One thing I really love about superhero comics is the idea of legacy heroes. I love the idea of heroism being an enduring thing that lives on through several people. I love the idea of heroes inspiring each other and living on forever in their successor’s hearts.
I think it also works from a storytelling perspective too. It gives a sense of the passage of time and breathes new life into an long-running hero. It also truly expresses that anyone could be this hero- their background doesn’t matter, anyone who has the drive can become the Flash or Green Lantern or whatever. And isn’t that what makes superheroes so enduring? The idea that we, regardless of who we are or where we come from, could become the heroes we see on the page?
And perhaps the best part is that legacy heroes have given us a lot of great characters. Some of my favorite heroes period happen to be legacy heroes. Below is a list of just a few of them. Of course, these are just my favorites. Who are yours? Say it in the comments!
Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan (Mantle taken up from Carol Danvers)
Few heroes, legacy ones or otherwise, have been as enthusiastically embraced as Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel was by fandom. It’s completely easy to see why- Kamala Khan is what a lot of fans are. She’s a major superhero geekgirl who idolized the heroes around her to the point of writing fanfiction and all that. Her story is a great one too- when she first became a hero, she shapeshifted into Carol Danvers because she felt uncomfortable being herself. But she learned that she could be a hero as herself and made the hero identity of Ms. Marvel her own.
Kamala’s coming-of-age story where she has to navigate the struggles of being a budding hero and the examination of how her cultural and family background intersects with both her everyday and superhero life has made for a memorable character. For many, she is now the first person that comes to mind when they think “Ms. Marvel”.
Jaime Reyes aka the Blue Beetle (Mantle taken up from Ted Kord and Dan Garrett)
The original Blue Beetle comic focusing on Jaime Reyes is still one of my favorite comics of all time. It was big genre shift for the hero, but not the first one. The Blue Beetle legacy started with Dan Garrett, who was best known as an archeologist who got powers from a mystical scarab. Then the mantle was taken over by Ted Kord, a gadgeteer genius who was unable to use the mystical scarab. When Ted died, Jaime, a teenager from El Paso, found the scarab and discovered it was actually an alien weapon when it forcibly bonded to his body.
Jaime’s comic was fun and refreshing in a way that stood out from many others. Jaime was actually honest with his family about his secret identity from the get-go and they did their best to support him, which made for an unusual dynamic. Jaime’s struggle to control the alien weapon that wanted to murder to everything and the slowly growing bond he developed with it was a great story. Most importantly, Jaime himself was a great kid and loveable character. He was a good kid who was struggling a lot and often adorably dorky. His greatest power fantasy was the be a dentist, for goodness sake! And despite the fact he’d never met Ted, he was clearly still in awe of and inspired by him.
These days, Ted and Jaime are both around in DC Rebirth.
Wally West aka the Flash (Mantle taken up from Barry Allen)
After Barry Allen died during the events of Infinite Crisis, Wally West took up the mantle of the Flash. Originally, Wally was Barry’s sidekick, Kid Flash, but he took over the role of Flash so completely that for many kids growing up in the 90s, he was THEIR Flash. Barry’s death was, for the longest time, one of the few in comics that actually meant something as his sacrifice stuck around for a very long time and he continued to inspire and motivate other heroes.
This was why when Barry Allen was first bought back from the dead, there was a lot of grumbling from many fans. These days, Barry is the Flash once more and Wally has been deaged to Kid Flash again, but many still prefer Wally’s Flash over Barry’s.
Robins (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne)
I love Robins. Many people like Batman as an angsty loner, but I like him best when he’s mentoring somebody. Seeing a guy who lost his family build a new family is just heartwarming to me. And there have been a lot of Robins, and they’re all great characters who bring something new to the table.
Dick is a loveable big brother, Jason has a different moral code that clashes with Bruce’s in an interesting way, Tim is a bit more grounded and intellectual, Stephanie bought a scrappy sense of fun as Robin that really should have been explored more, Damian had to struggle to overcome his upbringing- Robins are great, and I love how they form a family.
Batgirls (Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown)
Of course, I love Batgirls just as much as Robins. Female legacies are rarer in comics, but Batgirl is far more Barbara Gordon’s legacy than Bruce Wayne’s. She was the one who mentored both Cassandra and Stephanie as they took on the role and she was the one they looked up to as their predecessor. All of the women in the Batgirl legacy are connected by friendship and love and they’re all a force to be reckoned with. For me, that legacy being erased in current comics is a huge loss. Cassandra Cain was my Batgirl growing up and I loved her story of struggling against her assassin upbringing and I loved how Barbara had found her own role as the effective superhacker Oracle. I wish this legacy of badass Batgirls inspiring each other had continued..
Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye (Mantle taken up from Clint Barton)
When Clint Barton was briefly dead/a ninja/whatever Kate Bishop took up the mantle of Hawkeye. And she did it with STYLE. As a result, there are now two Hawkeyes hanging around and it’s never been better. Kate and Clint’s double Hawkeye team and their bickering, tense, but ultimately loving relationship was one of the best thing about the Matt Fraction's Hawkeye comic.
Black Canary aka Dinah Laurel Lance (Mantle taken up from Dinah Drake Lance)
Again, female legacies are rare in comics, and mother-daughter ones even rarer. Black Canary is not only a rare example of such a legacy, but also a genuinely interesting one. Dinah grew up surrounded by heroes from the Justice Society of America as her uncles and aunts. As a result, she really wanted to take after her mother, but her mother pushed back against it, feeling it was too dangerous. This complicated relationship shaped Dinah's character in a fascinating way.
Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers (Mantle taken up from Mar-Vell, Monica Rambeau etc)
The legacy of Captain Marvel is a great example of how a hero can really make a legacy identity their own. Even though Carol Danvers only recently took up the mantle of Captain Marvel, she’s already strongly associated with the identity. She’s even the one who will be starring in the upcoming Captain Marvel movie- she’ll be the Captain Marvel for this generation and for all non-comics readers.
Miles Morales aka Spider-Man (Mantle taken up from Peter Parker)
Miles Morales took over in Ultimate Spider-Man when Peter Parker met his untimely death. Though there was pushback from those who cried “PC Publicity Stunt”, Miles quickly became a popular character due to the solid storytelling and character development in his series (and his snazzy costume doesn’t hurt either). In fact, Miles' popularity made his one of the few characters who crossed over into the main universe than the ultimate one. As his creator Brian Michael Bendis points out, one of the great things about Spider-Man is that it can be anyone under that full-body masked costume.
Ryan Choi aka The Atom (Mantle taken up from Ray Palmer)
The young professor Ryan Choi filled his mentor Ray Palmer’s shoes as The Ato and his madcap, quirky title instantly gained him a cult following. Ryan’s series had him dealing with floating heads and stupid jetpack Hitlers. Arguably, Ryan’s series made the “science hero” thing a lot more fun that Ray’s adventures did. So a lot of people were pretty miffed when Ryan was randomly killed off, but fortunately he’s been restored to life and is in DC Rebirth.
Renee Montoya aka The Question (Mantle taken up from Vic Sage)
Renee Montoya became the Question after Vic Sage died. Maybe it’s just my weakness for ladies in suits talking, but I loved her take on the mysterious detective-hero. Renee was a police detective, so it seemed a natural role for her. Not to mention, the story where she met Vic and he helped her work through her guilt and despair as he himself was dying was a genuinely touching one.
Vic and his legacy were heavily emotionally tied to Renee and her work as the Question. That story seems to be no longer in continuity unfortunately. Even if Renee doesn’t return to the Question mantle though, I hope we see her in the hero biz again someday.
Terry McGinnis aka Batman (Mantle taken up from Bruce Wayne)
Terry McGinnis’s Batman Beyond series is a favorite among many, for showing a cool cyberpunk future version of Gotham. It also showed that Bruce Wayne’s legacy will never truly die and he’ll continue to inspire the young people around him even in his old age. Terry turning from a former juvenile delinquent to a true hero was a great story, too.