The best alien characters in comics: the tier list

The extraterrestrial is one of the great driving forces of the comic, from the last son of Krypton to the cosmic guardians. This tier list classifies these characters from elsewhere according to their narrative importance and their charisma. Criterion: the weight of the character in his universe.

Editorial Ranks, Facts verified. Each character refers to its file when it exists.

Tier S: the great aliens

Superman, the last son of Krypton, is the most famous alien in popular culture. Martian Manhunter, the last Green Martian, is the heart of the Justice League. Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus, embodies the cosmic sublime, and Brainiac is the extraterrestrial intelligence that threatens Krypton and Earth.

Tier A: popular cosmic figures

Starfire (Tamaranean from the Teen Titans), Rocket Raccoon and Groot (made famous by Guardians of the Galaxy) and the Super Skrull enrich the gallery of notable aliens.

Tier B: powers from elsewhere

Gladiator (champion of the Shi'ar Empire), Lobo (the Czarnian bounty hunter), Mantis and Adam Warlock are among the most powerful aliens.

Tier C: the cosmic supporting roles

Beta Ray Bill (the Korbinite worthy of lifting Mjolnir), Karolina Dean (Runaways), Bug and Starhawk complete the selection.

Tier D: the curiosities

Pip the Troll , Cosmo (Knowhere's telepathic dog) and Comet the Super-Horse close this tier list: more obscure but very real aliens.

To remember

• Superman is the founding alien of the entire superheroic genre.
• Guardians of the Galaxy have popularized many aliens (Groot, Rocket).
• Thor #337 (1st from Beta Ray Bill) is a key number sought after.
• Each character refers to its file when it exists.

First appearances: the milestones to know

Ranking comic aliens is one thing; knowing where to read them is another. Here are the chronological milestones that tie each tier-list character to its original issue, which is the first question for any collector.

The DC founders (1938-1958)

Superman is born in Action Comics #1 (1938) and opens the whole lineage of heroes from elsewhere. Martian Manhunter, the last green Martian, appears in 1955 in Detective Comics #225, long before becoming the heart of the Justice League. Brainiac, the alien intelligence threatening Krypton, debuts in 1958 in Action Comics #242. These three belong to different eras (Golden Age, early Silver Age), which explains very different collecting profiles.

Marvel's cosmic explosion (1960-1967)

The Silver Surfer, herald of Galactus, enters in Fantastic Four #48 (1966) under Jack Kirby's pencil. The Super-Skrull appears in Fantastic Four #18 (1963), and Groot in Tales to Astonish #13 (1960), when he is still a B-movie style monster, far from the companion the general public knows today. Adam Warlock was born in 1967 under another name before being renamed.

The 1970s and 1980s: the cosmic widens

Mantis debuts in Avengers #112 (1973) and Rocket Raccoon in Marvel Preview #7 (1976), discreet releases that the success of Guardians of the Galaxy brought back into the light. Beta Ray Bill, the Korbinite worthy of lifting Mjolnir, enters in Thor #337 (1983), the issue cited in this tier list's key takeaways. Lobo arrives the same year at DC.

Three reflexes for the collector

• Tell the first appearance from the first famous version. Groot and Rocket did not have their current look at the start: the original issue is not the one the movie made known.
• Check the edition. The great founding issues have been reissued as facsimiles and collections. An identical cover does not prove an original; look at the printing notices and the paper.
• Do not confuse fame with scarcity. An S-tier character can have an abundant first appearance, while a C-tier character sometimes debuts in a low-print title.

The best starting point remains the reader: pick a character you love, read their first story in a collection, then decide whether the original deserves a place in your collection.

Frequently asked questions