10 Most Powerful DC Heroes Who Completely Vanished, Ranked

This universe boasts incredibly strong characters, both good and evil, like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Darkseid. Their powers are often central to the stories told within it. However, just as many gifted individuals have mysteriously disappeared, despite possessing significant abilities.

Many powerful DC heroes surprisingly had very short runs, sometimes only appearing in a single story or storyline. This happened for different reasons – some were tied to the cancellation of specific publishing projects, while others simply weren’t popular with readers and were quickly forgotten.

DC Barely Did Anything With Sideways

Sideways was a new DC superhero introduced during the “New Age of DC Heroes” event. This young character could travel between dimensions and initially used his abilities to seek popularity. Like many other new heroes created at the time, DC hoped Sideways would become a major success. While he possessed considerable power – including superhuman strength and dimensional travel – he ultimately didn’t achieve lasting popularity.

I always really liked Sideways when he first came out during DC’s New Age of Heroes, but it’s a shame he didn’t stick around. The whole line didn’t really take off, and he kind of faded into obscurity. He’s popped up in a few comics here and there since then, but nothing major. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll ever be a huge character, which is a bit frustrating because he actually had a lot of potential – especially considering how DC sometimes brings back lesser-known heroes!

Vibe Got a New 52 Glow-up – and DC Did Nothing With It

Vibe, a DC Comics character who originally relied on sound-based powers and was often seen as a stereotype, was revamped in the New 52 series. His new abilities allowed him to manipulate time and space, making him a significantly more powerful hero. Despite this upgrade and even being a member of the Justice League of America, the character unfortunately remained unpopular and was often considered a joke.

After his comic book series ended in the New 52, the character Vibe largely disappeared, even though that version of him influenced later appearances. His unique ability to travel between dimensions was originally presented as a major threat, even capable of stopping The Flash, but that potential was never explored. Now, this once-popular character seems to have faded into obscurity.

Matrix Supergirl Wasn’t Even a Kryptonian

When DC Comics rebooted its storylines, they decided Superman should be the last person from his home planet, Krypton. This created a challenge when introducing Supergirl. Instead of being his cousin, she was reimagined as a being called ‘Matrix’ – a shapeshifting lifeform from another universe. This alternate reality was created by a heroic version of Lex Luthor, and Matrix mimicked Superman’s appearance with a similar costume. Friends called her ‘Mae.’ Later, Matrix merged with the spirit of a girl named Linda, becoming a unique ‘Earth angel,’ further separating her from the original Supergirl.

The Matrix version of Supergirl faded into obscurity, essentially lost and forgotten, which ironically fit her character’s focus on faith. She was quickly replaced by a newer Supergirl, and hasn’t been referenced in DC Comics for many years – a situation that’s unlikely to change. Though not as powerful as Superman, she bravely protected Metropolis after his death and proved to be a significant hero in her own time.

Strange Visitor Randomly Came Back Before Being Forgotten Again

Strange Visitor, a childhood friend of Clark Kent, was named after a famous description of Superman. She received the power of Kismet from a cosmic being, granting her abilities like controlling electromagnetism and traveling between stars. After the Crisis event, she bravely sacrificed herself to stop Imperiex, a villain similar to Galactus from Marvel comics. However, she was briefly resurrected during the DC Rebirth storyline.

So, this character called Strange Visitor popped up in a Supergirl comic back in 2018, but honestly, it didn’t really go anywhere. She just… disappeared again. It’s kinda weird because it made me wonder if her death from before was retconned or just ignored. There’s a ton of potential with her, but it feels like DC just isn’t interested in doing anything with her, which is a shame.

Faith’s Potential Was Never Fulfilled

I always thought Faith was a really interesting addition to the Justice League, even if she started out as a sort of ‘on-call’ member. She was seriously powerful, though! Not only was she well-trained in combat, but her mind was incredible – she had super strong telepathy and telekinesis. What really stood out to me was how she could calm things down during a fight and help the other heroes work as a team. That’s actually what got Batman’s approval, which is saying something! Sadly, even with all that, she didn’t stay with the League for very long.

Faith disappeared after a vampire bit her, though rumors circulated that the military continued to use her as a weapon. Despite appearing in nearly 50 comic issues—a surprisingly large number considering she’s largely been forgotten—her potential was never fully realized. Specifically, the full scope of her ability to calm others was never explored, making her a surprisingly underappreciated member of the Justice League.

El Dorado Debuted in a Classic DC Cartoon

El Dorado first appeared in the classic Super Friends cartoon as part of an effort to create a more diverse team. While his exact powers were never fully explained, he was incredibly strong—even able to fight characters like Kalibak—and potentially could fly, teleport, and use mental abilities. Later, he was reintroduced in modern comic books, leading a team of other Mexican superheroes.

El Dorado has shown up in comics like Doomsday Clock, a follow-up to another series, but hasn’t had a significant role there or in stories featuring Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad. As a result, the character has largely been forgotten. This is mainly because DC Comics hasn’t focused much on characters from the Super Friends series, even though El Dorado, and others, could be valuable members of the wider superhero world.

Ulysses Was a Reverse Superman

Ulysses first appeared in DC’s New 52 comics with a backstory similar to Superman’s: he was sent to another dimension as a baby to survive, and eventually returned to Earth to find his home world still existed. This experience gave him incredible powers, making him a formidable ally – even a match for Superman. While he eventually became a villain, Ulysses was initially a compelling character within Superman’s stories.

After the New 52 run of Superman by Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr., the character Ulysses disappeared, despite being a strong and interesting hero who could be reintroduced. Showing his life as a stark contrast to Superman’s would be particularly compelling now that Superman’s original history has largely been reinstated. Plus, Ulysses would be a unique and welcome addition to the Superman supporting cast, as he isn’t another Kryptonian.

Bloodwynd Was Initially Another DC Hero Entirely

During the period surrounding the “Death of Superman” storyline, the Justice League wasn’t at full strength and was missing some of its key heroes. One of the most puzzling members at the time was Bloodwynd, who was eventually revealed to actually be the Martian Manhunter suffering from amnesia. While Bloodwynd was later developed as his own distinct character with a magical origin, he didn’t have much opportunity to stand out independently.

Bloodwynd hadn’t been featured in comics for a long time, practically disappearing by the early 2000s. While he’s started appearing again, he’s not considered one of DC’s most powerful magic users. He has an ability similar to the ‘Penance Stare,’ but generally only makes brief appearances.

Apollo Has Gone the Way of Most Other Wildstorm Characters

Apollo, like Mr. Majestic, was created as a parallel to Superman within the Wildstorm Universe. When Wildstorm merged with DC Comics, these characters were brought into the main DC Universe, even though it created some inconsistencies. DC tried to integrate the Wildstorm heroes, especially during the New 52 reboot, but this wasn’t very successful, and they’ve continued to attempt it multiple times since then.

Apollo hasn’t been featured much in recent DC comics because his character doesn’t quite fit within the main DC Universe. He’s essentially a darker version of Superman, and that’s less compelling when the real Superman is around. It’s difficult to envision a significant role for Apollo unless he’s placed in a separate universe. Plus, he isn’t as well-loved as his partner, Midnighter, who’s a unique take on the classic Batman character.

Triumph Was the Most Hated Justice League Member

Triumph wasn’t a popular member of the Justice League – many found him irritating. He often acted as if he was always right and could be quite harsh, and some questioned his motives for being a hero. It’s ironic, then, that he possessed incredibly powerful abilities related to electromagnetism and wavelengths, strong enough to even potentially kill Superman. Despite this power, Triumph died in a fairly unremarkable way and has largely been forgotten.

Triumph was deliberately written as a flawed and unlikable character, inspired by a real editor at DC Comics. This unpopularity with both the writers and fans is likely why he’s largely been forgotten. While a major story overhaul could potentially bring him back as a member of the Justice League, his negative reception means there’s little incentive to do so.

2025-11-16 02:46