DC Comics codified superheroes in the Golden Age, creating the building blocks for their multi-faceted universe. Legacy would be extremely important to the DC mythos, and the Golden Age heroes proved to be fertile ground.

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Children and proteges of the original heroes took up their predecessors' mantles to fight evil, many becoming just as powerful, if not more powerful, than their forebears. From the heroes of the Silver Age who came after them to sidekicks to entirely new people taking inspiration from their icons, Golden Age legacy heroes established themselves among the most formidable in the DC Multiverse.

10 Hourman III Surpassed His Storied Lineage

An image of Hourman III from DC Comics

Rex Tyler's creation of the Hourman mantle made him into a legend, and his son Rick took over where his father left off. The name of Hourman would survive through the millennia, and in the 853rd century, the most powerful Hourman came into being. Created by Miraclo gene bio-software and advanced nanotech, Hourman III joined the Justice Legion A.

Traveling to the present with his team, Hourman stayed there, taking up the name Matthew Tyler. Hourman III had superhuman physical abilities and chronokinesis, which allowed him to perceive the past and future. He was also the guardian of the Worlogog, a powerful object that gave him amazing reality altering abilities when he had it.

9 Jesse Quick Combined Strength And Speed

Jesse Quick takes off at full speed in a DC Comics panel

Jesse Quick began her heroic career working with the Flash. The daughter of Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle mastered her father's Speed Force equation, losing and regaining her connection to the Speed Force several times. At one point, she gained her mother's super-strength and durability as well, joining the Justice Society as the second Liberty Belle and marrying Hourman II.

During a battle with Zoom, Jesse's connection to the Speed Force came back, meaning she possessed both her mother and father's powers. Quick became a super fast titan, combining strength and speed. A fitting holder of her parents' legacies, Jesse reached new heights as a hero.

8 Jakeem Thunder Had The Power Of The Thunderbolt On His Side

Jakeem Williams with Thunderbolt back to back in DC Comics

Jakeem Thunder received the Thunderbolt's pen from Johnny Thunder. Jakeem discovered the Thunderbolt, the powerful genie living in its ink, and joined the Justice Society. Together, Jakeem and the Thunderbolt came in clutch several times for the Justice Society, the genie's great power and Jakeem's quick thinking saving the team when everything seemed lost.

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Even without the Thunderbolt, Jakeem proved to be a formidable hero, with a drive some superpowered heroes couldn't match. Johnny Thunder eventually bonded with the Thunderbolt, and the two made an even better team. While the last development didn't seem to carry over to the current DC Universe, it didn't change how powerful Jakeem Thunder had become.

7 Obsidian's Shadow Control Powers Made Him A Formidable Hero And Villain

Obsidian spreads black mist in DC Comics

Obsidian has always been an underrated hero, despite being very powerful. One of Alan Scott and Thorn's twin children, he was placed in an abusive foster home after his mother's death. While there, his connection to the Shadowlands grew, and he gained the power to use and shape its dark energies. After meeting his sister and father, he became Obsidian and joined Infinity Inc.

Obsidian eventually became a villain, the Shadowlands' darkness and the abuse from his childhood weighing on him. He showed how truly powerful he could become, blocking out the sun itself while working with Mordru and Eclipso. Since then, he returned to the heroic side, and his powers remained as formidable as ever.

6 Jade's Powers Allowed Her To Rival Any Green Lantern

An image of Jade from Infinity Inc getting angry in DC Comics.

Many called Alan Scott the Justice Society's Superman, and his daughter Jade did her best to live up to his legacy. Unlike her brother Obsidian, she wound up in a good foster home after their mother died. Her powers mirrored her father's, except she didn't need a ring, and they didn't have a negative effect on her psyche.

Jade's superheroic career went much better than her brother's. Her powers proved very formidable, making her the match of any Green Lantern out there. She's worked with Infinity Inc., the Outsiders, the Justice League, and the Justice Society, her powers allowing her to keep up with the greatest heroes around.

5 Zatanna's Mystical Mastery Made Her A Leader Of The Magic Community

Zatanna looking over her shoulder in DC Comics

Among the powerful magic users of the DC Universe, Zatanna holds a special place. Zatanna received training in the mystical arts from her father, Zatara, a magical hero of the Golden Age. Her backwards talking spellcraft was augmented by her mother Sindella, a member of the Homo Magi.

Zatanna never joined the Justice Society, as her father was never a member, but she joined the Justice League and the Justice League Dark. She wasn't the most powerful magic user on the planet, but she had skill in spades and was brave enough to face down any threat, regardless of the consequences.

4 Khalid Nassour Inherited The Mantle Of Doctor Fate

Khalid Nassour as Doctor Fate in DC Comics

Doctor Fate was a founding member of the Justice Society and forged a fruitful legacy. Kent Nelson was the first to wear the Helmet of Fate in the modern age, but he was by no means the last. Nelson's wife Inza, Jared Stephens, and Hector Hall also held the mantle. The newest Fate was young Khalid Nassour, a magic user trained by Nelson himself.

Nassour joined up with the Justice League Dark and helped the team battle against Nabu, Hecate, the Injustice League Dark, and the Upside-Down Man. Still learning, the sheer power of the Helmet of Fate put Nassour in a rare and mighty group within the superhero community.

3 Barry Allen Reached New Levels Of Speed

Barry Allen as the Flash in his New 52 costume in DC Comics.

Barry Allen is the second Flash, and he outpaced his predecessor when it came to speed, revolutionizing what it meant to be a speedster in the DC Universe. He mastered phasing through matter and using speed in a variety of tactical ways, Barry's example inspiring a whole new generation of speedsters.

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Barry Allen also mastered traveling between multiversal Earths, created the Cosmic Treadmill to allow for time travel, and came up with the Infinite Mass Punch. His powers helped save the Multiverse from annihilation at the hands of the Anti-Monitor and made him a legend.

2 Power Girl Is A Pre-Crisis Powerhouse

Power Girl glaring with red laser eyes in DC Comics

Power Girl first debuted in the 1970s, joining her cousin Kal-L, the Earth-2 Superman, and the Justice Society. She survived Crisis On Infinite Earths and became a hero on the new Earth, working with the Justice League, Justice Society, and multiple solo heroes. Power Girl had all the powers of her fellow Kryptonians but had some advantages they didn't have.

For example, Power Girl was immune to Kryptonite and magic that wasn't from Earth-2. As a pre-Crisis Kryptonian, she had the potential to be more powerful than any other versions. She often served as the powerhouse of any team she was on, always coming through in a pinch.

1 Wally West Is The Most Powerful Flash

Wally West's Flash runs in DC Comics.

Many consider Wally West the best Flash. This is just an opinion, but there's an undeniable fact about Wally West: he's the most powerful speedster on the planet. Taught by all the best speedsters — Barry Allen, Jay Garrick, Johnny Quick, and Max Mercury — Wally took everything they taught him to the next level.

Wally West mastered the Speed Force in ways no one before or since had ever managed. He could run faster than any speedster, and could even drain the momentum from objects and add it to his own. As the most powerful Speed Force user, Wally could defeat just about any enemy if he put his mind to it.

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