Many of Marvel and DC Comics' most beloved superheroes are the more conventional adult characters. But over the decades-long history of the comic book medium, some great teenage characters were introduced into the publishers' pantheon of stories to help be more relatable to their younger audiences.
Spider-Man was arguably the superhero to break the mold the most, sparking a revolution of young heroes in comics that quickly became fan-favorites, including among the Ranker voting community. And while he may be the most iconic, many of these other teenage heroes became popular iterations to succeed their seniors' respective mantles as well.
Nova (Sam Alexander)
While the original holder of the Nova mantle was Richard Rider in the comics, in the last decade Marvel introduced the Sam Alexander version of the hero. He's even younger than when Richard became Nova, being just 13 years old. He led an impoverished life in Arizona, with his father drinking too much and neglecting his janitorial job and his mother working as a homemaker to help make ends meet.
Sam's father constantly droned on about supposedly being part of the Nova Corps., one of Marvel's best cosmic teams. And after a strange accident, he wakes to find members of the Guardians of the Galaxy -- Rocket and Gamora -- confirming Sam's father was Nova. Questions are swirling among fans over the possibility of his inclusion, and which one, but would likely make for some thrilling cosmic MCU adventures.
Flash Thompson
Primarily known as a Spider-Man-adjacent character, Flash Thompson starts in the comics as one of high-school Peter Parker's bullies. However, the two did become friends in college. Later on, after joining the United States military, he becomes attached to the Venom symbiote to become Agent Venom.
The original version of this story before given the Agent Venom persona was punishing, as it came after he lost both his legs, succumbed to alcoholism, and was marred by his PTSD. Thompson appeared in various live-action Spider-Man movies, though, as of now, none have taken him beyond his minor side role.
Firestar
Venturing into the Mutant side of the Marvel universe is Firestar. Unlike many other superhero characters, Angelica Jones made her debut as Firestar in the 1980s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends alongside the titular hero and Iceman, fighting various Marvel Comics villains.
She can control microwave radiation to manipulate fire-based powers, and given her Mutant status, featured in the X-Men after she transitioned from original TV character to the comics. Her origins were adjusted to have been trained by Emma Frost for the young Mutant team known as the Hellfire Club at their respective school. With Disney having acquired the rights to the X-Men, Firestar could be a candidate to join the MCU.
Hawkeye (Kate Bishop)
The timing has been great for the Kate Bishop incarnation of Hawkeye, as Hailee Steinfeld's live-action portrayal of Clint Barton's successor is garnering praise in the MCU's Disney+ Hawkeye series.
Writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja's 2012 comic book series are often regarded as some of Marvel's best comics, and it prominently featured both Clint and Kate in the roles as the latter works to take on his mantle. The show takes great inspiration from Fraction's writing in adapting the charming wittiness of Kate Bishop, along with her excellent dynamic with Clint.
Cloak And Dagger
Though two separate characters, Cloak and Dagger conventionally come as a packaged deal. The superhero duo's debut came in Spider-Man comics during the 1980s, and after some sporadic appearances in that series with the Wall-Crawler, they expanded into their dedicated one.
The two teenagers came from vastly different but troubled upbringings and ran away from home, eventually meeting each other. After being kidnapped by a criminal chemist and experimented on, Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen gain powers and become the titular Cloak and Dagger team. They got a live-action series on Freeform, but due to Marvel Studios and Marvel TV's complicated relationship at the time, it didn't last long on the channel.
X-23
One of the X-Men characters who's gained more popularity in recent years was X-23/Laura Kinney. This is in part thanks to Dafne Keen's portrayal in the exceptional 2017 movie Logan. She's the biological daughter of James "Logan" Howlett and eventually succeeds him in becoming the next Wolverine.
In the comics, she's initially used as a top-class assassin before being taken in at the X-Mansion and, later, the X-Force team. How the Mutants will be adapted in the MCU remains uncertain, but given Hugh Jackman's graceful exit from the role in Logan, X-23 could be a good place to pick up. Logan was an excellent execution of "bittersweet," and using X-23 could be a worthwhile spiritual continuation despite not being in the same continuity.
Dick Grayson (Robin/Nightwing)
As original Robin and one-half of DC's Dynamic Duo, Dick Grayson easily became one of the most synonymous "teenage" superheroes. His role alongside Batman is a crucial one, as he serves as one of Bruce's emotional and psychological anchors in his neverending struggle against the villains of Gotham City.
Despite their tumultuous dynamic in the earlier days, Nightwing remains one of Batman's best relationships in comics. But he's a compelling character in his own right, as he provides a welcome sense of charm, charisma, and a genuine air of hope and optimism. Bruce himself has said in comics that Dick Grayson is the more complete idea of what Batman should be.
Nova (Richard Rider)
Like several other superheroes, there have been more than one person to take on the persona of Nova. The original iteration of the hero, Richard Rider, was a high-school student in New York who was selected to become a successor Nova Centurion. Rhomann Dey is the sole survivor of Xandar's Nova Corps. but goes to Earth and chooses Rider to succeed him as the former inches closer to death.
Following this, the youngster travels to Xandar to help fight their battles. One of the main figures the original series pit Nova and Xandar against was the Skrulls, and given the alien race's increasing prominence in the MCU, fans are speculating his impending live-action debut.
Spider-Gwen
She was expertly worked into animation with 2018's Into the Spider-Verse, but Spider-Gwen has been a longtime fan-favorite among the Spider-Man fan base in the comics. Though Gwen Stacy was one of the most tragic deaths in comic book history, the convenient "multiverse" plot device lets fans get an exciting alternate take on the character, while taking a dark spin on Peter Parker's origins.
In Earth-65 where she resides in the comics, some of her notable villains include warped versions of the Daredevil and Punisher fans know in mainline stories. Another element that makes her hero so memorable is the vibrant, inspired design on her Spider suit, which tastefully incorporates cosplay culture.
Spider-Man
Unsurprisingly, Spider-Man is Ranker's top-voted teenage superhero. The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has cemented himself in pop culture as the most popular superhero by consensus, and while he's grown and evolved over the decades, his humble beginnings as a high-school kid were a landmark moment in comics history.
He was co-creators Stan Lee and Bill Everett's crowning achievement in the medium, spawning various acclaimed story arcs and covering relatable themes that still resonate today. At the end of the day, what keeps Spider-Man as timeless as he is narratively is that he's simply a young man trying to do the best he can with the hand he was dealt in life.