2) V
The third and final Alan Moore creation on our list, we have the vigilante known only as V. The movie of the graphic novel, V For Vendetta has had a huge cultural impact, with V’s mask inspiring hacktivist group Anonymous. However, we shouldn’t forget (just like the 5th of November) the man beneath the mask.
The character is a fascinating one. One the one hand, he is a freedom fighter, the selfless figurehead of a repressed and mistreated population. On the other, he is an ultra-violent terrorist, hell bent on completing his personal vendetta. Similar to Rorschach in a way, he is a madman, but V’s staunch principles make him an honourable soul, even if his methods are extreme and his psyche damaged.
A large part of the movie character’s success is down to Hugo Weaving, who does a fantastic job of making V both virtuous and vengeful just through the vicissitudes of his voice (all right, we’ll stop now).