Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

Daredevil and Kingpin
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again sent me straight to this new fan-made demo and now I can't believe we haven't had an official game in 22 years
Marvel's Blade's first trailer
Spider Man Upcoming Marvel games, from the new Iron Man game to Marvel's Wolverine
The best Marvel games - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
Spider Man The 10 best Marvel games of all time
Marvel Cosmic Invasion promo art showing various heroes teaming up against Annihilus
Games The spirit of those incredible '90s arcade comic book brawlers lives on in Marvel Cosmic Invasion, a new retro beat-em-up game from the creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra screenshot of Captain America facing off against Black Panther
Action Games Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra – Everything we know so far about the upcoming superhero game
Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Iron Man and the Hulk in the upcoming PS5 game, Marvel Rivals.
Action Games An MCU-like Marvel Gaming Universe was allegedly scrapped since Disney didn't want to deal with its complexities, but it's been revealed by Marvel Rivals' writer
Marvel Rivals Ultron X-Tron MVP pose
Third Person Shooters All Marvel Rivals upcoming characters and leaks
  1. Games
  2. Action

Comic book heroes that deserve AAA games

Features
By Henry Gilbert published 5 November 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

We need a hero!

We need a hero!

Batman and Spider-Man are no doubt the most famous superheroes in the world, starring in some of the most popular films of all time, along with a handful of great games. However, while they've both appeared in titles that worthy of their fame, so many other costumed characters are in desperate need of a game to match their potential. Even a slightly underwhelming Bat-adventure like Batman: Arkham Origins is better than almost every other game starring a hero from Marvel or DC Comics. And were sick of standing by and doing nothing!

Weve collected the heroes that are most deserving of a game thats at least as good as Arkham Origins. Wed even settle for a slightly middling game that fits thematically, like the humorous Deadpool from earlier this year. These guys and gals would translate wonderfully into a digital medium, if only the right publisher would give them a chance.

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four

Hows this for a multiplayer focused game: One character is a super strong rock man, one can shoot fireballs, one can throw invisible force fields, and one can stretch far enough to span the entire screen. That accounts for each member of the Fantastic Four, a sci-fi squad of adventurers that have had worse luck with games than theyve had with movies. But all that could change with one multiplayer-focused, third-person beat-em-up.

The most important thing in an FF game is that each character has a very unique skill set that the stages are built around. Fantastic Four is built on a family dynamic, so the game should always have all four characters on screen, whether theyre controlled via an online buddy or AI. And FFs archenemy, Doctor Doom, is the perfect game adversary, given his love of attacking the team with hundreds of robots before throwing them into death traps.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Aquaman

Aquaman

Think Aquaman sucks? Thats hes useless out of water? That hes a loser who spends all day talking to fish? If you still define Aquaman by his appearance on Super Friends, you clearly havent been reading his comics lately. Aquaman is a badass King of the Oceans that will stab Darkseid in the face, and has risen above being the butt of lame jokes. He somehow became the coolest member of the Justice League, which makes him more than deserving of a game.

The biggest issue with an Aquaman game is that some portion has to take place underwater, and underwater levels are almost always terrible. To cut down on that, we propose that most of the ocean gameplay be kept to a hub area that AM uses to travel to different parts of the world to fight crime. And whether underwater or on dry land, Aquaman needs deep melee controls built around his trident--sort of like Batmans fisticuffs in Arkham, except AM can also call a shark to bite off your head.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

Well admit that Hawkeye was the most boring teammate in The Avengers, but Hawkeye is having a renaissance of sorts in his offbeat comic adventures. In his solo books, Hawkeye is living his life as Clint Barton in stripped-down stories of crime-fighting away from the Avengers. Barton saving the lives of his neighbors from slumlords and douchey Eastern European crime lords might not be as colorful as fighting Loki, but the sparse look makes it stand out in the world of comics. And the same would be true for a video game, if they incorporated muted palette and sketch-like character designs.

Though we dream of a cel-shaded open world game done in that style, its unrealistic to think Marvel would ever spend that much on a Hawkeye game, so lets translate the intentionally flat look to a 2D downloadable action game. Think Mark of the Ninja, only with boomerang arrows. To keep the action varied, how about the occasional detective level starring Clints pet, the lovable Pizza Dog? If done right, Pizza Dog could be better at solving mysteries than Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright combined.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Superman

Superman

This being from another world may be faster than a speeding bullet and can leap tall buildings in a single bound, but hes also the one with the worst luck when it comes to video games. Superman has appeared on systems as early as the Atari, but his adventures were either barely average to the worst games ever made. For a character that just reached his 75th anniversary, its about time he got a good game--but how do you make one for a character thats all but invincible?

Despite all the advancements in gaming hardware, Supermans powers are still too god-like to accurately show in action. EAs Superman Returns had a smart idea by having Supermans health bar represent the well-being of Metropolis, playing up Supes' role as protector and bypassing his indestructibility. The next Superman developer should run with that novel idea for a sandbox game, but find a way to not make it as boring as EA did. Replacing Brandon Routh as Superman would definitely help with that.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Superman may be overdue for a good game, but Wonder Woman is in desperate need of any visibility outside of comics. DC may say that shes part of The Trinity alongside Batman and Superman, but its hard to believe it based on her lack of media appearances beyond her campy 1970s show. Who knows when Princess Diana will get her own film, but a kickass game would remind people why she deserves one.

Given Wonder Womans roots in Greek mythology, God of War is a great inspiration to start with. WW is as strong as Superman and more of a natural-born fighter than Batman, so the brutal combat would fit her like an indestructible bracelet. Wed be willing to bet she can tear off Medusa heads even faster than Kratos can.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Daredevil

Daredevil

As we mentioned before, both Spider-Man and Batman have had great games, proving that street-level heroes work great for action games. So why hasnt Daredevil, the samurai of New York City slums, appeared in one yet? DD swings around The Big Apple just as much as Spidey, but Daredevil is also just as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as Batman. If Marvel really wants to rip off the Arkham games, DDs grittier feel fits better than any of their other heroes.

In fact, Daredevils radioactively heightened senses would make more sense with Batmans Arkham ability. Daredevil could actually sense an attack behind him or find a clue buried in a crime scene; Detective Mode is basically how the blind Daredevil always sees the world. When you really think about it, Batman has starred in the perfect Daredevil games. Its about time Matt Murdock stole them back.

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Hawkgirl

Hawkgirl

Like how Batman flies around a city, beating the crap out of drug dealers and arms merchants? Well, replace the Batarangs and grappling hooks with Nth metal wings and a mace, and you've got Hawkgirl. Yes, we could go with Hawkman as well, but superheroines need more representation in gaming--and Hawkgirl has far more personality than her stuffy male counterpart.

Hawkgirl is usually seen alongside the Justice League, protecting the people of the fake Louisiana city of St. Roch. She isnt as forgiving as Batman when it comes to crime, often beating the crap out of crooks with a large array of weapons that would make for great in-game unlockables. The only real issue holding her back is a forgettable rogues gallery that includes such criminal masterminds as Shadow Chief and Gentleman Ghost. Maybe she could just borrow a few of Batmans bad guys?

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Green Lantern

Green Lantern

GL almost had a good game with the movie tie-in Rise of the Manhunters, and there were some good Green Lantern missions in DC Universe Online. But were not ready to settle when hes so close to greatness. With so many Earth-bound heroes in games, Green Lanterns ideal adventure would embrace his sci-fi roots, with him meeting aliens and battling ancient evils. Hmm, that sounds so familiar

Green Lantern has been an outer space cop before the developers of Mass Effect were even born, so we dont see anything wrong with the ringslinger taking it back. And just like Mass Effects Shepard being whoever you want, your Green Lantern could be any of the 3,000 members from the galaxy-spanning Lantern Corps. And while the scale and setting might fit Mass Effects, the combat could get way crazier, seeing as Green Lanterns ring can create anything he imagines. Sounds like the ultimate Omnitool.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Holding out for a hero...

Holding out for a hero...

Those are our picks for deserving supermen, but we're betting you have your own favorites that are primed for video game stardom. Please share your favorites in the comments!

Need to read more about comic books? Read our history of Batman games to the best and worst of Batman adventures and then find out the 9 greatest comic book games that dont star superheroes.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
CATEGORIES
Android iPad iPhone PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms Mobile Gaming
PRODUCTS
Batman: Arkham Origins Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Amazing Spider-Man 2 Injustice: Gods Among Us DC Universe Online Deadpool: The Game
Henry Gilbert
Henry Gilbert
Social Links Navigation

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts. 

See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
Daredevil and Kingpin
Daredevil: Born Again sent me straight to this new fan-made demo and now I can't believe we haven't had an official game in 22 years
Marvel's Blade's first trailer
Upcoming Marvel games, from the new Iron Man game to Marvel's Wolverine
The best Marvel games - Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
The 10 best Marvel games of all time
Marvel Cosmic Invasion promo art showing various heroes teaming up against Annihilus
The spirit of those incredible '90s arcade comic book brawlers lives on in Marvel Cosmic Invasion, a new retro beat-em-up game from the creators of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra screenshot of Captain America facing off against Black Panther
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra – Everything we know so far about the upcoming superhero game
Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Iron Man and the Hulk in the upcoming PS5 game, Marvel Rivals.
An MCU-like Marvel Gaming Universe was allegedly scrapped since Disney didn't want to deal with its complexities, but it's been revealed by Marvel Rivals' writer
Latest in Action
Best Rainbow Six Siege X Operators
The best Rainbow Six Siege X Operators for beginners
Mindseye
MindsEye is getting 3 hotfixes this month to remedy its rough launch as devs explain those viral bugs "were caused by a memory leak" that "impacted roughly 1 in 10 of our players"
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot showing Princess Zelda with tied-back blonde hair and emerald green eyes, wielding a sword before her face
Forget blindfolded runs, a Switch 2-exclusive challenge emerges as fan proves you can play Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with your Joy-Con attached the wrong way
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
The mystery of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart's final Easter egg has finally been revealed, but Insomniac had to show us itself
A close up of the ninja Yakumo in Ninja Gaiden 4.
Ninja Gaiden 4 devs say "Soulslikes have kind of taken center stage" since the last installment in the series, but "we are going against the trend in that way"
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong dev deals psychic damage, hinting at future "DLC" for the Metroidvania which fans aren't convinced won't "turn into a full-fledged game that takes 8 years to develop"
Latest in Features
A Towa screenshot shows a character performing a bright orange attack in a green field at dusk
Bandai Namco's first-ever roguelike is an entertaining, direct descendent of Hades with anime girls, but I wish it really was "unlike any roguelike" the way its devs promised me
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot of the Spectrum Dance Saber being used against an enemy
The Outer Worlds 2 is fixing the first RPG's biggest weakness by improving guns "in every way", and the sci-fi nerd in me is already screaming about the Shrink Ray
Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 gameplay showing
Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 is not without its flaws, but this is the best portable trip to Night City so far
A screenshot from Pragmata shows a blonde girl shooting out lasers from her hand while an orange border identifies it as part of GamesRadar's summer previews
Capcom's android apocalypse Pragmata is such a genius mix of shooters and puzzle games, both of which I normally hate, and I'm starting to rethink my entire existence
The Grave Seasons protagonist waters seeds in a plot of soil and an orange border says Summer Preview 2025
With Haunted Chocolatier still miles away, farming sim with serial killers Grave Seasons is here to scratch that cozy horror itch until it bleeds
Onimusha Way of the Sword Summer Preview
Onimusha: Way of the Sword looks like an incredible PS2 throwback in all the right ways, but with a modern feel and a swaggering protagonist I already love
  1. Jan sadly presses a hand on a screen that says 'deceased' in The Alters
    1
    The Alters review: "More tactile and story-heavy than the Frostpunk dev's earlier games, but the fight for survival is just as fierce"
  2. 2
    Splitgate 2 review: "A slick and enjoyable free-to-play FPS, but a disappointing sequel"
  3. 3
    Date Everything review: "A masterclass in character design full of wonderful faces I love meeting, but juggling so many means sacrificing depth"
  4. 4
    Deltarune review: "This Undertale successor is an unapologetically weird RPG epic, where each chapter is a new canvas that doesn't have to conform to any rigid rules, style, or logic"
  5. 5
    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X review: "Bigger, better, and more user friendly than it's ever been – it's the perfect time to dive in"
  1. The Yautja in Dan Trachtenberg's animated movie Predator: Killer of Killers
    1
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  2. 2
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  3. 3
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  4. 4
    Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review: "Wraps up this spy franchise in spectacular style with Tom Cruise in peak condition, even if its villain lacks terror"
  5. 5
    Final Destination Bloodlines Review: "Meticulous murderous mayhem"
  1. Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim, Ruth Madeley as Shirley, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge Stewart, Varada Sethu as Belinda, Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Millie Gibson as Ruby, Bonnie Langford as Mel, Susan Twist as Susan Triad, and Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble in Doctor Who: 'The Reality War.'
    1
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  2. 2
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision
  3. 3
    Rick and Morty season 8 review: "Largely plays it too safe after years of crossing boundaries"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 6 spoiler review: 'The Interstellar Song Contest' is "a blast and sets the stage for a thrilling season finale"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 5 spoiler review: 'The Story & The Engine' is "one of the most original and ambitious episodes this show has produced in years"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...