Unfolding across the various
Batman titles, a long-forgotten
DC Comics character returned in Scott Snyder's 2012 miniseries,
Night of the Owls miniseries. Fans were very receptive to Snyder's revelation and the way the scribe managed to acknowledge past continuity. Here's five similar DC characters that could also use a similar reinvention.
Wild Dog: Wild Dog is a fictional vigilante operating out of Quad Cities. He first appeared in Wild Dog #1 back in September 1987 as a creation from Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty. When Jack Wheeler suffers through the dual tragedies of having his Marine squadron killed by a terrorist bomb and later having his girlfriend (secretly the daughter of a mob boss) killed by professional hit men, he dons fatigues, body armor (underneath a hockey jersey), electrified gloves and a hockey mask to battle the forces of evil. Wild Dog's storylines frequently involved terrorism and various social political movements. Looking at the current slate of DC titles, Jack Wheeler could easily be weaved into the tapestry of The Movement or The Green Team. He was last seen (briefly) in Infinite Crisis #7 in June 2006.
Halk Kar: Superman's older brother....sort of. Debuting back in February 1953, Halk Kar hails from Thoron, a neighboring planet of Krypton. When he arrives on Earth, he has no memory but possesses a note from Jor-El in his spaceship which makes Superman jump to the conclusion that Halk Kar is his brother (hey, it was the 50's). Halk Kar possesses the exact same power set that Superman has but to a lesser degree (not as strong, makes giant leaps because he can't actually fly, etc.). This could easily be explained by Thoron being located farther away from its solar system's red sun or through some other variation between Kryptonian and Thoronian physiologies. Besides strength, the biggest difference between Kal-El and Halk Kar is that unlike Krypton, Thoron is still intact. The character was erased by Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Legionaire, Mon-el was essentially his replacement but they're vastly different and could easily co-exist. With Superman gone in Earth-2, Halk Kar could easily fit into that alternate universe and maybe even one day cross paths with the Superman of the current 52-verse.
: Created by Garth Ennis and John McCrea in 1993, Hitman was DC Comics' answer to the Marvel character, the Punisher. Tommy Monaghan grew up in Gotham City and is a former Marine that served in The Gulf War and now operates as a contract killer. Crank the Punisher persona up to 12, add telepathy and X-Ray vision and you've got Hitman. Sounds like he would be a bit one-dimensional but Hitman #34 won the Eisner award in 1994 for Best Single Issue so rest assured there's some pliable material there. The character has a "relatively" rich history with Superman so Action Comics would be cool, nostalgic way to introduce him to The New 52.
Dolphin: Dolphin is a fictional superheroine character that (unsurprisingly) has a closely associated history with Aquaman. The character debuted in Showcase #79 back in 1968 as the creation of writer/artist Jay Scott Pike. Falling overboard in the ocean as a young girl, she was rescued by aliens who experimented on her physiology which left her with webbed feet and hands, gills, and the ability to survive deep underwater pressure (which effectively gives her superhuman strength on land). She was also left with a slowed aging process making it almost impossible to determine her exact age, like a certain adamantium-laced Marvel mutant. She's also just as feral as Wolverine, having gained her freedom at a young age, she spent most of her life underseas, living as a scavenger. Very shy in nature, Dolphin will go into a red-hazed berserker rage when attacked. Eventually discovered by humans, she never quite mastered speaking and relied primarily on sign language for communication. She and Aquaman have had a romantic relationship in the past, which would create an intersting dynamic between the King of Atlantis and Mera, especially with the revelation in Aquaman #19 concerning the marital status of the latter.
: Dwayne Geyer was a creation of Chuck Dixon and Jim Balent back in 1993 that gained super powers during the same zany, alien-invasion storyline that gave Hitman his abilities. Geist becomes invisible in light, which comes in handy for crimefighting but hampers his ability to hold down a job. Not a ton of backstory with this character but readers during the 90's really loved his costume and many speculated that he was destined to become the Peter Parker of the DCU. A slightly younger version of the character would be an interesting addition to the Teen Titans.
Honorable Mention: Immortal Man, Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man, Nightmaster, Null and Void
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