The 5 Greatest Supporting Characters in Comic Books

Keep in mind that I am excluding love interests, that will come at another time.

I strongly believe that the best comic book heroes come with a strong supporting cast (Superman, Batman, Spider-Man). I hardly ever see other websites or blogs pay homage to these special characters who are heroes (or villains) in their own rights.

5.) Abe Sapien

Abe Sapien is different from other characters on this list for the fact that he is not a human, but he is still very special to my heart and childhood. Abe is on this list for his importance to the Hellboy series, and for the fact that he is smarter than most human characters (and real people) that I know. This is by far the coolest fish guy that I know (sorry, Mermaid Man).

4.) Uncle Ben

Every detail that makes Spider-Man one of the greatest heroes I know stems from Uncle Ben. Without the wisdom of Uncle Ben, Spidey would be an entirely different character. Who knows? Without Ben, Spider-Man could have even become a villain. Thank you, Uncle Ben, for teaching us all that “With great power, comes great responsibility”.

3.) Commissioner Jim Gordon

Commissioner Gordon is such a great character. Jim Gordon makes this list for several reasons. First of all, he is the father of Bat-Girl. Second, he has got to have one of the toughest jobs in the world (possibly even tougher than that of The Dark Knight). It is obvious that the man has a hand full with Gotham, and he handles it like a champion. But, most of all, I think that Jim Gordon is one of the biggest heroes of comic book history, certainly the biggest hero in a list of supporting characters. Gordon could handle himself and his city in the absence of Batman, and that is why he is one of the greatest supporting characters in the comic book world.

2.) J. Jonah Jameson

Phew, say this guys name 5 times fast and you are a hero yourself. I’ll go ahead and admit that his presence on this list might consist of 40% Mustache and 60% who cares about the other stuff. But, I guess you guys might care about the other stuff. To be honest, I care about the other stuff as well, I just couldn’t pass up a chance to talk about his legendary mustache. Back on the point though, this guy is hilarious. He is a tremendous pain in the butt and makes sure that Spider-Man has a rough time dealing with already rough situations. This character adds a lot of material and fun to one of the greatest comic books of all time and that is why he is on this list.

1.) Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Pennyworth is just as, if not more, reliable and heroic as Batman himself. Not only does Alfred provide support to one of the most iconic characters with the one of the biggest and baddest villains rosters, but he also proves himself to be a fun character as well. Alfred is one of my personal heroes, and that is a big reason why he is on this list. He is one of the greatest fathers that I have ever heard of, and he helped shape and add depth to one of the darkest characters in the history of comic books.

Photos Courtesy of:

Abe Sapien- http://www.mwctoys.com/

Uncle Ben- http://www.comicbook.com

Jim Gordon- http://teamyorusoi.forumotion.com

J. Jonah Jameson- http://www.comicbookmovie.com

Alfred Pennyworth- http://www.comicbookreligion.com