Top 36 Heroes - Part 4

Man, I'm running out of intros. After a little snafu where I noticed I accidentally deleted a couple of spots, welcome to part 4. Today, I start with a lawyer of all things.

18. Atticus Finch

Next up, we have a southern lawyer of all things. Luckily, he’s one of the good guys. Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout Finch in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. In the book and movie, he’s a defense attorney who’s involved in a case that revolves around a bit of racism. He also serves as the moral center for Jem and Scout. So, why did I decide to include this character? One reason is that I really wanted to include some normal fictional heroes on here too.

Also, Atticus is a good character in general. Recently, I have been reading the book again for the first time in about a decade. His character is definitely one of the highlights. He’s a good single father who’s trying to raise two kids. As I said before, he’s also got good morals. He tries to stand up for people who can’t stand for themselves. The biggest example is the trial where he’s trying to help acquit a man from a crime. Another one comes at the end where… well, that would be spoiling. He was well acted in the movie by Gregory Peck.

17. Admiral William Adama

Next on the list is Will Adama from the rebooted Battlestar Galactica. When the Cylons destroyed the 12 colonies of Kobol, Adama’s ship (the Galactica) was the only battleship left that could protect the refugees from the Cylons. He was the one who decided that they make their way towards Earth even if he didn’t believe in the legend of Earth. He led the group of survivors all throughout the show. When he wasn't leader, stuff fell apart. There are so many things that make Adama cool. He knows what needs to be said in certain situations, he’s got a nice left hook, and he’s played by Edward James Olmos. He may not be a perfect leader, but he is a leader I’d probably follow.

16. Wonder Woman

I’ll go on and admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Wonder Woman. Still, when it comes to female superheroes, she’s either number one or number two on my list of favorites. She’s also an integral part of the JLA.  So, what is there to like about Diana? There’s actually a lot. She’s a lot of things. She’s a warrior and a princess. She’s also a compassionate and caring person. It’s those personal qualities that make her stand out in my book. Also add the fact that she’s tied into Greek mythology.

When it comes to the media, she’s at her best on Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. I don’t know who plays her voice, but she did an awesome job. I haven’t seen much else Wonder Woman-wise. I still haven’t seen the direct-to-DVD movie that came out in 2008 I believe. I have heard good things about it though, so I need to see it one day. I haven’t heard good things about that Wonder Woman pilot that was done in 2011 though. I’ve never actually seen it, but I did view a review of it on That Guy With The Glasses. Here’s hoping for something Wonder Woman related in the future that doesn’t suck.

15. Solid Snake

The Metal Gear Solid franchise is one franchise you can count on in bringing the awesome. While the stories have gotten so convoluted over the years, the main character in Solid Snake still brings his A-game. While I never actually played the first MGS game (well, think I played a demo of it in Wal-Mart), Snake’s just a cool character to play. Playing that type of character is always fun. When you play MGS: Sons of Liberty, you definitely miss the character when he gets replaced by Raiden (no, not that one!). Then he gets replaced by his father/nemesis, Naked Snake aka Big Boss, in MGS3: Snake Eater. Solid Snake just doesn’t get any love, does he? Oh second thought, he did have the first two Metal Gear games to himself...

Anyway, what makes Snake a cool protagonist is his personality. He’s the type of guy who you want to drink with. I think another thing that makes him interesting is that he doesn’t actually see himself as a hero. He mostly sees himself as a killer who has to clean up someone’s mistake. It’s also fun and cool to see him grow character-wise in MGS4. While that game’s story is pretty convoluted, his arc is pretty good and a little sad. He’s the guy you want to root for in the games when he’s going up against people like Liquid Snake, Revolver Ocelot, and a crapload of crazy sub-bosses. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Psycho Mantis and Vamp!

14. The Incredible Hulk

He’s big, he’s green, and he’s usually annoyed about not being left alone on Facebook. He’s the Incredible Hulk, and he’s pretty cool. Because of an accident involving gamma rays and some abuse as a child, Dr. Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk under emotional stress. He’s mostly seen as an uncontrollable threat or menace by people especially in the superhero community. He’s the Jekyll/Hyde formula taken to the extreme. So, what makes the Hulk so cool? Is that he’s a bad mofo who can stand toe to toe with anybody? Yeah! Luckily, there is more to the Jade Green Giant than meets the eye.

It’s interesting seeing Banner struggle with that “Other Guy.” I think a lot of us can relate to that. Most of us have something that we struggle with whether it’s internal or physical. There’s also the fact that Bruce Banner is an interesting character. Yes, people come to see the Hulk, but when handled well, Bruce can be even better than the Hulk. There are also his different personalities to consider. The Hulk can smart, a douche, child-like, or monstrous. You really can’t do that with any other character and get away with it. When it comes to movies and TV, the recent Marvel movies have treated the character best. I can’t really decide it I like Ed Norton or Mark Ruffallo because they were both good as Banner.

13. The Flash

“Flash! Ahhh! Savior of the universe!"… Wait. It’s the wrong character, wrong universe, and wrong song. Still, that should be Flash’s theme song because Queen makes everything better and he actually does save the universe at one time. Because of a lab accident involving lightning or “hard water” for the Jay Garrick variety, the Flash is essentially a speed machine. He can move, think, and react at pretty fast speeds. They don’t call him “The Fastest Man Alive” for nothing. There have also been a few Flashes in the comics. Wally West is probably my favorite Flash since he’s the one I grew up with. Barry Allen’s cool as well and I do have a fondness for Jay Garrick. I think it’s his costume and that hat.

 What’s cool about any of them is that they’re basically normal guys. The Flash can be played as both funny and serious. When it comes to the media, my favorite version of the character in general is the Flash from Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. While he may have been the comic relief on the show, he was good comic relief. He also had some good heartfelt moments and one completely awesome moment on the show. He was voiced well by Michael Rosenbaum.

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Crap, I'm running out of outros as well! I'll be back tomorrow where I start to draw this long list to an end.