10) The Spectre
The DC universe features a bunch of superheroes who returned from the dead to fight crime – the Phantom Stranger, Deadman, Frankenstein, etc. – but the most notable is Jim Corrigan AKA The Spectre. He might not be a major player in on-screen adaptations, but he is one of the original heroes in DC’s pantheon.
Created in 1940 by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, Corrigan was a hard-boiled detective who was killed on the job. His spirit is refused admittance to the afterlife, however, and he’s sent back to Earth as the Spectre – a supernatural force to combat evil.
A founding member of the Justice Society of America, the Spectre’s had his ups and downs over the years – including an embarrassing period in the 40s where he was given a bumbling sidekick named Percival Popp, the Super Cop- but has nonetheless always endured and been a firm fan-favorite.
[zergpaid]9) Zatanna
Originally created as the daughter of Golden Age hero Zatara, Zatanna has gone on to totally eclipse her father in terms of popularity and longevity. Whether this has anything to do with the fact that she’s usually dressed in fishnet stockings, we don’t know.
There’s a whole lot more to Zatanna than her sex appeal, though. Originating in 1964 from the minds of Gardner Fox and Muphy Anderson, Zatanna is a stage magician – hence the gaudy outfit – who’s secretly a powerful sorceress. Traditionally, she’s a fully-fledged member of the Justice League, although The New 52 placed her in Justice League Dark and Camilla Luddington voices the character in the aforementioned movie.
Though she’s yet to make her big-screen debut, Zatanna is also a favourite of DC’s TV shows – with appearances in Smallville, Batman: The Animated Series and Young Justice. A role in The CW’s Arrowverse can’t be far off, then, right?
