Image Comics emerged in the early 1990s, quickly becoming a dominant force in the industry. Founded by seven former Marvel artists, seeking fair compensation and total control of their creations, Image Comics’ early years were steeped in the superhero genre. The company has largely moved away from superheroes and pivoted towards a more diverse array of titles. However, Image still publishes superhero titles such as Spawn and Savage Dragon. Here are the top 10 superhero debuts at Image Comics, ranked.
10 Prophet
First appeared: Youngblood #2, created by Rob Liefeld.
Rob Liefeld initially envisioned Prophet as an X-Force character, but opted to save him for his creator-owned work instead. Prophet was Image Comics’ riff on the super-soldier concept: John Prophet underwent an experimental procedure during World War II, and like Captain America, spent many years in suspended animation. He awoke in the present day, encountering the Youngblood team. Prophet would go on to star in his own book, some of which were illustrated by Stephen Platt. He would also star in a critically-acclaimed reboot in the 2010s, but the 1990s Image version of Prophet remains a fan favorite.
9 Zealot
First appeared: WildCATS #1, created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee
Image Comics in the 1990s consisted of a handful of studios, Jim Lee’s Wildstorm prime among them. Its flagship title, WildCATS, introduced a slew of characters who would go on to have a major impact on not only Image, but DC as well. Zealot was one of them, a Wonder Woman pastiche who would go on to become a compelling character in her own right. A member of the Coda sisterhood, Zealot has dispensed brutal justice for thousands of years. Jim Lee sold Wildstorm to DC Comics in the late 1990s, and Zealot was eventually incorporated into their universe, where she is currently a member of the Birds of Prey.
8 Grifter
First appeared: WildCATS #1, created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee
Cole Cash, AKA Grifter, is a fan favorite character who, like Zealot, originated with Jim Lee’s Wildstorm imprint. A member of the Wildcats team, Grifter possesses fantastic psychic powers as well as a healing factor. Portrayed as the team’s maverick, Grifter, in addition to his powers, is also proficient in weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Now a part of the DC Universe, Grifter could have just been another “extreme” 1990s hero, but he has had considerable character growth since his introduction. Grifter was last seen in the pages of the latest incarnation of WildCATS, meaning Cole Cash has come home.
7 Gen 13
First Appearance: Deathmate Black, created by Brandon Choi, Jim Lee and J. Scott Campbell
Another great group to spring from Jim Lee’s Wildstorm imprint, Gen 13 became synonymous with Image Comics in the 1990s. While Gen 13 #1 was a huge book upon its release in 1994, with several variant covers that would become iconic, the group actually debuted several months prior in Deathmate Black, part of a crossover with Valiant Comics. Gen 13 brought teenage superheroes to the Image Comics universe, and fans responded enthusiastically. Gen 13 also launched the career of J. Scott Campbell, who would become one of the biggest artists of the latter half of the 1990s.
6 Stormwatch
First Appearance: Stormwatch #1, created by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi and Scott Clark
While WildCATS may have been one of Image Comics’ biggest books of the 1990s, Stormwatch, also from Jim Lee’s Wildstorm imprint, was not to be outdone. Debuting roughly a year after WildCATS, Stormwatch was a United Nations-sanctioned superhero team led by Battalion. Under the direction of the Weatherman Henry Bendix, Stormwatch took a more proactive stance than other teams in the Image Universe. This tough as nails approach would become a hallmark of the team, even after its metamorphosis into the Authority at the end of the decade. A new incarnation of the team, under the leadership of Director Bones, was last seen in Batman: Brave and the Bold.
5 Angela
First Appearance: Spawn #9, created by Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane
Of all the superheroes who debuted at Image Comics in the 1990s, none have had a more tangled history than the Spawn-hunting Angela. Angela, created to be a Spawn villain, became popular with fans, even getting her own mini-series. Gaiman and McFarlane engaged in a lengthy legal battle over who created Angela, keeping the character in limbo for a while. The case was eventually settled and Gaiman sold the rights to the character to Marvel in 2013, who promptly incorporated her into its fictional universe. Angela made a lasting impression on Image Comics fans in the 1990s, which may have factored into Marvel’s decision to acquire the character.
4 Spawn
First Appearance: Spawn #1, created by Todd McFarlane
Spawn, the flagship Image superhero of the 1990s, has become synonymous with the company. One of the first Image books to arrive in shops, Spawn #1 was an immediate bestseller, introducing the world to Spawn, the Violator, Angela and many other unforgettable characters. While many other Image superhero titles from the 1990s have fallen by the wayside or left the company altogether, Spawn remains steadfast, having set the record for the longest running North American comic book. Spawn is one of the few Image heroes of the 1990s who made the leap to other media, both in a cartoon and a live-action film.
3 Apollo
First Appearance: Stormwatch (Volume 2) #4, created by Warren Elllis and Bryan Hitch
Superman pastiche Apollo was one of the last Image Comics superhero debuts of the 1990s. Created for the second volume of Stormwatch, Apollo premiered shortly before Jim Lee sold the Wildstorm imprint to DC Comics. One of Image’s most powerful heroes, Apollo, joined Stormwatch, staying with the team during their transition to becoming the Authority, bringing in some much-needed muscle. While Apollo was far from the first openly gay character in comics, he, along with his husband Midnighter, were perhaps the most impactful. Apollo paved the way for more positive representation of LGBTQIA+ characters in comics.
2 Youngblood
First Appearance: Youngblood #1, created by Rob Liefeld.
Youngblood was the first offering from Image Comics in the 1990s, and it set the tone for the many superhero books that would follow. Loud and brash, much like Image’s founders, Youngblood was well received by fans if not critics. Delays plagued Youngblood (as well as other Image titles) but this did not deter issues from flying off shelves. The brainchild of Rob Liefeld, Youngblood began life as a Teen Titans proposal that failed to materialize. Undaunted, Liefeld worked concepts from Titans into Youngblood and in the process created one of the most memorable Image Comics superhero debuts of the 1990s.
1 Midnighter
First Appearance: Stormwatch (Volume 2) #4, created by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch
Brutal and uncompromising, Midnighter is the greatest Image Comics superhero debut of the 1990s. Midnighter, a Batman pastiche, is married to Apollo, creating an inversion of the Superman/Batman dynamic. When Midnighter first appeared in early 1998, there was no other hero like him in comics. There had been other gay characters in comics, but Midnighter, with his emphasis on dispensing violent justice to criminals, broke the mold. Audiences around the world will meet Midnighter later this decade, as the Authority makes the leap to live-action in James Gunn’s DCU.
Although Image Comics is better known today for horror titles such as The Walking Dead or science fiction comics such as Saga, the characters in this list laid the company’s foundation.
