The following is a list of the first known appearances of various superhero fictional characters and teams.
A superhero (also known as a super hero) is a fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do in the public interest." Since the debut of the prototypal superhero Lee Falk's The Phantom in 1936 followed by Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes â€" ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas â€" have dominated American comic books and crossed over into other media. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine or super heroine.
By most definitions, characters need not have actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes, although sometimes terms such as costumed crimefighters are used to refer to those without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
List of comic book supervillain debuts can be found here: List of comic book supervillain debuts
1850-1900
Penny Dreadful
The folkloric Spring Heeled Jack came to be featured in a series of Penny Dreadfuls, first as a villain, then as a crime-fighter with a disguise, secret lair, and gadgets, hallmarks of superheroes.
1900-1909
Play
Often cited as perhaps the earliest superhero akin to those to become popularized through American comic books.
1910s
Magazine
1920s
Notable non-superhero characters that influenced the superhero genre
1930s
Radio
Pulp fiction
Newspaper comics
Other media
Notable non-superhero characters that influenced the superhero genre
Comic book
1940s
Newspaper comics
1940s
Other media
1950s
Comic book
Television
1960s
Comic book
Television
1970s
Comic book
Television
1980s
Comic book
Television
1990s
Comic book
Movies
Television
2000's
Comic book
Movies
Television
See also
- List of years in comics
- List of comic book supervillain debuts
References
- Daniels, Les. The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days. New York: H.N. Abrams, 2004.
Notes
External links
- Comic Book Timeline
- Guardians of the North
- "The Comic Book Villain, Dr. Fredric Wertham, M.D."
- The Silver Age and the Marvel Age at Web Cite
- The Bronze Age at Web Cite
- The Gimmick Age at Web Cite
- Coville, Jamie. "The History of Superhero Comic Books", "Part 1: Comic Strips Lead to a New Form"
- Evanier, Mark. "News from Me", POV Online, August 26, 2001