Comic Book Characters Near to My Heart (SPOILERS!)

5.6  

Scrooge McDuck, the American Scottish billionaire and also the world's richest duck, is the absolute number one in this list. Scrooge's first appearance was in Carl Bark's story Christmas on Bear Mountain in December 1947. He was mented to be disposable side character but is nowadays one of the most popular cartoon characters. Typically, he sends his nephew Donald to treasure hunt to become even richer or is trying to save his fortune from other bisnessman (often Flintheart Glomgold or John D. Rockerduck) or thieves like The Beagle Boys. Also his "lucky coin", The First Dime, is occasionally threatened usually by Magica De Spell.

However, especially Don Rosa knew how to use this fantastic character and also made him real by writing Scrooge's biography based on Carl Bark's stories. In those cartoon collections, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck and its sequel The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck - Companion, he makes Scrooge deeper by telling his lifestory and how he became to the world's stingiest and richest duck ever. Thus I love that Scrooge because he is maybe the most realistic cartoon character ever in Don Rosa's stories: he has changed during the years and he has memories, principles and goals. He has a person, not only one or two charasterics.

5.6  

Also Magica de Spell, a witch, is one of the duck characters created by Carl Barks. Magica had her first appearance in The Midas Touch in December 1961. Nowadays, she's one favourite of Italian scriptwriters, maybe because of her Italian origin. Her primary goal is to get the Midas touch by creating the powerfull magical amulet that is made of millionaire's first coins. Scrooge McDuck's Number One Dime is the last one she needs to reach that goal. In comics, she lives in a little cottage on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius with her pet raven Ratface. In DuckTales, the raven is not a pet but Magica's brother Poem who has been transformed.

Magica is quite unique character even if she is a little bit unilateral. Scrooge McDuck versus Magica De Spell stories are always interesting because this charming ducklady has everytime the most unbelievable tools like a transporting silver plate and different kind of magic wands.

5.7  

The Phantom Blot or just The Blot was seen for the first time in Mickey Mouse Outwits The Phantom Blot in 1939. He is a criminal genious who has one modest goal - to rule the world. Unlike Black Pete or The Beagle Boys, The Blot is intelligent and has many talents. He is for example a skillfull hypnotist and masters physics, mechanics and biology and escape. His face is seldom shown and his real name never told.

The Blot is a mysterious and interesting character and maybe the most dangerous and cold-blooded enemy of Mickey Mouse. This criminal doesn't hesitate to (try to) kill those who are on his way. That's why he is my number one villain from Duckburg.

6.3  

Duck Avenger / PK is Donald Duck's heroic alter ego. In June 1969, in the first PK story called Paperinik il diabolico vendicatore (free translation "Duck Avenger, the Fiendish Retaliator" or "The Transform of Donald Duck" like in Finnish version), he was just an avenger who wore genteleman thief Phantom Duck's costume and wanted to beat Gladstone Gander and other characters who had made fun of Donald. In these days, PK is a superhero who targets the criminals, inclueding The Beatle Boys and many supervillains who appearance only once or twice. Today's PK has many technical weapons manufactured by inventor Gyro Gearloose.

I prefer Duck Avenger to Super Goof and other superheroes of Duckburg because of his intelligence, technical weapons and large range of enemies. It's also enjoyable to see how even Donald can thrive. :)

7.6  

Archeologist Arizona Goof, also known as Arizona Pipp, is a cousin of Goofy, a good friend of Mickey Mouse and an enemy of Dr. Kranz. He is modeled after Indiana Jones which is the reason why Harrison Ford is in this list - Arizona doesn't have a voice actor yet. Indiana Jones fan like me doesn't need any other reasons to love this character. :) Besides, Arizona is also very entertaining character because of his strange habits like prefering windows to doors, sleeping always in a tent instead of bed and loving a specific brand of liquorice candy which everybody else hates.

Hillaviina's rating:

5  

Bruce Wayne's parents were killed in front of Bruce's eyes and since that he wanted to avenge. As an adult, he became Batman who fights against crime with fists and technical weapons like Batmobile. At first, the police of Gotham City believed also Batman was a criminal, but later he got his own calling signal. Even if Batman prefer working alone, he has few sidekicks, for example Robin, Batgirl and the family Wayne's loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth. Usually Batman's enemies are supervillains, mostly crazed scientists. In civil life, Bruce Wayne is the most wanted bachelor of Gotham City and the owner of Waynetech.

Batman is one of the darkest comics I have ever read. Just like in case of PK, crazy enemies and technical weapons are the reason why I think Batman is better than Superman or Spiderman.

7.2  

Before dropping into the tank full of industrial waste, The Joker was a chemist-ingenieur who tried to steal chemicals from his working place. (In the movies the Joker was a criminal called Jack Napier who also shot Bruce Wayne's parents.) Unfortunately, the industrial waste changed him and thus ruined his mental health irrevocably. He started to call himself the Joker and comit psychotic crimes with comedic weapons like an acid-squirting flower. A girl called Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Quinzel) has been seen as his sidekick after she helped the Joker to escape from the Arkham Asylum.

Because of the Joker's madness but intelligence he is one of the most interesting villains. His crimes and insanity are unique.

10  

Harley Quinn had her first appearance in the animated Batman series in 1992 in the episode The Joker's Favour but was later adapted into the comics too. As Dr. Harleen Quinzel, she worked for the Arkham Asylum where the Joker was kept. In the process of time, the Joker became her obsession and finally she helped the Joker to escape and became his frequent accomplice Harley Quinn. Besides of beeing a sidekick, she is also Joker's girlfriend and a friend of Poison Ivy who is Batman's other nemesis.

Maybe the major reason why I like Harley Quinn's character is her way to relate to Joker. I find their relationship fascinating. On the other hand, Harley would need a psychologist even if she was one previously.

5.4