10 New Comic Book Characters Who Didn’t Take Off 

It is hard to make new superheroes. Superman is a Golden Age superhero and a character that became a blueprint for other creators to follow. The same can be said for Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, and so on. Many superheroes are seen as the archetypes and originals, fair or not, upon which comparisons are made to others. Many new comic book characters who didn’t take off have a hard time getting attention from fickle readers.

Comic book fans usually complain if the status quo for a popular character never changes, like Spider-Man or Superman, for example. Then they complain if publishers change them. Then, the same fans will reject or hardly check out new characters because they are so loyal to older characters.

Here is a list of 10 characters who didn’t take off with new readers.

1. Spider-Boy

Spider-Boy is the current poster child of characters who didn’t take off. Bailey Briggs is a 10-year-old boy who was transformed into a human-spider hybrid due to a villain experimenting on him. Spider-Boy has a low-level spider-sense, can stick to walls, and can even transform into a spider-like being with six eyes and fangs. 

Spider-Boy has a paralyzing venom and can stick to walls, but doesn’t have organic webbing. The character made his debut in Spider-Man #7 in 2023. The character was not a fan-favorite and the character has not been used by Marvel since 2024.

Spider-Boy Vol. 1: The Web-Less Wonder is a 136-page paperback that collects all four issues of the character’s short-lived series. Buy it now at Amazon for $17.99.

2. Damage

Damage is another one of those characters who didn’t take off for very obvious reasons. In 2018, DC Comics was promoting its “New Age of Heroes” initiative. Damage, an Incredible Hulk analog character, was part of this initiative.

Ethan Avery volunteers for a secret government program to gain superpowers. He gains the ability to become a powerful, uncontrollable monster for one hour every day. The character would go on to fight the Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman, but Damage never became popular with fans. 

Damage Vol. 1: Out of Control is a 144-page paperback that collects the first six issues of the series. Writer Robert Venditti and artist Tony Daniel did outstanding work on the series, but it never found an audience. Buy it now for $8.78 on Amazon.

3. The Terrifics

I did enjoy this series, but The Terrifics were also characters who didn’t take off with fans. It was about a group of superheroes who would investigate the unknown. The leader was Mr. Terrific, the third-smartest man in the world. The team also features Metamorpho, Plastic Man, and Phantom. 

While the series features writing from fan-favorite Jeff Lemire and had good initial buzz, fans did not connect to it. Also, the Terrifics were more notable for being a clone of the Fantastic Four than for developing their own identity.

The Terrifics: The Complete Collection is a 760-page paperback that collects the entire 30-issue series. This series had the potential to become big, and I highly recommend that you buy it. Get it now at Amazon for $47.

4. The Immortal Men

Klarn Arg is an old character known as Immortal Man. The character made his debut way back in 1965 in Strange Adventures #177. Arg is an ancient human who found a powerful meteorite and became immortal. He is a hero in the same way Vandal Savage is a villain and has the same powers. However, while even some casuals might know of Vandal Savage, most have never heard of Klarn Arg.

DC Comics would revamp the Immortal Man concept in 2018 during its New Age of Heroes push. The Immortal Men is about a group of immortal beings fighting another society of immortal beings in an “Eternal War.” Written by James Tynion IV and featuring great art, the series would only last six issues. 

The Immortal Men: The End of Forever is a 144-page paperback that collects all six issues. Buy it now for $9.58 at Amazon.

5. U.S. 1

Ulysses Solomon Arche is a young truck driver. He suffered a traumatic brain injury during an accident. A metal plate is surgically grafted to his skull. Now, Arche can control radio frequencies with his mind. He now fights crime on the highways as U.S. 1, the superhero trucker.

Marvel would publish 12 issues of this series in 1983 based on a Tyco Toys license. Needless to say, the character was never a hit, and Marvel wants you to forget this character.

6. Thunderstrike

Eric Masterson was a supporting character in the Thor comics in the late 1988s and the early 1990s. Masterson is an architect and a close ally of Thor. For a short time, Odin would merge Thor and Eric personas, and Masterson was Thor’s human alter ego for a while. After the two were separated, Masterson would become the hammer-wielding hero Thunderstrike. 

Odin gave Masterson an enchanted hammer with the name Thunderstrike. Masterson had a long ponytail and wore a vest, but was essentially a Thor clone. The character had a 1993 solo series for two years but never became a fan-favorite.

7. Nightmask

Nightmask was a forward-thinking and trippy superhero comic that was ahead of its time. Keith Remsen discovers that he has the ability to enter other people’s dreams. Remsen uses his powers to help people with mental problems. Fan-favorite creator Archie Goodwin would create the character and helm the series for Marvel for 12 issues. Nightmask was one of those characters who didn’t take off, even with an interesting concept. 

Nightmask: New Universe is a 386-page paperback that collects the entire series and several tie-in issues. Buy it now at Amazon for only $27.65.

8. The Curse of Brimstone

I am a comic book reviewer, and I am ashamed to admit that I have never heard of this character. Joe Chamberlain is the third character in DC Comics to use the name Brimestone, but almost no one bought the 2018 reinvention of the character. The Curse of Brimstone is about Joe, a resident of a small dying town with no economic prospects.

Chamberlain meets a traveling salesman who promises to revitalize the town. However, the salesman is a demon who turns Chamberlain into a fire monster known as Brimstone. After he disappears, Brimstone learns he must find the Saleman and stop him, or everyone in his hometown will die. 

Although the occult themes of the story were gripping, the series never found traction with readers. The Curse of Brimstone is a 137-page paperback that collects the first six issues of the series. Get it for $9.99 now at Amazon.

9. Star Brand

In 1986, Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter would help launch a new Marvel imprint known as New Universe. The character world in the imprint would lapse in real-time, not in traditional comic book time. These characters would include Nightmask. D.P.7 and Star Brand, amongst others. 

Ken Connell gains God-like powers after receiving the Star Brand, a tattoo-like object of power. Connell would struggle with his humanity and choices on how to use his new powers while attracting new enemies. The series would last for 19 issues. Star Brand is basically a blatant ripoff of Green Lantern and never found its own audience. 

Star Brand: New Universe Vol. 1 is a 320-page paperback. It collects the first 10 issues of the series and some tie-in issues. Buy it now for $19 at Amazon. 

10. The Unexpected 

Paramedic Jennifer Fals dies in the aftermath of the 2018 DC Comics event Dark Knights: Metal. Fals’ father, who works for a tech firm, has a device known as the Conflict Engine implanted in her heart. Fals must get into a violent fight once every 24 hours to power the Conflict Engine, or she will die.

The series had an interesting premise, but a complicated premise, and too many characters. It would only last eight issues. 

The Unexpected: Call of the Unknown is a 173-page paperback that collects all eight issues. Buy it now for $8.98 at Amazon.

Comic Book Characters Who Didn’t Take Off

Comic book publishers create new characters all the time. Sometimes the new characters are not interesting. However, comic book fans are also stubborn and sometimes don’t know what they want. As I said before, the same comic book fans who want Peter Parker to evolve as a character will riot if Marvel tries to change him. They then also complain because the character never changes. 

My advice: always be open to new comic book characters and new ideas. Otherwise, publishers have no incentive to create new characters.

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