the 90's, so my choices more than qualify :)
I didn't point at anyone did I? I'm guessing you are feeling a little guilty about something ;)

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[Post 52]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 16, 2007 01:02 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

People always like to focus upon the best and the brightest, I'm just used to it.

*Enjoys his lead*

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[Post 53]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 16, 2007 01:09 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

... or the flashing lights at a car wreck :LOL:

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[Post 54]
Author : gnosis
Date : Sep 17, 2007 07:31 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Good lists, but I was a little surprised to see only one member of WildC.A.T.S. pop up. Grifter, Spartan and company are usually the first thing I think of when someone brings up 90s heroes.

Also, where's the Deadpool love folks?

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[Post 55]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 18, 2007 01:11 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

What rules are these? Its our favorite characters in the 90's, so my choices more than qualify :)

actually, all the others who participated wrote about characters created in the 90s. except you. :p

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[Post 56]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 18, 2007 06:24 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

And yet look who's winning :P

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[Post 57]
Author : Will Carper
Date : Sep 18, 2007 08:25 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Phil actually said we could write about characters who had major storylines in the 90s or some other impact on the decade. And I don't think Phil specified we had to use the characters we actually liked in the 90s, either. The rules were pretty loose.

So Nick has every right to enjoy his lead. :P

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[Post 58]
Author : Anthony Devlin
Date : Sep 18, 2007 09:12 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

And yet look who's winning :P

everyone knows if you wanna win one of these polls just make sure you have plenty of marvel on your list, ideally X-Men. ;)

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[Post 59]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 18, 2007 10:26 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

everyone knows if you wanna win one of these polls just make sure you have plenty of marvel on your list, ideally X-Men. ;)
Pfft. The other half of my list is pure gold :P

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[Post 60]
Author : Erwin Rafael
Date : Sep 18, 2007 12:50 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

well, basing on the reactions of your voters, all they care about are your X-Men. :p

which is funny because the 90s is when the X-Men started losing steam. after starting out strong with the launch of X-Men in 1991, they tumbled down, beaten by Spawn, the Death of Superman, Batman, Heroes Reborn, etc.

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[Post 61]
Author : Michael Regan
Date : Sep 18, 2007 01:25 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I think my personal definition of the phrase is heroes created during the 90s, so that could include anybody from Ripclaw of Cyberforce to Marv from Sin City. Characters with specific ties to the 90s but who were not created in that decade (like Ben Reilly, for instance) are also permissible.
Subject to interpretation I guess.

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[Post 62]
Author : Havok-X2
Date : Sep 22, 2007 03:20 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I went with Nick's but Maggot? Is that a joke?

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[Post 63]
Author : Nick Costanzo
Date : Sep 22, 2007 03:25 pm
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

I legitimately enjoyed his character. Compared to the hyper-angst of the other "new" X-Men at the time, he was a nice change of pace.

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[Post 64]
Author : Alan Lynch
Date : Sep 28, 2007 06:16 am
Title : Re: COMIX-TEN 23: TOP TEN NINETIES HEROES

Maggott was great. I'll back Nick up on this (even though it took 5 days to do so...). His powers were genuinely unique, and I saw a lot of potential in him. Maybe not in a core X-book, but something like Generation X would've been perfect for him.

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The messages has been download from Comixfan Forums at http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums at 05.10.2007 09:54:39