Best Comic Book Character Ever Tournament 2007
Okay, all kidding aside, it is time for our next tournament, the Best Comic Book Character Ever Tournament. Some may think the winner will be obvious, but when are these things ever obvious? (Okay, other than John Cusack Survivor). Also, the most fun parts of these tournaments are the early rounds, when people passionately back their personal favourites. So let the debates begin!
We'll be doing this tournament a little diffferently, so please pay attention to the rules and details. First off, to prevent everyone from nominating the same 3-5 characters, I've exempted 12 characters (6 each from the two big publishers, Marvel and DC). These dozen are automatically placed in the tournament, and thus are not eligible for nomination.
The Exempted 12 Comic Book Characters
(These 12 are already in the tournament)
Batman
(Bruce Wayne)
DC Comics
Captain America
(Steve Rogers)
Marvel Comics
Green Lantern
DC Comics
Daredevil
(Matt Murdock)
Marvel Comics
Nightwing
(Dick Grayson)
DC Comics
Doctor Doom
(Victor von Doom)
Marvel Comics
Robin
DC Comics
The Hulk
(Bruce Banner)
Marvel Comics
Superman
(Clark Kent/Kal-El)
DC Comics
Spider-Man
(Peter Parker)
Marvel Comics
Wonder Woman
(Princess Diana)
DC Comics
Wolverine
(Logan)
Marvel Comics
Other than the above dozen, who are ineligible for nomination as they are already in the tournament, the following may not be nominated:
Comic Strip Characters - This is the Best Comic BOOK Character tournament, not Comic STRIP. There are a few instances (such as Spider-Man, Superman, and Archie) where comic book characters have also had comic strips, these are the exceptions to the rule. Otherwise, characters that originated in comic strips are not eligible (so no nominating Dilbert, Garfield, or the Wizard of Id).
Licensed Characters Originally Created Oustide of Comics - There are a lot of comic books out there based on licensed properties that originally appeared as TV shows, movies, or toys, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Transformers. While these characters now appear in comics, they aren't really comic book characters. If you were to describe Han Solo, you would never say "he's a comic book character", now would you?
Other than that, any character that originally appeared in a comic book, graphic novel, limited series, or even manga are eligible, be they super heroes, villains, supporting characters, or non-super heroes (if you want to nominate Harvey Pekar or Enid Coleslaw go ahead, there's more to comics than just tights).
When making your nominations, be specific. Please give full names (both codename and real names when appropriate) and the publisher or comic they normally appear in (some names are used in different comics by different publishers). For characters that have had different aliases throughout their career (e.g., Jean Grey/Phoenix/Marvel Girl), pick their most recent alias and real name, and that nomination will represent the character's whole career (so Nightwing above also represents Dick Grayson's time as the original Robin). For codenames that have had different characters in the role (e.g., The Flash), you must pick which version you are nominating (i.e., you would have to nominate The Flash/Barry Allen as a single nominee. If you also wanted to nominate The Flash/Wally West, that would be a separate nominee). Yes, I realise that I have The Green Lantern and Robin in the tournament without specifying which versions. Don't worry, there is a plan. For now, know that all GLs and all Robins are exempt from nomination.
You can nominate up to FIVE characters. If more than five are nominated by a member, I will take the first five nominated in the post, unless the nomination is corrected. If you are unsure if your nominee is eligible, ask and I will let you know.
THE NOMINATION PERIOD ENDS SUNDAY, APRIL 8TH, 2007. Let's have some fun, true believers.