I love you all…but this article ain’t for you!
I’ve never written a list for the site before, but I figured I’d try something new what with this being the anniversary of my first post on the site. Anyway, today I’m here to talk about my favorite lesser-known comic characters. When I say lesser known, I mean someone that is not well-known by the general public so, for instance, Superman is out but Match (a clone of Superboy) is fair game. Obviously, some hardcore comic fans may feel some of these characters are pretty well-known, but remember that I’m talking overall recognizability. Read on to find out who made it! Warning: I usually am not a big fan of spoilers, but this article will have a few. If you’re worried, then feel free to just look at who I picked but not read the text accompanying it.
5. Omni-man 
Omni-man may resemble Superman in terms of appearance and powers, but their similarities end then and there. Omni-man is the father of the title character in Invincible, published by Image Comics. When first introduced, we think he’s the typical superpowered alien who wants to do good for the world…but it’s not long before his true colors show and we find out he’s actually been sent by an alien race to subjugate Earth as part of their intergalactic empire! Omni-man kills all the greatest superheroes of that world, stopping short of beating his own son to death. But Omni-man isn’t a typical villain either: despite his initial mission, he later shows he has remorse and reservations about what he’s done and is supposed to do. I definitely like him a lot, but given his uninteresting power set I couldn’t in good faith rate him higher than #5.
4. Haunt
Kudos to you, Robert Kirkman, looks like your creations make the list twice! I’ve been in love with Haunt since I first checked it out a few months back, especially thanks to the title hero. His design is awesome, and the fact he’s actually two characters in one (the Kilgore brothers) makes him even more interesting. Like Omni-Man, his power set isn’t that amazing since it’s very similar to Carnage and Venom, but the fact that he’s powered by ectoplasm and ghost energy is a pretty novel idea. Sadly, Haunt doesn’t offer us much in the way of deep characterization by himself, but he still comes in at #4.
3. Northstar 
Northstar became well-known to some outside the comic community last month when Marvel announced his marriage…to another man! Northstar, the first openly gay superhero ever, is definitely a trail-blazer. Even so, that fact does not define his character: he is a reluctant hero, yet is always determined during any battle he finds himself involved in. Northstar also deals with his own share of flaws, from difficulties with his friends, to the difficulty of finding himself once realizing his mutant heritage. He’s the coolest member of Alpha Flight (read: The Canadian Avengers) which isn’t exactly a lofty honor, but Northstar has stood on his own and joined the X-Men despite the constant cancellations of Alpha Flight. Every store he’s involved in is always interesting, and his power-set is minimal, but useful (super speed and flight). Thanks to his multifaceted appeal, I gave Northstar #3.
2. Guy Gardner
Hero. Fighter. Jerk. These are all words that perfectly describe my favorite Green Lantern, Guy Gardner. What most people don’t know is that the ring that chose Hal Jordan was actually meant for Guy…Hal was just closer and, given the circumstances, the ring couldn’t waste any time. Guy is different than most other superheroes: he’s brash, rude, and self-centered. Even so, there’s a certain depth to him, a quality he has that’s all his own. He’s a huge rager, a fact which makes me like him even more, since in my eyes level-headed characters aren’t nearly as much fun. Guy also uses his ring the most creatively of any Green Lantern I’ve seen, creating the likes of shimmering motorcycles to ride and giant green ice cream scoops to de-eye his enemies (yeah…it’s a gross image). Overall, Guy’s awesome attitude won him the #2 slot on today’s list.
1. Onomatopoeia
Who says villains can’t make the list? Ever since I first read about Onomatopoeia in Green Arrow: Sounds of Violence by Kevin Smith I was hooked. I instantly took a liking to his creepy manner, his lack of a back story, and his ridiculous resilience. Though he possesses no known superpowers, Onomatopoeia is a master of weapons and martial arts, fighting on equal grounds with the likes of Green Arrow and Batman. His costume is also amazing in its simplicity, yet his mask is just so cool and recognizable. His quirk of speaking only in the sounds of what’s going on around him not only fits his name, but also gives him a strange yet original edge. I’ve even cosplayed as the guy, and was pretty happy when three people over the course an entire day at New York Comic Con identified who I was successfully. It’s a shame he hasn’t appeared in more media, but maybe that’s for the best since he’s never had an uncool appearance. There was no way he wouldn’t gain the #1 spot on my list!
Anyway, I hope you all liked this list and maybe even learned a thing or two about some characters you didn’t know about before! I urge everyone to read the comics these guys appear in; trust me, you won’t be let down. I know this list is all-male, but maybe I’ll make one for female characters sometime in the future. Until next time!