DC Comics was able to make superheroes into household names starting in the late ’30s and has introduced readers to numerous different characters in their stories. There’s the heroes and the villains, of course, but then just below them and just as important is the supporting cast. These side characters are often just a fun little diversion from the main character or a love interest, a character who we’re supposed to like or compare the hero to or one of any other things, bringing added to dimensions. Sometimes, they fade into the background, becoming a welcome yet diffuse presence, but other times they stay in the forefront of the stories, with many becoming fan favorites over the decades.
DC side characters have always been some of the best out there. The most popular of them have that it factor that few other characters have, making them even more beloved than anyone ever would have figured. In fact, there are lots of times that these side characters are honestly better than the main characters, becoming legends in their own right. These five DC characters became superstars by being better than the heroes, showing that superhero stories aren’t just about the big names.
5) Linda Park-West
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Wally West is the best Flash, but it took time to get him there and one of the most important ingredients was his life Linda Park-West. He met her while she was reporter at Keystone City’s new station – if there’s one thing that the Flash definitely needs, it’s a reporter girlfriend – bringing spice and romance to Wally’s life. She allowed readers to see another side of the hero and in turn showed the various sides of herself. In a lot of ways, she was the spark that Wally needed in every story and she always added something that wasn’t there. While Wally is a fun superhero, he’s kind of a boring person, so Linda was often the exciting one, the one making the small scale scenes work. She’s become such an awesome character – her recent stint with the Speed Force shows us what she’d be like as a superhero and showed that she could join the family business, bringing her smarts and fierce maternal instincts to the adventures of the West clan. I love that DC is doing more of this sort of thing with their married characters and it wouldn’t work for the Flash without Linda. She’s the glue, the one character that all the others need, shoring up every scene.
4) Big Barda
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There are some people out there who will be questioning why I’m including Big Barda as a side character. She’s often people’s favorite part of her relationship with Mister Miracle, but let’s be real – it’s not usually her name on the cover. However, there’s a reason that so many fans love her so much and it’s because when it comes right to down to it, she’s way cooler than Scott Free. I think the difference for many is that while they went through the same things, the way Barda handles herself and her trauma seems to work better. She’s this unbreakable rock of a woman on every page of his books, her deadpan sense of humor giving it all a sense of life that it wouldn’t have without her. Her love for Scott is one of the strongest forces in comics and the way she carries herself (the panel that introduces her in Kingdom Come when she’s walking without armor in the new super prison and mean-mugging everyone, daring them to give her an excuse, was my introduction to her and honestly, does it get any better than that?) is everything. Scott is a great character, but without Barda, the whole thing falls apart.
3) Max Mercury
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The Flash Family is amazing, full of amazing characters, any of which could be main characters given a chance and all of whom are excellent side characters. However, the one that deserves a lot more praise is Max Mercury. He was first known as Quicksilver in the Golden Age, a speedster from the old West, and was revived in the ’90s by writer Mark Waid during his amazing Flash run as Max. Mercury was the “Zen speedster”, trying to learn as much as he could about his powers and how they worked. His teachings helped Wally figure out the existence of the Speed Force and Max’s lessons helped West become an even greater Flash than ever. When Bart Allen showed up in the present from the 30th centiry, Max was his mentor, helping him master his powers and his hyper-activity. Impulse was one of the best teen books of the ’90s and it wouldn’t have been remotely the same book without Max. He was a calming presence of authority when the book needed it and a crotchety old speedster when it was called for. Bart could get kind of annoying, but Max was always there to make things cool again.
2) Alfred Pennyworth
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Saying Alfred is a better character than Batman could be seen as fighting words, but then again, we’re already under the flagpole, so let’s do this. Alfred was the perfect British butler for most of his existence, the steady presence (except for his villain turn as the Outsider that no one talks about) always ready with a kind word and a cup of tea. However, as the years went by, he became the heart of the Bat-Family. He was everyone’s dad and the conscience of Bruce Wayne, trying to get through to the man inside the bat and show him there was more to life than just the fight. He gave the Bat-Family love and attention when they needed it, becoming the linchpin of numerous relationships in a way that Batman couldn’t. Think about all the amazing Alfred moments you’ve read over the years; he’s such a rich character. He’s a butler that has had the kind of amazing lives that most main characters don’t even get to sniff. He’s been dead for years, leaving an Alfred-shaped hole in the comics and forcing everyone else to grow in new directions.
1) Lois Lane-Kent
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Lois Lane is the best Superman character and every Superman fan will admit it. I say this as the biggest Superman fan around – Supes is such a simple character that he needs someone like Lois right there to give him something to contrast off of. Lois Lane was a girlboss before that was a thing, the most competent person on any page she was on, even if she was also seemed the messiest. She has no problem stepping over anyone; this is a woman who will teleport to the Justice League Watchtower to yell – full on yell – at Superman and Batman. She’s the one in charge of every page and her mixture of strength and love is one of the best parts of any Superman comic. I think a lot of Superman’s current success has come from the way they’ve made Lois into the co-star of at least one of his books. She’s right there, front and center, showing that superhero’s wives can not only be a part of their stories, but the ones that make them so awesome to read.
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