For years, people have immersed themselves into a world of fiction through various forms of media, such as comic books. I have always been a fan of superhero movies and comics. There is a massive variety of fictional heroes, so I decided to share my opinion on some of the DC heroes. Below, I will be covering basic descriptions, powers, weaknesses, and my thoughts on each character!
The first character on this list is Superman! Superman is a classic superhero in the DC universe and is commonly the face of the justice league. His powers consist of superspeed, flight, x-ray vision, freeze breath, heat vision, invulnerability, superhearing, healing factor, and of course super strength! He is a very powerful hero against human weapons–guns–due to his invulnerability, however, his weakness is Kryptonite. Kryptonite is where he loses his aura points. Although one may be under the impression that Kryptonite is difficult to acquire, however, it is not that difficult. This in my opinion, makes Superman useless against his sworn enemy, Lex Luther. In addition to Lex Luther, if a villain can weaken him long enough to capture him, any basic chemist can transform Kryptonite into an injection and inject him with it, permanently infecting him with his greatest weakness until it can be removed/flushed out. My favorite superhero is definitely not Superman, but I cannot deny his iconic role in the DC universe.
The next character is Aquaman! Aquaman isn’t as classic as Superman, but he’s still iconic. Occasionally, he is depicted as a member of the justice league, but in other instances he will show up as support or backup. His powers consist of super strength, durability, control over sea life, exceptional swimming ability, and the ability to breathe underwater. He might be the favorite character of those who wanted “water powers” as a kid, or those who believes Jason Momoa is attractive. In some comics or shows/movies, he is shown with a missing hand in order to save his child from dying. His biggest weakness is dehydration, so someone with fire powers or magic can easily defeat him if they are strategic. Although he isn’t my favorite DC hero, I acknowledge his place in the justice league.Â
Another well-known DC hero is Martian Manhunter! Martian Manhunter originally came from Mars, but he left when his people were overthrown and eliminated by the white martians. Much like Superman, he is the only one of his kind. When he is in uniform, he is often shown as a green alien, but when he is in his “human” form, he is usually depicted as a black man. His powers consist of shapeshifting, flight, super strength, invulnerability, enhanced speed, invisibility, telekinesis/telepathy, and intangibility. In my opinion, he is on a similar level as superman, but his weakness is fire. Fire is much more accessible than Kryptonite, meaning someone with a flamethrower can easily overthrow Martian Manhunter. Some may be curious/worried about his telepathy, however, Batman–a human–was able to mentally block Martian Manhunter from reading his mind. Another potential weakness is a villain with telepathic and pyrokinesis powers. Martian Manhunter is definitely one of my favorite characters in terms of backstory, powers, and character.
Next, Wonderwoman is one of my favorite female heroes. Wonderwoman is an Amazonian woman originating from Themyscira, a paradise island. Although she is not the last of her kind, in some storylines, she is banned from her island as a result of allowing men to step foot on Themyscira–which is forbidden. This happened due to a crisis that occurred on the island; a villain overpowered the amazons and Wonderwoman asked the justice league to help seize her island back. Her powers and skills include: super strength, invulnerability, flight, combat skill, combat strategy, superhuman agility, and healing factor. When Wonderwoman was first introduced, she was a product of the male gaze. One of her weaknesses was men. I’m not joking, she was weakened if her “bracelets of submission” were bound by a man. This was later changed due to the Modern Age in the 1980s. In some cases, she is infantilized due to the fact that she isn’t from the “real world” and was raised on a paradise island. In other storylines, she plays a motherly role. Although she has healing abilities, if her limbs are cut off, they do not grow back. Meaning, she can be subdued if you can get close enough to cut her arm, especially if she is in the middle of using her sword.
The last character is Batman! I love Batman. He is one of the most iconic DC characters and is sometimes considered an anti-hero. During the day, he is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire and owner of Wayne Enterprises. When he was around eight years old, his parents were both killed by a robber in front of him. Ever since that day, he vowed to fight against evil. Although he is a human, he is extremely intelligent. He relies on his brain, gadgets, and combat skills to fight evil. He is trained in martial arts and has an infinite amount of technology to use against villains. His only weakness is being human. Batman is one of my favorite characters since he is an example of the grey area between right and wrong. This is illustrated in his nickname, “The Dark Knight.” Many people associate the title “knight” to be a hero, but adding the word dark before the title showcases an extra layer to his character. In many storylines, he is one of the last justice league members standing on a count of his intelligence. In my opinion, he proposes a question of how far humans can go towards a goal while still keeping their humanity.Â
While these opinions on these heroes are my own, I hope you dive into the DC universe and begin to build your own opinions on the characters as the universe is so vast and continuously growing!