8 Awesome Superheroes That Aren't From Marvel Or DC

With an abundance of Marvel and DC properties smacking our faces every other week, we've hit the peak point of superheroes. This is no longer just about comic book lovers or children's characters; this is full-on mainstream popular culture now. From Hollywood to video games, superherodom is entrenched in every medium around us. As expected, a lot of people are now casting their nets wider as they search for other superheroes that aren't DC or Marvel. It's a good thing, too, since these other companies deserve credit for their awesome characters and shouldn't be ignored because of where they were created. Deciding to make life a little easier for you, we've identified 8 awesome superheroes that aren't part of the big two's catalog. If we've missed a character that you feel should be mentioned or you disagree with any of our picks, please do leave your thoughts in the comments section below. With that said, let's dive right into the 8 best superheroes that aren't Marvel or DC. Ninjak What's better than a superhero? A superhero who's also a ninja, of course! Co-created by Mark Moretti and Joe Quesada, Ninjak first appeared as Colin King in Bloodshot #6 in 1993. The character was a hit and eventually received his own comic book series, with the first issue selling close to one million copies. Impressive, eh? Since then, Ninjak has gone on to become one of the most popular Valiant characters and continues to go from strength to strength in capturing the mainstream audience's attention. Recently, it was announced that the hero will be making his live-action debut in the web series titled Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe, with actor Michael Rowe (Arrow) in the titular role, so that's something to definitely look forward to in the not-too-distant future. Much like Batman, though, Ninjak's superpower is being stinking rich. He has no powers to speak of, but he has trained his body, mastered the art of ninjutsu, and is smarter than the average president. Did we forget to mention that he's also a freakin' ninja?! Spawn Arguably, the most popular superhero franchise outside of DC and Marvel is Todd McFarlane's Spawn. Created by McFarlane for Image Comics in 1992, the antihero spawned (pardon the pun) other comics and an entire franchise, which included a film in 1997 starring Michael Jai White as Al Simmons/Spawn and the inimitable John Leguizamo as the Violator. If you're unfamiliar with the character's history, Simmons is killed by his partner and friend Chapel in a blazing inferno. His soul is then sent to Hell, because he knowingly killed innocent people while working for the CIA (the bugger!). Simmons then makes a deal with the evil being Malebolgia in exchange for his soul, so that he can see his wife, Wanda, again. However, with this deal comes a set of mystical superpowers – and Simmons ends up double-crossing the demons as well for good measure. It's safe to say that Spawn is likely to experience another major resurgence in popularity when the newest film – produced by Blumhouse and directed by McFarlane – is released in the near future. With a promise that it'll be an R-rated affair, it's sure to appeal to the longtime fans and attract more than a few newbies along the way, too. X-O Manowar While Tony Stark's Iron Man is seen as the supreme armored superhero, Valiant's X-O Manowar has built up quite the reputation for himself, selling over eight million copies to date and becoming a cult hero. Also, let's be honest: he has a much better backstory than Tony's rich-boy-turned-do-gooder spiel. Yawn! For those who aren't clued up on the character, here's what's up: Aric of Dacia is abducted by aliens in fifth-century Europe. Deciding he doesn't like the anal probes, he grabs hold of one of their greatest weapons (yip, you guessed it): the X-O Manowar armor. He returns to Earth where centuries have passed due to time-space relativity, but Aric now finds himself lost in the new civilized world with the greatest weapon in his possession. Way back in 1996, X-O Manowar teamed up with Iron Man for the video game adventure Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal. While it wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience by any means, it at least allowed the character to break through to another medium and piggyback off of Iron Man's popularity. Soon, you'll be able to see X-O Manowar in the live-action world as well, since he's set to appear in Ninjak vs. the Valiant Universe, with Derek Theler playing the role of Aric. Witchblade Most people are aware of Witchblade because of the TV series, starring Yancy Butler, which aired for two seasons between 2001 and 2002. But if this is your only introduction to the character, you're seriously missing out on one of the best action comics around. The story follows a NYPD homicide detective named Sara Pezzini who comes into possession of the Witchblade, a supernatural, sentient gauntlet that bonds with the host and provides an assortment of unbelievable powers. Naturally, with great power, yada, yada… But Sara used the Witchblade to kick a whole lot of bad guy butt, while looking extremely cool in the process. Witchblade ended its 20 year comic book run in 2015, but the series is making a comeback in December of this year. Be warned, though: this new run will follow journalist Alex Underwood as the main character instead of Sara, so don't be surprised to see someone else with the Witchblade. Only time will tell if the new series possesses the same magic that made the original run the classic it is now. Hellboy Created by writer-artist Mike Mignola, the cigar-chewing demon known as Hellboy has attracted a host of admirers since his first appearance in 1993. His popularity also wasn't harmed by the release of two superb films, 2004's Hellboy and 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman. While the promise of a trilogy sadly never came to fruition, a reboot is currently in the works with David Harbour in the titular role and Neil Marshall directing the film. Look, we weren't crazy about this idea in the first place, either (since Perlman was absolutely perfect as the antihero), but you have to admit that the pics of Harbour in character look incredible and exciting. So, let's be positive and hope that it'll surprise us – in a good way. Proving Hellboy's popularity isn't only limited to the comic book and film mediums, he's had his own set of titular video games, too. Heck, just recently, he found his way into the latest Injustice 2 Fighter Pack DLC. How badass is that?! The Shadow "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" If you're looking for the hero that inspired the creation of Batman, look no further than the Shadow. Hiding in the darkness and able to sleuth his way to any truth, this old-school crime-fighter became a firm favorite of many throughout the 1930s all the way to the present day. The mania went from radio plays, pulp novels, comics and to films, of course. The most popular and well-known of these movies was 1994's The Shadow, directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston. While it didn't quite electrify the box-office numbers or please those dorky critics, it's become a cult classic in due course and is still a watchable movie today. Earlier this year, DC Comics and Dynamite Entertainment teamed up for a six-issue limited series titled Batman/The Shadow. Written by Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando, and with art by Riley Rossmo, it's a terrific team-up adventure and great reading material for fans of the Dark Knight and the Shadow. The Phantom Do you want to know why superheroes wear skin-tight costumes that show every bulge and curve? Well, you can thank the Phantom for that one, since he was the first costumed superhero to appear in a comic. Back in 1936, Lee Falk created Kit Walker, the costumed crime-fighter who operated out of the fictional African country of Bangalla. We wonder if this place is right next door to Nambia... The Phantom ran as an adventure comic strip for ages, before it found its way to television, video games, and film. Who could ever forget the 1996 movie starring Billy Zane, the true hero of Titanic, in the lead role? When you talk about picture-perfect superhero costumes in movies, Billy's purple Phantom attire takes the cake. It's even more comic book accurate than Ben Affleck's batsuit. The Phantom has a rich history and his longevity was aided by Falk's desire to combine themes from epic poetry, fairy tales, and chivalry in his tales. Even today, most of these stories still hold up and read well. Invincible While Robert Kirkman might be better known for fathering the zombie opera The Walking Dead, he's actually created a whole bunch of other titles for Image over the years. One of the most popular is the superhero adventure called Invincible. The story follows Mark Grayson (Invincible), the teenage son of Nolan Grayson (Omni-Man), an extraterrestrial superhero. Invincible inherits his father's super strength and ability to fly, and he swears to protect the Earth from all evil (like all good superheroes endeavor to do). However, he has trouble dealing with his powers and coping with his new reality. While it might sound like another typical superhero affair, Invincible is an incredibly layered and entertaining story, powered by Kirkman's flair for the dramatic. It's no fluke that the series has run for over 140 issues and 14 years, with Kirkman promising that #144 will be the final one. In April, it was announced that Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg will write, direct, and produce an adaptation of Invincible for Universal Pictures. Considering their tremendous handling of Preacher, this sounds rather exciting and we certainly wouldn't bet against Invincible becoming another big hit. Tell us, who are your favorite non-DC and Marvel superheroes? Let us know in the comments section below.