There are many DC heroes that are extremely popular now. But it wasn’t always the case. There was a time they were a big flop and DC was considering phasing them out.
Swamp Thing
Legendary writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson created this green monster thinking it would be a huge hit. It was. But then sales started going down and Swamp Thing was shelved. It was not seen again till the ’80s. Alan Moore took a chance on the hero and DC Comics surprisingly let him after his string of successes. Moore changed the very definition of horror comics. His Swamp Thing run remains iconic to this day.
Wild Dog
Wild dog was clearly a Punisher knock-off. He was not meant to be anything other than a violent parody of Frank Castle from Marvel Comics. The artists and the writers never paid any attention to his costume. Even his name sounds like its made out of glue and duct tape. Then the character became a major supporting character in The CW’s Arrow. The rest is history.
Vixen
Vixen was initially a member of the Detroit League, one of the leads loved incarnations of Justice League. Unlike her other superhero peers, DC writers and artists actually gave her the respect she deserved. Gypsy and Vibe faded into obscurity. But Vixen made appearances throughout the DC Universe. She has since made several appearances in live-action as well as animated shows.
Black Adam
Black Adam had the misfortune of debuting at a time when readers were more into heroes than villains. Luckily the guy found success later when he joined up the JSA, trying to live up to his early legacy. Black Adam does enjoy a lot more fame, partly because The Rock is playing him in the Black Adam movie.
Booster Gold
The heroes of DC Universe hate Booster Gold because of his bratty antics. But the fans love him. When he debuted in his own miniseries, that was not the case. the Booster Gold – Blue Beetle run is still considered one of the greatest comic book duo in the history of comic books. Part of his charm seems to be his weird self-obsession.
The Question
Renee Montoya played the second iteration of The Question. She debuted in Batman: the Animated Series, the show that also gifted us Harley Quinn. But unlike Harley, it took time for Renee to gain popularity. She made a splash in the New 52. After New 52 tanked, she again starred as The Question in another series. Fans were really happy to see her in the Birds Of Prey movie.
Detective Chimp
This character debuted back in the weirder DC Silver Age. People forgot about him until he made his comeback in Infinite Crisis tie-in: Day of Vengeance. Detective Chimp is now a member of Justice League Dark.
Jason Todd
Fans hated Todd so much they literally voted to kill him off in Death In The Family. Todd later returned as the Red Hood. His rivalry with Batman became the swansong to his eventual redemption.
Stargirl
The Stargirl series was one of Geoff Johns’ first DC projects. The teenage hero was later shelved after her series got cancelled. Her tenure in Justice Society gave her enough fame for The CW to make a series out of her. She now has a lot of fans.
Animal Man
Animal man was a product of the DC Silver Age just like Detective Chimp. The hero’s career was almost over until Scottish writer Grant Morrison was tasked with the Animal Man series. This series helped Animal Man become one of the most beloved DC heroes of all time.
