10 Worst TV Superheroes, Ranked

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Danny Rand gets into a fighting stance as the Iron Fist

Ever since The Adventures of Superman graced television screens in 1952, viewers have been fascinated with seeing superheroes in their living rooms. The danger, the impossible feats of strength, and the larger-than-life characters amaze both the children and adults of the household.

However, in the last 70 years, not all television adaptations of comic book legends have enjoyed the same success as The Man of Steel. For decades, the majority of superhero TV shows suffered from brief runs plagued with production headaches. The reasons varied from technical limitations preventing a classic character from soaring to its potential, to an idea so bad only the hottest producer in town could get the project greenlit. These superhero shows found their kryptonite was getting people to tune in.

10 The Mantis (Carl Lumbly)

'M.A.N.T.I.S.' (1995)

The Mantis (Carl Lumbly) in full costume looks over his shoulder for a threat

When a gunshot paralyzes Dr. Miles Hawkins (Carl Lumbly), he uses his genius intellect to create an exoskeleton known as the Mechanically Augmented Neuro Transmitter Interception System, or M.A.N.T.I.S., to fight crime. In the suit, Miles can once again walk, along with the abilities of enhanced strength, agility, and wrist guns to fire darts that freeze evildoers in their tracks. The series is known for having the first Black superhero on television and explores the power dynamics of racism in the workplace and political office.

From the creative minds of Sam Raimi and Sam Hamm, M.A.N.T.I.S. intended to bring the spectacle of movies like Batman or Darkman to the small screen. It succeeds, with explosions and action set-pieces from every angle, but the cheesy writing is overwhelming and stands out even more against the earnestness with which the actors deliver their lines. Fans of Raimi might get more mileage from M.A.N.T.I.S.'s theatric approach, as his influence is all over each episode, even if his involvement was non-existent after the pilot movie was finished. Viewers checked in for an exciting premise but were heading for the door by the time the series wrapped up its 22-episode season.

9 The Wonder Twins (Voiced by Michael Bell and Louise Williams)

'The All New Super Friends Hour' (1977)

Appearing as the newest members of the League of Super Friends, the Wonder Twins Zan (voiced by Michael Bell) and Jayna(voiced by Louise Williams) debuted on The All-New Super Friends Hour. By touching hands, the twins can activate their superpowers; Jayna can turn into any animal, and Zan can transform into any type of water. If the twins move too far away from one another, they revert to their original form, resulting in their powers typically being used in a way that would complement the other. Because this is a Hanna Barbera cartoon, they also have a pet monkey named Gleek.

The Wonder Twins were introduced alongside famous superheroes and Aquaman to launch a new incarnation of the popular team-up cartoon. A challenge faced when incorporating the Wonder Twins' powers was that they proved to be the perfect combination of complex and useless, requiring increasingly more complex scenarios to excel in. For instance, a seagull carrying an ice gondola with a monkey sitting in it is rarely the right tool for the job, but that's what Zan and Jayna had to offer the team. While the twins were explicitly created for The All New Super Friends Hour, the characters have enjoyed intermittent success in DC Comics alongside their Super Friends. The twins truly were the Scrappy Doo of their team, and their last acquired power was to slowly vanish from the show.

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8 Black Scorpion (Michelle Lintel)

'Black Scorpion' (2001)

Michelle Lintel wearing a red halter top staring off to the side in Black Scorpion

Detective Darcy Walker (Michelle Lintel) upholds justice in Angel City by day and becomes the mysterious Black Scorpion at night. Armed with proficiency in hand-to-hand-fighting and a transforming car she somehow bought on a detective's salary, the Black Scorpion fights corruption and colorful supervillains in each week's episode. The series was a spin-off of the Roger Corman-produced feature films Black Scorpion and Black Scorpion II: Aftershock, with Lintel stepping in to replace star Joan Severance in the leading role.

Unlike M.A.N.T.I.S., Black Scorpion is well aware of how cheesy it is and proudly wears that fact on its sleeve. The show plays like an adult children's show -- an overly sexed-up Power Rangers. Cops bounce off each other while attempting to put on bullet-proof vests; villains wear masks that look like children's Halloween costumes, and Darcy will regularly leave her fellow officers in danger so she can drive around the corner and return in her transformed car. Being in on the joke doesn't necessarily make the joke funnier, but Black Scorpion walks the line of the so-bad-it's-good category. Fans of Corman or cringe should put Black Scorpion in their 'maybe' pile, if only to see how Corman's style fits on the small screen.

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7 Iron Fist (Finn Jones)

'Marvel's Iron Fist' (2017)

Finn Jones as Dunny Hunt with a bleeding wound to his head in Iron Fist

After missing for many years and presumed dead, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) returns to New York City to reconnect with those he lost and reclaim his family's company. Armed with mastery of martial arts and the mystical force of the Iron Fist, Danny is tasked with using everything he's learned to battle a looming threat. This follows the premise of Iron Fist, the fourth in a series of Netflix shows starring Marvel characters. Excitement was high, as this was the last piece of the puzzle before Daredevil, Jessica Drew and Luke Cage joined Iron Fist for the much-hyped Defenders crossover series.

Marvel could seemingly do no wrong leading up to the release of Iron Fist, with movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, which featured no recognizable mainstream characters, being runaway hits. So, possibly, it was hubris on the studio's part to release such an uninspired take on Iron Fist - a dull, by-the-numbers exercise in establishing a new IP to sell collectible statues. Perhaps this was the beginning of the much-discussed superhero fatigue spreading through households, but with viewers eagerly anticipating the reboot of Daredevil, it's more likely fans just weren't interested in seeing Iron Fist save the day.

6 The Cape (David Lyons)

'The Cape' (2011)

In The Cape, Ex-cop Vince Faraday (David Lyons) is framed for murder and on the run, hiding under the cover of his assumed death in an explosion. Befriended by the enigmatic Max Malini (the always-welcome Keith David), Faraday dons the costume of his son's favorite superhero, The Cape, while searching for a way home. Back against the wall, Faraday fights those who wronged him with the unstoppable power of... sleight-of-hand magic. Short-lived in its run, The Cape's legacy will most likely be in Dan Harmon's Community, where Abed (Danny Pudi) holds eternal hope for The Cape to have six seasons and a movie.

Too sentimental to be taken seriously but still tasked with delivering successful mainstream ratings, NBC set The Cape up for failure. There's an inherent challenge to creating an exciting new superhero in a crowded field of existing characters, some of whom command a religious level of fanaticism. But to then require immediate success while airing the show on Monday nights? There are some fights even a superhero can't win.

5 Spider-Man (Nicholas Hammond)

'The Amazing Spider-Man' (1977-1979)

Spider-Man (Nicholas Hammond) stands outside in full costume in front of a tree

Before Spider-Man became a movie icon, he had a few attempts at the small screen. In his first live-action outing, Peter Parker (Nicholas Hammond) is bitten by a radioactive spider to become The Amazing Spider-Man. The series takes liberties with the hero's origin story, removing Uncle Ben's death as a cautionary tale for misusing his powers. Instead, Peter uses the story of a costumed vigilante to sell photos to Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson (David White, in the pilot). This makes the story less "With Great Power, Comes Responsibility" and more "With Great Power, Comes Rent Check."

The Amazing Spider-Man suffers from ambition over ability. In the 1970s, anything short of a feature film budget was insufficient to produce the dynamic visuals required for Spider-Man, and even then, it would have proved challenging. Fans hoping to see Spider-Man face off against his colorful rogues' gallery, such as Venom or Doctor Octopus, will be out of luck, stuck with a dull assortment of bomb threats or con men as his televised foes. However, fans of Spider-Man might still get a kick out of watching the surreal experience of Spider-Man climbing walls and fighting ninjas to the blaring horns of funk music.

The Amazing Spider-Man is not available to stream or purchase in the U.S.

4 Night Man (Matt McColm)

'Night Man' (1997-1999)

Night Man fights crime by shooting a red laser out of his eye

A lightning strike grants Johnny Domino (Matt McColm) the power to hear evil thoughts from people near him while robbing him of his ability to sleep. Domino uses his newfound powers and a special suit that grants him the powers of flight, invulnerability and laser eyes to become Night Man. Domino's a saxophone player, so he has ample free time to fight crime, but if he needs to jump into action and play the sax, he can make a hologram of himself playing, allowing Night Man to be in two places at once. It's unclear what would happen if someone in the audience requested a song - a question that can be answered if a reboot ever happens.

Night Man attempts to adapt the tone of the comic book of the same name, but the production values and performances make the series feel more like a nighttime soap opera than a dark action series. Night Man wasn't a total failure; McColm is serviceable as the title character, and it ran for two seasons in syndication, but the action series' middling ratings didn't make a compelling case for a continued run. Night Man was made after a big-screen Batman success, but before Bryan Singer's X-Men and Raimi's Spider-Man created a better understanding of what audiences wanted to see. It might have found better footing if Night Man had been attempted five years later. Maybe.

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3 Stripperella (Pamela Anderson)

'Stripperella' (2003-2004)

Stripperella (Pamela Anderson) glares at her foe

Of the many characters Stan Lee created, Stripperella will most likely not get her own movie. The animated series follows stripper Erotica Jones (Pamela Anderson) as she fights crime under the name of Stripperella. Produced for the Spike network, the show boasted a stacked voice talent of veterans like Maurice LaMarche and Spongebob himself, Tom Kenny. The series attempted to push the boundaries of what sexual innuendos could make it on basic cable, with episodes ranging from Stripperella fighting a giant beaver to racing against time to defuse an explosive breast implant.

A core problem with Stripperella is the premise that a stripper who also fights crime doesn't carry enough mileage to lend itself to a long-running series. Without stronger character development or a deeper bench of characters to pull from, the available jokes are limited and would fit more neatly into a film. During Stripperella's release, Spike would have been the ideal network to air an edgy sexual comedy aimed at men, but the show still failed to connect with an audience primed to return week to week. Ultimately, low-brow humor and cartoon nudity set up Stripperella's audience to be a small one, dooming the comedy to only 13 episodes.

2 Automan (Chuck Wagner)

'Automan' (1983)

Chuck Wagner as Automan stands in the police station

A police officer and computer whiz, Walter Nebicher (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) creates the ultimate crime-fighting partner in Automan. By typing on what appears to be an Apple Macintosh, Nebicher gives life to a hologram named Automan (Chuck Wagner), a super-being that can live outside the computer. Possessed with superhuman intelligence and all the powers of a hologram, Automan teams up with Nebicher to fight crime. Automan also has a sidekick, Cursor, a bouncy ball of light that can create anything the heroic duo needs by drawing it into existence.

The series is heavily influenced by the movie Tron, as shown by Automan's glowing suit. The special effects that created Automan's blue features were well done for their time, meaning they were too expensive to maintain, especially with low ratings. After a weak opening reception with no signs of improvement, Automan was towed after 12 episodes.

Automan is not available to stream or purchase in the U.S.

1 Manimal (Simon MacCorkindale)

'Manimal' (1983)

Dr. Jonathan Chase wearing a jacket and tie sits with a falcon on his arm

In the aptly named Manimal, Professor Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale) helps the police solve crimes with his power to become any animal of his choosing. A show with a premise as open-ended as transforming into a variety of animals would require state-of-the-art visual artistry, so they hired special effects master Stan Winston. Winston contributed to the panther and hawk transformations, guaranteeing they would be used frequently. Unfortunately, there wouldn't be much opportunity to showcase his work, as Manimal only ran for eight episodes on NBC.

Manimal was co-created by legendary producer Glen A Larson. Larson was on a prolific streak of hits, such as Magnum PI, Battlestar Galactica, and Knight Rider, so he understandably operated with less studio oversight than some of his peers. Undaunted by the cancelation, Larson would years later reintroduce the character of Professor Chase in an episode of another show he created, Night Man. (Automan is also a Larson creation.) Manimal may not have broken ratings records, but it will live on in TV Guide's 50 Worst Shows of All Time, listed at number 15.

Manimal is not available to stream or purchase in the U.S.

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