DC Comics created some of the greatest comic characters ever. The biggest names starred in comics for decades and their stardom extended beyond the printed page. However, out of left field characters gained popularity that no one would've predicted. Sometimes, they just needed a chance to shine on the big stages.

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Other times, creators have taken these surprising characters in new directions that appealed to readers more than ever before. These DC icons don't always reach the highest heights, but they've gained popularity that once seemed impossible for them. Despite what readers first believed, they proved to be great characters who just needed a little extra shine to catch attention.

10 Superman's Success Changed Comics Forever

Superman smiles while flying above the Earth's atmosphere.

It's impossible to understate how surprising Superman's success was. The first modern superhero, Superman came about in a time of dark pulp heroes, two-fisted detectives, femme fatales, and those who lived in the shadows. Superman boasted bright colors, superpowers, and hope.

The Man of Steel struck a chord in a crowded market and remade comics in his image. Superman was so different from everything on the market that no one could've predicted characters like him would become the new standard. Superman's success opened the door for every superhero who came after him.

9 Nightwing Becoming A Successful Solo Superhero Didn't Seem Likely

Nightwing  swings over the city with a happy dog in his arms.

Dick Grayson became the first sidekick as Robin. He always worked with others, whether it be Batman or the Teen Titans. It was hard to imagine Grayson ever leaving Batman's shadow. Even the older Earth-2 version of Grayson remained Robin indefinitely. However, his Earth-1 counterpart went in a different direction, becoming Nightwing.

Forging the Nightwing mantle for himself helped Grayson reach a new level of popularity. His time as a Teen Titan added to his legend, and eventually fans were ready for him to go his own way. Nightwing's first solo book became a smash hit, and he saw continuous publication ever since. Nightwing hit the next level, surprising everyone by making himself into his own hero.

8 Stargirl Defied The Odds

Stargirl smiles while preparing to strike with her staff.

Stargirl exemplified characters who continually become more popular. She first debuted in her own series, Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., picking up the Star-Spangled Kid's legacy. That book got canceled, but she'd move over to JSA. When Jack Knight retired as Starman, she received the Cosmic Rod and became Stargirl.

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JSA was the biggest book of the early 2000s, and Stargirl benefited from that. She gained a legion of fans and was one of the few JSA stars to make the jump to the New 52 as basically the same character. Since then, Stargirl starred in her own TV series and became a bigger star than ever.

Starman, Jack Knight, rides his motorcycle through the city at night.

The DC Universe is full of powerful weapons, but some are more well known than others. The Cosmic Rod existed since the Golden Age when the first Starman Ted Knight used it to fight evil on his own and with the Justice Society. The Justice Society's popularity kept shrinking over the years, and by the time the '90s hit, the team was a shadow of its former self.

Starman launched after Zero Hour, and Jack Knight became Starman after his brother David was killed. Jack proved himself a big star, and fans grew enamored with DC's Golden Age heroes again. No one would've expected Starman to hit it big in the '90s, but Jack Knight made it possible.

6 Red Hood's Rise In Popularity Was A Shock

DC Comics' Red Hood with the Outlaws in the New 52

Jason Todd was the least popular Robin during his tenure. He was so unpopular fans paid to call a 1-900 number to kill him. His eventual return as the villainous Red Hood made a huge splash and slowly but surely fans started liking him again. Eventually, Red Hood became a hero again, albeit a more violent hero than any other member of the Bat-Family.

Red Hood becoming popular was shocking to anyone who knew of his past as Robin. The irony of a character killed because he wasn't popular eventually becoming popular always remained palpable to longtime DC fans. Red Hood's reversal of fortunes went down in history.

5 Aquaman Finally Got His Due During The New 52

Aquaman stands in a regal pose while a wave breaks behind him in DC New 52.

Aquaman was underrated for years. While he had his own solo book on and off for decades and was a perennial member of the Justice League, calling him popular was a stretch. The closest Aquaman got to being popular occurred during the mid-'90s Peter David run of Aquaman, but even then he never became a DC titan.

Unlike many DC characters, the New 52 actually served Aquaman well. The character became legitimately popular during this time, reaching the highest heights of DC. Aquaman's movie made a billion dollars, which wasn't something anyone would've predicted.

4 The Justice Society Became The Biggest Team In Comics For A Time

The entire Justice Society of America from DC Comics gathers around.

The Justice Society became the first major superteam in the comic industry, influencing every group that came after them. Their return in the Silver Age revealed how great they were to a whole new audience, but the post-Crisis era saw their star dimming. Their popularity completely ended, and most fans of the '90s didn't care about them.

Starman's success made people interested in the Golden Age heroes and their legacy again. In 1999, the team got their first book in ages with JSA. It proved a hit that continued to get better, becoming the most beloved team book of the 2000s. Even though they haven't had a book of their own in ages, they retained a huge following clamoring for their return.

Neil Gaiman's Sandman character, Dream of the Endless, lets sand slip through his fingers.

The Sandman's success wasn't at all guaranteed, which feels like a strange thing to say now. In particular, Dream becoming popular definitely surprised comic readers. Dream often played second fiddle in his own book and wasn't the nicest character. However, Dream's growth across the series cemented readers' esteem for him.

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The book proved a character doesn't always have to be nice as long as they're written well. Dream's trials, tribulations, and growth allowed readers to see the person underneath the layers of obligation and protocol, helping them learn to the love the sometimes stuffy King of Dreams.

2 Fans Took The Wrong Lesson From Rorschach

Rorschach from the Watchmen writes in his journal.

Many readers consider Watchmen the greatest comic ever, and it birthed an unlikely star. Rorschach was explicitly a character readers weren't supposed to look up to, with writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons going out of their way to portray him as a deluded man who couldn't see past the black and white of the world.

However, Rorschach hit right as grim and gritty heroes were all the rage. Many fans completely misunderstood Rorschach and his place in the story, seeing him as a moral paragon whose refusal to compromise was a good thing. He paradoxically became the most popular character in the book.

1 Black Adam Became DC's Hottest Anti-Hero

Black Adam looking angry and ready to punch something

Black Adam's road to popularity became an interesting one. Shazam, the former Captain Marvel, was wildly popular for years until DC sued Fawcett Publishing and acquired the publisher's characters. Since then, Shazam went through spurts of low-level popularity, but stayed in his own yard with his villains.

Black Adam was one of Shazam's main foes, but most readers who weren't already familiar with the Shazam mythos knew nothing about him. Appearances in JSA changed that, and the villain soon joined the team. This began Black Adam's meteoric rise in popularity, becoming DC's hottest anti-hero. It didn't matter if he was a good guy or a bad guy. Fans loved him. Black Adam's heroic accomplishments proved as epic as his villainous exploits, and his recent tenure in the Justice League showed he was ready for the big leagues.

NEXT: DC's 10 Most Unlikely Heroes