Sometimes, in order to save humanity, you have to fly solo from major comic book publishing companies and their films. Captain America and Batman can’t be everywhere at once; their different shared universes leave them pretty busy. Superhero films not associated with Marvel or DC often don’t get the recognition they deserve. This list zeroes in on six heroes not associated with Marvel or DC films. Great heroes in their own right, and in their own films solving problems they only know how: by kicking ass and taking names.
6. Will Stronghold
Sky High is the high school heroes-in-training go to hone their powers and learn responsibility. Will Stronghold is eager to prove himself to his dream-team super-parents and become the hero he was born to be… except he doesn’t have any powers. It’s easy to dismiss Sky High as ‘just a kids’ movie’, but it follows Will as he tackles deeper issues than the typical high school freshman experiences: failing your parents’ expectations, peer pressure, unrequited love. So it’s exactly like high school, but Will is a likable kid, and without going into too much away, by the end of the film, he could give a few pointers to Zach Synder’s Superman about how to avoid property destruction. High school is dramatic in itself. Throw in superpowers, and that’s just begging for added trouble.
5. Eric Draven
It’s said crows remember people’s faces, and The Crow featured above has many faces carved in his head. In The Crow, Eric Draven has one thing on his mind – revenge. After being dead for a year, his soul returns to his body to seek justice for his murder and the rape and murder of his fiance Shelly. Draven eliminates his enemies and the ones he didn’t even know existed all over the course of a few days. And in between slaughtering Detroit’s scumbags, he convinces a mom to lay-off the heroin and go be a parent. That’s a hell of a work ethic.
4. Mr. Incredible
Bob Parr of The Incredibles knows how to handle a mid-life crisis. He longs for the days of being a superhero, and gets his opportunity for hero glory once again. Mr. Incredible is a complicated man, where his desires to save the day take a tole on his family. His frustration at being unable to do what he loves paired with his restlessness at suburban life is understandable. But at the end of the day, he really does want to help people, as evidenced by his helping a little old lady with her insurance policy at his desk job. Oh, and saving Metroville from a crazed fan.
3. Hellboy
His looks don’t have to kill; he’s perfectly capable of handing a swift ass-kicking himself. Hellboy from Hellboy has to deal with a lot of crap. He has good intentions, but is constantly met with skepticism because of how he looks. His devotion to the troubled Liz is admirable. He overcomes his personal demons (you know, within his demon self) and always saves the day. For all his heroism, he can promise two things: he will always look this good, and he will never give up on his beloved Liz. Ever.
2. Scott Pilgrim
He fought the world. Supposedly. While he may exaggerate his nemesis, Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World does have to battle a slew of seven evil exes to win the girl of his dream. He uses beautiful special effects and his wits to free Ramona Flower from her past. It may not seem huge to take down seven people, but these superpowered exes are real pieces of work, as someone over the age of sixty might say. The world is probably a better place without them. Or at least the female population is safe from heartbreak. Except if your Scott’s ex Knives.
1. Hit-Girl
She may not be the star of her film, but this girl knows how to kick some serious ass. Hit-Girl steals the show from Dave Lizewski, not to mention takes down an entire mafia crew almost by herself in Kick-Ass. The supposed hero of the film, Kick-Ass, stumbles into heroism, while Hit Girl and Big Daddy are doing all the hard work. Foes shouldn’t be fooled by the little girl appearance. She’s a sadistic, skilled assassin. She just happens to be a teenage girl. And she got a knife for her birthday.
Who’s your favorite non Marvel/DC film? Sound off in the comments below or send your thoughts on Twitter!