DC Comics was doing big superhero sci-fi back when Marvel was still Timely. Back in the day – in this case the Golden Age of Comics – Marvel was more grounded than DC (although both were still mostly grounded) and once things got weird in the ’50s, more cosmic storytelling started to pop up; even Batman was going to space and dealing with aliens (the original concept of the Batman of Zurr-En-Arh was that he was an alien). However, the rise of the Marvel Universe and the DC Multiverse would change cosmic storytelling in superhero comics, leading to Marvel becoming more well known for their cosmic adventures, despite the fact that DC was still doing cosmic stories of their own. Of course, as with many things in the comic industry, Jack Kirby would change that, creating the Fourth World and giving DC readers the perfect cosmic saga.
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Cosmic Marvel and Cosmic DC have always been two different things. In a lot of ways, it feels like Marvel is better at cosmic storytelling, but if you take a look at the history of DC Comics, you’ll see that their cosmic characters and stories not only can compete with those of the House of Ideas, but they are actually better. In fact, there are numerous amazing cosmic DC heroes out there who are actually better than anything that Marvel has (guess who created them; anyone who has paid attention to my tastes can see where this list is going). These five Cosmic DC heroes are the best of the best, with #1 never getting the credit they deserve.
5) Adam Strange
Adam Strange is very much an old school character. Created by DC legends Julie Schwartz and Murphy Anderson, Adam was a human archeologist that was hit by the Zeta Beam and sent to Rann, a planet recovering from a terrible nuclear war. He was brought there to be a stud and eventually became the world’s greatest hero, using its technology and good old-fashioned human ingenuity to defeat all kinds of alien threats. He married the daughter of Rann’s leader, Alanna, but it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The Zeta Beam’s energy would leave his cells after a time, sending him back to Earth, forcing him to find where it was going to hit next so he can see the love of his life again. If I had to recommend three stories to understand why he’s such an awesome character, I would say Swamp Thing #57, where Alan Moore and Rick Veitch team the mock-encrusted mockery of a man with Adam while he was on his cosmic adventures (Swamp Thing by Alan Moore Volume Six is amazing in general if you want to understand Cosmic DC), Adam Strange: The Man of Two Worlds, which takes him on an amazing adventure from Richard Bruning and Andy and Adam Kubert working together (it’s as visually astounding as you can imagine and a great modernization of the character), and finally 2020-2021’s Strange Adventures, a non-canon masterpiece from Tom King, Mitch Gerads, and Doc Shaner.
4) Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan has changed a lot over the decades, but he’s long been one of the greatest cosmic characters ever. Hal was a fighter pilot known for his fearlessness and was chosen to be the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 when Abin Sur died. Trained by Kilowog and Sinestro, he soon became the greatest Green Lantern of them all, battling the biggest threats and helping to found the Justice League. Since then, there have been a lot of ups and downs in his life – he’s become a universe-shaking villain, destroyed the Green Lantern, died restarting the sun, and became the Spectre, eventually helping to resurrect the Corps and learn the reasons why he fell so far so quickly – but he’s always been a fan favorite (I still have fond memories of playing with my Kenner Super Powers figure). In fact, he was the hottest character in comics from his return in 2004 to 2010’s Blackest Night, his books staying at the top of the charts (but not as high as it was before Blackest Night) until the end of Geoff Johns’ legendary run. Hal is a legitimate legend and one of the true greats of superhero comics.
3) Big Barda
DC is full of powerful superheroines and one of the most potent has always Big Barda. Barda was raised on Apokolips in Granny Goodness’s Orphanage, surviving everything the twisted woman would throw at her and proving that she deserved a spot with the most dangerous fighting force on Apokolips, the Female Furies. She proved herself immediately and became the group’s leader. However, love proved to be more powerful than the hate she was raised with. She met the future Mister Miracle Scott Free and the two hit it off. Their love made them want to have a better life, leaving behind the pain and trauma of Apokolips. They escaped to Free’s birth world of New Genesis and joined the fight against Darkseid, all while working with the heroes of Earth to protect the cosmos. Jack Kirby created Barda as an homage to his wife Rosalind and she’s become one of the most beloved characters in the DC Multiverse. She’s been a member of the Justice League and has faced off against the biggest threats ever, proving her bona fides every time she swings her Mega Rod.
2) Mister Miracle
Mister Miracle was created to be one of the co-leads of the Fourth World saga. Kirby loved to bring elements of human mythology into his work (what, did you think it was Stan Lee who wanted Thor and came up with sci-fi Asgard?) and Mister Miracle was a big part of that. Son of New Genesis leader the Highfather, Scott Free was traded to Apokolips in a peace deal and was raised in the Orphanage, where Granny Goodness did her best to break him down. He never broke, learning to become the best escape artist of three worlds, his love for Barda giving him the strength to face off against the greatest threats. As the son of Highfather, he has access to the Alpha Effect, a power that is diametrically opposed to Darkseid’s Omega Effect, making him a key soldier in the war against the God of Evil. Mister Miracle(Vol. 4), one of Tom King’s best DC works, dug deep into the character, showing the trauma underlying his life and how it affected him, adding new facets to him. He’s an outstanding character, one who can you build any type of story around and make it sing.
1) Orion
The saga of the New Gods is one of comics’ greatest, introducing readers to some of the best characters ever, including Orion. He is the son of Darkseid; he was the other half of the peace deal with New Genesis, traded to that world for Scott Free. He was raised in the splendor of the gods and worked hard to control his temper, joining the war against his father. Orion is the other co-lead of the Fourth World saga, his story about a god overcoming the evil that he was born with to become a great hero. His entire existence revolves around his battle with his father; he’s the one prophesied to end Darkseid’s reign (well, technically, the prophecy just said one of this children). Orion is a character that hasn’t really gotten all that much play since Kirby’s time at DC ended. He was replaced in prestige by Mister Miracle and his father was made into a Superman villain, taking away the one thing that was supposed to be his. He’s a criminally underrated character, a deceptively simple hero who is among the most powerful beings in the cosmos.
Who’s your favorite Cosmic DC hero? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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