What goes better together than metal and superheroes? Well, metal and super villains, for one — but that's a fan poll for another day. Today, we've tabulated the results from a very important question that we posed to you nerds last week: Who is the most badass superhero? Superman? No way. Captain America? Uh, no. Green Lantern? C'mon! We asked for badass and you guys came through, voicing your opinions across social media. Below, check out the ranked results.
5. Wolverine
From the early days of slicing apart Hellfire Club goons in Uncanny X-Men #133, to a final, blood-soaked cinematic farewell in Logan, Wolverine has long set Marvel's bar for badassery. His adamantium claws and healing factor let him murder most who stand in his way, creating some of the X-Men's most gory moments, as seen in comics such as Uncanny X-Force. But power comes at a cost, specifically, an internal conflict for the character where he feels like he's been alive for too long, giving emotional weight to his pissed-off demeanor and the stories he appears in. And, really, what is more badass than existential crisis played out in violence?
4. The Punisher
When it comes to dispatching baddies in brutal — and karmically justified — ways, nobody does it quite like Frank "The Punisher" Castle. Grisly designs plotted by the Marine Sniper–turned-vigilante include, but are not limited to: going back in time to execute mob boss Al Capone, reducing Bruce Banner to dust with the clench of his fist (while merged with Dr. Strange, that is), crushing the Russian under the weight of an obsese man, tossing crime leader Ma Gnucci and her family to a family of hungry polar bears, and the scene above, from 2008's Punisher: War Zone, which ... well, see for yourself.
3. Batman
Batman had to be on this list, didn't he? He's the Dark fucking Knight, after all. The original brooding, angst-wracked superhero (at least when not portrayed by Adam West or with rubber nipples on his suit), he works in a massive cave, surrounded by arcane weaponry, and dresses like a vampiric flying creature in order to strike immediate fear in the hearts of his enemies. Maybe most importantly, the dude has zero super powers — he's just a man hardened by gripping tragedy and grueling training, driven to entangle with a murderers row of batshit crazy evildoers. He's a goth who bullies the bullies, and as such, totally badass.
2. Thor
A hammer-wielding, lightning-summoning god of thunder whose legend spans back to Norse mythology? Fucking badass. For centuries epic tales of his foe-crushing, serpent-fighting exploits emboldened and inspired all manner of celebrations, art and heavy metal: from the literal Vikings as they ravaged the shores, to Gene Simmons' bass-god antics, Led Zeppelin's battle cry "Immigrant Song" and Amon Amarth's whole existence, to every black-metal fan sporting a Mjolnir necklace, to extensive comic-book story lines adored by cosplay nerds and million-dollar movie franchises starring lovable Hollywood heartthrobs. By sheer scope of influence alone Thor ranks as one of the most mythical characters of all time. Seriously, it's like if Jesus kicked ass, drank mead and loved to party.
1. Deadpool
Let's get this straight — Wade Wilson isn't EXACTLY a superhero in any conventional sense and definitely much closer to an antihero. The "merc with a mouth" known as Deadpool isn't just immortal and virtually invincible (NBD), but he's also the type to crack an insult as he slices you to ribbons with his twin katana blades. A wiseass known to break the fourth wall in order to make a snarky joke, Wilson is also one of the few comic-book protagonists to get their own series just so they can slaughter the beloved and otherwise unkillable: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.
