Back in April, the magazine-sized "Rebirth" preview distributed in comics shops promised "three [heroic] characters reintroduced to the DC Universe... with the promise of more."

As we all know by now, those three were Wally "Kid Flash/Flash III" West, the Golden Age Johnny Thunder (not to be confused with DC's Old West character), and Jackson "Aqualad II" Hyde. Ray Palmer also appeared as the Atom (with Ryan Choi debuting as his apprentice), along with the first on-panel appearance of Ted Kord since the New 52 relaunch. I'm pretty sure the "sandwich thief" is Legion of Super-Heroes member Dream Girl, but it's not clear which version. Regardless, we're going to focus on this "promise of more" business.

WATCH: DC's "Rebirth" Comes Alive In Animated Promo

We begin with that "Rebirth" preview magazine, which sports a wraparound cover by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado, showing three giant hourglasses, one on the front and two on the back. The front cover's hourglass has broken apart, releasing the "rebirth"-ed Superman, Batman, Robin, Superboy, Wonder Woman, Shazam, Aquaman, Batgirl, Kid Flash (the new-ish Wally), Harley Quinn and Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. No big surprises there, things get more interesting on the back cover, where the two remaining hourglasses are imprisoning old-school versions of the Justice Society of America and Justice League. The JSAers include Doctor Fate, the Flash, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), the Atom, Black Canary and Hourman; while the Leaguers are Batman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Wonder Woman, Superman, the Atom, Martian Manhunter and Cyborg. It suggests rather strongly that DC may not be done with all the Multiversal introspection from (among other things) last year's two-month "Convergence" event. Certainly the JSA looks like it could have come from the old Earth-Two, or at least the war years of the pre-"Flashpoint" DC-Earth.

This version of the Justice League is another matter. Most are drawn to look as they did in the pre-"Crisis On Infinite Earths" days, but Cyborg wasn't a Leaguer back then. That suggests a slightly altered timeline, or even a timeline that mashes together elements from different eras. (The cut of Hal's costume also seems anachronistic, but it may just be Ivan Reis's muscle memory.) Thus, when "Rebirth" talks about bringing characters back, they may well be coming from way back; and they may not be exactly as we remember.

With that in mind, here, in no particular order, are ten more possible "Rebirth" returns that, yes, we'd really like to see.

THE GOLDEN AGE FLASH

Because the classic Justice Society will likely be returning en masse, before reading "Rebirth" part of me thought the three returning characters could simply have referred to the Golden Age versions of three emblematic members: Jay "Flash" Garrick, Alan "Green Lantern" Scott and Ted "Wildcat" Grant. Knowing what I know now, if I had to pick one of these three for a "Rebirth" revival, I would go with Jay, and not just because he (in some form or another) has been part of this season's "Flash" TV show.

Let's face it: when you're talking multiverses, you're talking different versions of the Flash, and "Rebirth" proved to be no exception. As beloved as Wildcat is, reintroducing him alone would be like reintroducing Doctor Mid-Nite or Hourman -- it just wouldn't have the same oomph. As for the original Green Lantern, the Alan Scott of the current "Earth-2" series has become a pretty central part of its overall mythology, so much so that he's virtually the supreme being of his adopted world. It might undercut "Earth-2's" Alan to bring back the Golden Age GL, at least this early in "Rebirth." Besides, as shown in 1998's "Flash" #134, there's precedent for Jay visiting a senile Johnny Thunder.

THE QUESTION (RENEÉ MONTOYA)

Created by Steve Ditko for Charlton Comics, and relaunched for DC by the likes of Denny O'Neil & Denys Cowan and Greg Rucka & Cully Hamner, the Question never really caught on in the New 52. He reappeared during "Trinity War," where he was established as one of the Trinity of Sin along with Pandora and the Phantom Stranger. Later, he co-starred in the short-lived "Trinity of Sin" ongoing series. Indeed, while the Question was originally journalist Vic Sage, the New 52 Sage (late of "Suicide Squad") seems entirely separate from the supernaturally-flavored New 52 Question.

By contrast, Vic's successor Renee Montoya was reintroduced last year as Harvey Bullock's partner in "Detective Comics." Initially, her journey from disillusioned cop to mysterious crimefighter took most of a year (as told in the weekly "52"), but DC doesn't have to divulge all those details immediately. Instead, rather than trying to harmonize the current Question and Sage, DC could retire them, and satisfy Renee's fans, by putting her back behind the blank mask. Rucka and Hamner's return to the character was one of last year's best-received "Convergence" miniseries, so clearly her appeal hasn't waned.

MANHUNTER (KATE SPENCER)

Much the same analysis applies to Kate Spencer, who aside from a brief cameo in "Gotham by Midnight," hasn't appeared since the New 52 relaunch. In the pre-Flashpoint days, the various Manhunter identities accumulated a good bit of backstory, involving mysterious secret societies, extraterrestrial androids and clone armies. Kate's origin was fairly simple by comparison: She made herself costume out of discarded super-equipment, and set about beating up supervillains. Along the way, she explored the Manhunter legacy and found herself fairly involved in the superhero community. In short, she's another character whose background isn't complicated, but who could be a vehicle for multitudes of storylines.

PLASTIC MAN

A "Forever Evil" tie-in with "Justice League" included the New 52 version of "Eel" O'Brien's origin, but so far nothing seems to have come of it. That's too bad, because DC's stretchy superheroes tend to be pleasant alternatives to grim and gritty exploits. Along those lines, I would have suggested reviving the Elongated Man, but Gail Simone beat me to it in the just-concluded "Secret Six." No offense to Ralph and Sue Dibny, whom I love, but Plastic Man's probably got a much bigger fanbase. By bringing back Plas, and especially by emphasizing his wackiness, DC can go a long way towards convincing readers it's committed to (you'll pardon the reference) more fun comics.

AMBUSH BUG

For that matter, DC could double down on hijinks and shenanigans by reviving Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming's satirical creation. Ambush Bug first appeared in December 1982's "DC Comics Presents" #52, pestering Superman and the Doom Patrol, but quickly became a commentator on the overall state of DC. Straddling the line between fictional superhero and metatextual mouthpiece, he even joined the Doom Patrol for its last pre-New 52 series; and was last seen as a roving reporter for the short-lived "Channel 52" editorial feature which ran in the back of New 52 series. Clearly, though, that was not his first, best destiny. Having him rant about the fluid state of DC continuity, while "Rebirth" sorts itself out, would be an excellent way for the publisher to poke fun at itself.

JESSE QUICK

Another speedster whose profile has been boosted by the "Flash" show, Jesse could bring a more diverse dynamic to those who ride the Multiversal lightning. I thought about including speed guru Max Mercury on this list, but a couple of factors argued against him. First, he's identified pretty closely with previous versions of Wally West and Bart Allen, and while there's apparently room for more than one Wally, DC seems pretty happy with the Wally and Bart of the New 52. Second, Max is basically a Golden Age speedster whose lack of existing background allowed Mark Waid to make him a "Zen master" for generations of Flashes. As mentioned above, if you want to bring back a Golden Age speedster, bring back Jay Garrick; and if you want to expand the range of characters who can run real fast, bring back Jesse.

STARMAN

This is a tricky one, because ever since Jack Knight drove off into the sunset in 2001, Courtney "Stargirl" Whitmore has been upholding the legacy of the Cosmic Rod. Actually, I'm not quite sure the New 52 ever established a Starman legacy -- so if re-establishing the legacy structure is part of "Rebirth's" plan, DC could do worse than to use the Starmen. Jack is probably off-limits absent writer James Robinson, but that still leaves his father Ted, his brother David, the non-rod-using Will Payton, or the extraterrestrials Mikaal Tomas or Prince Gavyn. While David Knight certainly personifies the legacy structure, the gay, blue-skinned Mikaal would definitely be more diverse.

UNCLE SAM

In these uncertain times, people turn to comforting symbols of moral certitude. Who better to reassure a nervous readership than the very Spirit of America? Whether "Rebirth" is a melting pot of old and new, a radical experiment in diversity designed to take DC through the next 80 years, or something in between, Sam's probably got some folksy, soothing wisdom on point and ready to go.

CAPTAIN MARVEL

Speaking of folksy and soothing, both "Convergence" and "Multiversity" featured a couple of decidedly old-school Marvel Families. While one was taken from Earth-S and the other looked in on the current Earth-5, each hearkened back to the days when DC wasn't afraid to call the World's Mightiest Mortal by the name his creators gave him. On the main DC-Earth he may be Shazam, but there's no reason "Rebirth" couldn't signal a series of new visits to a more traditional set of Marvels. In fact, looking in the upper-left corner of Ivan Reis' "Rebirth" 2-page splash, the Marvels are all accounted for, with a few new faces to boot.

And finally ...

SUPERBOY (KAL-EL/CLARK KENT)

Yes, DC is in the middle of swapping the New 52 Superman for his immediate predecessor; but what if that's not the end of the Super-substitutions? After all, "Rebirth" isn't necessarily over with one 80-page special, and the transition comes with a certain air of impermanence. If DC wants an all-new Superman to go with whatever "Rebirth" ends up becoming, reintroducing the Superboy of the Silver and Bronze Ages -- who palled around with Krypto, saved teenage Lex Luthor from an explosion that only destroyed his hair, and made regular visits to his chums in the Legion of Super-Heroes -- could be the first step. Readers could follow his development into Super-manhood gradually, as any lingering "Rebirth" subplots play out. That sort of long game might risk losing readers along the way, to say nothing of alienating fans weary of frequent relaunches. Still, it would explain how Clark's costumed identity grew with him, in a way the Superman books have never really attempted. Besides, the sight of a new Kryptonian Superboy in addition to Clark and Lois' son -- particularly one in no danger of becoming the petulant Superboy-Prime -- could well blow many readers' minds.

Not that it's a bad problem to have, but one of the main hurdles to creating this list was trying to come up with ten fairly-significant characters who went either unused or underutilized in the New 52. Figures as different as Adam Strange, Bat-Mite, Captain Comet, the Blackhawks, the Challengers of the Unknown, Deadman and OMAC and have all gotten a brief moment in the New 52 spotlight. Although the Legion of Super-Heroes is still in limbo, they started out the New 52 with two titles, and prior to "Convergence" guest-starred in a "Justice League United" arc.

With that in mind, the real test for "Rebirth" going forward will be managing to make everything new (or new-ish) feel old and comfortable; to make the lifers happy, while making everything old feel vital and welcoming. DC's creative teams can draw from 80 years' worth of characters and stories. I don't envy the choices they have to make, and for their sake I hope they pay off.