While there's no shortage of games based on DC Comics, some characters are better represented than others. DC's trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are always well represented. Newer DC icon, Harley Quinn, has also become a staple, appearing in games like the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and as one of the first fighters in MultiVersus.

Characters outside that rarified air are generally confined to the Injustice series and the Lego DC games. That includes characters like Lobo, who was so popular in the 1990s that he was slated to headline his own video game. While he's far removed from his heyday, a game starring Lobo shouldn't be confined to the dustbin of history, as he remains an ideal video game protagonist.

RELATED: Gotham Knights: Red Hood's Mystical Upgrade Is His Most Badass Yet

Created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, Lobo first appeared in 1983's Omega Men #3. Like Watchmen's Rorschach, Lobo was created as what Giffen called "an indictment" of grim and gritty anti-heroes like Wolverine and the Punisher. He wound up becoming popular with the same audience that ate those characters up. After becoming a breakout character in the cosmic L.E.G.I.O.N. series, Lobo starred in multiple popular miniseries and also had a long-running ongoing series during the '90s.

DC Comics' Lobo by Simon Bisley

A big part of Lobo's appeal was Simon Bisley's art. Bisley redesigned Lobo as a leather-clad intergalactic biker. That redesign communicated Lobo's over-the-top personality and imposing physicality perfectly. It even gave him a signature weapon -- a gigantic titanium chain with a hook permanently attached to his right arm.

That design has remained a constant in Lobo's multimedia appearances. That includes his video game adaptation, a one-on-one fighting game riding the wave of Mortal Kombat's popularity. Beyond the "main man," the six-character roster was filled out with characters from Lobo's comics adventures like the murderous Santa Claus Kringle and Lobo's L.E.G.I.O.N. teammate, Vril Dox.

RELATED: Superman & Lois Brings [SPOILER] to the Arrowverse for the Very First Time

The Genesis version was completed and reviewed by video game magazines like GamePro, who criticized its graphics, animation and sparse single-player mode, which only featured Lobo. The ROMs of both the SNES and Genesis versions have been available for emulation on the internet for years, giving fans a chance to see what they missed out on when the game was canceled.

Lobo-Injustice-Screenshot

Lobo eventually appeared in a new fighting game, serving as a DLC character in 2011's Injustice: Gods Among Us. Although he acquitted himself well and would be a welcome addition to a future Injustice or Mortal Kombat game, Lobo's video game future shouldn't be confined to fighting games. His penchant for over-the-top violence and irreverent humor offer a solid template for an action game.

A potential developer could follow in the footsteps of two licensed games published by Activision that adapted characters from DC's rival publisher, Marvel Comics. Wolverine: Origins Uncaged Edition and Deadpool weren't perfect games, but they excelled at adapting their stars to the video game medium. Wolverine in particular was a perfect representation of what a game starring the character should play like, which was mana from heaven for fans who endured years of disappointing Wolverine games.

RELATED: Marvel's Wolverine PS5 Game Gets Promising Development Update

Although it makes sense that a Lobo game would take after Wolverine's, given the character's inspiration, it shouldn't be a carbon copy. Lobo is a beefier character than his forbearer and other action game stars like Devil May Cry's Dante. That physicality should be a part of any Lobo game. He should play more like a "tank" than the traditional character action game protagonist. Ranged hook attacks and his extensive collection of guns could be supplemented with powerful melee moves.

crush and lobo back to back

Lobo's primary profession, bounty hunting, also lends itself well to a video game. Taking progressively bigger jobs would lend itself well to a mission structure and allow for the inclusion of villains from Lobo's comics in addition to original creations. Lobo's association with L.E.G.I.O.N. could lend itself to him going to a hub world like the Citadel from Mass Effect, where Lobo could take on missions and side-quests.

RELATED: Lobo and TMNT's Most Famous Creators Collaborated on a Bonkers B-Movie Parody

Lobo's galaxy hopping could lead to missions on a variety of alien planets and interaction with characters like the Green Lanterns. It could also take him to Earth, where he could interact with his old rival Superman or one-time hookup, Harley Quinn. Inclusion of his daughter, Crush, would be a smart move, possibly as a playable character. Crush's emergence as one of DC's answers to Deadpool would make her an interesting contrast to Lobo. Crush's status as a celebrated LGBTQ+ character would also add some welcome representation to DC games and gaming in general.

With DC reportedly planning to increase its video game output, looking beyond the usual suspects for leads is a good step in the right direction. While he's not the force he once was in comics, he has the potential to become a great video game character. A Lobo game could be a breath of fresh air for DC's single-player games, which have mostly been focused on Batman. If done right, it could make Lobo a new video game icon instead of a faded comic book one.