Top Five Superheroes

The Amazing Spider-Man releases in the United States today. In fact, it had a midnight release with thousands of theaters showing the movie. To celebrate the occasion I am manufacturing this top five list of my favorite superheroes of all time. Obviously, SuperPhillip would be number one, so I'm leaving him off the list to be fair. Regardless, superheroes have ignited our imaginations with their otherworldly powers, intellect, and skills. This list of five individuals or teams of superheroes remain my favorites.

5) Green Lantern

Green Lanterns are characterized by their green and black outfits and, more importantly, the power ring each one possesses. Over many decades there have been many different Green Lanterns. From the very first popularized Lantern, Alan Scott, to the most recent being Kyle Rayner. The power ring grants its wearer as much ability as their willpower and creativity. One can emanate and project giant green fists, force fields, and weights to drop upon foes. Each Green Lantern takes a solemn oath to serve and protect. The most modern one goes something like this:

In brightest day, in blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship evil's might,

Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!!!

 4) The X-Men

A group of mutants who continually try to help a humanity that loathes them for being different, the X-Men are a team with multiple members of varying powers. Professor Charles Xavier founded a home for mutants at his mansion for studying and having them learn to nurture and ultimately accept their powers. The comic book series introduced plenty of memorable characters such as Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Jean Grey, Colossus, Magneto, and Sabertooth, for starters. I think the X-Men series appeals to people outside of the standard "ooh, cool powers" thing because many people can relate to feeling like outcasts and sympathize with the team. Oh, and they do have cool powers, too.

3) Superman

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound... It's Superman, number three on this list. His home planet of Krypton exploding at its core, Kal-El's parents send a young Superman away from harm. His ship crash lands in a Kansas wheat field where he is discovered and later adopted by a farmer and his loving wife. Given the name Clark Kent, the young boy soon develops superhuman strength. With his maturity he decides to help humanity as Superman. He's seemingly invincible, can melt iron and steel with his heat vision, can put out fires with his ice breath, but his weakness to Kryptonite has almost done him in several times in the past, as Lex Luthor certainly knows all too well. Superman is such an outstanding character and superhero because he still remains relevant despite there being 70+ years since his introduction to the world. That is truly something remarkable.

2) Batman

Batman is such a fascinating superhero to me because he's one of the only superheroes who does not have any superpowers. No heat vision, no power of flight, no breathing underwater. He just uses his detective skills, intellect, and various bat gadgets to save the day. Batman doesn't do this for no good reason either. As a young boy his mother and father were shot in cold blood right in front of his eyes. From then on he vowed to be a protector of the innocent who couldn't save themselves. While Bruce Wayne is an eccentric billionaire extrovert, Batman is quite brooding and introspective. One of the main reasons I adore the character is because of the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series. It also helps that the character's rogues gallery is quite intriguing, featuring villains like The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two Face, Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and The Scarecrow.

1) Spider-Man

My personal favorite superhero is a mere teenage boy when he starts out. Misunderstood in high school as a student as well as when he dons his spandex suit, Spider-Man is a character I can relate to. When he is bitten by a radioactive spider, Peter Parker grows from scrawny to buff overnight. He originally uses his newly found powers for personal gain, but when a crook that he let go ironically moves on to murder Peter's precious Uncle Ben, Parker then lives by his uncle's wise words of "with great power comes great responsibility." Who doesn't love the idea of swinging around Manhattan, jetting across the skyline, over busy city streets, and yelling, whooping, and having the time of your life while doing it all? Like Batman, I also adore the rogues gallery of this character with such scoundrels as Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Shocker, Mysterio, Vulture, Carnage, and Venom? The sum of these reasons is my answer as to why Spider-Man is the best superhero in my book. He's just incredibly interesting as a character.

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Who is your favorite superhero of all time? Have you gone and seen The Amazing Spider-Man in theaters yet? If so, how did you like it? Let the SPC community know below.