Someday, our beloved heroes will grow old, retire, and hang up their capes. But fear not because the world will still be in good hands, thanks to their sidekicks. The next generation of superheroes will be ready to carry on the legacy of their mentors, fending the world from all kinds of threats, whether human or alien. Here are the 10 best sidekicks keeping the superhero tradition alive.
Kid Flash, aka Wally West
Kid Flash, aka Wally West, didn’t start as the big-shot speedster; he was Barry Allen’s sidekick. His speed journey began with a mishap involving Barry’s experiment and a lightning bolt. This lightning combo gave him super speed, turning him into Kid Flash. The duo of Barry and Wally became iconic, with Wally having powers like super speed, crazy reflexes, agility that defies gravity, and even the ability to create vortexes.
Wally didn’t stay a sidekick forever. Over time, he leveled up from being the Flash’s junior partner to becoming a big-shot speedster in his own right. When Barry died, Wally stepped up and took on the Flash’s mantle.
Red Arrow
Red Arrow, aka Emiko Queen, didn’t start off with a typical superhero family background. She began her career as Oliver Queen’s (Green Arrow) illegitimate half-sister. In the beginning, she wasn’t exactly on the hero’s side and played the antagonist role. But, her story takes a twist, and she transforms into a hero herself, proudly donning the Red Arrow mantle.
Her training is pretty hardcore – her grandpa, the not-so-friendly Robert Queen, teaches her archery and combat skills. So, Emiko becomes an expert archer and a total badass in hand-to-hand combat.
Aqualad
Aqualad, aka Kaldur’ahm, didn’t dive straight into the comic scene; he first made a splash as Aquaman’s sidekick in the animated series “Young Justice” before making the jump to the comics. Aqualad’s family tree is a bit complicated – he’s actually the son of Black Manta, who happens to be Aquaman’s arch-nemesis.
Under Aquaman’s mentorship, Kaldur’ahm becomes a force to be reckoned with in the underwater domain. Don’t mistake him for an Atlantean warrior; he’s packed with super strength, durability, and the power to manipulate water (they call it hydrokinesis).
Miss Martian
Miss Martian, or M’gann M’orzz, like her uncle, is a Martian with a heart of gold and some seriously cool powers. Hailing all the way from Mars, M’gann escaped to Earth and decided to rock a green human look. M’gann M’orzz began her career as a member of the Young Justice crew, learning the ropes under the guidance of the Martian Manhunter.
As for powers, she’s got telepathy, shape-shifting, super strength, and the ability to soar through the skies. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; M’gann has dealt with questions of identity, tackled Martian stereotypes head-on, and proven time and again that she deserves to be on the crew.
Batgirl
Batgirl, aka Barbara Gordon, is a true legend in the DC Universe. Starting as Commissioner Gordon’s daughter, Barbara stepped into Batgirl’s shoes to fight crime alongside Batman and Robin. She’s a genius librarian turned martial arts expert and detective extraordinaire.
With no capes or superpowers here, Barabara sports pure intellect, agility, and a utility belt packed with all sorts of quirky gadgets. Unfortunately, a dark chapter of her life (The Killing Joke) left Barbara paralyzed. After years, Barbara reclaims her mantle, showing the world that no tragedy can keep a good hero down.
Stargirl
Stargirl, a.k .a. Courtney Whitmore, is the cosmic powerhouse in the DC Universe. Courtney’s superhero journey began when she accidentally stumbles upon the Cosmic Staff created by Starman. Inspired by Starman’s legacy, Courtney dons the superhero mantle and becomes the stellar Stargirl. Here’s a nice fact about Stargirl: her stepdad, Pat Dugan, used to be Stripesy, the sidekick to the original Star-Spangled Kid.
With superhuman strength, crazy agility, and the mind-blowing power to manipulate energy, thanks to the Cosmic Staff, Stargirl is a force to be reckoned with. With time, she matures and becomes the leader of the Justice Society of America.
Supergirl
Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El, is a Kryptonian and Superman’s equally super cousin. Like her brother, Kal-El, Zor-El is one of the last survivors of Krypton, sent to Earth to protect her baby cousin. Even though it took a while for her to figure out a life on the planet Green, Supergirl eventually becomes the hero the world needs.
Like her cousin, Zor-El too packs super strength, super speed, flight, heat vision, freeze breath, and the list just goes on. Zor-El starts as Superman’s sidekick, but she soon transforms into a full-fledged superhero, taking on all sorts of supervillains like Zod and Darkseid.
Jason Todd
Jason Todd’s journey is full of ups and downs. Batman discovers Jason’s courage and talent when he tries to steal the Batmobile’s tires. Batman saw potential, took him in, and through a rigorous training regime, Jason became the second Robin. Unfortunately, Jason’s career is short-lived, and he’s soon killed by the Crime Prince of Gotham, or so it seems.
Jason once again rises from the ashes, thanks to the Lazarus Pit, but as Red Hood, devoid of any morals or principles. Jason wages a one-man war on Gotham’s crime, killing whatever criminal he finds to deliver his definition of justice.
Speedy
Roy Harper, a.k .a. Speedy, starts off as Green Arrow’s sidekick. Adopted by Oliver Queen after being found as an orphaned Navajo infant, Roy receives a whole archery and combat training package. Roy isn’t a typical sidekick, and under Oliver’s tutelage, he became one of the best archers in the DC Universe.
Unfortunately, Roy’s trials led him down a rocky path, and he struggled with addiction, facing the tough side of life. Overcoming his battles, he receives super strength and stamina thanks to the “Mirakuru” drug. Armed with his newfound strength and an arsenal of trick arrows, Speedy evolved into a hero in his own league.
Conner Kent
Conner Kent, a.k .a. Superboy’s origin story, is a genetically engineered hybrid clone! Yep, Conner is made from the DNA strands of Superman (Kal-El) and Lex Luthor, aimed to be used as a weapon against the Kryptonian. To Luther’s dismay, Conner flips the script and joins the young justice crew.
Starting off as Superman’s clone and sidekick, Superboy packs super strength, flight, heat vision, and tactile telekinesis. In layman’s terms, Conner is a whole superhero buffet. With time, Conner also joins the Teen Titans crew and proves he’s a hero in a league of his own.
So, this was our top picks for the best sidekicks in DC Comics. Did your favorite make the cut? Leave a comment below and let us know!