10 Best Superheroes Created In The Last 10 Years
Casandra Ronning is a staff writer for Screen Rant's anime section. Since mid-2024, she has dedicated herself to expanding her knowledge and experience in the entertainment industry. She is most proud of conducting an exclusive interview with popular voice actor Stephanie Nadolny.
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The past 10 years have introduced many new characters, from heroes to villains, across multiple comic publications. Among the new heroes, there are several that quickly captured audience attention, whether through in-depth, clever writing or impressive design, prompting readers to follow their stories as they grow into capable heroes or anti-heroes.
Since 2016, these heroes have had the opportunity to push forward and redefine what the genre can encompass, with some allowing other, well-established heroes to develop in unexpected ways. Each character brings something unique to the genre and has delivered thrilling contributions, making them standout new heroes.
Flatline (Nika)
Flatline, whose real name is Nika, is a metahuman martial artist whose abilities are tied to death itself. After inheriting her power from her grandfather, she gained the ability to permanently absorb the skills, memories, and knowledge of people who die in her presence. Flatline was trained by Lord Death Man and eventually crossed paths with and killed Damian Wayne during the League of Lazarus tournament, although he was later revived.
While Flatline may not be the most well-known character, it's undeniable that her personality, power, and character design are nothing to scoff at. Paired with the complex dynamics she creates with other characters, especially regarding her relationship with Damian, Flatline pushes the story and familiar characters into uncharted territory, making her a thrilling anti-hero.
Aero (Lei Ling)
Lei Ling walks a fine line between dual identities, working as a gifted architect in Shanghai while secretly protecting the city as the hero, Aero. With her powers, she can manipulate air, allowing her to fly, use powerful wind attacks, create barriers, and even sense her surroundings through changes in airflow, along with much more.
Aero stands out for her impressive mind and strength, but beyond that, she gives readers a chance to experience heroism from a completely new perspective in a city across the world, rather than in New York, where many other Marvel heroes are typically based. Even with her impressive powers, Lei Ling faces grounded challenges that allow her to feel more relatable, and, paired with the gorgeous art style, her story is not one that should be missed.
Rogue Sun (Dylan Siegel)
Set in New Orleans, Dylan Siegel becomes Rogue Sun after he inherits the supernatural mantle from his estranged father, Marcus Bell, following his murder. With this newfound power, Dylan has enhanced strength, durability, flight, and a form of pyrokinesis. As he investigates his father’s death, he comes to find that Marcus’s consciousness remains within the Rogue Sun armor, complicating their relationship further.
Rogue Sun stands out for making its protagonist initially rather unlikable. From the beginning, Dylan is cynical and abrasive, and when he becomes Rogue Sun, he is reluctant and hates being told what to do. However, all of Dylan's flaws add emotional weight to his character and make his growth feel all the more worthwhile. Paired with the murder mystery and complex character dynamics, Rogue Sun delivers a thrilling and unforgettable hero.
Ghost-Maker (Minhkhoa Khan)
Minhkhoa “Khoa” Khan, better known as Ghost-Maker, is a globe-spanning vigilante who trained alongside Bruce Wayne in their youth before the two grew to become rivals. As a master martial artist and tactician, Khoa uses advanced technology and twin swords to fight against crime. After initially opposing Batman during the Joker War, he eventually became a reluctant ally and later assumed leadership of Batman Incorporated.
Ghost-Maker stands out because he ideologically clashes with Batman, and yet still acts as a member of the Bat Family. Their shared history also adds depth to both characters while simultaneously pushing the two to develop a newfound respect for one another without losing what made them ideological opposites.
Jon Kent (Superboy)
Jonathan Kent is the son of Superman and Lois Lane. While he was technically introduced as a baby in 2015, with his inherited Kryptonian abilities, he went on to officially become Superboy in 2016 at the age of 10 years old. Early in his life, he was part of the Super Sons along with Damian Wayne, and, following a time displacement, he later took up the mantle of Superman.
Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition
Superman
Trivia Challenge
🌏OriginsLast son
☠VillainsKneel!
⚡PowersInvincible
🎥FilmsBelieve
💫LegacyHope
01
Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet?
✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story.
02
Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she?
✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner.
03
Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called?
✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness.
04
In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor?
✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman.
05
Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror.
06
After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up?
✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm.
07
As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper?
✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world.
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home.
08
This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain?
✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013).
✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories.
Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record
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Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth?
Jon stands out as one of the best modern heroes because he offers a breath of fresh air to a decades-old legacy. Whereas his father typically protected the world from immediate, physical threats, Jon took it upon himself to address and fight systemic issues, actively advocating for humanity's future.
Powerhouse (Naomi McDuffie)
Naomi McDuffie is an adopted teenager from Port Oswego, Oregon, whose life completely changes after she discovers that she was born on an alternate Earth that was devastated by environmental collapse and war. She possesses immense strength, durability, flight, and the ability to manipulate energy, allowing her to eventually become involved with Young Justice and the Justice League.
Powerhouse stands out for her journey from a normal Superman fan to a major DC hero who was mentored by the Man of Steel himself. Beyond that, she was seamlessly integrated into the universe and quickly became known among fans. Her rapid rise both in-universe and out is a reflection of how thrilling she is as a hero and how relatable she is as a person.
Green Lantern (Sojourner “Jo” Mullein)
Jo Mullein is a Green Lantern who is introduced in Far Sector. Stationed in the Enduring City, a metropolis of 20 billion residents across three alien species who chose to genetically suppress their emotions, Jo stands out for retaining her emotions and as the sole human, as well as the detective assigned to solve the first murder case in the city in 500 years.
Jo stands out as the first-ever Black, queer woman to take up the mantle of Green Lantern, already setting her character apart from many others. Her story breaks away from traditional hero tropes as she fights systemic corruption, all while embracing fear rather than rejecting it like other Green Lanterns. Even when Far Sector ended, Jo rightfully remained a popular modern hero, allowing her to headline Absolute Green Lantern.
Ironheart (Riri Williams)
Riri Williams is a teenage engineering prodigy from Chicago who creates her own powered armor and becomes the superhero Ironheart. After she earns a place at MIT, she reverse-engineers advanced technology to build an Iron Man-inspired suit, eventually drawing Tony Stark’s attention, who goes on to endorse her to become a hero.
What makes Ironheart work is that she is far from just a replacement for Tony Stark’s Iron Man, and she stands out as an independent, well-written hero.
Although she has no innate superpowers, her intelligence and engineering skills make her a capable and formidable hero. She takes up the legacy of Iron Man and is driven by a strong sense of justice, born from personal tragedy. What makes Ironheart work is that she is far from just a replacement for Tony Stark’s Iron Man, and she stands out as an independent, well-written hero.
Radiant Black (Nathan Burnett and Marshall Ward)
Nathan Burnett is introduced as a struggling writer whose life changes after he bonds with the cosmic Black Radiant, granting him a high-tech suit and gravity-based powers. The mantle later becomes shared with his best friend Marshall Ward after Nathan is critically injured in battle, driving Marshall to use the power to protect his friend’s legacy.
Nathan and Marshall both stand out as the hero Radiant Black, but for very different reasons. While the two share similarities in that they are grounded, relatable characters, Nathan saw Radiant Black as an overwhelming responsibility with a moral obligation to do the right thing, whereas Marshall stood out for being far more brash and impulsive, yet eagerly ready to embrace the role of hero. Together, these interpretations and dynamics make Radiant Black fascinating, complex, and incredibly thrilling.
Gwenpool (Gwen Poole)
Gwen Poole is introduced as a former comic book fan from the real world who unexpectedly gets transported to the Marvel Universe. At first, she treats the people as fictional characters, becoming a mercenary before gradually realizing that her actions have consequences and becoming an anti-hero. Since she knows she’s in a comic book, she can manipulate it at will, allowing her to jump to and from panels or pages and interact with text blocks.
While Gwenpool technically first appeared in 2015, her first solo series launched in 2016. Given her unique, fourth-wall-breaking abilities, Gwen injects a sense of unpredictability while breaking past common meta tropes. Paired with her layered growth from a reckless outsider to an anti-hero, Gwenpool is easily a thrilling, refreshing addition to the superhero genre.
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