5 Characters Whose Potential DC Completely Wasted

by

The DC Universe is filled with a huge number of characters – not just across different worlds, but in terms of the heroes and villains themselves. It’s easy to only think about the most famous characters like Batman and Superman, but DC actually boasts a surprisingly diverse and interesting cast of characters beyond those big names.

As a DC fan, there are so many characters who pop up briefly but could be amazing if given a real chance! It feels like DC has a ton of potential heroes and villains they’ve just… forgotten about. There are a few I’d absolutely love to see featured more prominently, characters who could really become major players if they just got the spotlight.

5) Aztek

Aztek is a distinctive hero in the DC Universe. First appearing in 1996, his backstory draws heavily from ancient pre-Hispanic cultures. He was created by a mysterious group called the Q Society to be the champion of the god Quetzalcoatl, fighting against the evil Tezcatlipoca. Aztek also possessed a remarkable, magically-enhanced suit of armor. Eventually, he came to the United States and became Curt Falconer. His skills as a crimefighter even led him to join the Justice League. Ultimately, he sacrificed himself to help Superman defeat Mageddon, who was revealed to be Tezcatlipoca in disguise.

The original Aztek character had a lot of potential – particularly in developing his connection to the god Quetzalcoatl. He was a unique figure within the DC universe, and there were endless story possibilities. Unfortunately, the first Aztek was killed off, and even when a successor, Nayeli Constant, appeared, DC didn’t really explore her story much further.

4) Richard Dragon

Martial arts experts are a staple in comic books, and Richard Dragon is a prime example of a character with a lot of promise. Originally named Richard Drakunovski, he began as a teenage thief in Kyoto, but was raised and trained alongside the Bronze Tiger. Together, they became vigilantes working with Lady Shiva. After the ‘Crisis’ event, Richard Dragon’s popularity soared. He trained heroes like The Question and became Barbara Gordon’s mentor, even later teaching Huntress. At one point, it seemed like Richard Dragon had trained nearly every hero in a significant part of the DC Universe.

When DC Comics relaunched with The New 52, the original Richard Dragon was killed by Ricardo Diaz, who then took on the Richard Dragon name. However, DC hasn’t explored this version of the character much. While fans might not like that Diaz killed the first Richard Dragon, the idea of a student killing their teacher offers a lot of interesting storytelling possibilities.

3) Duela Dent

It’s not surprising that a character claiming to be the Joker’s Daughter is unpredictable, but DC Comics hasn’t really explored her potential much. She first appeared trying to become a hero and join the Teen Titans, but the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ event drastically changed her story, portraying her as someone with schizophrenia. More recently, she’s had a minor role with the Suicide Squad, though that was quite a while ago.

Despite appearing as a key character in The CW’s short-lived series, Gotham Knights, Duela Dent hasn’t had much presence outside of comic books. The show’s cancellation after one season means she’s once again a relatively obscure character.

2) Gotham Girl

It’s unclear what DC’s plans were for Gotham Girl, but the character had a lot of potential. Introduced in DCU: Rebirth #1 by Tom King, Claire Clover, a.k.a. Gotham Girl, gained superpowers with her brother through a special serum, and they fought crime as Gotham and Gotham Girl. She played a key role in Tom King’s Batman storyline, helping Bane weaken Batman, but her story abruptly ends with Batman using Platinum Kryptonite to save her from the serum’s harmful side effects while still allowing her to keep her powers. Given this dramatic backstory, many expected her to reappear or at least become a recurring supporting character, but DC has largely seemed to forget about her.

1) Naomi

Naomi first appeared in 2019 as a promising new character created by Brian Michael Bendis. Her origin story involves a parallel world where a radiation leak gave 29 people incredible powers, sparking a brutal civil war. Because these powered individuals couldn’t have children, Naomi’s birth to one of them made her a target – the others wanted to eliminate her to stay in control. To protect her, she was sent to our universe, where she grew up unaware of her own abilities until they began to emerge.

Naomi had an interesting origin story, and DC Comics initially tried hard to make her a well-known character – she even starred in her own TV show on The CW. Unfortunately, the show didn’t last long, and after only a year, the character was mostly forgotten, which is a shame because her story had a lot of potential.

Read More

2026-06-05 02:10