What are the most forgettable, stupid, ridiculous superheroes and supervillains?

[Zsinj]

I've found that in reading comics, especially the older ones there is an abundance of cheesy superheroes and supervillains, but, there is also an abundance of just absolutely stupid, forgettable, ridiculous superheroes and villains that are so bad, they actually make the cheesy ones look good! I can't remember all the ones I've found, but I recall a few, such as Hour Man and The Metal Men from Dc Comics and the Space Phantom from Marvel Comics. So, what are the ones you guys have come across?

[saintjon]

Blow Hard (he blows, hard)

The Dude in the Really Rad Armour was pretty craptacular too.

[Severance]

My vote has to go to Arm-Fall-Off-Boy who showed up at the Legion of Super-Heroes try-outs and who could detach his arm
For some inexplicable reason they never let him in.
Bouncing boy and Matter-Eater Lad also had lame powers but were excellent characters and played a large role in Giffens 5 years later Legion.

[Zsinj]

Oops! I notice in the title I put unforgettable. I meant forgettable.

[Blackwing]

I guess I've seen quite a few of them. I think every superhero who has been around for more than a couple of years has them. For example Spiderman had an enemy who could summon spots in the middle of the air and had an ally who could hop around like a giant rabbit...

Most of the ridiculous bunch have only been seen in one issue and mercifully I've seem to have forgotten most of them.

[Titan2420]

You want idiotic characters? Oh, I have a dozen long-boxes (and a couple shorties) FULL of dumb characters. Let me pull a couple out for you:

Black Racer: A man who can deal death with but a single touch. Rides a pale horse, you ask? Uh, no. Try a pair of "celestial skis". Yes, as in the downhill racing type. Somehow I don't see a black guy in a ski helmet shushing into a room in the midnight lee on a pair of Rossignols as the headliner for a new horror franchise. (This super idiot made his first appearance in DC's New Gods #3). Dumb factor: 8 /10.

Legion of Substitute Super-Heroes: Sure, the REAL Legion has Bouncing Boy (which I'm convinced was a cover for his TRUE hero name: Lactose Intolerance Lad), but THIS group has winners such as: Chlorophyll Kid, Color Kid, Double-Header (because he's got, well, two heads...get it? DOUBLE-header?), Infectious Lass (a descendant of Pam Anderson, no doubt), Polar Boy, Stone Boy (not to be confused with the 30th Century's waste of space, STONED Boy, the great-great-grandchild of Courtney Love), and my personal favorite...Porcupine Pete! I don't understand how bad guys are supposed to shake in their boots when a dozen of these special needs kids step off the short bus. (This craptacular team made its debut, again in DC Comics, in Adventure Comics #306). Dumb factor: 9/10.

And this week's moronic character comes from the pages of Batman:

Scarface! Is it the man behind the puppet (with the fear inducing nom de guerre of...The Ventriloquist! {yawn}) who's the evil genius, or is it the dummy himself, Scarface? Who cares, they're so lame that Bats should only need to sneeze hard to knock them out. Yet time after time after time, the man who went toe-to-toe with Superman, the man who has a dozen black belts in a dozen different martial arts, the man who's very costume induces fear in the criminal element....gets his ass handed to him by a PUPPET! Come on, people, you can't be serious!! Batman can take down the maniacal Joker but suffers at the hands of a fat guy who throws his voice??? I actually find myself DUMBER just from reading one of these ridiculous issues. (First appearance: who cares! Just don't plague us with him ever again!) Dumb factor 15/10.

[Zsinj]

You don't like Scarface and the Ventriloquist?! He happens to be one of my favorite Batman villains! I really like his psychotic nature and split personality. Oh well, to each his own, I guess.
I remember these two really lame supervillains in the old Captain America comics by Jack Kirby, but I can't remember their names, one of them was this French supervillain (yes, you heard me right, FRENCH) whose power was that he could do acrobats, and then there was this other supervillain whose costume looked almost identical to the costume that French villain was wearing and had equally ridiculous powers. Anyone remember these guys names?
You know, when I was reading these comics (and this was in one of those Marvel Essential Captain America Collections) I thought, Man, the episodes where ol' Cap went up against Red Skull and the Nazis rocked, why do they have to ruin all the good things those episodes gave to this series by putting in these two crappy villains?

[Rob B]

Originally Posted by Zsinj

I remember these two really lame supervillains in the old Captain America comics by Jack Kirby, but I can't remember their names, one of them was this French supervillain (yes, you heard me right, FRENCH) whose power was that he could do acrobats,

Zat would be Batroc the Leaper.

I always thought the Daredevil villain Stilt-man was really dumb, but then again, I think Daredevil is a really crappy character.

I also think Power Girl is kind of annoying.

[Zsinj]

Yep, that was it! Batroc the Leaper! Man, was he lame! And I've never heard of someone disliking Daredevil!

[Rob B]

Well, I fully admit to enjoying DC much more than Marvel, but Daredevil never held any appeal for me whatsoever.

[Dude]

I generally think Daredevil is awful and the majority of his enemies, they're usually quite tame.
From DC I think the Hulk always has the worst enemies, they're all samey and pointless, but then, the Hulk is just annoying as well.

[Titan2420]

First off, in reply to 'Dude', Hulk is not DC. Had to get that squared away and off my chest or I'd not be able to sleep tonight.

Now, speaking of the House That Superman Built (DC Comics I'm referring to, not the Fortress of Solitude), let me pull some more treasure from their trash. I present to you the Demolition Team (first appeared in Green Lantern #176), a team of highly skilled professional mercenaries with fear inducing names like Rosie (the Riveter. I kid you not. She wields a gun that fires red-hot rivets. Lame quotient 17 out of 10. I'da fired this writer on the spot.), Hardhat, Jackhammer, Scoopshovel, and Steamroller. Last seen getting their asses handed to them by Bob the Builder.

Next up, I present Earthworm. Not Earthworm Jim, either. No, that would be a step up (and before you mock me, have you SEEN that cartoon? An hour of that and Freakazoid and I'm in need of a pair of adult Depends.). This guy is so ridiculous, even his alter ego, Herbie Hynde, is idiotic. First appeared in Wonder Woman #309 and is probably single-handedly responsible for that series ending. He fell before the might of the Huntress (who may as well be called Batwoman. Come on, who is DC trying to kid here?) who probably defeated him by exposing him to the sun on a hot sidewalk.

And because I don't want to be blamed for partisanship, I culled a real carat from Marvel. A hero this time, and his name is: Night Thrasher. Or, as he's known in the UK, That Junior Black Panther Rip-Off. Thrash, as he was known on the New Warriors, had money. He had the attitude. And he had...the skateboard? Yes, he did. And despite how lame he was, he STILL managed to go toe to toe with the Punisher, which doesn't go very far to upping Punny's street cred in the Marvel U.

Actually, come to think of it, Punny is perilously close to joining the list. The only thing saving him is "The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe". If you haven't read it, you're not a Marvel comics fan.

[Dude]

My mistake, I originally used to think that and for some reason I still write it even though I know it's not true! Ok, so basically, heroes in DC suck, and villains in marvel suck (plus the Hulk!!!)

[Titan2420]

Now now, before we start on with maligning the big Two we must remember the old adage: There are no stupid characters, only stupid writers who create them. It's just like when you go to a bookstore and pick up the latest bestseller about a woman on a camping trip being kidnapped by a Bigfoot (or Sasquatch for those of you part owners of gambling casinos in New England) and she ends up falling in love with the misunderstood creature (actually, it's NOT a bestseller, but it IS a book and I have seen it with my own eyes). Now, do you say nasty things about the author? No. You voice your discontent with the publisher because THEY gave life to that drivel. (Or sitcoms. Should I hate Jerry Seinfeld because I find him SO not funny? No. I vent towards NBC who thought his shtick was genius.) Same with comics. You may hate Hulk, but the arc written by Bruce Jones was some damn good writing. Brian Michael Bendis with Daredevil has turned that character from a has been (since the time of Frank Miller and David Mazzuchalli's Born Again (#227-#234-ish) storyline.

So yes, these characters are crap. But a good writer could take dung heap and build a castle. They just don't do it that often.

[Surt]

The Spot!

http://www.spiderfan.org/characters/spot.html