Top 20 Most Epic Superhero Introductions
Look! Up in the sky! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best introductory scenes for superheroes - either debuting their powers, costumes, or both.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the best introductory scenes
00:26for superheroes either debuting their powers, costumes, or both.
00:3820.
00:40The Hulk – The Incredible Hulk
00:50Although Bruce Banner gets angry and goes green earlier in his MCU debut, it's in
00:55a shadowy environment, teasing only parts of the man-turned-monster.
01:00After Bruce is gassed and confronted at a university by General Ross' men, the Hulk
01:05is unleashed in broad daylight.
01:07The mean green machine takes on soldiers armed with guns and sonic cannons, not to mention
01:12a super-soldier serum-powered Emil Blonsky.
01:15It's a phenomenal demonstration of the destructive power of the Hulk and, ultimately, his humanity
01:21by its end.
01:2619.
01:29Vision – Avengers Age of Ultron
01:37When most superheroes are introduced, they haven't literally just been born.
01:41Yet, that's basically what happens with Vision.
01:44Originally created as the ultimate vessel for Ultron, Vision is instead a fusion of
01:48Jarvis and the Mind Stone.
01:50After Thor zaps him into life, everyone freaks out a bit.
01:54Once things calm down, Vision impresses upon them that he isn't what Ultron intended.
02:00He wants to stop the omnicidal machine.
02:03Thankfully, there's quite a simple way for Vision to earn their trust and win over the
02:07audience too.
02:08He's worthy.
02:10And so is his intro.
02:1518.
02:18Black Widow – Iron Man 2 Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, appears
02:29in a few small scenes throughout this Iron Man sequel.
02:32It's only towards the end that she debuts in costume and in action.
02:37She and Happy Hogan arrive at a hammer facility.
02:40While Happy struggles to take down one of the guards, Natasha charges through the halls,
02:45taking them down left and right.
02:47Her use of gadgets, weapons, and the patented scissor move are all incredibly cool.
02:52The scene certainly makes for an excellent demonstration of her capabilities as a superhero.
03:0317.
03:07Judge Dredd – Dredd The opening scene of this impossibly underrated
03:19comic book film introduces its dystopian world and lead character, Judge Dredd.
03:24The uncompromising future cop gets involved in a high-speed pursuit of some low-lifes
03:29high on the drug slow-mo and driving recklessly.
03:31Their attempts to escape lead to casualties and Dredd decides to take them down.
03:36Although two are killed when he wrecks their vehicle, the third escapes on foot, killing
03:40others.
03:41A showdown ensues that sees Dredd kill the perpetrator in dramatic fashion.
03:45It's a high-octane, action-packed scene with great music and some of the best mouth
03:50acting ever put on film.
03:5916.
04:01Hellboy – Hellboy When John Myers joins the Bureau of Paranormal
04:13Research and Defense, the experience is a bit overwhelming.
04:16There's a fish man in the library, holy relics on the walls, and a mysterious vault.
04:22It's a great build-up for the reveal of the vault's inhabitant, Hellboy.
04:26There are a lot of superhero introductions, but only one scene features a shirtless demon
04:31lifting iron, surrounded by cats and comic books.
04:34The awkward introduction between John the Everyman and a hero who's not like any man
04:39is both a lot of fun and totally unique.
04:4515.
04:53Black Panther – Captain America Civil War The third Captain America film has numerous
05:08great superhero debuts.
05:09This one sees Cap attempt to bring Bucky Barnes in after he's blamed for a bombing.
05:14A mysterious man in black interrupts, however.
05:17Black Panther engages Bucky in a fight on a rooftop, pursuing him down the side of the
05:21building and into traffic on a busy road.
05:24Between his incredible-looking, bulletproof catsuit and running faster than the cars on
05:28the street, Black Panther makes a powerful first impression.
05:32It's all capped off with his reveal as Prince T'Challa.
05:3814.
05:42The Mask – The Mask
05:56Stanley Ipkiss is your fairly average guy.
05:59But then he decides to put on a mysterious mask.
06:03One wacky transformation later, and he's become The Mask, a green-faced, reality-bending,
06:08living cartoon.
06:10After playing Bugs Bunny to his trigger-happy landlady's Elmer Fudd, The Mask dives down
06:15to the street.
06:16He takes some petty revenge on a driver who honks at him.
06:20Even getting mugged turns into an outrageous event as he plays Carnival Barker to a gang
06:25of thugs.
06:26The Mask's skill with balloon animals turns almost deadly.
06:30It's Jim Carrey at his hammy best, and the cartoony effects are silly, ridiculous
06:35gold.
06:4213.
06:47Wolverine – X-Men
06:55The most legendary of X-Men makes his debut in a cage fight at a Canadian bar.
07:00We see Rogue Watch as Logan takes on all challengers, bringing down one with ease since his skeleton
07:07is metal.
07:08Later in the bar, the Wolverine collects his winnings and is harassed by a man who lost
07:12money betting against him.
07:13When the man pulls a knife, Logan's claws come out.
07:23Even the bartender drawing a gun does improve a challenger, since Logan cuts the weapon
07:28in half.
07:29In just this short scene, we learn how taciturn, fierce, and utterly badass Wolverine is.
07:3712.
07:40Batman – The Batman
07:50Every version of the Dark Knight has a unique introduction.
07:53Robert Pattinson's incarnation arrives in the middle of a muggy.
07:57His footsteps echo as he steps out of the gloom.
08:00Then, when one gang member approaches him, asking who he is, Batman answers with his
08:05fist.
08:06He is vengeance, and his fury is completely unrestrained.
08:10After pummeling the first thug into the ground, Batman lays into the rest.
08:14Even getting shot only makes him angrier, shocking the shooter into submission.
08:19We honestly don't blame the mugging victim for being terrified.
08:2611.
08:33Deadpool – Deadpool
08:41This is one of the rare instances when a movie's opening credits manage to describe the tone
08:46and its lead superhero perfectly.
08:48As the credits roll, we view various freeze frames of Deadpool's SUV brawl and imminent
08:54car crash.
08:55Instead of the names of actors or crew members, we're treated to irreverent, yet fitting
09:00nicknames for all of them.
09:02Of course, that's followed up by DP giving his cab driver some love advice.
09:07After talking to the camera, he leaps into the aforementioned vehicle to kick some ass
09:12and be hilarious while he does it.
09:1510.
09:16Iron Man – Iron Man
09:28He is Iron Man.
09:30Tony Stark's transformation from billionaire businessman to full-fledged superhero may
09:34not have been as obvious to him as it was to audiences back in 2008.
09:40But as soon as we see the classic grey metal suit stomping around the cave, we know that
09:45Iron Man has been born.
09:47Improvised, shoddy, and far from stylish, his Mark 1 armor might be a piece of junk
09:53compared to all of his other suits, but it certainly got the job done.
09:58My turn.
10:00Iron Man's first appearance saw him bulldozing through the terrorists with ease until his
10:06stylish exit and less-than-graceful landing that, luckily for Stark, nobody else saw.
10:169.
10:21Wonder Woman – Batman Vs. Superman Dawn of Justice
10:39After seeing Diana Prince rub shoulders with Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent throughout Batman
10:43Vs. Superman Dawn of Justice, it was only a matter of time before her more well-known
10:48persona appeared to help the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel kick some ass.
10:59Arguably the most show-stealing entrance in the entire film, complete with her own exhilarating
11:04theme music, Wonder Woman saves Batman from certain death at the hands of Doomsday and
11:10immediately establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with.
11:14Deflecting the monster's heat vision with her indestructible shield and repelling him
11:18with a clash of her iconic silver bracelets, Wonder Woman instantly proves her courage,
11:23skill, and power in this awesome introduction.
11:298.
11:31Blade – Blade What better way to begin a vampire film than
11:39a blood-soaked rave followed by a bloodbath?
11:43Even realizing he has been duped into attending a party for thirsty bloodsuckers, a terrified
11:48man flees for his life before falling at the feet of the day-walking vampire slayer, Blade.
11:54So intimidating that he brings an entire horde of vampires to what's virtually an utter
11:59standstill.
12:00Blade wastes no time in making use of his extensive anti-vampire arsenal and martial
12:05arts techniques to lay the smackdown on his undead adversaries.
12:14Played with an undeniable charisma by Wesley Snipes, Blade's introduction set the tone
12:19for the franchise and made a relatively obscure Marvel superhero into a household name.
12:277.
12:30Robocop – Robocop One of the more unique ones on this list,
12:40Robocop's introduction is conveyed through an extensive period of time that shows the
12:44development of his transformation from a bullet-riddled corpse into a nearly indestructible walking
12:49weapon.
12:50Initially shown through first-person glimpses of his programming by corporate scientists,
12:55we get our first glimpse of Robocop in action at a police station shooting range where his
13:00Auto-9 semi-automatic clearly makes him stand out among his colleagues.
13:09Obliterating the targets with ease, Robocop then displays traces of his lingering humanity
13:14by doing his trademark gun twirl, which lets the audience know he still possesses a human
13:20spirit beneath the state-of-the-art machinery keeping him alive.
13:276.
13:31Batman – Batman Begins Taking a page from classic horror movie tropes,
13:40Batman's introduction and Christopher Nolan's reboot of the franchise showed audiences just
13:45how scary the Dark Knight can be.
13:48Initially picking off the dealers from the shadows to enhance their terror, Batman eventually
13:52reveals himself to the gang of thugs and proceeds to bludgeon them into submission in a dizzying
13:58onslaught, which leaves none standing.
14:07As crime boss Carmine Falcone fearfully loads his shotgun to defend himself from the black-clad
14:13phantom, he gets a much more up-close and personal meet-and-greet with Gotham's newest
14:18crime fighter via the sunroof of his limousine.
14:21A truly fear-eliciting scene, Kristen Bell's introduction as Batman captures the mystique
14:27of the character while also reinventing his legend.
14:335.
14:36Spider-Man – Captain America Civil War Although we also could have gone with Spidey's
14:46comedic introduction in 2002's Spider-Man, his debut in Captain America Civil War is
14:51simply amazing.
14:53After we first meet Tom Holland as Peter Parker, he is conspicuous by his absence from the
14:57film's epic airport showdown, until Iron Man finally runs out of patience, confiscating
15:06Captain America's shield and binding him in his signature webbing in the blink of an
15:09eye.
15:10We are treated to his newly designed costume, complete with comic-inspired eyes, in a breathtaking
15:15sequence which many fans of the MCU probably thought they would never see.
15:26Combining a dazzling sense of wonder with Spidey's classic sense of humor, this was
15:30a spectacular reintroduction to Spider-Man on the big screen.
15:384.
15:40Superman – Superman A prime example of building suspense towards
15:53a huge payoff, the first major motion picture introduction of Superman is a magnificent
15:58cinematic achievement.
16:00When a freak accident threatens to plunge Lois Lane and her news crew to their deaths,
16:04Clark Kent decides it is time for the world to get their first glimpse of Superman.
16:09As John Williams' iconic score builds to an incredible crescendo, Clark rips open his
16:14shirt to reveal the S known around the world and becomes the Man of Steel.
16:29Not only managing to rescue Lois, but also stopping the falling helicopter from crashing
16:33onto the stunned onlookers below, Superman's public debut remains a thing of beauty that
16:39still gives audiences goosebumps to this day.
16:463.
16:51Batman – Batman Reintroducing mainstream audiences to the
16:59Dark Knight decades after the campy TV show, Tim Burton unleashed a darker version of Batman
17:05which was more faithful to his original incarnation in the late 80s.
17:09Descending from the shadows like a demon, Batman terrifies a pair of muggers who are
17:14fresh from robbing a lost family on Gotham's sullied streets.
17:19After eliminating one thief with a kick that sends him crashing through a wall, Batman
17:23trips up the second and hangs him over a ledge before introducing himself to his horrified
17:28prey.
17:32An iconic entrance dripping with gothic atmosphere, this introduction to Michael Keaton as Batman
17:38was the nail in the coffin of premature detractors who argued he was miscast as the Caped Crusader.
17:482.
17:49Star-Lord – Guardians of the Galaxy An introduction notable for its rapid shift
17:59in tone alone, Star-Lord's first appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy arguably sums up
18:04the nature of the entire film itself in just one scene.
18:11Beginning with an ominous orchestral score on the desolate planet of Morag, Star-Lord
18:17enters an ancient ruin in search of a mysterious orb.
18:21Upon locating his destination, he casually removes his mask, turns on his Sony Walkman
18:26to Redbone's Come and Get Your Love, and begins a solo dance routine.
18:37Exemplifying the film's mixture of sci-fi, humor, and music, Star-Lord's introduction
18:42is as much a primer to the film as a whole as it is to his own character.
19:081.
19:11Nightcrawler – X2 The show-stealing scene from the second entry
19:18into the X-Men film franchise, Nightcrawler's silver screen debut was an unforgettable spectacle
19:24that showcased just how cool teleportation can be.
19:27Emerging from a crowd of tourists paying a visit to the White House, the mind-controlled
19:32mutant's cover is blown by his prehensile tale, and he quickly takes a less subtle approach
19:37to gaining access to the Oval Office.
19:47Fighting his way through waves of Secret Service with ease, Nightcrawler's superhuman agility,
19:52teleportation, and terrifying appearance help him single-handedly dismantle the President's
19:57last line of defense.
19:58Luckily for his intended target, a Secret Serviceman manages to hit Nightcrawler with
20:02a grazing shot that snaps him out of his trance and prompts his escape.
20:09Is there a super-duper superhero debut we forgot?
20:13Let us know which you'd have liked to see in the comments down below.