#45- Eric Masters As Thor/Thunderstrike- For a brief time, Thor was trapped in some hidden place, savable only by the Grim Gauntlet, a challenge that no Asgardian had ever bested. During that time, the powers of Thor, along with his hammer Mjolnir, were wielded by a mere mortal: the human Eric Masters. Eric was a man torn between two worlds. He had women problems in his human life, and goddess problems in his life as Thor. He was a good man, but a man who had a hard time navigating the massive powers focused into his hand. Eventually, it was Masters who overcame the Gauntlet Thor's others friends could not, and freed the Asgardian from a prison that turned out to exist within Eric's own very noble soul. Afterwards Eric continued to fight evil using another Asgardian weapon, Thunderstrike. I enjoyed the adventures I read with Eric, and most of my Thor-collecting took place during his tenure. Thor has always seemed to aloof, too free from internal struggle. Eric humanized the character, quite literally, and I hope some day they make room for him in the film Marvel universe that has so successfully portrayed his Asgardian patron. In the end it is the relationship between the two men that really made those comics so interesting. Thor stands in awe of Eric, one of the only humans who was noble enough to wield his power, almost as much as Eric stands in awe of Thor.
#44- Chomsky From MINIATURE JESUS- I struggled with the question of whether Chomsky belonged on this list, because I'm not sure he counts as a superhero. But there can be no doubt that, ultimately, this is the role he played in the book. He's larger than life, especially after he embraces the reality of what he's fighting (at first he thinks the monsters he sees are all in his head). This is a recent addition to my comic book experience, but it is among the best. Miniature Jesus is, in my opinion, the best comic book of 2013. The reasons to love this character and this book are too many to go into here, and I've already addressed them several times elsewhere. But ultimately what make Chomsky a hero for me is the fight that he undertakes against his alcoholism. Sometimes the toughest battles we face are against the demons in our own hearts, and it takes a superheroism to face those. This book only made that fact visually accessible.
#43- The Eradicator- The Eradicator began as a villainous being... he was an artificial Kryptonian intelligence that tried to take control of Superman in order to recreate Krypton. Later this being created an energy form that allowed him to enter the world of true supervillainy. But after Superman died, the Eradicator changed his tune. Using Superman's DNA as a foundation, he formed for himself a biological vessel, and became in many ways something of a brother to the Man of Steel. He saved him from the radical wounds he suffered at the hands of Doomsday and went on to do good as a member of the Outsiders. I loved this character just because I loved the fact that Superman had something of a brother, and that the relationship between the two was so complicated. I saw something of my own sibling struggles in that.
#42- Zatanna- Zatanna's powers always struck me as a little dumb. She says something backwards and it happens. Yet over time, I've come to really respect the character as someone who is trying to do good. She's like the ultimate sidekick, often helping more prominent characters achieve difficult tasks while being relegated to a second-tier status herself. That is ironic because her powers rival even the mightiest beings in the DC universe. It is the very fact that she doesn't revel in this that makes her a remarkable character. The creation of a romantic relationship with Constantine in the recent JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK comics has been interesting, too.
#41- The Flash (Barry Allen)- I have never collected many FLASH comics, but I became a fan of the character, specifically Barry Allen, after watching the television show, which I think really holds up. It was a good show and it shouldn't have been cancelled. More recently, I've become more engrossed in the antics of Barry in the JUSTICE LEAGUE comics. The Flash's powers are what really make him interesting. He has a scientifically-based connection to a mystical power source, the Speed Force. This allows him to move at unbelievable speeds, to bend time, walk through walls, and more. But Flash never held my attention like Superman and Batman did, so that is why he's not higher on the list despite being a character more famous than some of my other higher-ups. Particularly of interest should be that I have his predecessor Jay Garrick higher up on this list. But I've come to love the JSA and Garrick's character there and in the new EARTH 2 comic book just seem more interesting. Some would consider this blasphemy, but it is the way I truly feel.
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