My favorite superhero is Superman. Before you dismiss my cliche` entry, please read on... Superman exemplifies the very best that humanity strives to be.  His superpowers of invulnerability and super strength can be interpreted as an analogy for self-confidence; Superman's powers come from the sun and nothing else.  He merely needs to exist, to see the sunlight and breath to be super.  He is the last of his kind, the Kryptonians, whose corrupt and violent society lead to the death of their native planet Krypton.  Superman's weakness from kryptonite, the radioactive pieces of Krypton, symbolize the greed and treachery that Kryptonians inflicted upon themselves.  Thus, Superman's enemies strive to use this physical threat against him, and it is the physical that they must attack; Superman (through his human-self Clark Kent) has unbendable morals and ethics that outweigh the strength of his superpowers.  He cannot be tempted into vengeance, selfishness, or personal gain.  Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Bizzarro, and his other villains find him incorruptible.  Superman is the protector of Earth and humans according to his father's Jor-El's wishes.  Jor-El chose Earth for his son so that he could lead humans, protect us from ourselves, and perhaps finally see the potential for greatness that humanity has.  Superman's constant loneliness and global burden often make him a subject of tragedy, mentally crushed under the weight of all his responsibilities to Earth. While I'm always a fan of Batman, X-Men, Spiderman, Hellboy, and other super hero types, I ask myself one question to determine my favorite: Who does Earth need most right now? The answer is always Superman.  I watch "Superman Returns" and I get teary during the scene that he rescues the jet.  Wouldn't Superman have been handy earlier this month when that jet crashed in Spain?  Couldn't Superman stop the genocide in Dafur & Rwanda?  Could he have stopped the Holocaust in WWII?  Could Superman have stopped September 11th? Superman is our great modern myth to help us see beyond our shortcomings as humans.  We are continually failing to be responsible custodians of the Earth and to our own race.  I wish someone like Superman were here to show us the way. Thanks for reading. - Matt M., Portland Runners up It's Felix the Cat of course!  Why?  Felix is one wild, witty, mischievous feline!  The ultimate classic kitty! - Kim "Who's your kitty" Whitmore, Dedham I've been a fan of Spider-Man since I could crawl. My first exposure to the Webhead was through the animated cartoon when I was only 3. To see it now, the animation is dated, the stories are weak and the dialog is bad, but at that age Spidey seemed really cool.  My father read me my first Spider-Man comics soon after, and I was hooked. I liked Spider-Man because of his cool costume, his free spirit, and great sense of humor. He never took himself or the villains he fought too seriously. Later, I got to like Peter Parker just as much. Peter was a secret identity we could all relate to. He had real life problems like paying rent, helping his Aunt May with her hospital bills, girl troubles, school, etc.   Thanks to the Electric Company, a short lived CBS television series, and various animated series, Spider-Man has been kept in the public eye and toy stores for years.  What I think is great, is that through all the changes in tastes and style, Spider-Man and his alter-ego haven't really changed at all and still remain as popular as ever. - Eric  R. I remembered my all time favorite as a kid/young adult. Hands down! It was the Savage Sword of Conan! I even have a copy (somewhere) of the comic, in hardcover and in Spanish that I bought on one of my trips to Spain. I bet I chucked hundreds of copies of that comic before I knew that the pristine copies I had might be worth some dinero now. Oh well...live and learn. I loved the artwork more than the story line – which was usually something like: someone is in distress; Conan comes to the rescue, hacks up a bunch of bad guys/creatures with his sword and leaves a hot damsel as he walks of into the sunset over a desolate wasteland. But the artwork was always very cool. -    Paul C., Bangor My favorite comic book character is Clark Kent / Kal-El / Superman.  Though he was certainly one of the first (and is seventy years old this year) and has been featured on as many products as Mickey Mouse, the essence of who the Kryptonian immigrant is has not diminished.  He is still as relevant today as he was back in 1938.   Superman is the survivor of a doomed planet and spent his formative years living in Smallville, Kansas with humans.  Though he has the power to move planets, the upbringing he received on the family farm instilled in Superman a sense of right and wrong, justice and fairplay, truth and the American way.  It may seem simplistic to some and might not be as dangerously sexy as Batman, but Superman remains my favorite comic book character. Routinely sacrificing his attempts at a personal life to save us from ourselves continues to be his primary focus.  Though he routinely battles threats from other planets, Superman the character devotes just as much time to dealing with more earthbound conflicts.  The selfless devotion to use his special abilities for the benefit of mankind (instead of claiming dominion over us) makes his character above reproach and someone that we can all admire.  Superman was the blueprint for the thousands of superheroes that have followed in his wake but the reason he is still regarded as the greatest is that endless ability to find the best in people and to devote his time and energy to making us realize it as well. ....and honestly, who among us would not want to be invulnerable, super-strong, and possess the ability to fly?  - Denis H., Bangor Mine is a little known character called Ash. He's a firefighter who died and came back a "superhero." - Gary P., Bradley Wonder Woman, because she could get it done with jewelry. A woman who was not afraid of being female. 'nuf said! -    Marion S., Bangor I have grown into loving this character and his story, as I’ve gotten older and had more life experiences.  The Incredible Hulk is not your typical superhero.  At first glance he is more monster than savior.  When the passive scientist Bruce Banner becomes angry, he reverts back into this creature that is driven almost purely by emotion.  However, inside that monster is still the good man, keeping the monster from becoming evil and instead fighting for good.  He is misunderstood and on the run much of the time, but he will still reach out and make human connections, as both man and monster.  The idea of “letting go” of society’s restraints and doing what you want is appealing in our world of rules and expectations.  Even more appealing, is no matter who you are and what you “transform” into, you don’t stop being yourself and will ultimately do the moral thing.  The Hulk is both a sad and hopeful creature, and this complexity makes him so compelling. Jeremiah R., Hermon Staff Picks Spider-Man is everything a comic hero should be. He has a sweet array of superpowers, but isn't so powerful as to be unbeatable a la Superman. Not only that, but he began life as a high school geek. Just about anyone who has ever read comics with any regularity can relate to that; I know I can. Plus, he is the absolute king of witty superhero banter, which not only serves to make a more entertaining read, but also allows him to mask the insecurities he still has despite his great power. Also, though this might be an oversimplification, Marvel as we know it would not exist without Spider-Man. - Allen Adams Marv from Frank Miller’s “Sin City.” He’s big. He’s bad. And his gun’s name is Gladys. What’s not to love, you pansies?! - Katy England Avengelyne from Maximum Press is is badass and beautiful. - Joel Egland Frank Castle aka THE PUNISHER.... after enduring the tragedy of losing his family The Punisher utilizes any means necessary to do his work: big guns, coercion, extortion, kidnapping – if it's necessary, he'll do it. He is a rebel with a cause, and for any problem, he'll find the solution. - Justin Bradbury