Comic Strips & Superheroes
Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man: in the early 21st century, superheroes such as these rose to staggering global prominence. Movies featuring characters from Marvel Comics or DC Comics regularly drew in high global box office earnings, and the likenesses of these characters could easily be spotted adorning clothing, toys, backpacks, and more. Prior to the rise of modern comic books, their precursor, the comic strip, held court. Early comic strips were produced in Europe before the form began appearing in American magazines in the late 19th century. In 1933 the first true comic books were released. Five years later, DC Comics introduced Superman, the character who truly launched the superhero genre.
Comic Strips & Superheroes Encyclopedia Articles
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Captain America
Captain America, comic-strip superhero created by writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby for Timely (later Marvel) Comics. The character debuted in March 1941 in Captain America Comics no. 1. Simon and...
Aquaman
Aquaman, American comic strip superhero, defender of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and sometime member of the superhero consortium Justice League of America. Aquaman made his debut in 1941 in the...
the Avengers
The Avengers, American comic strip superhero team whose frequently changing roster often included some of the most popular characters in the Marvel Comics universe. Billed as “Earth’s mightiest super-heroes,”...
Superman
Superman, American comic strip superhero created for DC Comics by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Superman first appeared in Action Comics, no. 1 (June 1938). Superman’s origin is perhaps one...
Thor
Thor, American comic strip superhero created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The character, derived from the Germanic god of the same name, first appeared in Journey into Mystery...
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics, American media and entertainment company that was widely regarded as one of the “big two” publishers in the comic industry. Its parent company, Marvel Entertainment, is a wholly owned subsidiary...
Spider-Man
Spider-Man, comic-book character who was the original everyman superhero. In Spider-Man’s first story, in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy, no. 15 (1962), American teenager Peter Parker, a poor sickly orphan,...
Watchmen
Watchmen, graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons, published as a 12-part series by DC Comics from September 1986 to October 1987. The complex characters and mature story line were unlike...
comic strip
Comic strip, series of adjacent drawn images, usually arranged horizontally, that are designed to be read as a narrative or a chronological sequence. The story is usually original in this form. Words may...
caricature and cartoon
Caricature and cartoon, in graphic art, comically distorted drawing or likeness, done with the purpose of satirizing or ridiculing its subject. Cartoons are used today primarily for conveying political...
the Flash
The Flash, American comic strip superhero created for DC Comics by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. The character first appeared in Flash Comics no. 1 (January 1940). In the Flash’s origin...
Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown, American comic strip character, one of the main figures in Peanuts, Charles Schulz’s enormously popular, highly acclaimed American newspaper and paperback cartoon strip (first run on October...
Black Panther
Black Panther, comic strip superhero created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four no. 52 (July 1966). Seeking to address the dearth...
superhero
Superhero, a fictional hero—widely popularized in comic books and comic strips, television and film, and popular culture and video games—whose extraordinary or “superhuman” powers are often displayed in...
Incredible Hulk
Incredible Hulk, American comic strip character created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. The towering muscle-bound antihero debuted in the bimonthly series The Incredible Hulk...
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman, American comic book heroine created for DC Comics by psychologist William Moulton Marston (under the pseudonym Charles Moulton) and artist Harry G. Peter. Wonder Woman first appeared in a...
Iron Man
Iron Man, American comic book superhero, a mainstay of Marvel Comics, who first appeared in 1963 in Tales of Suspense no. 39. His creation is officially credited to four people: writer and editor Stan...
DC Comics
DC Comics, American media and entertainment company whose iconic comic-based properties represented some of the most enduring and recognizable characters in 20th- and 21st-century popular culture. Its...
Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel, American comic strip superhero created by writer Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan for Marvel Comics. The character debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes no. 12 in December 1967. The role of Captain...
Batman
Batman, American comic strip superhero created for DC Comics by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. Batman debuted in May 1939 in Detective Comics no. 27 and has since appeared in numerous comic books,...