History of Popular Consciousness

Marvel and DC’s next big difference comes when we view the history of their brands. And quite simply, if we’re talking about impact on the popular consciousness, DC has had far and away greater success.

Look, everyone knows Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk; but Superman and Batman? Those two are American icons, through and through. Marvel’s big guys (aside from Spider-Man and Hulk) didn’t really gain a huge amount of prominence until the late nineties/early 2000s.

And when they did, it was on the backs of successful films. Superman is THE superhero for most people, and pretty much has been since his inception. Honestly, it’s hard to think of a more recognizable character the world over. He’s one of the top eight most-recognized fictional characters on earth, with Mickey Mouse coming in first. But, for the most part, the Marvel heroes are recognized as comic book characters and as action film stars.

Superman and the Justice League? They’re goshdarn pop culture legends.