15 Coolest Superhero Catchphrases Of All Time, Ranked

Nothing helps a superhero go over well with fans more than a good catchphrase. The best catchphrases are ones that immediately bring memories of the superhero in question to the minds of fans, even those who don’t regularly read the comics. There are even some catchphrases that seem nonsensical to mainstream audiences, but they still know them by heart.

Additionally, some catchphrases are so big that they even end up included in other movies and TV shows, reaching a new level of popularity. Whether it is a statement a hero yells before heading into a fight or a motto that a character lives his or her life by, some superhero catchphrases almost have a life bigger than those who say them.

Updated on Jan. 27, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: At least one of the most famous superhero catchphrases of all time underwent a major change in 2021, with Superman mixing up the wording in his motto. With the headlines that arose from that change, it was clear how important a superhero’s catchphrase really is, both in comics and in the movies. Many superhero catchphrases develop lives of their own, becoming common expressions widely recognizable even to people who don’t read comics.

15 “I Can Do This All Day.” — Captain America.

“I can do this all day” became not only a major superhero catchphrase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it also became a fun joke that was pulled out more than once. This is a line Captain America would say to prove he would never stop fighting, regardless of the odds.

In Avengers: Endgame, it was played for comedy when he fought a past version of himself and his line was used against him. The Disney+ series Hawkeye then made it a legendary catch phrase when it was a song in the Captain American Broadway musical, and it even got a full end credit scene with the performance.

14 “Truth, Justice…” — Superman.

Superman has always had one major catchphrase that signified how he lived his life. This was him saying that he stood for “truth, justice and the American way.” That has changed in recent times, but the entire “truth, justice” remains intact, one of the longest-running catchphrases in comic book history.

The saying is now, “truth, justice, and a better tomorrow,” which still fits because Superman in the Man of Tomorrow. In the end, it means the same thing. He believes in honesty, justice, and doing things the right way.

13 “Holy ___, Batman.” — Robin.

Robin was the first real sidekick in comic book history and he remains the tentpole for all sidekicks to be judged. DC brought him in to help ease the tension of Batman comics and to give him a younger hero to work with to bring in younger fans. Most writers used his innocence to counteract Batman’s brooding.

When the classic TV show introduced them, Robin’s big catchphrase became as legendary as his tights. Robin would often be astonished at something and exclaim, “Holy” and then add in a pun before finishing with “Batman.” It became a running joke that stuck. It went from common ones, like “holy switcheroo, Batman” to the strange ones, like “holy bouncy boiler plate.”

12 “Odin’s Beard!” — Thor.

Thor is the prince of Asgard, and he was always rebellious, so it is no shock that his exclamation of shock would use his father’s name. This catchphrase is “Odin’s Beard,” and it is almost exclusively Thor in the comics, who uses this when he sees something that shocks him.

Thor uses this all the time in the comics and has used it in the MCU movies as well. While it isn’t as cool as other superhero catchphrases, it fits Thor perfectly considering his quaint way of speaking.

11 “Spoon!” — The Tick.

When it comes to superhero catchphrases, most of them are based in either the history of the character, their persona, or a characteristic of their powers. In the case of The Tick, it is a little more bizarre. Just like The Tick is a superhero spoof, his catchphrase makes no sense either.

In Tick #7, he was trying to find a catchphrase. He was eating and looked at his spoon, and he just yelled out “Spoon.” When Arthur asked what was wrong, he said that he liked the word spoon and it became his battle cry. At the end of the day, it might be the best battle cry of all time.

10 “Flame On!” — The Human Torch.

Johnny Storm had one of the first catchphrases in Marvel Comics. Appearing in the first superhero comic book in Marvel, Human Torch can burst into flames by will, and while he doesn’t have to say anything to light up, he still yells “Flame On” when he changes into Human Torch.

This isn’t as creative as other catchphrases since it just describes what is happening, but Johnny Storm loves fame, and making a production of bursting into flames fits his character perfectly.

9 “Sweet Christmas!” — Luke Cage.

One bizarre catchphrase in Marvel Comics comes from the New York street-level hero Luke Cage: “Sweet Christmas.” The first time that Cage ever said something similar was in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #3 by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, and Billy Graham, where he said “Sweet Sister.”

He then used “Christmas” as a catchphrase in issue #8. In Power Man #27 by Bill Mantlo, George Perez, and Al McWilliams, combined the two statements for the first time, and it became his most famous catchphrase. He even used it in the Netflix series of the same name.

8 “By The Hoary Hosts Of Hoggoth.” — Doctor Strange.

The catchphrase that seems strangest is one that Doctor Strange uses. Unlike Luke Cage’s “Sweet Christmas,” which is just an exclamation of surprise, Doctor Strange uses a catchphrase that plays perfectly with his role as the Master of Mystic Arts.

When he sees something he can’t believe, Strange will say “By The Hoary Hosts Of Hoggoth”. As an explanation, the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth are relics that Doctor Strange possesses, which are mysterious on their own.

7 “Imperius Rex!” — Namor, The Sub-Mariner.

Namor has used the catchphrase “Imperius Rex” for years with no one really knowing what it meant. However, it remained very cool to read, despite the catchphrase’s mysterious origin, because it seemed perfect for someone with Namor’s arrogance to yell as he heads into battle.

Marvel finally revealed the catchphrase’s definition in 2018’s Thor #1 by Jason Aaron and Mike Del Mundo. Thor asked what the catchphrase meant, and Namor said it meant he would feed him to the biggest shark he could find.

6 “Avengers Assemble!” — The Avengers.

“Avengers Assemble” has always been a fantastic catchphrase, as it is a way to call together all Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together to battle. Just hearing someone yell “Avengers Assemble” clues in the readers that the bad guys are about to get what is coming to them.

However, what made this catchphrase even cooler was Avengers: Endgame, where the superheroes readied to battle Thanos. When Captain America realized all the heroes were back, he grabbed Mjolnir and said “Avengers Assemble,” resulting in one of the coolest crowd-pleasing moments in any superhero movie.

5 “I’m The Best There Is At What I Do.” — Wolverine.

What makes catchphrases even cooler is when they are more than just an exclamation of when someone is getting ready to attack someone. For this reason, many fans particularly enjoy mottos that heroes lives by. For Wolverine, his catchphrase is “I’m the best there is at what I do,” and he often adds on, “but what I do isn’t very nice.”

This proved that Wolverine was the toughest of the tough. The motto was so cool that wrestling legend Chris Jericho even used it as his own catchphrase for years as well.

4 “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.” — Spider-Man.

While Wolverine’s catchphrase/motto was great, there is one that is even more iconic, and much cooler in the world of Marvel Comics, and that belongs to one web-slinger in particular. Spider-Man has a catchphrase that became his calling card for how he lives his life.

It was Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben that gave him this catchphrase, saying “with great power comes great responsibility.” This was then used throughout the multiverse for all Spider-Men characters. For example, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Peter Parker warned Miles Morales not to use the catchphrase against him.

3 “It’s Clobberin’ Time!” — The Thing.

There are some catchphrases that are simply a warning that the hero is about to bring the pain, but some of them are cooler than others. While Johnny Storm used his “Flame On” to show off when he lights on fire, his Fantastic Four teammate has his own catchphrase that is iconic and one of the best in all comics.

Right before destroying a villain, The Thing yells “It’s Clobberin’ Time.” This catchphrase has become so prolific that wrestler CM Punk even it for himself, stolen right from Aunt Petunia’s favorite nephew.

2 “Hulk Smash!” — Hulk.

While The Thing’s “It’s Clobberin’ Time” quote is iconic and quite cool, nothing is better than hearing Hulk yell out “Hulk Smash” before causing mass destruction. This is a quote that originated for the first time in 1967’s Tales to Astonish #88 by Stan Lee and Gil Kane.

While Hulk has a second catchphrase in “Hulk is the strongest one there is,” that doesn’t quite reach the level of simple brilliance that “Hulk Smash” does. Even Captain America used the catchphrase in The Avengers.

1 “I’m Batman.” — Batman.

The coolest catchphrase in comic book history didn’t even start in the comics. There was not a writer that penned the line and it first appeared in 1989’s Batman movie with Michael Keaton improved the line on his own.

Once he said it, the line stuck, and it has become Batman’s coolest catchphrase since that moment. Almost every Batman comic book writer has used it, as has every movie that followed that first Batman film.

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