Lesser Known Facts About Superheroes

December 21, 2023 | Miles Brucker

Lesser Known Facts About Superheroes


Kraak! Kapow! Ka-Thaak! Superheroes are appearing rapidly, rivaling the speed of a rapidly fired projectile, whether in print, TV, or movies. Over the decades we have seen some pretty amazing storylines, while others have made us go “Oh, come on, seriously?!” This list highlights the latter, as well as some other superheroes you mat not have heard of.
As we wait for Stan Lee’s next cameo, here are 42 lesser known facts about superheroes.


Superheroes Facts

42. Grey Hulk

Originally, Stan Lee wanted to make the Hulk grey, but due to issues with printing, they moved forward with the iconic green. Hulk in grey would just look sickly. “Hulk under the weather, Hulk need vitamin D!”

Superheroes Split Gallery

41. Super Bald Man

Superman’s first appearance was as a bald supervillain, bent on conquering the world. This was changed once Jerry Siegel realized there was way more potential to the character. Bald would have been great. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s George Costanza man!”

Wildest Concerts In History FactsPxHere

40.Third Reich vs. Joker

In the DC/Marvel special featuring Batman and Captain America, Joker obtains an atomic weapon for Red Skull, yet switches his stance upon discovering Red Skull's association with a notorious global movement during WWII. "I might be a lawbreaker with madness, but I'm an American lawbreaker with madness," quipped Joker. Even Joker has his limits.

Quiz: Heath LedgerFlickr

39. Batman Be Smart

Bruce Wayne has an IQ of 192, beating out both Stephen Hawking (160) and Albert Einstein (160). Maybe Batman should start working on Bat-strophysics.

Quiz: The Dark KnightGetty Images

38. ‘S’ on the Chest

Superman’s shield is his family’s crest, known as the insignia for the house of El. The resemblance to the letter ‘S’ is said to be a coincidence.

Nicolas Cage factsPixabay

37. Joker who is no longer alive

Joker was originally scheduled to meet his demise in his second appearance but Whitney Ellsworth, the editor, intervened. Ellsworth saw the potential for him to become the perfect adversary for Batman. Joker went on to appear in 9 of Batman’s first 12 issues.

Jack Nicholson factsFlickr JasonChamberlain

36. School of Batman

There is a course at the University of Victoria, called Science of Batman, where students can study the Dark Knight. They can also learn exactly how they’re wasting their parents money.

Guns N’ Roses FactsShutterstock

35. Super Heartbeat

Superman has complete control over his heart allowing him to stop it from beating, or make it beat louder. Superman can also hear all the heartbeats on the planet. Except for my cold, dark one.

Brandon Routh Unveils Superman Wax Figure At Madame Tussauds.Getty Images

34. Dogwelder

Adding to the roster of odd superheroes is Dogwelder, made by DC, showcasing a bizarre and unique capacity to weld lifeless K9s onto wrong-doers. This is also PETA’s favourite superhero.

Win on Jeopardy quizShutterstock

33. Harley Quinn Story

Harley Quinn’s origin story came after her TV debut in the Batman animated series. She is one of the only characters to first appear on the TV rather than in print.

Screenshot: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) wearing red shirt is looking at side - from Suicide Squad (2016)DC Entertainment, Squad (2016)

32. Gambit Charm

One of Gambit’s superpowers is possessing a hypnotic charm that he uses to influence pretty much anybody he wants. I use my charm to clear a room.

Matt Damon factsShutterstock

31. Thor’s Tongue

One of Thor’s powers is “All-Tongue”, the ability to speak and have anybody understand him. That would be very useful when trying to get out of a parking ticket in Romania.

Greek GodsFlickr

30. Green Lama

There was a superhero called Green Lama, who was a practicing Buddhist. This is everything we could gather about him. He follows Buddhism and works to combat unlawful activities.

Allen Ginsberg factsMax Pixel

29. Peter Baaahhhhrker

In the What if? Marvel comic series, Peter Parker was bitten by radioactive sheep, turning him into Sheep-Boy. With great powers come great sweater making responsibilities.

Superheroes FactsPx Here

28. Spock vs. Wolverine

At one point Spock from Star Trek dukes it out with Wolverine. In case you were wondering, Spock wins which is absolutely absurd. Wolverine would absolutely destroy that pointy eared space man.

star trek factscomicbook

27. Mr. Immortal

Maybe a lesser known superhero, Mr. Immortal is a part of Marvel's Homo Sapiens Supreme, an advanced superhero with the ability to live forever. He, in fact, tries to end his own life multiple times in the comic book, only to return to existence. Super power? or curse?

Cab Drivers Share Experience factsGetty Images

26. World’s First

Apocalypse is one the the world’s first mutants, tracing his origins to Ancient Egypt, where he was adopted by Baal, the leader of a nomadic tribe. Maybe Apocalypse can prove who built the pyramids. Maybe it was him.

Superheroes FactsFlickr

25. Dr. Doom Not a Villain

Stan Lee wanted to clear up Dr. Doom’s rep, saying that he is actually not a villain. All he desires is to govern the globe, which isn't technically against the law. "You could approach a policeman, and you could express, 'Excuse me, officer, I have a declaration: I wish to rule the world.' He can't apprehend you; it's not against the law to wish to rule the world." I guess he has a point?

Superheroes FactsFlickr

24. Dr. Love

Dr. Doom murders his childhood love Valeria in order to attain more powers from demons. That’s pretty cold blooded, and also clearly counters Stan Lee’s point about not being a villain. One step forward, two steps back.

Edward IV FactsGetty Images

23. Daredevil Hears Heartbeats.

Daredevil can hear people talking through a soundproof wall, and can recognize a heartbeat from 20 feet away. He can also tell if someone is lying based on changes to their heartbeat. I’m sure a drum session might mess things up.

Superheroes FactsPexels

22. Daredevil Deceptively Staged His Demise

In the Fall From Grace storylines from the 90s, Daredevil stages his own demise when his identity is exposed. He comes clean to his love after a few issues, proving that we can never really escape from our our reality.

Calamity Jane factsGetty Images

21. Iron Man Suits

There are over 50 Iron Man suits, some designed to go to the depths of the oceans, others to take on the avengers, with one having a backup of Tony Stark’s mind, allowing it to function in the event Tony Stark is rendered incapacitated. I normally borrow my suits from my older cousin.

Superheroes FactsFlickr

20. Roller Skating Iron Man

In the early editions of Iron Man, Tony Stark’s boots would turn into roller skates. One serving of justice, with a side of small fries and a milkshake!

Superheroes FactsPxHere

19. Stick-to-Wall-Man

Stan Lee created Spider-Man after watching a fly on the wall, and realized he needed a hero that could stick to surfaces. He thought of a number of names including “Mosquito-Man”, and “Insect-Man”, until he realized those were lame.

Thor factsFlickr

18. Worst Character Ever

Bouncing Boy was a real character, and a real superhero. He was a sizable man, capable of enlarging his stature even further, then utilising this formidable size to neutralize enemies or anyone posing threats to innocent bystanders.

Arya Stark quizPixabay

17. Brainiac

The word brainiac comes from the 1950s Superman villain of the same name, and was quickly brought into modern day vernacular. Especially in schools where I heard, “You did your homework again, brainiac?!” Yes, Yes I did.

Superheroes FactsFlickr

16. Nightcrawler Teleport

Nightcrawler teleports by entering the brimstone dimension, and then returning to our dimension. He can only travel about 3km before he becomes very fatigued. In one extreme instance he traveled 80km. This may not be the perfect for of teleportation but it certainly makes getting out of family dinners very easy.

Superheroes FactsFlickr

15. Superman Rated X

Superman once fell under the manipulative control of a villain named Sleez, who persuaded him to film an intimate video with Barda, the wife of Mr. Miracle!

Lawyers Share “I Rest My Case” FactsShutterstock

14. Live Like Batman

Former comic book editor Darren Hick, ran the numbers and figured it would cost someone $600 million to be Batman. That includes the Batcave, armaments, and computer technology. The only thing that came for free was Bruce Wayne’s brooding depression.

batmanPixabay

13. Constantine’s Sting

John Constantine was conceived by Alan Moore, as Steve Bissette and John Totleben admired the band where Sting was a member, and desired for a character mirroring Sting's appearance. Every little thing they do is magic!

Sting wearing grey shirt is talking and looking at side - 2005ArtMediaFactory , Shutterstock

12. Lie Detecting Lasso

Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston, did a lot of work that contributed to the real life polygraph test, demonstrating a relationship between raised blood pressure and telling lies. Possible connection with Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth? For sure.

Batman Films FactsFlickr

11. Spidey Time

Peter Parker is so smart that he actually built a time machine using a VCR, Microwave and Blender. Oh yeah? Well I once fixed my Xbox by hitting it really hard.

Superheroes FactsMax Pixel

10. Superman Kills Lois Lane

In the Injustice storyline, Joker deceives Superman into causing Lois Lane's demise by flying her to outer space. She succumbs in his embrace, which subsequently triggers a nuclear explosion that devastates Metropolis. I thought I had a bad day.

Superman & Lois Lane in black'n white.Getty Images

9. Lantern of Love

The Green Lantern and Wonder Woman were intended to form a romantic relationship, but after a reader's letter suggested it, it was canceled due to reasons related to compliance. Also maybe because Wonder Woman is out of his league!

Unromantic Moments factsPixabay

8. United Joker

The Joker once served as the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations.

Jack Nicholson factsGetty Images

7. Super Insane in the Membrane

Joker suffers from something called, “Super Sanity”, which means he realizes his absurd place in the stories he is a part of. He understands the important bond he has with Batman, and also breaks the fourth wall, talking to the reader.

Quiz: The Dark KnightFlickr

6. My Only Friend, The End

Winning the title of the most depressing comic is probably Hulk: The End. Hulk survives a nuclear holocaust and is left alone walking the uninhabited earth forever. Sweet dreams!

The Incredible Hulk FactsPixabay

5. Thor Scores

Ever wonder if Thor hits harder than superman? Well we can’t confirm with 100% certainty, but he did hit Gorr so hard it created a black hole. I guess that’s hard.

Madame Tussaud’s Waxwork Museum, Chris Hemsworth as Thor - 2018RichartPhotos, Shutterstock

4. The Jewel of Gotham

Writer Bill Finger was thinking of a name for the fictional city (not wanting to go with New York) and while flipping through the phonebook came across the name, ‘Gotham Jewelers.’ The name stuck and was Batman’s home ever since.

Quiz: The Dark KnightBlickr

3.Be Free from Restriction

In the earlier comics, Wonder Woman's weakness was restraint - if she was tied up, she couldn't get free. That all changed a bit as time moved on and we realized that that’s a bit weird. Unsurprisingly, Marston himself was attracted to practices of restraint, stating "The secret allure of women is that they enjoy submission -- being tied up." Yeah we’re just gonna move on, here.

Comic booksFlickr

2. Fabulous Superman

There are a number of different types of Kryptonite, including Pink Kryptonite, which shifts Superman's romantic preferences. It only appeared in one comic but proved that even Kal-El wasn’t immune to stereotypes.

Superheroes FactsShutterstock

1. Batman Wins

Although Superman might be the most well known DC Superhero, Batman has made the most appearances in comics, totalling 6,250.

The Dark Knight FactsShutterstock

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, Reddit, 18, 19, 20, , 22, , 24, 25, 26


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