Comic book superheroes and video games should go hand in hand given the larger-than-life battles, whimsical powers and abilities, and memorable characters and stories. For a good while, though, video games based on superheroes (or any licensed properties for that matter) weren’t exactly the most well-made and bombed financially. Games like Superman: The New Adventures of Superman (a.k.a. Superman 64) and The Incredible Hulk: The Pantheon Saga understandably caused developers to want to stay away from creating video games based on superheroes. 

In more recent years, however, there has been a resurgence of phenomenal video games based on superheroes. The Batman: Arkham series, Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man, and fighting games like Injustice and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 have all been critical and financial successes. The Avengers even assembled in a recent action role-playing brawler video game. Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gotham Knights, and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League are all superhero video games currently in development. With great superhero games becoming more of a trend, it’s hard not to consider what other heroes would make for the perfect star of a video game focused on them. 

Here are just some comic book superheroes that would fit perfectly in the realm of modern video games:

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is not only one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, but she’s also a total badass. Armed with her Lasso of Truth, sword, shield, tiara, and bracelets, hacking and slashing through foes would be endlessly entertaining. Her varied arsenal would prevent combat from ever getting stale as you take on Cheetah, Giganta, Ares, Circe, and other baddies. Themyscira and Washington, D.C. would make for an exciting variety of environments to kick butt in. Plus, piloting the Invisible Jet could be a neat experience. 

God of War meets Batman: Arkham City has a fun ring to it, so hopefully this is something that can be a reality in the future. 

Iron Man 

If you thought collecting different suits to obtain different abilities in PS4’s Spider-Man was fun, imagine how epic that could be with Iron Man. From the Mark III to the Hulk Buster, there are plenty of Iron Man armors that could be used to shake up gameplay with their own special abilities. On top of that, playing as Tony Stark could likely mean also being able to add upgrades to any of the armor you unlock. 

Flying around in robotic armor while launching missiles and energy beams at enemies sounds like some of the most fun one could possibly have in a video game. 

Green Lantern

Through willpower alone, Green Lantern has the ability to create anything, and I mean ANYTHING, appear as long as he’s wearing his iconic Power Ring. Swords, gatling guns, robot armor, and even giant fists could be at the players’ disposal. You may be asking how nearly infinite constructs can be in a video game character’s arsenal. Well, let’s take a look at mechanics made popular by other games. Customizable loadouts can let the player choose what constructs Green Lantern can use and switch between during battle. Countless constructs could be modified, upgraded, and unlocked through RPG-style skill trees and leveling up. More customizability means people can play their way and may even get different experiences each time they play through it. 

With so many members of the Green Lantern Corps, like Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, Jo Mullein, Kilowog, and many more, multiplayer could absolutely be a viable option in a game focused on Green Lantern.

Gambit 

Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Bayonetta have all successfully showcased a style of character action games that can’t be beaten. A game in the same vein as these based on Marvel’s Gambit would win over any gamer hungry for intense combat. Imagine how insane the combos you’d rack up while using Gambit’s bo-staff, playing cards, and throwing spikes. His abilities would allow the player to attack from long or close range, similar to Dante of DMC. His mutant power of molecular acceleration would lead to some explosive interactions with the game’s environment. 

Given Gambit’s smooth-talking nature, interactive cutscenes would also lead to some hilarious fun. This is one comic book character that was practically made for character action games. 

The Flash

Creating a video game that runs fast enough to truly feel like you’re playing as the Flash would certainly be a difficult feat, but I can see it done on modern consoles, especially if it feels at all similar to super speed mechanics in other games like Infamous: Second Son. Zooming through busy streets of Central City and running along walls and up the sides of buildings would be an extremely fun way to travel. The Flash uses several abilities, like rotating his hands fast enough to blow gusts of wind, throwing bolts of lightning, and phasing through objects, that would be handy during combat and potential puzzle-solving. 

Using superspeed in creative ways, like avoiding obstacles, platforming, and taking on the likes of Gorilla Grodd, Captain Boomerang, and Reverse Flash, would allow for gameplay outside of just running fast. A character this iconic definitely deserves an attempt at his own game. Perhaps DC’s several other speedsters could be used as other playable characters. 

The Umbrella Academy

The Umbrella Academy is a particularly unique and quirky comic series. There’s already an outstanding TV adaptation, so why not a video game as well? Choosing between which Hargreeves sibling to play as would affect the gameplay greatly as there would be a lot of focus on their different abilities. Klaus summoning the dead to attack foes while Luther uses brute strength and ape-like movements to fight would create such a different experience that it would be worth several different playthroughs. Teleporting around as Five during combat would be nothing short of exciting.

The Umbrella Academy would be able to stand out as a game with its incredible storytelling and peculiar visuals. It would be a true delight to play through. 

The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk has already had a handful of video game outings, but none of them have been super memorable or allowed the player to truly feel the power of the Hulk. The recent Marvel’s Avengers game showcased what the Hulk could be capable of in a video game, but a game focusing specifically on him would allow for so much more. Charging through the streets at robots, mutants, and other enemies, whipping cars at helicopters, and leaping over skyscrapers would feel truly amazing. Imagine how powerful you’d feel controlling the Hulk for the entirety of a game. 

Bruce Banner could also be used for his brains in puzzle minigames similar to those seen in Bioshock. Banner and Hulk could be used to change up the gameplay mechanics greatly, but still feel like they coexist in the same fantastic game. 

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange’s popularity has only grown since appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so it’s only a matter of time before we see him appear in his own video game. Doctor Strange’s abilities would create an especially unique gameplay experience. With his powers, he can alter the environment around him. Changing the landscape could lead to fun platforming, opening new areas, insane combat moves, and eye-catching visuals. 

If Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart can capture jumping through portals to different dimensions so well, imagine what a Doctor Strange game would be capable of. 

Invincible

Robert Kirkman’s Invincible has been growing in popularity more and more. The comic sold extremely well, and the TV series is quickly becoming a pop culture staple. Why not also have a video game developed for it? The character of Invincible is so strong that combat would be extremely satisfying. The story is filled with surprising twists and turns, which would make cutscenes just as entertaining as the gameplay. 

It would be an added bonus if they get voice actors from the TV series to return for their roles. Fans of both the original comics and the newer TV show would flock to this game in a heartbeat. 

Superman 

Superman is easily one of the most iconic characters in comic book history, so he definitely deserves a modern video game. It’s understandable that developers are hesitant to approach a Superman game since Superman 64 is often considered to be one of the worst video games of all time. This is Superman after all, so he deserves another chance at video game greatness. Gameplay focusing on his flight, eyebeams, super strength, frost breath, and other powers would be phenomenal. The combat would never get stale, and there would be no need to fly through floating hoops! 

Superman has faced countless foes that would make for intense battles in a game. Plus, swooping down to help citizens around Metropolis would break up the combat enough to keep the gameplay fresh. There have been rumors of a modern Superman game for quite a while, so hopefully it actually becomes a reality. 

With the growing trend of great video games being made based on iconic comic book heroes, there’s no doubt that we’ll see more and more developed. What superheroes do you want to see get their own video game?