DC Comicsis in the midst of a new era for its DC Universe, which is the perfect opportunity to highlight some of its underused new characters. DC has currently goneAll-In for a new initiativeto soft reboot the DC Universe with new stories, new creators, and new heroes at the helm. With so many classic heroes getting the spotlight - for the first time in years - fans can’t forget their more recent favorites, either.
Truth be told, the past decade or so has seen a bevy of new superheroes join the fray at DC.That said, many of those new heroes haven’t been seen or heard from since they debuted. Whether it’s because of timing or the downsides of having a stuffed and stacked roster of talent, some modern heroes have already been forgotten in the larger scope of the DC Universe. Many of these heroes deserve a second chance at superstardom, and perhaps there’s no better time to give it to them than during DC’s All In initiative.
10Monkey Prince
First Appearance:DC’s Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Special#1, “The Monkey Hates Superheroes” by Gene Luen Yang, Bernard Chang, Sebastian Chang, and Janice Chiang
There was a time when Marcus Sun was being pushed as one of DC’s biggest new prospects.His first appearance is a team-up alongside Shazam (now known as the Captain), immediately launching Monkey Prince into the same conversations as the Justice League’s best heroes. He starred in his own series later that year in 2021, but since it ended in 2023, the DC Universe hasn’t seen much of Monkey Prince.
Maybe it’s because he became as overpowered as Superman very quickly, and perhaps that makes him a tough character to write for.
It’s hard to pinpoint why Monkey Prince just disappeared, especially in the midst of 2023’s Dawn of DC initiative, which was all about pushing new heroes to the forefront. Maybe it’s because he becameas overpowered as Supermanvery quickly, and perhaps that makes him a tough character to write for. Still, he quickly grew in popularity as DC’s best new hero, andas DC goes All-In on a new crop of heroes, now’s the time to revive Monkey Prince.
9Sideways
First Appearance:Sideways#1 by Dan DiDio, Justin Jordan, Kenneth Rocafort, Daniel Brown, and Carlos M. Mangual
Sideways was sold to audiences asDC’s equivalent to Spider-Man, but his series was canceled after 13 issues. The character has built something of a cult following in recent years, enough to warrant abrief return inDark Crisison Infinite Earthsby Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere as one of the heroes joining the fight against Deathstroke’s Dark Army. As a hero whose power is to open portals, he was surprisingly useful for the occasion. It’s a shame that Derek James went M.I.A. all over again just when his powers could be put to the best use possible.
Even if Sideways didn’t connect with audiences upon his debut,his newfound cult status can’t be ignored.It would make sense for DC to capitalize on that newfound popularity and find some sort of role for Sideways in the DCU rather than letting him fall into obscurity all over again.
8Gold Beetle
First Appearance:The Flash#768 by Jeremy Adams, Brandon Peterson, Marco Santucci, David Lafuente, Michael Atiyeh, Arif Prianto, Luis Guerrero, and Steve Wands
Using the ancient Worlogog (or, as she calls it, Timeglass), Lily powers her Gold Bug ship to travel through space and time at will. Ergo, she becomes the Gold Beetle,essentially an amalgamation ofBlue Beetle and Booster Gold. With this perk, she’s befriended the Flash Family, teaming up with several Flashes across different time periods, but in the main comics, she’s most closely associated with Wally West and his son, Jai.
There’s a lot of fascinating caveats to the Gold Beetle character that aren’t being delved into as deeply as they can be when she’s been as underused as she is now.It’s time (no pun intended) for DC Comics to launch Gold Beetle back into orbit,especially considering how much potential the character has as a time traveler associated with a still-growing roster of DC’s youngest generation: her connection with Jai West in particular is underexplored.
7Clownhunter
First Appearance:Batman#96 by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, and Clayton Cowles
Like most heroes from Gotham, Bao Pham has a tragic backstory.His parents were killed by the Joker (with the help of a pre-heroic Harley Quinn) and that tragedy took the young man over the edge. Beginning his crusade during the infamous Joker War, the 17-year-old Clownhunter is basically Bruce Wayne - had he started his war on crime much earlier in life. Obviously, an angry, misguided teenage vigilante presents problems, so to keep tabs on him and teach him the right way, Bruce takes the teen under his wing as part of Batman Incorporated, where he worked under Ghost-Maker.
Watching Clownhunter grow as both a man and as a hero was fascinating to see in real-time, but that growth seemed to be put on pause onceBatman Incorporatedwas canceled. Clownhunter still has to be lurking around the DC Universe somewhere, surely, and with theBatmantitle to receive a new ongoing creative team in 2025, it’s the perfect opportunity to bring him back.
6Xanthe Zhou
First Appearance:Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn#1, “City Boy” by Greg Pak, Mikyu Jung, Sunny Gho, and Wes Abbott
TheLazarus Planetstory arc saw the introduction of several new heroes into DC lore, and among them is Xanthe Zhou, occasionally known as the Envoy. Starring inSpirit Worldby Alyssa Wong and Haining, Xanthe has ended up having asignificant role in DC’s magic world. The series ends with them ascending into the Jade Court. Their endless charm, love of adventure. and unique powers to travel between worlds have been enough to makeXanthe an instant fan-favorite for a lot of readers.
Since then end of their series, Xanthe has made a few cameo appearances inBirds of Preyby Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, and others.
Despite her elevation in the magic world and even a friendship with John Constantine, Xanthe has been noticeably absent for someone with their high ranking in the DC’s magical circles.All things considered, especially in befriending a former Leaguer, Xanthe is a degree away from the Justice League,and thus their presence should be more felt in the DCU to match their status.
5City Boy
First Appearance:Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special#1, “City Boy and the King of Cities” by Greg Pak, Minkyu Jung, Sunny Gho, and Wes Abbott
City Boy may havethe most unique powers of anyone in DC’s current superhero roster. On paper, it can be a bit complicated to explain: Cameron Kim has the power to communicate with cities, and he can even manipulate their landscapes to his whim. In practice, City Boy has delivered some of the most dazzling visuals of the last decade. Not only that, but Cameron’s powers put him on Darkseid’s radar, hoping to use his all-powerful abilities against the universe.
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City Boy has been missing in action since the end of his series, and quite frankly,someone this powerful shouldn’t be on standby. It’s a waste of everything he’s capable of, not just in terms of powers, but in terms of character development, when he was in the middle of taking onthe mentorship of Nightwingand Superman. City Boy could be one of DC’s most exciting new heroes, but he risks being forgotten and overlooked if not properly used.
4Flatline
First Full Appearance:Robin#1 by Joshua Williamson, Gleb Melnikov, and Troy Peteri
Flatline is best associated withDamian Wayne as his sometimes-villain girlfriend, but there is so much more to her character than just who she’s dating. While Robin having his ownfemme fatalelike his old man has its intrigue,Flatline is interesting enough of a character to stand tall without being associated with the Bat-Family. She’s been seen in a handful of adventures away from Robin and his allies and has proven to have an interesting background, especially as she struggles to distance herself from a criminal background and an evil sister.
DC could have a new anti-hero in the making on their hands.She hasn’t been seen since exiting a supporting role in her co-creator Joshua Williamson’sBatman and Robin.It’s safe to assume that DC is waiting for another opportunity to place her next to Bruce’s son again, but she’s better suited leading her own stories rather than sitting on the sidelines until further notice.
3The Vigil
First Appearance:Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution#1, “The Vigil: See No Evil” by Ram V, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Rain Beredo, and Dave Sharpe
The Vigil is a group of South Asian metahumans with exceptional powers.Arclight has mastered electricity, Twitch has mastered speed, Dodge had=s incredible reflexes, Saya is a shapeshifter, and Castle is essentially the Oracle of the team. The six-part miniseries ends with the tagline “The Vigil Will Return,” but they have yet to return, leaving the team’s future in jeopardy.
If there was ever a time for the faction to return, it would have been during (or even after)Absolute Powerby Mark Waid and Dan Mora, where Amanda Waller waged an all-out war against metahumans. Even now, as DC emphasizes metahumans as some people lose their powers while others gain new ones, its seems like the time to bring the Vigil back and see how they fare in the DC Universe’s new status quo.The Vigil is an interesting concept, practically giving DC its own version of the X-Men, and now more than ever, they have the potential to shine.
2Marilyn Moonlight
First Appearance:Superman#2 by Joshua Williamson, Jamal Campbell, and Ariana Maher
Marilyn Moonlight is easily thecoolest ally Superman’s madein recent memory. Anti-heroes usually come a dime a dozen out of Gotham City, but Metropolis gets its own nighttime hero in the form of a light-based superhero. Her powers, personality, costume are all incredibly cool. It’s been a little while since she’s been seen in either Superman’s main series orAction Comics, but truthfully,she has enough going for her to lead her own solo series if DC Comics wanted her to.
Whether it’s for her own adventures or if DC let her spread her wings by meeting other superheroes on a team title, audiences need more of Marilyn Moonlight.
That can’t be said about every hero on this list, but Moonlight’s swagger could easily carry an entire series off the strength of her character.Whether it’s for her own adventures or if DC let her spread her wings by meeting other superheroes on a team title, audiences need more of Marilyn Moonlight.
1Deadeye
First Appearance:Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution#1, “The Abyss of the Deadeye” by Chuck Brown, Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales, Alex Guimares, and Troy Peteri
Arguably, Deadeye is not only the most interesting character out of DC’s recent crop of newbies,but one with the largest potential - as long as DC Comics continues to utilize his power-hungry aunt, Amanda Waller. Archie Waller was a reluctant instrument of Waller’s during herAbsolute Power arc, which had its beginning in theLazarus Planetcrossover event. Despite how much he hates her guts, Amanda Waller is convinced that her nephew is the Suicide Squad’s most important resource, whether he wants to be or not.
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A conflicted hero forced to work for evil makes for interesting storytelling, even if that aspect ofLazarus Planetwas underused. Archie has basically disappeared following the storyline’s conclusion, despite being one of the more interesting new characters to emerge from it. Hopefully,DC Comicsbrings him back sooner rather than later, because the expert metahuman assassin has immense potential to shake up the DC Universe, especially when so many aspects of his character remain untouched.
