10 Animated Comic Book Adaptations You Might Have Forgotten About

Adapting comic book stories and characters is not something new to the entertainment industry. Before the MCU, there were plenty of other Marvel shows and movies that helped introduce the world to these larger-than-life heroes. And this was no different for so many DC, Image, and Dark Horse Comics properties that fans have come to know and love.

But while shows like The Flash and Loki may have a place in the hearts of many fans, there are still plenty of adaptations that have been forgotten about over the years, many of which made great use of the animation medium.

10 Wild C.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams

WildC.A.T.S. was a team created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi for Image Comics back in 1992 before it was acquired by DC Comics. The series was known for such cutting-edge characters as Spartan and Grifter and dealt with a violent war between two opposing alien races.

The WildC.A.T.S animated show followed much of the same plot as the comics but still had a few changes to make the series a bit more kid-friendly. For instance, the heroine known as Zealot couldn’t decapitate people as she did in the comics; instead, she gently rendered them unconscious. The series lasted for thirteen episodes on CBS from 1994 till 1995 and is almost forgotten by today’s comic fans.

9 Spider-Woman

Spider-Woman is a Marvel comic hero that first premiered in Marvel Spotlight #32 in 1977. Though Jessica Drew was the first character to have the name Spider-Woman, there have since been multiple others that have used this codename.

The Spider-Woman animated series first aired in 1979 on ABC and stared Joan Van Ark as the title character. Though the series was different than its source material it still managed to run sixteen episodes before being canceled in January 1980. A major departure from the comics is the origin of her powers. In the show, Drew gains her abilities after being injected with Spider Serum #34, instead of a procedure done by her father to cure her radiation poisoning.

8 The Maxx

The Maxx was a 1993 Image Comics series created by Sam Kieth. The series follows Maxx in both the real world and an alternative universe known as the Outback as he fought against Mr. Gone to protect the social worker, Julie.

The animated series premiered on MTV in 1995 and lasted only thirteen episodes, with a typical runtime of about thirteen minutes. The show followed the storyline of the comics and had various styles of animation incorporated into it, making it a cable television standout similar to that of another popular MTV animated series, Aeon Flux.

7 Spider-Man Unlimited

Showcasing a new take on the famous wall-crawler, Spider-Man Unlimited was a short-lived animated series that first aired in 1999. The show followed Peter Parker as he traveled to a world called Counter-Earth where he battles against the High Evolutionary as well as Venom and Carnage.

Before the series was cut short it provided fans with alternative looks at some characters like Green Goblin and Kraven the Hunter. A comic series based on the series was also published under the title Spider-Man Unlimited that followed much of the show’s original plot, with Peter even wearing the same costume design that is generally considered one of the worst Spider-Man costumes ever.

6 The Mask: Animated Series

Based on both the 1994 film that starred comedic actor Jim Carrey in one of his best roles and the Dark Horse comic book it loosely adapted, The Mask: Animated Series continued the story of Stanley Ipkiss. The hapless bank teller finds a mystical mask that transforms him into a mischievous green-headed character. Both the live-action film and the animated series were a departure from the violent and darker original comics.

The series was one of the few animated adaptations that lasted longer than only one season. The show managed to produce three seasons with a total of fifty-five episodes before ending in 1997.

5 Silver Surfer

Based on the Marvel comic character of the same name, Silver Surfer followed the cosmic hero as he searches for his home after leaving his master Galactus, who is considered one of the coolest Fantastic Four villains ever. The show was Marvel’s attempt to capitalize on the moderate success of the Fantastic Four animated series, which ran from 1994 to 1996 and featured the character in several episodes.

Unfortunately, Silver Surfer only lasted for one season with a total of thirteen episodes that aired in 1998. The adaptation was known for combining animation styles and for featuring such classic Marvel characters like Thanos, Uatu the Watcher, and Adam Warlock. The series can now be found in its entirety on Disney+.

4 Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot

This 1995 Dark Horse comic was created by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow and only consisted of two issues. The story surrounded an attack on Tokyo by a giant reptile creature and the new experiment robot, Rusty.

The two issues were adapted into an animated series in 1999, which lasted for two seasons with a total of twenty-six episodes. Similar to the comic, the show followed a new advanced robot, Rusty, as he is being trained by the previous battle robot model, Big Guy, to fight against a multitude of threats.

3 Battle Pope

Created by Tony Moore and Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead fame, Battle Pope was a 2000 independent comic that followed a sinful Pope who was left on Earth during the Rapture. He was then charged by God to help humanity survive the demons that escaped Hell, granting him intense power and issuing his son Jesus H. Christ to assist him. The series was later reprinted through Image Comics in 2005, which garnered enough interest for Spike TV to develop and air an eight-episode animated web series based on the comic in 2008. Unfortunately, Battle Pope failed to entice viewers, and Kirkman moved on to develop his hit adaptation of his seminal zombie series.

2 The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show

Plastic Man was a DC Comics hero created by Jack Cole and first appeared in Police Comics #1 in 1941. Plastic Man is able to stretch his body to incredible lengths, as well as change his shape and size. While never a marquee star in comics, the jovial hero was popular enough to appear in Action Comics and Justice League of America in the 1970s and got his own animated show around this time period.

The Plastic Man Comedy Adventure Show ran from 1979 to 1981 with an initial runtime of two hours before being trimmed to an hour and a half. The twenty-nine-episode series featured stories with Plastic Man and D-list characters such as Mighty Man and Fangface. After his show’s cancellation, Plastic Man would go on to star in many other animated DC properties like Justice League Unlimited and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies in 2018.

1 The Amazing Screw-On Head

Though only a one-shot comic, The Amazing Screw-On Head has become a fan favorite since its debut in 2002. Published by Dark Horse Comics, Screw-On Head was written and drawn by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. The story concerns a robot agent of Abraham Lincoln who investigates a stolen parchment that could lead to an ancient jewel.

There was only a single twenty-two-minute pilot episode starring Paul Giamatti, Patton Oswalt, and Molly Shannon and written by Bryan Fuller of Hannibal fame. While the Sci-Fi Channel pilot failed to turn into a full series, the one-episode show can still be seen in all its bizarre glory on various streaming services.

About The Author