Superheroes are known to work alongside each other in order to take down some of the biggest threats imaginable. Over the years, all sorts of impossible feats have been realized thanks to heroes relying on each other to get the job done. However, other heroes get very close to each other in other ways, often working together in order to become better or help others become better.

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Typically, when something like this happens, characters tend to fall into the sidekick/mentor rules. While many heroes have come to have a sidekick over the years though, there are a surprising number who have never had one of their own. Likewise, many other heroes never had a mentor to guide them along their journey into becoming a hero. Looking specifically at some of these characters, here is our list of 5 heroes who never had a sidekick, and 5 who never had a mentor.

10 Black Panther (Never had a Sidekick)

Black Panther feature

In both the movies and the comics, Everett Ross has come to work very closely alongside Black Panther. However, despite the Ross’ involvement with the superhero, he never really lives up to the traditional view of a sidekick. While he has been silly and quippy at times, he has never really taken direct orders from Panther, unless he felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

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Furthermore, Shuri and Okoye don’t exactly fit the role either, as the two are fairly involved with their own affairs. Though Shuri also ascended to the role of Black Panther for a time, the movies are really the closest thing she’s ever been to a sidekick. In regards to Okoye, she has recently been shown to be very independent of Black Panther. Because of this, it is safe to say that Black Panther has yet to truly have a sidekick.

9 Flash (Never had a Mentor)

At the time of his creation, Barry Allen and Gay Garrick really had nothing to do with each other. When the two did finally meet, the older, more experienced Flash did have a few pointers for the young Barry, but never really trained him in the way a mentor normally would.

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Especially in regards to current cannon, the two speedsters still haven’t technically met, meaning that Barry had to learn everything about his powers and the Speed Force all by himself.

8 Dr. Fate (Never had a Sidekick)

While there have been many different versions of Dr. Fate over the years, every version has yet to have a sidekick. For such a powerful hero, one would think that Dr. Fate would occasionally take someone aside in order to mentor them. However, since Nabu is an entity, Dr. Fate really just needs a new host from time to time in order to defend the earth from all sorts of chaotic evils.

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Even Khalid Nassour a very new version of Dr. Fate as well as the youngest, never received training from someone like Kent Nelson. If anything, the body serving as Dr. Fate would be considered the sidekick, as Nabu is the source of the sorcerer’s abilities.

7 Hank Pym (Never had a Mentor)

If anyone could have used a mentor, it would have been Hank Pym. As an original Avenger, Hank accomplished all sorts of amazing feats as Ant-Man, and later as Giant Man. Unfortunately, Hank’s personality was very unstable, leading him to all kinds of questionable and villainous decisions.

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Aside from accidentally creating Ultron, Hank would be revealed to be an abuser of his wife and teammate. If that wasn’t shocking enough, he would even become a full-blown villain for a time.

6 Supergirl (Never had a Sidekick)

Though Supergirl herself is often considered to be a sidekick, she has certainly stepped out of her cousin’s shadow, especially in recent years. Over time, Supergirl has easily become just as important as many other heroes in the DC universe. While she’s had her fair share of solo series, she has yet to actually have a sidekick of her own.

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While Jimmy Olsen may seem like her sidekick in the TV series, he really is more Superman’s sidekick than Kara’s. Like many other heroes, Supergirl has teamed up with many other heroes over the years, some of which she has more experience than.

5 Moon Knight (Never had a Mentor)

Ever since his death and rebirth at the hands of Khonshu, Moon Knight has pretty much been a loner. Though he has had assistance over the years from characters like Marlene and Frenchie, Marc Spector has had to virtually figure everything out for himself.

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Likewise, being insane and having multi-personality disorder doesn’t exactly make things easy for Marc. With a mentor, perhaps Marc would have a better way to ground himself in reality, similarly to how he does with Marlene.

4 Green Lantern (Never had a Sidekick)

For as old as Green Lantern is, and for as many different versions as there are, Green Lantern has never really had a sidekick. Due to the structure of the team though, it would make sense that no single Green Lantern officer ranks above another the way a sidekick would with their mentor.

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Though they still undergo training and the like, characters like Jessica Cruz follow orders from Hal Jordan based on standing, not because she is a sidekick. Furthermore, even when younger individuals such as Kai-Ro or Teen Lantern were introduced, they never served as anyone’s sidekick, easily landing Green Lantern on this list.

3 Captain America (Never had a Mentor)

Similarly to Superman, Steve Roger’s upbringing and ideals are primarily responsible for the character’s moral standing, rather than the hero actually having “mentors.” Furthermore, when Rogers obtained the enhanced abilities that turned him into Captain America, no one was there to guide him through the experience.

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However, Steve still found a way to take his abilities and fight in order to make a difference in the world. Likewise, he has served not only as a mentor to Bucky Barnes, but has led the entire world through his example. With everything Captain America has managed to accomplish over the years, it is safe to say that he has never needed a mentor to begin with.

2 Thor (Never had a Sidekick)

Thor Flying with Mjolnir

If anything Mjolnir is the closest thing that Thor has to a sidekick. However, considering that Mjolnir is an object, it is really hard to view it as such. For all the other versions of Thor out there, the hero has never actually served as a mentor to someone.

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Loki has always been a god in his own right, Jane Foster learned everything herself, and Beta Ray Bill never needed Thor to begin with. While the character has had all sorts of allies throughout his many years in publication, no one has ever really been able to call themselves the sidekick to the God of Thunder.

1 Martian Manhunter (Never had a Mentor)

Because of his unique biology, Martian Manhunter’s abilities are derived directly from his genetic makeup, rather than being the result of an accident or the like. Since he grew up on Mars though, all of J’onn J’onzz’s abilities have come to him as naturally as being human would be for a person.

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Though he technically could have had a mentor instruct him on how to use his powers, it doesn’t really count in the same way it would for a human. Likewise, J’onzz was alone for years before being transported to earth and deciding to become a hero. Because of this, it is pretty apparent that Martian Manhunter’s desire to help isn’t brought about from a particular mentor from his past, but rather a general desire to do good.

NEXT: 5 Best DC Sidekicks (& 5 Marvel Sidekicks)