1938 to 1955 · The birth of the superhero
Golden Age
first appearances
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America. Action Comics #1 invents the superhero as a genre and almost every foundational character who still headlines Marvel and DC arrives in this era.
Marvel
All Marvel debuts →
Alfred Pennyworth
Batman #16 (1943)
Aquaman
More Fun Comics #73 (1941)
Batman
Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Black Canary (Dinah Lance)
Flash Comics #86 (1947)
Catwoman
Batman #1 (1940)
Clayface
Detective Comics #40 (1940)
Commissioner Gordon
Detective Comics #27 (1939)
Deadshot
Batman #59 (1950)
Green Arrow
More Fun Comics #73 (1941)
Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
All-American Comics #16 (1940)
Hawkman
Flash Comics #1 (1940)
Johnny Thunder
Flash Comics #1 (1940)
Joker
Batman #1 (1940)
Lex Luthor
Action Comics #23 (1940)
Lois Lane
Action Comics #1 (1938)
Martian Manhunter
Detective Comics #225 (1955)
Mister Mxyzptlk
Superman #30 (1944)
Penguin
Detective Comics #58 (1941)
Riddler
Detective Comics #140 (1948)
Robin
Detective Comics #38 (1940)
Scarecrow
World's Finest Comics #3 (1941)
Shazam
Whiz Comics #2 (1940)
Superman
Action Comics #1 (1938)
Two-Face
Detective Comics #66 (1942)
Wonder Woman
All Star Comics #8 (1941)
Archie
All Archie debuts →
Teams & organizations
All groups →
The Golden Age — frequently asked
Quick facts about this era and its first appearances.
When was the Golden Age?
The Golden Age spans 1938 to 1955.
What is the defining first appearance of the Golden Age?
Action Comics #1 (1938) is the era's landmark debut.
How many Golden Age first appearances are in this archive?
This archive currently catalogues 33 character debuts and 1 team debut from the Golden Age.
What defines the Golden Age?
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America. Action Comics #1 invents the superhero as a genre and almost every foundational character who still headlines Marvel and DC arrives in this era.