The Countdown, Part 1!

Basically, this is part one of my countdown of the top ten superheroes, in my opinion. I listed mostly popular superheroes because the popular ones are the best. For all the comic book readers, I'm sorry I didn't reach into all the other comic book companies such as Image, Dark Horse, Devil's Due, etc.. But to please some, I will began my list with honorable mentions. I know my brother is going to disagree with a couple of my choices(but nobody should disagree with my top two).

Honorable Mentions:

Spawn aka Al Simmons - Murdered man makes pact with demon to see his wife again. The movie was surprisingly good.

Punisher aka Francis Castiglione, Frank Castle - After his family is murdered by the mob, Castle becomes a vigilante, fighting against the underworld. Recipient of two horrible movies, one in 1989, one in 2004.

Ghost Rider aka Jonathan "Johnny" Blaze - To save the life of his mentor, Johnny Blaze makes a pact with a demon and becomes the "Spirit of Vengeance". Daniel Ketch sucked, Method Man uses the name as an alias, and the film was surprisingly good.

Jean Grey-Summers - As probably the most powerful mutant in the Marvel universe, Jean Grey has the ability to destroy and create worlds as the Phoenix. Not a reflection on the character, but the three X-Men movies were great(decreasingly).

Captain Marvel aka William Joseph "Billy" Batson - A teenage says "SHAZAM!" and turns into an adult with vast super-strength, speed and stamina, physical and magical invulnerability, flight, fearlessness, vast wisdom and enhanced mental perception, control over and emission of magic lightning and vast untapped magical powers. Captain Marvel is just as strong, or stronger than Superman, with magical powers, one of Superman's weaknesses. He just didn't make my list because the whole "SHAZAM!" thing, the elderly wizard named Shazam, and the "Rock of Eternity", make for a campy storyline.

Now, for the top ten through seven:

10. Captain America aka Steven "Steve" Rogers - Captain America aka Steve Rogers was a sickly young man who was given enhanced strength and reflexes by an experimental serum to aid in the United States war effort against the Nazis. This serum gave him above average human strength, he was a martial arts expert, a field commander, and he had a Vibranium-steel Alloy shield. Captain America fell from a war plane and was frozen in a block of ice and preserved in suspended animation. Captain America became the leader of the Avengers and a symbol of American patriotism. During the uproar of Marvel Comics' superhero registration crisis "Civil War", Captain America, who for the first time opposes the government, is assassinated. I put Captain America on my list because he is an icon in the comic book community. His shield hangs on the wall of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report"(after it was stolen from the funeral home in the comic book, supposedly by Stephen Colbert), he was a symbol for patriotism during World War II, and he led the anti-registration campaign during "Civil War". I never really got into Captain America(not being that patriotic), but I respect the role he played in the Marvel Comics' universe, so he's my #10 superhero. I guess this is a pity selection, Cap being dead and given a crappy film back in 1991.

9. Iron Man aka Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark - Iron Man aka Tony Stark inherited his fathers corporation, Stark Industries, at the age of 21. On a visit to Vietnam or the Gulf War(depending on the story arc), he takes a piece of shrapnel in his heart. To keep himself alive after surgery, he builds a suit of armor. Possessing a genius-level intelligence, he is able to keep himself alive and grant himself super powers. His suit endowed him with Super-strength, the ability to fly and the power to shoot energy blasts from his hands. During the "Civil War" story arc, he is a supporter of the government's superhero-registration act, having revealed his identity years ago(and being rich enough to not give a fuck). I put Iron Man on my list because he's a genius, he built a war machine, and had a black right-hand man(James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes aka War Machine, Terrence Howard in the film). I put him as #9 because I'm very anti-establishment, and Mr. Stark became a weapon for the government during "Civil War". But I have to say that one of my main reason for putting him on my list is because Ghostface Killah uses the same alias(Theodore!!!!!!!!!!!). On a side note, I can't wait to see the Hip-Hop purist's go-to emcee, Ghostface, in the film, next year.

8. Green Lantern aka Guy Gardner / John Stewart - I know this really counts as two superheroes, but fuck it, they share the same superhero name. Before I get into these heroes, let it be known, I rank Guy Gardner above John Stewart. Guy Gardner was a juvenile delinquent, then became a football star at the University of Michigan. He became a social worker and then a teacher. When the Green Lantern of Earth's region was mortally wounded, the ring found Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner as a back-up Lantern. The Green Lantern ring gives it's bearer the ability of flight and limited invulnerability, each ring also gives it's bearer the power to create objects with their will power. Guy Gardner assisted Jordan on several adventures, he went mad, became a renegade Green Lantern, possessed a yellow ring, and helped rebuild the Lantern Corps. I like Guy Gardner because he is an arrogant, violent, unstable, and childish(and an awesome douche bag). Guy Gardner was the greatest Green Lantern because he listened to the Guardians, but did whatever he wanted anyway. I love the way he broke the rules but still got the job done. He wanted a position of power in the Green Lantern Corps, and after various assholish adventures, he gained that position as leader of the Corps on Oa. Now, John Stewart was an architect, selected as a stand-in for Guy Gardner, when Gardner went mad. From the start, John Stewart was the token black Green Lantern. He grew to be a great hero and a popular character. I like John Stewart because he came from being a back-up to a back-up, to being, excuse the term, "the Head Nigga In Charge". He became so popular that he jumped to Earth's Green Lantern, over Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner. I also picked him because he didn't like authority, a trait that I can identify with.

7. Hulk aka Dr. Robert Bruce Banner - If you read comic books then you know the story. Dr. Robert Bruce Banner accidentally gets blasted with Gamma radiation, giving him a few super-powers. The radiation gave him Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability, a regenerative healing factor, the ability to see astral forms, radiation absorption, and a resistance to mind control. Those abilities, added to his superior intellect, makes the Hulk one of the most powerful heroes in comics. In the beginning, Dr. Banner would transform into an unintelligent grey beast, then a stupid green beast, next a well dressed gambling grey giant, and after a psychic blending of all these, a green giant with super intelligence. I love the Hulk because he went to war with the United States Army, fucked up every superhero in the Marvel universe, and recently destroyed Stark Industries searching for the Illuminati. The Hulk is the ultimate anti-hero, next to Wolverine, and he constantly damages major cities, making him my #7 superhero. Yet another recipient of a sub par film, hope the new one will be as good as the Bill Bixby / Lou Ferrigno television series.

Reading is fun to the mental!

Numbers 6-2 coming in a few hours!