If you ask anyone what kind of superpower they would like, the initial response would be that they would like the power of flight, with good reason. The ability to just up and leave would be such a bomb power to have.
You can get anywhere you need in a few hours, and the combat applications are endless. Of course, in a comic world where everyone can fly, having wings doesn’t seem like much of a power. However, some heroes have made that their identity, and boy, do they look good doing it?
There are, of course, many heroes who don’t have wings and fly just the same. There are advantages to that, but who are we kidding?
Wings just look cool.
It would make anyone look like an angel, a savior. They would be someone you can look up to. We’re here to look at a few superheroes who have actual wings and are experts at using them. They have found ways to use it to their tactical advantage; at this point, it would feel wrong to see them without it.
While some are born with it, others rely on technology to get what they need. We love all kinds of winged heroes. So, Here are the best superheroes who have wings.
Let’s go!
Contents:
#15 Dawn Granger (Dove)
First Appearance: Showcase #75 (1968)
We kick this list off with Dove. For those who are fans of the Titans show, Dove requires no introduction. She quickly becomes a favorite among viewers, and rightly so. While Dove is the voice of reason in the group and the natural beacon for peace, those are the only two attributes that are accurate to her comic-book counterpart.
On paper, Dove (Dawn Granger) is the second of her name. She is the avatar of peace. The fact that they chose a dove to be the symbol for the character is a bit on the nose, but hey, it works. Dove received her powers after the death of the original, Don Hall, and went on to find and join forces with the Original Hawk as well.
There is a natural tendency to gravitate towards Dove because it exudes peace. The demeanor and overall look scream order. Dove can even emit a white light that turns out to be a great asset in the fight against Nekron and his forces during Blackest Night.
Powers:
- Dove transformation
- Superhuman agility
- Hypervigilance
- Concentrated radiance
#14 Raven
First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 (1980)
If you grew up watching Teen Titans, then you know exactly who Raven is, and there is a good chance you were mesmerized by her. Don’t worry. You were probably not the only one.
Raven has always been a force for good in the DC continuum, but ties to her dark past always pull at her. Raven, also known as Rachel Roth, is the half-breed daughter of Angela Roth and the demon Emperor, Trigon.
Born with the Demon blood inside her, Raven also exhibited dark powers at a very early age. She was taken to an alternate dimension called Azarath by her mother, and it was there that she learned to control her powers and emotions.
Raven went on to become a very prominent member of the Teen Titans and has played a significant role in several storylines.
You don’t see Raven spreading her wings too often, but when she does, you would rather not be around for the wrath that comes with it. Her wings are made of what can only be described as dark energy and appear when she goes a little out of control. If the wings come out, it is simply a sign for the bad guys to run.
Powers:
- Master of dark magic
- Illusions
- Teleportation
- Precognition
- Astral projection
- Psionic
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#13 Zauriel
First Appearance: JLA #6 (1997)
We are privy to divine beings as part of the comic book world. DC comics lean into the whole God thing and their narrative towards Angel. So, We don’t need to tell you, you’ve probably watched Lucifer.
One such divine warrior is Zauriel, who is part of the Eagle Host of Angels. He has been a Guardian Angel under the hand of the “Presence” and was tasked with protecting many vital women throughout history, including Joan of Arc and Cleopatra.
However, Zauriel left his position and came to earth searching for love. A bit of a romantic, this one. He goes to join the Justice League and is a significant member in the fight against the King-Bull angel, Asmodel. Also, Zauriel is the current owner of the Angel, Michael’s sword.
Being an angel, his powers were divine, and he was no less than a God. After being punished with mortality by the other Angel Hosts, Zauriel still retains most of his powers, including his flight. If you want people to believe you’re an angel, the wings will help.
Powers:
- Red sea trick
- Sonic scream
- Self-sustenance
- Immortality
- Expert swordsman
#12 Bumblebee
First Appearance: Teen Titans #48 (1977)
Karen Beecher, or Bumblebee, is one of the newer members of the Teen Titans. She has been frequently on the Young Justice TV show and is the Girlfriend of Mal Duncan (Herald).
Karen, at the time, did not possess any superpowers as such, but she noticed that Mal had been feeling unworthy of his place in the Teen Titans. So, armed with her genius-level intellect and knowledge of all things science, Karen created a suit of armor.
Using this armor, Bumblebee successfully attacked the Teen Titans with the sole purpose of making her boyfriend look good. Funnily, the whole ruse worked out so well that she was even offered a spot on the team.
Although the character seems to be inspired by an entire roster of other winged characters, Bumblebee does bring a certain charm to the table. This is visible in her appearances on the Young Justice show. Karen’s quirkiness is a nice balance to the Stoic demeanor of Mal.
Bumblebee makes excellent use of her wings when in the shrunken mode. She has become proficient in her aerial skills, which, combined with her energy blasts, makes her a grave threat. Don’t let the adorable name fool you.
Powers:
- High-tech battle suit
- Enhanced agility
- Sonic force blasts
- Electrical stings
#11 Jean Grey (Phoenix)
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #101 (1976)
Marvel Girl is one of the most powerful heroes in the entire Marvel comic universe. Upon reaching her true untapped potential, it is said that she would be able to do anything. So far, it feels like we’ve seen everything as well. Except for the fact that she does not have wings. So, why is she on this list, you ask? The Phoenix force.
When possessed by this celestial force of nature, Jean Grey emulated the Phoenix’s form and had fiery wings as well. It’s not that she needed it, though.
Jean was already able to fly with ease using her Telekinesis. The wings were merely the Phoenix making its presence known, and boy, is it cool. We get to see something very close on the big screen during the events of X-Men Dark Phoenix. The wings appear to show themselves when the host is bursting with power. Most vessels of the Phoenix have been shown to have wings at some point or the other.
However, even the Phoenix Force believes that Jean Grey is the closest thing to an actual physical embodiment. With it, Jean is a hundred times more powerful. It would be a scary day if she learned to control it fully.
Powers:
- Telepathy
- Telekinesis
- Energy projection
- Mind control
- Energy barriers
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#10 Batwing (Luke Fox)
First Appearance: Batwing #19 (2013)
Batman certainly has many sidekicks. One of the latest additions to the Bat-family is Lucas Fox, son of Lucius Fox, former president and CEO of Wayne Enterprises.
The apple did not fall too far from the tree on this one, and Luke Fox exhibited the same or higher intellect than his father. Luke Fax was the first choice to become the Batman of Africa after the retirement of the original, David Zavimbe. Of course, Batwing 2.0 was new and improved in ways that even shocked Batman.
Luke’s genius, combined with his incredible combat skills, make him a warrior comparable to Bruce Wayne himself. Luke goes on to create a suit that is further ahead in tech. It has an arsenal of weapons, the main ones being the bat-a-rang projector and, yes, the winged jetpack.
We see Luke in action in the Batman: Bad Blood Animated movie, and he has become the in-house aerial expert. Batwing seems to use his wings with absolute precision, and with his expert marksmanship, he becomes nearly impossible to catch.
Hey, if Batman likes him, we like him.
Powers:
- Genius tech-wiz
- Expert martial artist
- Bat-a-ran projectiles
- High-tech weapons arsenal
#9 Wasp
First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #44 (1963)
The Wasp is one of the more famous superheroes on this roster and an original Avenger. Introduced as one side of the coin of the insect duo, Antman and The Wasp, this hero certainly does have a sting to her.
Hope Van Dyne is the second person to hold the title after Janet Van Dyne. Like her mother, Hope does not have inherent powers and relies on the Pym Particles to power their suits.
The Wasp suit is a high-tech battle armor equipped with an arsenal of weapons, including the ability to shrink to incredibly small sizes. While pretty much every other feature is similar to the Antman suit, the defining factor is the wings.
The Wasp’s wings are true to her name and a big part of her combat tactics. The tiny wings enable Hope to navigate through challenging aerial situations with ease, and even the toughest villains wouldn’t be able to see her coming.
The pair of Hope Van Dyne and Scott Lang on the big screen was a comedic breath of fresh air, and the chemistry was just out of this world. People naturally gravitate towards the Wasp because of her elegance and almost flawless fighting style. Not to mention that she is simply a Badass.
Powers:
- Size manipulation
- Telepathic link with insects
- Energy blasts
- Enhanced agility
#8 Falcon
First Appearance: Captain America #117 (1969)
The Falcon started as a helping hand for Captain America but quickly grew in popularity to the point where he was next in line to hold the mantle of Captain.
Sam Wilson, in the comic, had a unique story about how he became the bird-based hero. While not going too deep into that, just know that the Falcon’s original winged harness was made for him by the Black Panther, and it is from this harness that Sam starts his journey. Eventually, he becomes a regular partner to Captain America, and the duo is just great together.
Being an ex-military man, Falcon was already an expert in hand-to-hand combat and war strategy. Sam was already fighting alongside Captain America before he got his wings. He was brought up as an upstanding member of his society and always ready to help anyone in need.
So, when Steve Rogers asked Sam, there was very little hesitation. This is also what made the readers fall in love with the Falcon. He was ready to fight for good, regardless of his condition. The perfect Captain America candidate.
The Falcon goes on to adopt the mantle of Captain America while still wearing his harness. The fine-tuned piece of Wakanda tech makes Sam a dangerous opponent. He has mastered his aerial attacking strategies and even has limited telepathic links to birds, which he often uses as a distraction.
Powers:
- Telepathic link with birds
- Expert fighter
- Flight via wing harness
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#7 Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)
First Appearance: Infinite Crisis #5 (2006)
The Blue Beetle is one interesting specimen. Jaime Reyes is the third person to hold this title and does so after he finds the original alien scarab. After bonding with this piece of alien technology, Jaime is granted an exoskeleton suit of Armor, equipped with various weapons that even he still has yet to fully discover.
To stay agreeing with the whole insect-based narrative, Blue Beetle has his insect counterpart-like wings. This alien version of scarab wings enables Jaime to travel at incredible speeds and is a major part of his fight cache. Other than that, the suit also gives him the ability to shoot energy blasts from his hands and give him the ability to speak to technology.
This particular Blue Beetle is a favorite and a very frequent member of the Teen Titans. Though prophesied to be a harbinger of eventual doom, Jaime’s innocence and moral compass usually win the day. He eventually creates a working partnership with his alien piggie-backer.
Jaime’s teenage demeanor and candor make him an instant favorite, and the onscreen character (Young Justice) stays very true to his chirpy comic counterpart. The live-action Blue Beetle movie will be an interesting watch.
Powers:
- Alien technology
- Energy blasts
- Camouflage
- Technopathy
- Scarab light
#6 Batman Beyond
First Appearance: Batman Beyond, vol.1 (1999)
Terry McGinnis made his debut as the Batman of the future in the Batman Beyond Animated series, and it was love at first sight. Bruce Wayne’s Batman is the epitome of badass, pure entertainment, and stepping into those shoes is never easy. We’ve seen others try, and it just feels wrong.
However, when Terry took over, it truly was a good day. Under the guidance of an older Bruce Wayne, Terry quickly becomes a force to reckon with. Armed with cutting-edge technology, Terry goes on to fight the criminals of Gotham and eventually even joins a new version of the Justice League.
What makes this character so cool is the bat suit. In contrast to the original, this suit covers all parts of the skin and ditches the iconic cape. While that does sound quite sad, Batman Beyond makes it work. One of the more attractive parts of this futuristic suit is the red wings that come with it. Jetpack enabled, these wings allow Terry to Fly around Gotham at high speeds. Couple with its Camouflage tech, this bat-suit is the ultimate stealth weapon.
Terry McGinnis gives us young Bruce vibes, which is probably why the show worked so well. The storytelling possibilities with this one are endless.
Powers:
- Expert martial artist
- Tech-wiz
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#5 Hawkgirl
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #34 (1961)
Fans of the Justice League Animated series are familiar with this winged Hero. The current holder of this title is Kendra Saunders. The Hawkgirl mantel has been held by many over the years, and yet, you can say that it was all the same person. It’s a whole reincarnation thing.
Armed with an Nth metal mace, Hawkgirl is a powerful force to reckon with. There are instances of the hero landing devastating blows at powerhouses like Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Yep, She means business.
Hawkgirl owes her power to a belt made of Nth metal, a substance that originates from her home planet of Thanegar. This belt is what gives her power of flight, along with an array of other powers. The most interesting part about this character is that she retains the knowledge of all her other lifetimes.
It gets a bit confusing at one point because the reincarnation aspect takes different shapes. Here, Kendra Saunders is a woman who took her life, and then Shierra Hol’s (the original Hawkgirl) soul took control of her body.
A defining trait of this character is her rage. Not to say that it is blind nor unreasonable, but when on an anger kick, it’s near impossible to stop her.
Powers:
- Weapons specialist
- Super-acute vision
- Enhanced durability
- Retain fight knowledge from previous lives
#4 Hawkman
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #34 (1961)
Carter Hall is the male counterpart of Hawkgirl and the current incarnation of the winged hero. We recently got to see him live in action alongside Black Adam.
Every comic book aficionado’s dream. Carter, like Hawkgirl, has been reincarnated many times, and he and his female counterpart are stuck in a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth. Only to find each other in every life.
Like Hawkgirl, Hawkman’s powers are owed to the Nth metal as well. The first property discovered about this metal was its ability to negate gravity. Which is probably why Hawkman’s flight capabilities are so good. As both a member of the Justice Society and the Justice League, Hawkman is considered to be a live wire and quick to anger.
In an exciting turn of events, during the events of Blackest Night, it was revealed that the Zamarons had stolen the bodies of the very first Hawkman and Hawkgirl incarnations- Prince Khufu and Chay-Ara. These bodies were using the Zamaron Central Battery, and their love was the Star Sapphire’s power source. That’s quite cute. Diabolical but cute.
Powers:
- Super strength
- Reincarnation
- Regenerative capabilities
- Enhanced senses and vision
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#3 Namor
First Appearance: Marvel Comics no. 1 (1939)
Winged feet are still considered to have wings. Namor is one of the oldest characters on this roster and, as of the latest Black Panther movie, is one of the most respected Marvel characters.
Namor is first a king and then a hero. His nation’s interests have put him at odds with earth’s heroes several times, yet there is a sense of honor among these mighty warriors. Except for Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic doesn’t like him for obvious wife-stealing-related reasons.
Born with mutant-Atlantean physiology, Namor is a unique specimen and one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has control over the seas and all the life inside it. The most intriguing attribute of this character is his winged feet, which are said to be a product of his X-gene.
In contrast to his aquatic physiology, Namor uses his winged feet to fly at incredible speeds. We see this used to perfection in the latest Black Panther installation. Namor is shown zipping past Wakanda’s High-tech ships with absolute ease. This indicates his wings’ evasive capabilities, making him a threat both in the sea and air. Not a bad advantage to have.
Powers:
- Aquatic breathing/physiology
- Swimming at sonic speeds
- Telepathy
- Control of marine life
- Hydrokinesis
#2 Venom
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988)
Though initially a dangerous foe to Spider-man, we’ll grow to love and cherish the alien symbiote, owed mainly to his recent transformation into someone who is at least trying to be good. Eddie Brock, the host of Venom, has changed the symbiote and its priorities. Something even Spider-man struggled with.
Venom has not been portrayed as having wings for most of its existence. That is a relatively new addition to an already overflowing roster of powers. In Venom #5, We see Venom debuting his new dragon-like wings and flying Mile Morales to safety.
Ever since the Knull storyline, Venom seems to be getting infinitely more powerful, and it is said that he probably learned this new trick after entering Knull, the God of the Symbiotes.
Venom has garnered the love of many with his redemption story of going from an alien refuge to the one who defeated the manifestation of the Void, Knull, and in turn, saved the universe. Definitely a good one to have on your resume.
Powers:
- Shapeshifting
- Change form
- Body control
- Autonomous defense
- Camouflage
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#1 Angel
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963)
When you think of Winged Superheroes, Angel is the first to come to mind. Warren Worthington lll was born with the X-gene and into a very wealthy family. Though he started as a masked vigilante known as the Avenging Angel, he was later recruited by the X-Men.
However, there was a lot of friction within the team because Angel’s upbringing was one of the great privileges, making it hard for him to take orders.
Angel goes on to become the Horseman of Death for Apocalypse and undergoes extensive genetic alterations to get organic metal wings. These metal wings can throw razor-sharp feathers and can cut through anything. Later, He adopts the name of Archangel and becomes the most powerful of Apocalypse’s Horsemen.
Powers:
- Poisonous feather projection
- Razor sharp feathers
- Areal adaptation
- Archangel form
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Honorable Mentions
Apart from the listicle, Here are a few more superheroes with wings that are worthy of mentioning.
- Nighthawk
- Winged Victory
- Pixie
- Hawk woman
- Black Condor
With this, we come to the end of our list of winged heroes. These great heroes swoop in when it’s time to save the world, and they have seldom failed. Well, Who is your favorite winged superhero?
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Later, nerds.
