Top 10 Superhero Sidekicks of All Time (Marvel and DC)
What’s a superhero without a sidekick you ask? I’ll tell you what a superhero without a sidekick is. Boring and lonely. Well, maybe not. But superheroes who have sidekicks are usually pretty awesome. I mean, the best thing about superhero sidekicks is that as a superhero they fully recognize that they can’t win every battle alone. They understand that to win their war on whatever it is they fight for means that they have to enlist some help. Not just any help, however. No, they enlist only the best help. And how do they know that they’re getting the best help?
Easy. Some follow a good feeling while others find, teach, and train their sidekicks. But who are they? Who are the greatest superhero sidekicks? Another good question. Let’s take a look at our list to find out!
10. Wong
Everyone needs a good friend and for Stephen Strange that good friend is Wong. Wong first appeared alongside Dr. Strange in Strange Tales #110. He was created by the legendary team of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Wong is a descendant of Kan and Kan began a long line of monks whose purpose was to give aid and protect the Ancient One. At the young age of four, Wong was presented by his father to the Ancient One.
He was quickly sent to a remote monastery to learn about the mystic arts and be taught martial arts. This, of course, also helped him carry out his duty to protect the Ancient One. When he reached adulthood, he was sent to the United States to become the servant of Stephen Strange. Instead of being just his servant, Wong and Strange formed a close friendship and bond.
Different from Dr. Strange, Wong doesn’t possess any magical abilities. This, however, doesn’t mean that he’s incapable of defending himself or others from mystical creatures. It’s quite the opposite. As a master of martial arts, Wong is adept at fighting creatures of all sorts.
9. Dum Dum Dugan
Dum Dum Dugan was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. He first appeared inside the pages of Sargent Fury and His Howling Commandos # 1 back in 1963. Dum Dum Dugan is proudly from Boston, Massachusetts. At the height of the Second World War, Dugan found himself looking for work. His search took to him a local circus. As a man of considerable size, the circus hired him on the spot and advertised him as their “strong man”.
While a part of the circus, he assisted both Nick Fury and “Happy” Sawyer in their escape from a group of Nazis. Sensing he was destined for more, he enlisted in the British Military and wound up a member of the British Howling Commandos. Once back on American soil, he transferred to the U.S. Military and became Fury’s Second in Command…a place that he’d remain for most of his existence.
8. War Machine
Iron Man and War Machine are like two peas in a pod in that they are similar in almost every way. What Iron Man can do, War Machine can also do. What War Machine can do, Iron Man can also do. With the suit, both possess superhuman strength, reflexes, speed, agility, durability, and flight, can shoot repulsor blasts from just about anywhere, and are resistant to most types of damage. Where War Machine differs is that his suit is, as its name implies, a War Machine.
The suit boasts a nearly uncountable amount of weapons. In addition to everything that’s been mentioned, it has retractable shoulder guns, box launchers, flamethrowers, double-barrel cannons, a plasma blade, rocket launchers, and an electromagnetic pulse generator capable of turning all electrical equipment within 40 miles. Finally, the suit is capable of generating forcefields and force shields. If mimicry is a form of flattery, then Iron Man should be immensely flattered.
7. Krypto
While Jimmy Olsen could be considered Superman’s sidekick, for the purpose of this list, I choose Krypto. After all, a dog is a man’s best friend, right? Krypto first appeared inside the pages of Adventure Comics #210 back in 1955. He was created by Otto Binder Curt Swan. Although he was intended to be a one-off character, he proved to be so popular that he was brought back time and again.
Like Superman, Krypto possesses a power set usually reserved for Gods. Of his powers, his most notable are invulnerability, super strength, longevity, flight, super speed, and most things associated with vision (x-ray, infrared, heat, microscopic, etc…).Krypto is often depicted as a Labrador-type dog although it’s never been revealed what kind of dog he actually is. Krypto is everything that you’d want in a companion. In fact, he’s so loyal to the “super” family that he has even died for them on occasion.
6. Wonder Girl
Similar to Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl is an Amazonian who possesses unbelievable speed, strength, speed, and durability. She can also control the animals around her, manipulate energy, and fly. Wonder Girl is such a powerhouse in the world of DC that she and has stood toe-to-toe with her mentor, Wonder Woman.
Just like most Amazonians, Wonder Girl has undergone a training program fit for Amazonians. This has made her better than most in armed and unarmed combat. In addition, to all the above mentioned, she heals extremely quickly and has access to an indestructible sword, and shield, and carries the Lasso of Persuasion. All of this adds up to the fact that if DC ever wanted to retire Princess Diana and replace her with someone else, they easily could.
5. Aqualad
Although there are a couple of characters that have been known as Aqualad, for the purpose of this superhero sidekicks list, I’ll choose to focus on Garth. Garth is the near equivalent of Arthur Curry. He has superhuman strength, is able to breathe underwater, has accelerated recovery, is able to manipulate the currents of water, possesses telepathy with all sea life, and can dimensionally travel. Like Roy Harper (spoiler alert), Garth has also been a member of one of the most important superhero teams in DC, the Teen Titans.
Over the years, Garth has separated himself from the Aqualad moniker. For a time, he went by the name of Tempest. Different from his time as Aqualad, as Tempest Garth also gained the ability to control both the temperature of the water and control the water around him, as well as emit a destructive force from his eyes. This came at a cost, however. With these new powers, Garth lost the ability to communicate with marine life.
4. Kid Flash
Kid Flash first appeared inside the pages of The Flash #110 back in December of 1959. He was created by Carmine Infantino and John Broome and has been an integral member of the Teen Titans. Kid Flash possesses many superpowers. Most of these revolve around the Speed Force. As such, he has super speed, can read and process material as quick;y as he runs, can phase through objects, can time travel, can dimensionally travel, has heightened senses, can give and take speed away, possesses electrokinesis, is able to manipulate time, and become one with the Speed Force.
Because Wally can become one with the Speed Force, he is considered the fastest superhero in DC. Yep. You read that right. Kid Flash is actually faster than his mentor, Barry Allen. He is living proof that having a succession plan isn’t such a bad idea.
3. Speedy
Next to Batman and Robin, no superhero duo is as famous as Green Arrow and Speedy (Roy Harper). Speedy first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 back in November of 1941. Because he first appeared so long ago, Speedy is one of DC’s most tenured characters.
Like Green Arrow, Roy Harper is a master archer and is proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Like Green Arrow, he is a member of one of the most prominent superhero groups in DC. And like Green Arrow, he was involved in one of the most controversial and appreciated stories in comic history.
Roy Harper is what all sidekicks should aspire to be. He has overcome adversity in ways that most can only dream, all the while rising up to become one of the most important characters that DC has ever created.
2. Bucky
Thanks in large part to the success of the MCU, everyone and their pet knows that Captain America’s first sidekick was Bucky Barnes. Captain America and Bucky Barnes go as far back as World War 1. In fact, aside from fighting the enemies of the United States, the two were also integral members of the Defenders.
Captain America and Bucky are as close of friends as any in this list. This is why Bucky’s tragic transformation into the Winter Soldier is all the more disheartening. As the Winter Soldier, Bucky was a Russian Operative tasked with some of the most high-profile assassinations in history. John F. Kennedy, Jacques Dupuy, Mother Night, Harry Baxtor, Red Skull, Jack Monroe, and the list goes on.
Luckily for Bucky, his friend never gave up hope and over time was able to reform his long-lost sidekick.
1. Robin
Arguably the most well-known superhero/sidekick duo in history, Batman and Robin have a history that predates any DC duo on this list.
After the tragic murder of both his parents, Bruce Wayne takes in the now-orphaned Dick Grayson and raises him as his own. More than that, Bruce begins to train Dick as his sidekick, Robin. As Robin, Dick Grayson became the prototype for what sidekicks should be. Under Batman, he learned, studied, applied, and did it all again until he was everything Bruce Wayne had hoped for and more.
The most impressive thing about Dick Grayson, however, isn’t his desire to be the best Robin in history. The best thing about Dick Grayson is that he took what he learned as Robin and paid it forward to every subsequent Robin. As a result of this and no matter which character is the current Robin, Robin is to Batman what tomato sauce is to pizza…mandatory.
