For DC Comics, the 1980s were a period of significant upheaval and deconstruction. The Bronze Age of comics ended in 1985. It was succeeded by the Modern Age which continues to the present day. Several key factors distinguish the Modern Age: increased diversity in genres and storytelling techniques, a renaissance in independent comic creators like Image Comics, and the rise of the modern anti-hero. Led by characters like DC’s Watchmen and Marvel’s Cable, morally gray anti-heroes became extremely popular as they pushed the envelope of who is and should be considered a superhero.
DC Comics underwent its most drastic change with the Crisis on Infinite Earths event from 1985 to 1986. It was the most significant crossover in comic book history. Featuring almost every single character in the company’s roster, this crisis shook the foundations of DC Comics. DC Comics hit the reset button on the entire DC Multiverse to rectify decades of multiverse confusion and contrived retcons. It created a complete reboot, giving the writers a clean slate to build a new, more concise DC Universe. Of course, the “simplification” wouldn’t last, but the event itself was epic in ways no other comic company has managed to replicate.
DC Comics entered its latest era by rebooting its entire universe and providing easier access to new readers. And with this upheaval in the status quo came all-new and beloved superheroes, sidekicks, and anti-heroes who challenged what it means to be a hero.
10) Vixen
Introduced in 1981, Mari Jiwe McCabe, aka Vixen, comes from a long line of female superheroes. When she was a child, Mari’s parents were murdered. She inherited her mother’s necklace: the Tantu Totem. This magical artifact was created by the African trickster spider god Anansi. Passed down to the women of Mari’s family for generations, the Tantu Totem allows its user to harness the powers of the entire animal kingdom. With the totem, Mari can run like a cheetah, fly like a hawk, and even charge with the force of an elephant. Now a superhero and an animal rights activist, Vixen is a protector of all innocents, humans and animals alike.
9) Huntress
Helena Bertinelli, aka Huntress, debuted in 1989 as a crossbow-wielding vengeful vigilante who operates in Gotham City. Born to the Bertinelli mafia family, Helena was just a little girl when a rival gang murdered her whole family. She spent the next decade training her mind and body to become an instrument of revenge. Her crusade against the criminal underworld eventually caused Helena to cross paths with Batman. Although they often team up to fight crime, Batman has serious reservations about Helena’s willingness to use lethal force against criminals. A morally gray anti-hero, Huntress represents the darker side of vigilantism in Gotham City.
8) Booster Gold
Michael Carter, aka Booster Gold, was introduced in 1986 and is the greatest hero you’ve never heard of. Michael was born in the 25th century and worked as a security guard in a museum. He stole a time machine and several superhero items from the museum. He then traveled back in time to the present to use the future technology that he stole to become a famous and a rich superhero. At first, Michael is considered a joke by the superhero community because he is a vainglorious sellout. However, despite his reputation, the superhero items he stole from the museum did give him significant powers, including super strength, flight, force field generation, and energy projection. Over time, Michael transformed. He learned humility and became a guardian of the timestream. No longer saving people for the credit, Booster Gold became a real hero.
7) Rorschach
In 1986, Alan Moore created one of the most renowned comic book series of all time, which helped shape modern views of superheroes: Watchmen. Set in a universe separate from the main DC Comics continuity, Watchmen is a dark and gritty deconstruction of the superhero genre. Among its many morally gray “heroes,” Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, is arguably the most well-known. A ruthless, violent, and sociopathic vigilante, Walter is a satire of street-level superheroes, such as Batman. Walter became a vigilante after a lifetime of seeing the worst of humanity. His most iconic feature is his mask, which has an ever-changing ink blot pattern. Rorschach is a cautionary tale about obsession and how real-world vigilantes can be damaged and dangerous individuals.
6) Robin (Jason Todd)
The second, and most tragic Robin was Jason Todd. He was introduced in 1986. Jason was a young orphan living on the streets when Batman caught him trying to steal the tires off the Batmobile. Batman took Jason under his wing and trained him in the art of crime-fighting. But just two years after becoming the new Robin, Jason was brutally murdered by the Joker. However, in 2005, Jason was resurrected by the mystical Lazarus Pit. The trauma of his death and the excruciating process of being revived cracked Jason’s psyche. Jason resurrected desperate for revenge and became the merciless vigilante and killer known as the Red Hood. Over time, with the support of the Bat Family, Jason learned to control his anger. Now a gun-wielding anti-hero, Jason has forged his path as the leader of the superhero team the Outlaws.
5) John Constantine
Introduced in 1985, John Constantine, the Hellblazer, is a master of arcane magic and an occult detective. He came from a long line of magicians but began as a leader of a punk band. During a tour, John’s band met a little girl named Astra who was the victim of a violent demon. To save her, John summoned a demon named Nergal. Nergal defeated the aggressive demon but then betrayed John and dragged Astra down to Hell. This event forever scarred John and he would spend the rest of his life trying to redeem himself by fighting against the forces of Hell. Constantine is a cynical and cunning anti-hero and isn’t the most popular member of the magical community. Still, he’s always ready to put his soul on the line to protect Earth from unholy threats.
4) Robin (Tim Drake)
The third and smartest of all the Robins was Tim Drake who was introduced in 1989. He was a huge fan of the Dynamic Duo and figured out Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson’s identities when he was just nine years old. Tim noticed that Batman had become more violent and reckless after the death of Jason. Knowing that Batman needed a Robin to keep him grounded, Tim convinced Alfred to help him become the new Boy Wonder. Although Batman initially protested, he soon came to view Tim as another son. A skilled fighter and detective, Tim is perhaps Batman’s most loyal sidekick. Tim eventually grew up to be his own hero, becoming a founding member of the teen superhero group Young Justice, and took on the name Red Robin.
3) Starfire
Introduced in 1980, Starfire flips quickly between friendly and fearsome. Heir to the throne of the planet Tamaran, Koriand’r, aka Starfire, is a warrior princess who was forced into slavery by her evil older sister, Blackfire. The siblings were kidnapped by another alien race, which performed experiments on them. The experiments gave the pair the ability to fire powerful energy blasts. Despite their shared predicament, Blackfire continued to try to kill her little sister, even as they were both escaping from their captors. Koriand’r managed to survive her sister’s attack and crash-landed on Earth. Once free, the princess joined the new Teen Titans and is now one of their most powerful members. In addition to her power to generate energy bolts, as a Tamaranean, Koriand’r has super strength and the ability to fly. A kind and intelligent soul with the heart of a queen, Starfire is a capable superhero who fights valiantly to protect her new home.
2) Cyborg
Half-man, half-machine, Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, has been a core member of the Teen Titans and the Justice League. Debuting in 1980, Victor was a star football player until a terrible accident destroyed most of his body. To save his son’s life, Dr. Silas Stone rebuilt his son with cybernetic enhancements and prosthetics. Now more machine than man, Victor was initially horrified by his new existence and went into hiding. He was eventually discovered and recruited by the Teen Titans, where he learned to accept the mechanical part of himself. Victor’s cyborg body gives him enhanced strength and durability. It also allows him to transform his arms into energy blasters and interface with, as well as manipulate, all surrounding technology. Cyborg is constantly upgrading and is the ultimate superhero for the digital age.
1) Raven
Introduced in 1980, Rachel Roth, aka Raven, is one of the most iconic and powerful members of the Teen Titans. Born a half-human, half-demon hybrid, Rachel’s life is a constant battle to resist the evil within herself. Her father, the all-powerful demon lord Trigon, tries to use his daughter as a pawn in his quest to conquer Earth. To protect her daughter, Rachel’s mother, Arella, took her to an alternate dimension known as Azeroth. There, Rachel learned to control her emotions that fuel her demonic magic. When she discovered her demon heritage, Rachel fled to Earth in shame, where she met her new family, the Teen Titans. Although she remains secretive and reclusive, Rachel has come to love her teammates. A complex character with a wide array of magical abilities, Raven is considered by many to be one of the greatest adolescent superheroes in DC Comics.
