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Beards can look pretty cool in comics, and here are the top five beards in comics!

Enjoy!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Thor's Beards

Thor has had two notable beards.

The first, in Walt Simonson's run, was because Thor's face was ravaged, so he grew a beard to cover the scars.

You could tell this was not a cosmetic beard, as it looked pretty scraggly.

Later, Eric Masterson wore a beard when he was Thor.

It was pretty darn cool looking, but loses cool points for being worn on a substitute Thor.

Odin

Odin has a strong, imposing beard.

It is really, really cool.

However, you sort of get the idea that the beard is not really MEANT to look any certain way, and it is really more a matter of Odin just not caring enough to groom, which definitely takes points away on the coolness level.

Shvaughn Erin's Beard

Shvaughn Erin was a member of the Science Police who was brought into the Legion of Superheroes title so that Element Lad had a lady to be with, which he needed for appearance's sake, because he was obviously gay.

Later on, in a weird twist, Shvaughn turned out to be a man named Sean, who took a gender-changing drug because he thought it was the only way Element Lad would love him. Obviously, this was not the case, and they lived happily ever after...or until Zero Hour erased them from DC continuity. Whichever came first.

Cave Carson's Beard

Cave Carson is one of the most noted archaeologists in the DC Universe, and is definitely the most notable spelunker.

Amazingly enough, when he first showed up, he didn't even HAVE a beard!

Luckily for us, he realized how much cooler a beard is for an archaeologist/spelunker, and grew one by the time he became a member of the Forgotten Heroes.

Later, he helped fight Eclipso with Amanda Waller, and luckily was able to avoid being among the heroes killed by Eclipso in that silly "mass slaughter" issue of Eclipso.

Thanks to Adam Arnold for the Cave pictures!

Niles Caulder's Beard

Omar Karindu pointed out this gross oversight of one of the greatest comic book beards ever - that of Niles Caulder, the Chief of the Doom Patrol.

His beard was so badass, he even managed to live beyond decapitation!!!

Hercules' Beard

At first, Hercules had a Steve Reeves (who played Hercules in two notable late 50s motion pictures)-esque beard.

This was a cool beard, but maybe Marvel artists thought it was a bit too dorky to have him look EXACTLY like Steve Reeves, so the beard developed until it reached its standard of coolness, which lasted for quite some time.

Then, in a shocking turn of events, when placed on an Avengers team with ANOTHER bearded team member (Eric Masterson's Thor turn), "Hercules" (I use quotes because it was most likely artist Steve Epting or writer Bob Harras making the decision) decided it didn't look good to have TWO bearded Avengers, so he shaved the beard off.

Next, they took away most of his powers.

Then, they changed his costume to basically a gym workout outfit with strange-looking kneepads.

By the time they were finished, Hercules was basically Sylvester Stallone.

"Yo Adrian!"

Luckily, most of that stuff has been ignored, and during Civil War, Hercules basically completed his return to his old self, and here he is, back in his #1-rated beard in this upcoming World War Hulk cover.

Coolness.

Well, that's the list! Agree? Disagree? Let me know!