History Main / Superhero

* ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20150104164648/www.animevice.com/prince-of-gamma/18-31482/ Prince of Gamma]]'' - Japan's second major superhero, debuting in early 1930s [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamishibai Kamishibai]] paper theater. An intergalactic alien prince orphaned on Earth, he lives in UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} in the guise of an [[SecretIdentity alter-ego]], a poor street urchin. When danger calls, he becomes a [[TheCape caped]] superhero with [[StockSuperpowers Powers]] such as {{Flight}} and SuperStrength to fight threats to Japan. His [[SuperheroOrigin Origin Story]] resembles the origin stories of later superheroes like Franchise/{{Superman}} and [[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Goku]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}}''

[[TropeMaker The original]] modern superheroes are arguably Nyctalope (first debuted 1911), Anime/GoldenBat (first debuted 1930), [[https://web.archive.org/web/20150104164648/www.animevice.com/prince-of-gamma/18-31482/ Prince of Gamma]] (debuted early 1930s), and Radio/TheShadow (first published April 1, 1931 in ''The Shadow Magazine'', years before ''Action Comics'' #1 introduced Franchise/{{Superman}}). Nyctalope was a {{cyborg}} with built in night vision. Golden Bat was the first illustrated superhero, and the first with all the FlyingBrick ingredients of the modern superhero: StockSuperpowers such as SuperStrength and SuperSpeed, {{Flight}}, TheCape, XRayVision, BatSignal. Prince of Gamma had superpowers, a SecretIdentity, and an [[SuperheroOrigin origin story]] resembling Superman and [[Characters/DragonBallSonGoku Goku]]. Though The Shadow did not initially have have super powers other than being a master hypnotist, he gains psychic abilities beginning in 1937 that let him induce [[http://www.bmoviecomic.com/index.php?cid=53 psychological]] [[http://www.bmoviecomic.com/index.php?cid=54 invisibility]] in the radio series. He was inspired by previous fictional adventurers and crime fighters, such as Literature/TheScarletPimpernel or Franchise/{{Zorro}} (who may be the UrExample). In turn, he has inspired many future superheroes, most notably Batman who was a blatant {{Expy}} at first before becoming the character we recognize today.

* ''ComicBook/{{Black And White|ImageComics}}''

* ''ComicBook/{{BlackAndWhite|ImageComics}}''

* ''ComicBook/{{BlackAndWhite|ImageComics}}

** ''[[Series/{{Arrow}} Green Arrow (2012)]]''
** ''Series/TheFlash2014''
** ''[[Series/LegendsOfTomorrow DC's Legends Of Tomorrow (2016)]]''
** ''Series/Supergirl2015''
** ''Series/Batwoman2019''
** ''[[Series/SupermanAndLois Superman and Lois (2021)]]''

* ''ComicBook/{{Oracle}}

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
** ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''

* ''ComicBook/{{Aqualad}}