Although there ’s no exact date to mark its beginning , many critics and fans consider the 1973 Spider - Man storyline , " The Night Gwen Stacy Died , " as the starting full point of the Bronze Age of comics books . It punctuate a return to darker themes and socially witting storylines , with a rife air of dread across many of the most popular superhero titles .

Like the two eras that preceded it , the Bronze Age introduced multiple fibre into comic book persistence , many of which became superstars in their own right . From hoagie to villains and even antiheroes , these grapheme debuted in the Bronze Age and stay influential and acclaimed today .

Howard The Duck

To some , Howard the Duck is a put-on , one of those is - that - a - genuine - affair characters that can only survive in a child ’s comical book . To others , he is an unsung poor boy , a provocative and original character and the protagonist of a 1986 cultclassic Marvel moving picture far darker than originally advertised .

Alas , the truth lie somewhere in between . Howard is a joke in and of itself , albeit one without a clear punchline . His storylines often dole out with satire , giving " meta " a whole new meaning . Howard exists in a privileged place , one where he runs free and wildly , deprive of the self - seriousness with which so many other characters take themselves .

Luke Cage

Hero for Hirecame out precisely a year before " The Night Gwen Stacy buy the farm ; " however , Luke Cage is a Bronze Age champion , if there ever was one . coop develop to gibbosity at a time when blaxploitation was the norm ; indeed , John Milton Cage Jr. might be Marvel ’s answer to Shaft .

Once blaxploitation fall out of favor with interview , Cage paired up with Iron Fist , creatingone of the best friendly relationship in Marvel Comics . batting cage was the first Black superhero to receive a solo series , coming with a unique perspective on crime - fighting ; that would be enough to distinguish him among all the other Italian sandwich in NYC . However , Cage has evolved with the times , becoming a consecrated category man and an exemplary leader to the Thunderbolts .

Starfire

It could be easygoing to discount Starfire as the Teen Titans ' eye confect ; indeed , several of her early storylines handle her as such , and her costume remain oversexualized . However , Starfire is perhaps the majuscule of the Titans ; she isthehero , a compassionate , kind , and joyful alien princess from the satellite Tamaran whose the ultimate fish out of water .

Starfire is also a hothead with an overly passionate personality that often lead her to trouble . However , that ’s arguably the good part of her characterization . Unlike Raven , Starfire is no sense , all sensibility , and fans would n’t have it any other way .

John Stewart

The Green Lantern statute title is an mental home in DC Comics , carried over by legends like Alan Scott and Hal Jordan . John Stewart is a proud heir to the bequest . The comic books quickly established him as a adequate to Lantern , inherit the title after Hal Jordan ’s resignation .

However , John ’s fourth dimension in the spotlight add up with the acclaimedJustice LeagueandJustice League Unlimitedanimated serial publication , which provided him with a go use among DC ’s titular team . Still , John Stewart has multiple iconic storyline in the comic booksthat cement his berth as one of the world ’s best Lanterns and a leading physical body in the DC mythos .

Blade

Vampires in the Marvel Universe ? Yes , they exist . as luck would have it , there ’s also a talented and fearsome vampire hunter , the mighty Blade . The de - facto protagonist of Marvel ’s supernatural corner , Blade was retroactively turned into a dhampir , and give thanks God for that .

Unlike other characters , Blade struggled to rule a place in the larger Marvel Universe , but there ’s no shame in intromit that . The character eventually came into his own , thanks for the most part to Wesley Snipes iconic take on the function inthe action - packedBladetrilogy . today , Blade grade as one of Marvel ’s sullen heroes , a dark - dweller who can hit fear into the pump of even the dauntless human being .

Cyborg

Although he began as a staple fibre of the Teen Titans , Cyborg has the privilege of having graduate into the Justice League , something his fellow members have either failed to reach or actively resist . Half man and half robot , Cyborg ’s story is one of perseverance in the face of tragedy .

Cyborg has n’t been shy about his difficulties adjusting to his Modern situation throughout his superhero calling . However , the character remains an inhalation , a theatrical role good example even ; unlike other characters in the culture medium , Cyborg did n’t permit his anger get the best of him and instead find a style to thrive , becomingone of the most powerful members of the Teen Titans , and eventually the Justice League .

Storm

Ororo Munroe is one of the most famous characters in Marvel , a full of life penis of the cristal - Men -arguably its best leader - and one of the most inspiring figures in comics .   Debuting inGiant - Size X - Men # 1 , Ororo fall from a long phone line of African priestesses ; at one dot , she was idolise like a immortal in the continent .

violent storm is at the center of many unforgettable plot line from the comics . She is regal , a goddess on Earth in the Marvel Universe . Her love affair with T’Challa rank as one of the most influential in the sensitive , and her repute among the X - Men rivals those of Cyclops and Professor X.

Punisher

Out of the many antiheroes that appeared during the Bronze Age , Punisher might be the most complex . The theatrical role debuted inThe Amazing Spider - Man # 129as a ruthless vigilante unforced to cross any short letter in his fight against law-breaking .

Unlike other Marvel antiheroes , Punisher is savage , at times merciless , and undeterred , standing out among all other characters for his vehement ways . He is a decry of the system , the embodiment of the failure of the institutions imply to protect and serve . And   despite Punisher   representing a sucker lick to the justice system that go so many like him , this is a point that some readers seem to often overlook .

Raven

A Cambion empath with monolithic destructive power , Raven arrived in the 1980s and redefined the Teen Titans . At time a hero and at times a broken villain , Raven trip a fine line between dark and light , incessantly managing and instantaneously hiding her emotions .

Raven has a riotous family chronicle , with her begetter , Trigon , acting as one of theTeen Titans ' most powerful and enduring villains . The character ’s centre is duality , a constant struggle to control her diabolical side , an undesirable curse she must nonetheless co - survive with and understand . Raven is one of the most brawny characters in DC , and she ’s slow finding her fashion to the spotlight she should ’ve always had .

Wolverine

It might be an overstatement to declare Wolverine as the most influential graphic symbol in mod comics , but he is sure enough a competition . debut inThe Incredible Hulk # 180 , Wolverine would later on dally a major character in the ten - Men plot line of the eighties and XC , finally becoming the enfranchisement ’s brass before Hugh Jackman ’s now - iconic portrayal in the live - action flick further elevated the character ’s status .

Comic book fans have it away Wolverine has a tragic backstory , cook him one of the most layered graphic symbol in Marvel history . He is the archetypal antihero , strong-growing , guarded , and incubation , perpetually chasing an expiation that will elude him forever . Wolverine is magnetised , galvanizing , an consuming bearing that catches the reader ’s attention and never lets it go .

NEXT:10 Best Characters Who Debuted In The Silver Age Of Comic Books

Collage of Willow and Clash of the Titans

A man with nuclear explosions going off behind him in The Far Side.

Peanuts and golden sky

Split image showing Raven and Luke Cage

Howard the Duck along with the Avengers, including Doctor Strange and Hulk

Luke Cage doing a menacing pose on the cover of Hero for Hire

Starfire smiling against a starry sky

John Stewart is spoiling for a fight on the cover of Green Lantern #87.

Blade threatens Dracula in Marvel Comics

Cyborg overheating in battle in Teen Titans comics.

Storm controlling the winds in Giant-Sized X-Men #1

Punisher shooting at Spider-Man in Spider-Man 129.

Raven casting her magic in DC Comics

Wolverine fighting The Hulk.