The Simpsons has been using superhero alter-egos for several years, and here are all of the different identities the residents of Springfield have taken. With 30 seasons of content that include well over 600 episodes, The Simpsons has had to get creative with its characters and the story from time to time. If not, viewers would undoubtedly have grown tired of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie staying completely the same for so long.
The show has made a tradition of using Halloween to do "Treehouse of Horror" episodes that take place outside the official continuity of the series and allow the writers complete freedom on what to do. However, the ingenuity isn't contained to these episodes alone, as The Simpsons loves to be up to date on the latest pop culture trends and references. Over the last several years, there has arguably been nothing as popular as superhero movies, and they've managed to include a variety of comic book characters, Thanos included.
In traditional parody fashion, The Simpsons' superhero alter-egos has allowed them to reference a number of popular heroes from both Marvel and DC, and make multiple characters heroes of their own. They've tackled members of the Fantastic Four and even Batman and Robin through the years. Unsurprisingly, it has been Bart that has donned some sort of superhero costume the most, while Marge has never taken on one of these other identities. With Bart's multiple alter-egos and some side characters suiting up as well, here's a complete list of the superhero alter-egos featured in The Simpsons.
Pie Man
Homer's first and only superhero alter-ego is that of Pie Man. He made his first appearance in the season 15 episode "Simple Simpson," after the Rich Texan taunted Lisa. Homer did not like the way his daughter was treated, but knew that he'd go to jail if he assaulted someone again. So he fashioned a cape out of a quilt and used a pie tray for a mask and sought out the Rich Texan to get justice. Once Pie Man found his target, he hit him in the face with a pie. Pie Man was later forced to smash pies in the faces of people Mr. Burns didn't like to preserve his secret identity. Homer ends up revealing his own identity to be free from Mr. Burns' control.
Cupcake Kid
One of Bart's short-lived superhero alter-egos is as Pie Man's sidekick, Cupcake Kid. Just like his old man, Cupcake Kid gets justice by throwing cupcakes in people's faces. He appeared at the very end of "Simple Simpson" when Pie Man pledged on the roof of their house that he'd return whenever evil returns. Neither Cupcake Kid or Pie Man get to stay on the lookout for evil too long, though, before Marge tells her son and husband to clean the gutters. Cupcake Kid makes a brief return with Pie Man in the opening gag of season 26's episode "Bart's New Friend" and has otherwise had some more adventures in comic books.
Bartman
Bart's original superhero alter-ego is his take on Batman, as he is appropriately called Bartman. This persona first emerged in the season 2 episode "Three Men and a Comic Book," but it wasn't until season 18's "Revenge is a Dish Best Served Three Times" that fans of The Simpsons got to see Bartman truly. The episode - which is considered non-canon - gives Bart the exact same origin as Bruce Wayne: Homer and Marge are murdered during a robbery in an ally after going to the opera, leaving Bart to become a superhero and find the killer. He has the ability to climb walls and can glide, with his grappling hook his weapon of choice. Bartman has become an incredibly popular alter-ego for Bart too, resulting in him being in a comic book and multiple video games.
Stretch Dude
Bart's final superhero alter-ego comes courtesy of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, specifically "Treehouse of Horror X" from season 11. Bart becomes Stretch Dude after a malfunctioning X-ray machine hits him with a radioactive beam. The exposure to radiation gives Bart the ability to stretch and reshape his body as need be, so he becomes the superhero Stretch Dude. He is modeled after Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Stretch Dude has since appeared in various comics and video games, as well as an opening title gag in season 28.
Clobber Girl
Lisa also received superpowers during "Treehouse of Horror X." She was similarly hit by the radioactive beam and given super strength. She becomes known as Clobber Girl from that point forward, a clever parody of another Fantastic Four member, The Thing - whose catchphrase is "Its clobbering time." She works with Stretch Dude when called upon, with the featured mission in the episode focusing on saving Lucy Lawless. Clobber Girl has also been part of comic books and video games following her debut and appeared alongside Stretch Dude in season 28.
The Collector
Comic Book Guy got an alter-ego of his own in "Treehouse of Horror X" too, as he became a supervillain known as The Collector. He was responsible for kidnapping Lucy Lawless and who Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl wanted to stop. They ended up not really saving the day, as Lawless, in her Xena costume, defeated The Collector. Following his death by lucite casing, he has not appeared in any other episodes of The Simpsons but has returned in only different forms of media.
Fruit Bat Man & Kid Sourpuss
Season 24 of The Simpsons is meanwhile responsible for the creations of Fruit Bat Man and Kid Sourpuss. Fruit Bat Man is the superhero alter-ego taken by the usually evil Mr. Burns after he buys every comic book from The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop. His thin frame makes him light enough to fly, with his suit clearly based on Batman. While Fruit Bat Man works alone in his debut in "Dark Knight Court," he makes a cameo in season 26 that reveals he has a sidekick, Kid Sourpuss. The cameo shows Waylon Smithers Jr. is Mr. Burns' sidekick but features Fruit Bat Man looking for someone to replace him.