Comicbooks are one of the several tools which provide an escape route from our daily boring life. The comic pages are always colourful and entertaining, with several characters in different colours.
Now, this article deals with the comic book characters associated with the colour purple.
As a regular reader, you might have already read this kind of topic from other writers, but I’ve also tried my best in this category, and I hope you’ll enjoy this listicle.
Beware, as some facts will surprise you, but hold onto your breath and be with us on this journey of 15 Superheroes Who Are Or Wear Purple.
With all that out of our way, Let’s dive right in.
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#15 Machine Man
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 (1977)
Machine Man is the sole survivor of a government project, X-51. His creator Dr. Abel Stack raised him as a son. After growing up, He became a member of the West Coast Avengers Team, but Sentinel Technology corrupted him and made him dislike the human race.
The purple android always faced a problem blending into Human society. Humans don’t accept him as a conscious robot, and he spent most of his years running from the government.
Meanwhile, Machine Man made some friends like Peter Spaulding and Gears Garvin. He took a job in human disguise at an insurance company to understand more about human psychology, and Pam Quinn later became his love interest.
Powers:
- Electronic interaction
- Energy Shield
- Escape Artist
- Flight
- Blast Power
- Elasticity
- Gadgets
#14 Gambit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #266 (1990)
Even though Gambit is a member of the X-Men, He is a criminal and a skilled martial artist with a charming personality.
His father left Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, for his unusual red-on-black eyes as he thought the child was of satanic origin.
Gambit’s mutant ability converts potential energy in inanimate objects into kinetic energy, so he throws kinetically-charged playing cards at his opponents to explode.
The mutant’s on and off romantic relationship with Rogue is the fun part of his comic book storyline. Our mutant became a Horsemen of Apocalypse, and this event enhanced his powers to an all-new level.
Gambit is a very popular fictional character with a great fan following. Despite his popularity, he was not given significant screen time in any major live-action X-Men movies. Comics portray him as an anti-hero with cool iconic card throwing abilities like real-world magicians.
Powers:
- Blast Power
- Energy Manipulation
- Energy-Enhanced Strike
- Escape Artist
- Agility
- Gadgets
- Unarmed Combat
- Healing
- Hypnosis
- Leadership
- Marksmanship
- Stamina
- Stealth
- SuperSpeed
#13 Batgirl
Publisher: DC Comics
First Appearance: Detective Comics #359 (1967)
DC Comics introduced Betty Kane as the first Batgirl. Later, Barbara Gordon became the modern age Batgirl we all knew.
Being the daughter of the GCPD’s Commissioner, Barbara always disliked crime, which turned her towards the one man who strikes fear in the hearts of criminals, “The Batman.”
Proclaimed as one of the most complex characters to write by the critics, the teenager immediately knew who her idol would be.
When Barbara was in college, Her excellent martial arts skills caught the eyes of Batman. After a long argument with Nightwing, Batsy finally accepts her as part of the Bat Family.
As for her relationships, she had quite a few of them with the members of the Batfamily, which includes the likes of Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne himself.
Our teenage Bat-hero was portrayed as a campy character in the comics. But her personality drastically changed at the end of the Batman: The Killing Joker storyline.
So, Are you dying to see her?
Don’t worry. Batgirl is on her way to HBO Max.
Powers:
- Intellect
- Gadgets
- Stamina
- Stealth
- Tracking
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#12 Huntress
Publisher: DC Comics
First Appearance: Huntress#1 (1989)
There are three versions of Huntresses in the comics, namely Paula Brooks, Helena Wayne, and Helena Bertinelli.
Paula Brooks’ Huntress comes from the Golden Age of comics, and she was portrayed as a villain. Later creators took away her title of Huntress and renamed her Tigress.
Now comes Helena Wayne, another forgotten version of the Huntress.
Helena was born as the daughter of Selina and Bruce. This second version of Huntress’s existence was eradicated from everyone’s memories in the comics after the events of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
But the latest and updated version is this Helena Bertinelli.
The previous Helena Wayne turns to Helena Bertinelli as her parents, and the origin stories are changed. In this story, Helena is from a crime family in Gotham and faces some terrible things in her childhood.
This purple bow-bearing girl has two premium tickets. The first one would be the Justice League, which the Dark Knight proposed, and the second is the popular female group called the Birds of Prey.
Powers:
- Weapon Master
- Gadgets
- Stealth
- Insanely Rich
- Intellect
#11 Hawkeye
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #57 (1964)
If you are a Marvel fan, you probably don’t need any introduction to Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, but here are some exciting things you might not know about the character.
Firstly, Marvel introduced Hawkeye as a villain in the comics, and after some time, he became a member of the Avengers. Now you can recall that Marvel Studios introduced Clint in the Avengers movie as a grey character for a brief moment.
The Hawkeye you know from the MCU is different from the one in the comics and one instance to prove is that Clint Barton is actually married to Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow.
As a child, Barton trained in the art of swordsmanship. He is not only an expert in archery but also an excellent sword wielder.
Hawkeye’s most notorious killing is to shoot down Bruce Banner in the Civil War II comics. As a hero without any superpowers, he always keeps himself at a peak human condition but loses his hearing abilities in the process.
In the live-action version, Hawkeye’s classic comic-book version of the purple costume is yet to appear on the screen properly.
Powers:
- Archery
- Stealth
- Swordsmanship
- Tracking
- Weapon Master
- Gadgets
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#10 Catwoman
Publisher: DC Comics
First Appearance: Batman #1 (1940)
Catwoman’s comic book career is as old as her romantic interest, Batman.
As you can see, her debut in the DC Comics is the first issue of the Cape Crusader. If you don’t know this yet, Catwoman appeared as an antagonist against the World’s Greatest Detective.
In the modern comics, she wears a black suit, but her first appearance happened to be a purple one. The Golden Age version of Catwoman used to wear a cape on her suit. Now, that has gone missing, as you can assume that a thief like her had some issues using the cape while escaping.
Even her comic origin was changed several times, and another unknown fact is that Selina was called “The Cat” in her first issue.
Our dear cat has an on-and-off relationship with Bruce Wayne. Despite being an anti-hero in Gotham city, Our deadly Catwoman always tries to help Batman unconditionally.
Many comic book readers also consider her a bisexual character, as she had a relationship with Poison Ivy for a brief time.
Powers:
- Claws
- Escape Artist
- Feral
- Stealth
- Wall Clinger
- Gadgets
If you want to know more about the LGBTQ superheroes in comics. Here’s a complete guide on which superheroes belong to the pride flag.
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#9 Medusa
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: Fantastic Force #36 (1965)
Medusa is the queen of Inhumans, and her relationship status with the King of Inhumans is quite well known.
If you ask me, Her purple dress with super long scarlet hair is pretty iconic in the Marvel Comics. This might be the reason why the Attilan queen is the common love interest of two royal family brothers of Attilan.
If you wonder who they are, it’s time to reveal something interesting.
One of the most famous love triangles in Marvel Comics is among the Black Bolt, Medusa, and Maximus.
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby took inspiration for Medusa from Greek Mythology. Amaquelin’s comic book career started as a member of a supervillain team called Frightful Four which battled against the Fantastic Four.
As you all know, Black Bolt cannot speak because of his deadly voice, and Medusa acts as a natural leader among the Inhumans, but in reality, She is the only medium by which Attilan King can communicate.
Powers:
- Prehensile Hair
- Psionic
- Feral
- Flight
- Super Strength
- Telekinesis
#8 The Phantom
Publisher: Lee Falk’s newspaper comic strip.
First Appearance: The Phantom (1936)
If you often look into newspaper comic strips, you can recognize him in a second.
For those who don’t know, The Phantom lives deep in the jungles of an African nation called, Bangalla. He has fought against numerous pirates and criminals for several centuries.
The sole duty of the Phantom is not only to fight criminals but also to save and preserve nature. The Phantom is known as “The Ghost Who Walks “among the common people and is always believed to have lived more than 400 years.
So, Is he really 400 years old?
Nah, It was later found out to be a myth.
Christopher Walker of the sixteenth century was the first ‘Phantom,’ He was an ordinary human being, but “The Ghost Who Walks” has a lineage, and every Phantom has married a woman of Royal Blood.
When an elderly Phantom retires from his duties, Their son takes his place and swears an oath to protect the people of Bangalla. The purple outfit of “The Ghost Who Walks” is not just a title. It’s also a duty they need to abide by (pretty dramatic, right?)
And yes, There were a few female versions of the Phantoms in the comics as well.
Powers:
- Swordsmanship
- Invisibility
- Power Item
- Stamina
- Insanely Rich
- Intellect
- Stealth
#7 Brainiac 5
Publisher: DC Comics
First Appearance: Action Comics #276 (1961)
We all know about one of Superman’s arch-nemesis Brainiac, but Brainiac 5 is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Is he related to the original Brainiac?
The answer is complicated, just like my relationship status.
In the comics, Querl Dox is the fifth descendant of the original Brainiac. He is from the distant future of the 31st century. But it was later found out that the first Brainiac was a robot. So, naturally, he’ll be the descendant of the second Brainiac.
The inhabitant of Column from the future became a superhero to redeem his family’s wrongdoings. One of Querl’s expertise is time travel. He has mastered the art of time travelling back in his university days as a young boy.
So, Has he made any appearances?
Brainiac’s superhero descendant has appeared in quite a few animated series and the CW’s Arrowverse.
Powers:
- Force Fields
- Time Travel
- Gadgets
- Healing
- Intellect
- Power Item
#6 Drax The Destroyer
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)
You may be thinking, What’s so purple about Drax?
Drax, the destroyer, has gone through many changes in his appearance.
In Drax’s original appearance, Drax used to wear a purple costume with a purple cape, but his modern appearance has no relation to purpleness.
Originally, Drax was created to defeat Thanos. If you are a follower of the MCU, It will be hard to believe, but it’s a fact.
Drax’s powers are reduced to nothing by the Marvel studios and modern comics. In the classic Marvel comics, Drax was more powerful than Thanos, and he used to be one of the strongest characters in the Marvel Universe.
After his entire family was killed by Thanos, Arthur Douglas was resurrected by Titan God Kronos as Drax the Destroyer, and his only purpose was to destroy Thanos.
The father of Moondragon later became a long-time member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Powers:
- Berserker Strength
- Blast Power
- Healing
- Immortal
- Force Field
- Super Strength
#5 Starfire
Publisher: DC Comics
First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 (1980)
If you are a 90s kid, you have probably watched the Teen Titans series from the Cartoon Network and might be a fan of the purple-suited Starfire.
Starfire’s origin takes the readers back to her life as a princess of an alien planet called Tamaran, which is now destroyed. As Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran, Starfire accepted Earth as her new home and joined the Teen Titans.
She always showed her caring personality to the troubled recruits of the Teen Titans. Her involvement was not only bound to the Teen Titans, as she was also a member of Outsiders, Justice League, R.E.B.E.L.S., and Jason Todd’s Outlaws.
As a result of sibling rivalry, Princess Koriand’r had a bitter relationship with her elder sister, Komand’r, aka Blackfire, throughout her superhero career, which is a story for another day.
In her long run with the Titans, She was in relation with Dick Grayson, one of the founding members of the Teen Titans in the comics.
Powers:
- Astral Projection
- Blast Power
- Energy Absorption
- Energy Manipulation
- Energy-Enhanced Strike
- Flight
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#4 Psylocke
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: Captain Britain #8 (1976)
The comic character Psylocke is a little confusing for the readers, but I’ll try to explain it as simply as possible. So, stay with me here.
Psylocke is the name of two connected fictional female superheroes, as it’s a result of a body swap. The first version of Psylocke is Elizabeth Braddock, the older twin sister of Captain Britain.
Elizabeth’s Psylocke body was swapped by a Japanese assassin named Kwannon. So, How did this awkward body swap happen?
On an X-Men mission to an island near China, Matsuo used Betsy’s body to save his brain-dead girlfriend, Kwannon.
In the process, Kwaon’s and Betsy’s minds and physical features got fused. They shared the same memories and shared half of their powers. Later, Kwannon got her own body back.
Kwannon’s version of Psylocke is the current Psylocke of Marvel Comics. Psylocke’s energy has the colour purple, and that is why she is on this list of purple superheroes.
Powers:
- Astral Projection
- Energy-Enhanced Strike
- Swordsmanship
- Psionic
- Psychic
- Stealth
- Telekinesis
#3 The Hulk
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962)
Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde are the inspirations behind this green monster’s creation. Though Hulk has different origin stories, The common thing in all his personalities is Bruce Banner.
Bruce faced domestic abuse in his childhood days. Dr. Banner later joined US Military for an experiment regarding the Gamma bomb. On the experiment day, Banner saw a teenage boy Rick Jones in the experiment yard. To save him, Bruce was exposed to gamma radiation that gave Bruce an alternate personality called the Hulk.
You might be thinking that Hulk is an enraged version of Banner, but the truth is Banner tried to kill himself many times. Every time he does try to kill himself, The Hulk persona comes out and saves him.
Banner’s romantic relationship with Betty Ross is also a tragic one. In the comics, We have a lot of different incarnations of Hulk, but we’ll discuss it some other day.
Powers:
- Berserker Strength
- Energy Absorption
- Healing
- Immortal
- Radiation
- Stamina
- SuperSpeed
- Super Strength
- Intellect
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#2 Vision
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: The Avengers #57 (1968)
Vision is an artificially synthesized android created by Ultron, and unlike the MCU, In the comics, Ultron was created by Hank Pym.
Similarly, Vision’s consciousness wasn’t filled with J.A.R.V.I.S or Ultron but from the brain patterns of the deceased Wonder Man.
As an MCU fan, you’re quite familiar with his romantic relationship with Wanda. The purple superhero first became a member of the Avengers and later joined the West Coast Avengers.
We’re not going anywhere near the West Coast Avengers as it’ll spoil the comics if you haven’t read them already.
To be honest, Vision’s purpleness isn’t uniform throughout his career, and the superhero was drawn in different colours in various comics. In the MCU, He also became the White Vision for a brief moment, but the one everyone remembers is his classic green and yellow costume.
Powers:
- Electronic Disruption
- Electronic interaction
- Energy Absorption
- Energy Manipulation
- Blast Power
- Density Control
- Duplication
- Flight
Wanna Know The Truth?
#1 Thanos
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First Appearance: The Invincible Iron Man #55 (1973)
Thanos is considered one of the deadliest villains in all of Marvel Comics. He is a cosmic-level threat to any universe, but what makes him so powerful?
He is a Titan and an Eternal with Deviant genes, making him different from other beings.
As a child, Thanos was subjected to racial abuse due to his purple skin and ugly looks.
Apart from that, Thanos is a highly intelligent being and always seeks to solve the mysteries of the universe. In comics, Thanos is obsessed with Lady Death, and the Mad Titan killed half the universe’s population just to impress her but fortunately for us, Death never showed any interest in him.
The Purple Titan had a rivalry with another mad fictional character Deadpool who wanted to steal Death. Mad Titan is also the leader of the Black Order, whom the Mad Titan calls children.
If you wonder which version of Thanos is superior, you have two options to choose from.
MCU’s Thanos has a better backstory with lesser powers, but Comics’ one has a less layered origin story with insane powers.
Powers:
- Astral Projection
- Berserker Strength
- Cosmic Awareness
- Adaptivity
- Darkness Manipulation
- Death Touch
- SuperSpeed
- Super Strength
That brings an end to our countdown of the top 20 Purple superheroes from Marvel, DC. I hope you enjoyed this listicle and do come back for more articles like this.
Btw, Did I mention we also have a listicle on Blue and White Superheroes as well?
If you are interested, check these out and pit them against each other.
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