There’s this phrase that gets occasionally uttered when you discuss comic book characters, “They’re like Harley Quinn”. Meaning they debuted outside of the comics and somehow weaselled their way into the “main canon” of the comics. But she’s not alone in this in fact I’d argue she’s not even the best example, so I’ve compiled this list of 10 such examples ranking from least important to most important characters who debuted outside of the comics (and of course some trivia about these marvel and DC characters along the way).
10. HERBIE
I wasn’t kidding about my earliest entries being obscure (I promise more well known characters are coming later). But HERBIE debuted in the 2nd Fantastic Four cartoon as a replacement for the Human Torch, now there are 2 stories as to why Johnny Storm was not in this series one was that TV censors thought he would encourage kids to douse themselves in petrol and set themselves alight the other the less bizarre rights hold ups on the Human torch.
HERBIE does sporadically appear in Fantastic Four comics either as Franklin’s Robo-Nanny or as Reed Richards floating robot multi-tool and either way Dan Slott if you’re reading this (or the writer of F4 after him, I don't know who you are I can't see the future) use HERBIE more look at how cute the little robot is.
9. The Wonder Twins
Form of a walking punchline!! Of course DC didn’t really create these 2 and their monkey. But somehow over all the other ethnically diverse characters added to the Super Friends cartoon, they made the leap while; Apache Chief, Samurai, El Dorado and Black Vulcan (who probably didn’t make the leap due to DC having the very similar character of Black Lightning). The Super Friends creative teams also designed Cyborg but due to production delays he was fairly established as a Teen Titan by the time Super Friends made it to air (the Super Friends version is also voiced by GhostBusters Ernie Hudson). Super Friends also popularised Firestorm after his 5 issue mini-series was cancelled as well as defining what his powers are (even if his weakness to organic materials is vague and inconsistent).
8. Firestar
Debuting in Spider-man and His Amazing Friends, purely because Marvel didn’t want to give Mary Jane Super powers or have her know Spider-man’s secret identity, Marvel’s animation (Marvel in the 80’s where an animation studio, their other projects include GI Joe and the Muppet Babies) added a girl who looked exactly like her and gave Angelica Jones fire powers and teamed her with Spider-man and Iceman who was currently absent from the X-men.
Firestar after the series end joined the team the New Warriors in the 90’s lead by Nova and full of B-listers.
Spider-man and his Amazing Friends also debuted Aunt May’s dog Ms Lion, who has gone on to be in the Pet Avengers.
7. Spider-Woman
Marvel Animation decided that they needed to make another Spider-man series, but this time make it different, inspired by He-man’s She-Ra they made a Spider-Woman, and the character is popular. Jessica Drew the more popular Spider-Woman. The other spider-woman is the reformed X-men villain Arachne/ Julia Carpenter, both versions have been Avengers but the Jessica Drew one has been in more line ups as well as having a close friendship with Carol Danvers.
Side note Jessica Jones was almost Jessica Drew living a new life.
6. Mr Freeze
This one way actually be a bunch of technicalities because Batman fought an ice themed villain called Mr Zero back in the 1950’s but Batman 66 renamed him to Mr Freeze. Mr Freeze also had no origin story until Batman the Animated series created one for him in the Episode Heart of Ice. So maybe it’s more the Comics didn’t care about Freeze as much as TV did, but I say he counts.
5. X-23
Wolverine but a teenage girl first debut’s in an episode of Wolverine and the X-men as a clone of Wolverine… what more do I have to say?
Now many may point to Morph appearing in X-men The Animated Series but the version in the comics looks nothing like him and only appears in the Exiles while X-23 has become a staple of modern Marvel much to the chagrin of progress hating fans cursing “All New, All Different Marvel”.
4. Barbara Gordon
William Dozier was given 2 choices as of what to do to save Batman from low ratings, his first option was to make a series long arc about the Killer Moth coming to the aid of all of Gotham’s criminals, the second was to take Elvis Presley’s ex girlfriend and dress her in a skin tight purple outfit. He chose the Second.
This entry is specifically Barbara Gordon and not Bat-Girl because there was a previous Bat-Girl introduced in the Silver Age with the simple goal to prove Robin wasn’t gay after The Seduction of the Innocence called Batman and Robin “a pair of Homosexuals living in sin”.
Barbara’s comics debut was rushed into production and features as an in-joke her in her first ever story vanquishing the Killer Moth. But due to this production rush the confusion about Barbara and Jim’s relationship emerged with her in the comics being his daughter and the TV show she’s his niece who just moved to Gotham City.
3. General Zod
Ask somebody who doesn’t casually write Comic Book blogs to name 5 Superman villains and I bet after Lex Luthor they probably said General Zod. Appearing in 2 Live Action Movies Zod is probably the most well known Superman antagonist after Lex. But Zod didn’t debut in the Comics until The Man of Steel (1986) mini-series by John Byrne and Superman killed him by tricking him into opening a box full of Kryptonite. And if that didn’t make it clear Superman 2 was released in 1980.
2. Jimmy Olsen and Perry White
Superman’s boss and the little office boy where both unnamed until the radio series. Sure DC have tried to claim Jimmy Olsen debuted in Action Comics 6, but that’s not Jimmy the character is unnamed and blonde. I’ve also seen claims that Jimmy debuts in the Max Fleischer Superman cartoons but, the paperboy in one of those cartoons proclaims “My Name is Lewis”. So maybe DC would’ve given these 2 the same names if it wasn’t for the radio series but they weren’t the first to name this pair of Daily Planet employees so… they made it on this list.
1. Alfred Pennyworth
Yes, I bet you can’t imagine Batman with his trusted right hand man, but if it weren’t for the original Batman film serial he’d be somebody different. Batman 16 debuted Bruce Wayne’s Butler Alfred Beagle and bumbling overweight oaf who fancied himself a great sleuth but was never told the Bruce and Dick where Batman and Robin. In the same month as Batman 16 theatre’s across the US where projecting the first Batman serial (which was in production before Batman 16 was graphite from Jerry Robinson’s Drawing board) with Alfred Pennyworth Batman and Robin’s trusted confidant and maker of cups of tea.
If it weren’t for adaptations Alfred might be absent from Comics now as the character was killed off in 1964 and replaced with Dick Grayson’s Aunt Harriett who was more like Beagle than Pennyworth. Alfred was revived in comics the next year as the Villainous “Outsider” and then before the 66 TV series debut was performing his old duties as if nothing had happened.
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