Worst Comic Book Characters, Part 2: The Sequel No One Asked For

You asked for it! (Well, technically we asked for it.) It has been six years since our first foray into the worst and weirdest heroes and villains to ever grace a panel. We thought we’d scraped the bottom of the barrel in our quest for the worst comic book characters of all time. Surprise! It turns out that barrel had a trapdoor leading to an even deeper pit of comic book weirdness.

Yes, friends, we’re back with another rogues’ gallery of characters who make you wonder if the creators were paid in Monopoly money. From villains who peaked in shop class to heroes whose powers sound like rejected Kickstarter projects, here’s a fresh batch of characters who remind us that with great power to make a superhero comes the great responsibility of recognizing that it doesn’t mean you should.

As it turns out, compiling this list of dubious characters was the easy part. You did the research for us by submitting your nominations. Much more difficult was the task of figuring out who would take that goldmine of awfulness and turn it into an article. Our editor-in-chief said, “This is a perfect assignment for some nerd who is obsessed by comic books, never went on a date during high school, and basically couldn’t talk to a girl without wetting himself.” Sadly, that described every member of the Commonplace Fun Facts staff, including our editor-in-chief.

We couldn’t resolve the issue through an arm wrestling competition, either, since all of us have the combined upper body strength of a Keebler elf. Ultimately, the assignment was given on the basis of merit, writing ability, and thinly-veiled threats about having to work on the final installment of “Fun Facts About the First Ladies,” which is now about 4 years overdue.  

So… with that little matter resolved, make sure your cape is firmly attached, double-check your utility belt, and dose up on your cosmic rays to join us as we dive into the second installment of the weirdest and worst comic book characters of all time.

Ambush Bug (DC Comics) — When Bugs Bunny and a Reddit Comment Had a Baby

• Power: Teleportation, snark, and the ability to break the fourth wall.
• Claim to Shame: Knows he’s in a comic and won’t shut up about it.
• Why He’s Awful: He’s less of a superhero and more of a cosmic prankster with zero impulse control.

Ambush Bug wasn’t supposed to be this weird. When Keith Giffen introduced him in DC Comics Presents #52 (1982), he was just another villain-of-the-month for Superman to swat away between more important battles. But like that one guy at a party who won’t leave when everyone else is tired, Ambush Bug just kept showing up. And he got weirder every time.

By the time he got his own four-issue miniseries in 1985, Ambush Bug had evolved into something far more dangerous—a comic book character who knew he was a comic book character. His power? Relentless self-awareness. While Superman was busy punching alien despots, Ambush Bug was pointing out plot holes and making snarky comments about editorial decisions. If Deadpool is the class clown who gets all the attention, Ambush Bug is the kid in the back who keeps whispering, “This class is dumb.”

His suit, which looks like the love child of Kermit the Frog and a discarded Halloween costume, grants him the ability to teleport. That’s about the only useful thing it does. Everything else is just chaos. He once deduced Superman’s secret identity by… undressing him. Yes, that happened.

Ambush Bug doesn’t fight crime so much as he annoys it into submission. He’s a one-man roast session aimed at the entire DC Universe. While we appreciate snarkiness as much as the next guy and acknowledge that it makes for great comedy, it also makes him an absolute nightmare for anyone trying to take superheroics seriously.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Confirmed. Ambush Bug is what happens when you give a Looney Tunes character too much free time and a subscription to Comic Book Tropes Monthly.

Arseface (Preacher, Vertigo Comics) — Proof That Rock Bottom Has an Even Lower Level

• Power: Emotional resilience. Lots of it.
• Claim to Shame: His face looks like… well… a butt.
• Why He’s Awful: He’s impossible to understand, and not just because of the accent.

Arseface’s origin story is a cautionary tale in every sense. After a failed suicide attempt that left his face looking like a sketch from the pages of a bored proctology student’s class notes, he emerges with an unfortunate new look and a dream of becoming a rock star. And by “unfortunate new look,” we mean his face literally looks like a butt.

To his credit, Arseface is one of the few characters who manages to be both pitiful and oddly inspiring. He’s got heart, but good luck understanding a single word that comes out of his mouth. Imagine listening to a podcast recorded by a kazoo underwater, and you’ll get the idea.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Confirmed. Even Google Translate says, “I’ve got nothing.”

Flaming Carrot (Independent Comics) — Carrots Are Not Superfoods

• Power: Absolute nonsense. He fights crime because… why not?
• Claim to Shame: Wears a giant carrot mask and recites dadaist poetry.
• Why He’s Awful: Less of a superhero, more of a walking art school project that went way too far.

Flaming Carrot’s origin story is what happens when binge-reading goes terribly wrong. After consuming 5,000 comics in one sitting (we assume caffeine and a looming deadline for a term paper were involved), he suffered irreversible brain damage and emerged as a crime-fighting vigilante in a giant carrot mask. Yes, really.

This, of course, defies reality, because this writer has read 5,000 comics in one sitting while powered by caffeine and borderline-pathological procrastination, with nary a super power to his credit (unless snarkiness qualifies, in which case, Ambush Bug better watch his back).

Armed with surrealist poetry, a lack of common sense, and a complete disregard for logic, Flaming Carrot took to the streets to fight evil. His enemies? Logic, reason, and anyone who tried to take comic books seriously. He’s not so much a superhero as he is a performance art exhibit that wandered out of a gallery.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Confirmed. Your favorite hipster’s favorite hero—and yes, he definitely knows you haven’t heard of him.

Hemo-Goblin (DC Comics) — The Villain No One Wanted

• Power: Vampire with a taste for drug addicts.
• Claim to Shame: An HIV metaphor that aged like milk in the sun.
• Why He’s Awful: Whoever thought this was a good idea didn’t have enough blood flowing to the brain.

Hemo-Goblin is proof that sometimes comic book writers should just… not. A vampire who feeds exclusively on heroin addicts, Hemo-Goblin was DC’s heavy-handed attempt at addressing the AIDS crisis. Unfortunately, the result was less “thought-provoking commentary” and more “awkward conversation you hope ends soon.”

Since he feeds on heroin addicts, then Marvel’s cocaine-powered Snowflame is safe, so there’s that, but we’re not sure that’s a good thing.

This character was so tone-deaf that even the edgiest 90s comics were like, “Maybe dial it back, guys.” Thankfully, Hemo-Goblin hasn’t made many return appearances, which is a win for both humanity and good taste.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? No question. Firmly requesting that we never speak of him again.

Kite Man (DC Comics) — Flying a Kite to Rock Bottom

• Power: Kites.
• Claim to Shame: Commits crimes using kite-based technology.
• Why He’s Awful: He’s a villain whose entire gimmick can be foiled by light wind.

Kite Man is the result of someone looking at Batman’s rogues’ gallery and thinking, “What if we just… didn’t try?” His modus operandi involves committing crimes using kite-themed gadgets, and honestly, that’s about as impressive as it sounds.

To his credit, Kite Man has become something of a cult favorite thanks to the Harley Quinn animated series. But let’s be real—when your biggest threat is an unexpected gust of wind, you’re not exactly striking fear into Gotham’s heart.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? “Go fly a kite” wasn’t meant to be career advice, buddy.

Matter-Eater Lad (DC Comics) — Eat, Pray, Useless

• Power: Can eat literally anything.
• Claim to Shame: That is his power. He’s a walking garbage disposal.
• Why He’s Awful: When your greatest strength is snacking, it’s hard to strike fear into villains.

Matter-Eater Lad hails from the planet Bismoll (yes, like Pepto-Bismol), where everyone can eat anything—metal, concrete, you name it. Naturally, he used this “gift” to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, because apparently, every team needs a guy who can devour your living room furniture in an emergency.

In battle, his strategy is… well, eating. Sure, he can chew through a steel cage, but while he’s busy digesting it, the bad guy’s already gotten away.

Can we also address the issue of his name? “Matter-Eater Lad” is surpassed in the lack of creativity category only by “Arm-Fall-Off-Boy.” C’mon, I mean, technically, every guy who lives is a “matter-eater lad.” They could at least have tried to give him an intriguing monicker like “Vomitus Prime,” “Mouth Beam,” or “GingaMightus.”

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Gordon Ramsay would be infinitely preferable to this guy.

Matter Master (DC Comics) — Control Over Matter, No Control Over Coolness

• Power: Manipulates matter with his wand.
• Claim to Shame: Without the wand, he’s just a dude.
• Why He’s Awful: Unlimited power, minimal charisma.

Matter Master wields a wand that lets him manipulate all forms of matter, which sounds amazing—until you realize that without the wand, he’s about as intimidating as a guy selling magic tricks on a street corner.

His fatal flaw? He’s entirely dependent on his magic stick. Take that away, and he’s basically just standing there, hoping no one notices.

In other words, one expelliarmus spell, and he becomes “Doesn’t Matter Master.”

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? He’s like a wizard with a wand, except he’s not a wizard. Basically, he’s just a guy with a wand.

Rainbow Girl (DC Comics) — The Original Mood Ring

• Power: Manipulates the emotional spectrum with colorful light.
• Claim to Shame: She changes moods… and powers… on a whim.
• Why She’s Awful: Imagine a superhero powered by their latest horoscope.

Rainbow Girl’s powers are tied to the emotional spectrum, which means her abilities change depending on her mood. One moment, she’s a beacon of hope; the next, she’s a raging tempest. Basically, she’s a walking mood swing with laser beams.

While her powers could be useful in theory, her unpredictability makes her about as reliable as your ex’s text responses. Even the Legion of Super-Heroes wasn’t sure what to do with her.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Congratulations, DC. You invented a superhero based on feminine mood swings. Are you just looking to get yourself in trouble?

Brother Power the Geek (DC Comics) — Pinocchio, But Make It Weird

• Power: Super strength and a misguided sense of purpose.
• Claim to Shame: He’s a mannequin. A literal mannequin.
• Why He’s Awful: He’s a mannequin. A literal mannequin.

When the counterculture of the 1960s met comic books, we got Brother Power the Geek, a character who answers the question, “What if Frankenstein’s monster was made of polyester and bad decisions?” Unfortunately, we have a whole decade called “The 70s” that gave us more than enough polyester and bad decisions. Brought to life by a lightning bolt and the free-spirited vibes of San Francisco, Brother Power became a hippie superhero who fought “The Man.”

DC Comics tried to give us a hero for the youth movement, but instead, they gave us a mannequin in bell-bottoms. Two issues in, Brother Power was canceled. Even Woodstock had limits.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Confirmed. Brother Power is the only superhero who has to worry about mothballs.

Codpiece (DC Comics) — Freud’s Worst Nightmare

• Power: A mechanical codpiece that fires weapons.
• Claim to Shame: He’s a walking punchline… and not in a good way.
• Why He’s Awful: Everything about him. Just everything.

Codpiece is the kind of character who makes you double-check that you’re reading an actual comic and not a rejected SNL sketch. Insecure about his, um, equipment, Codpiece decides to overcompensate by building a mechanical codpiece that can fire missiles, launch boxing gloves, and generally fund the retirement plans of every therapist within a 50-mile radius.

If overcompensation were a superpower, Codpiece would be an Omega-level threat. As it is, he’s just proof that sometimes, even comic book writers should ask themselves, “Should we?”

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? For sure. We’re filing a restraining order. Against this entire concept.

Egg Fu (DC Comics) — When Racism and Eggs Collide

• Power: Genius-level intellect and mustache tentacles.
• Claim to Shame: Offensive Asian stereotypes wrapped in an egg.
• Why He’s Awful: Even the Silver Age was like, “Maybe tone it down, guys.”

Egg Fu is a giant, sentient egg with a Fu Manchu mustache and a penchant for world domination. And yes, it’s exactly as bad as it sounds. Created during the Cold War, Egg Fu was a villain so dripping with offensive stereotypes that even Golden Age comics look woke by comparison.

DC has tried to retcon him over the years, but when your villain is a racist egg, there’s only so much you can do.

Worthy of Ranking Among the Worst Comic Book Characters? Yep. Scrambled. Cooked. And canceled.

Final Thoughts from Nerd Central

There you have it—another batch of heroes and villains who prove that sometimes, the greatest power of all is bad decision-making. While some have clawed their way into respectability, most of these characters remain cautionary tales for aspiring comic book writers everywhere.

So who wins the title of Worst Comic Book Character Ever? Or better yet, who did we miss that deserves a roasting in Part 3? Let us know… after we recover from the mental image of Codpiece.

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