In the last 50+ years across thousands of pages, author Marv Wolfman has created characters and stories that have stood the test of time. Many have become cartoon icons, and others have moved on to success in animation, television, movies, toys and more.
Newsarama is now looking back on the Brooklynite’s career to count down his 10 most resonant creations – many created together with longtime friend and collaborator, George Pérez.
Vigilante (Adrian Chase)
During the day, New York City District Attorney Adrian Chase fought crime in the courtroom – but at night, he fought it on the streets as the unarmed Vigilante. Cut from the same fabric as 70s Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood films, he was provoked after the mob murdered his family for continuing to fight crime on his own terms.
Chase hung up his mask from time to time while suffering guilt over his actions – only to return later with an even more destructive attitude each time. The pressure eventually took its toll, prompting Chase to take his own life in 1988’s Vigilante # 50.
Over the years, several other characters, including relatives of Chase, have taken over Vigilante’s cloak and followed in his violent footsteps. Now Vigilante is taking the plunge into live action in a new way in HBO Max’s Peacemaker streaming series, played by Freddie Stroman.
Nightwing (Dick Grayson)
Marv Wolfman did not create Dick Grayson, but he made him his own man – like Nightwing.
After 44 years as the boy’s sidekick Robin, Grayson Nightwing – and surprisingly – got stuck. 30+ years later, Grayson has not returned to Robin – a true rarity in comics, when almost everything eventually goes back to the status quo.
Wolfman borrowed Superman’s Kryptonic superhero alias from a rare ’60s story and worked with frequent collaborator George Pérez to lead Grayson out of Batman’s shadow on the pages of the New Teen Titans, switching from Robin to Nightwing. This name and costume change created a firm break from Dark Knight, with Grayson stepping up not just as his own fully realized hero, but as the leader of the Titans.
Grayson has from time to time dropped the Nightwing name – sometimes to temporarily take the place of his mentor as Batman, sometimes acting as just Dick or Richard Grayson – but in the minds of many fans, Nightwing remains Dick Grayson’s definitive superhero identity.
Bullseye
Despite possessing no superhuman abilities, Bullseye is a human assassin with the innate, eerie ability to throw everything with near-perfect accuracy.
Designed by John Romita Jr., Bullseye debuted in 1976’s Daredevil # 131 as a hired assassin, and over the years he has come to be the thorn in the eye (and a sai through the chest) of Daredevil, Elektra and Punisher.
Thanks to the ongoing mysteries surrounding his past (even his actual real name remains officially unknown) and a series of seemingly fatal mishaps, Bullseye somehow always manages to remain relevant as one of Marvel’s most tireless and vicious villains, always hits fear into the hearts of the heroes he faces – even Daredevil.
Anti-monitor
When you say ‘big bad’, Anti-Monitor is perhaps the ultimate expression of the term – at least in the DC Universe.
Created by Wolfman, George Pérez and Jerry Ordway in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Anti-Monitor was the literal embodiment of anti-matter (the opposite of everything we know and love) with a desire to conquer and destroy the entire DC multiverse.
Anti-Monitor was initially defeated at great cost – he was indirectly responsible for Flash and Supergirl’s death – though later battles would be easier to win.
Recently, Scott Snyder set Anti-Monitor back to be part of a larger family of malicious cosmic beings born of Perpetua, a cosmic villain who debuted in his Justice League run.
Black cat
While people might think Black Cat was based on DC’s Catwoman, she was not. In fact, she was based on the Tex Avery cartoon cat Bad Luck Blackie – an anthropomorphic black cat who gave misfortune to someone near her.
Originally intended to debut in Marv Wolfman’s Spider-Woman race, a change of task character (with a design by Dave Cockrum) made his debut in 1979’s Amazing Spider-Man # 194.
In comics, Black Cat is Felicia Hardy – a second-generation cat burglar whose father encouraged her to pursue her dreams. When her father is arrested, Hardy assumes the Black Cat identity to break him out – but things get sour as he dies in the process. During the incident, however, she meets Spider-Man and initiates a decades-long unique relationship that oscillates between friend, foe, lover and confidant.
She recently completed her own ongoing Marvel Comics series.
Nova
Nova was one of Marv Wolfman’s earliest creations – in fact, he created the concept 10 years before Nova actually debuted in a Marvel cartoon.
The character, who would become Marvel’s Nova, debuted in the author’s Super Adventures # 3 fanzine as Star, an alien doctor who used special pills that gave him a new superpower every five minutes. In Super Adventures # 6, the character’s name was linked to Black Nova.
Nearly a decade later, Wolfman brought the character idea to Marvel, and with some design tweaks by John Romita, Jr., Nova debuted in 1976 with The Man Called Nova # 1.
Working-class teenage hero Richard Rider paid homage to Spider-Man, but the so-called Human Rocket grew to become his own hero – eventually giving birth to his own intergalactic space force in his name: Nova Corps, which has grown to include other Novas like Sam Alexander.
Death blow
Despite his recent years as a leading man, Deathstroke has never been what one would call a hero – in fact, he is, by his own admission, as selfish and laborious an operator as he is in the DC Universe.
Deathstroke / Slade Wilson debuted in the 1980s New Teen Titans # 2 and was a hitman who developed a personal vendetta against the Titans; one who first grew up when his children Jericho and Ravager became involved. Deathstroke’s unquenchable vendetta against the team led him to recruit teenage villain Terra to infiltrate and betray the team in Wolfman and Perez ” The Judas Contract ‘- still considered one of the best Teen Titans stories ever.
Like Marvel’s Punisher, Deathstroke’s popularity led him to become a protagonist in his own right with a solo series that began in 1991 – with subsequent volumes running off and on even into the present.
Tim Drake
In the wake of Jason Todd’s murder of the Joker, Batman needed a new Robin – but more importantly, fans did too. Wolfman and artist Pat Broderick provided (and a little more) with Tim Drake.
Tim Drake debuted in Batman # 436 from 1989 and grew into the role of Robin and became without a doubt the greatest Robin. Drake-as-Robin, who always learns, always grows, was a natural detective – and more of a thinker than a fighter – and became just what was needed for Batman, Alfred and fans in the wake of Todd’s murder.
After years as Red Robin (and a hot second place as Drake), Drake recently resumed using the name ‘Robin’ again. He also came out as a queer and started a romantic relationship with his friend Bernard.
Blade
Decades before Buffy, there was another famous vampire killer: Blade.
Created by Wolfman and Gene Colan to Fight Dracula even in 1973’s Tomb of Dracula # 10, Blade was a stark contrast to Marvel’s other supernatural characters at the time – but grew to become one of their most famous thanks to a popular film series .
This vampire-hunting vampire quickly became a cult favorite character who appeared from time to time with his own series in addition to being a guest star in other books through the 80s and 90s.
Then in 1998, Blade reached a new peak of success – a movie. But even better, a hit movie. Wesley Snipes went on to play Blade in a trilogy of movies and in many ways set the stage for later big-budget Hollywood adaptation of hits from the Marvel Comics catalog.
Marvel Studios plans to release a new Blade movie starring Mahershala Ali.
New Teen Titans
One of Wolfman’s most prominent qualities as a writer is his legendary ability to not only create new ideas, but to renew existing concepts into entirely new stories and characters.
in that direction, we present Wolfman’s greatest creation – the New Teen Titans. Borrowing the name and concept of the classic DC team from the 60s and 70s, Wolfman and artist George Pérez brought a trio of brand new creations – Raven, Cyborg and Starfire – and some previously existing but newly renewed heroes like Beast Boy, and mixed them up with the “five amazing” original Titans (Robin, Wonder Girl, Aqualad, Speedy and Kid Flash) to create a more mature version of the teenage team that can compete with Marvel’s contemporary top-selling team X-Men.
With much more adult concepts, a list of characters with intimate, specific relationships that went beyond their costumes, and a healthy dose of teenage melodrama in the real world, Wolfman and Pérez renewed the concept of the Titans – and teenage heroes in general – while you update and create a whole host of DC characters that remain iconic to this day.
