Marvel and DC heroes like Captain America and Nightwing are welcoming returning and new sidekicks in 2023 comic events like Cold War and Lazarus Planet, respectively. While Dick Grayson began his career as a sidekick, he has had a couple of his own since he graduated to his Nightwing identity.
Captain America was one of the first Marvel heroes to work alongside a sidekick in WWII, and he has continued to rack up an impressive team of partners over the years. There are quite a few heroes like Batman and even Wolverine who have continued to bring on and train new heroes as their sidekicks, partners, and successors to further add to their families.
10/10 Wonder Woman
5+ Sidekicks & Partners
Wonder Woman is usually a solo hero, but she has inspired others to follow in her footsteps and worked alongside them a few times over the years. Wonder Woman’s first partner was Steve Trevor, and her first sidekick was her best friend Etta Candy.
Heroes like Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark would later take on the role of Wonder Girl and work alongside Wonder Woman. Yara Flor would follow this tradition as Wonder Girl before becoming Wonder Woman herself in the Future State event. Diana Prince even briefly worked alongside a male sidekick named Wonder Boy, though he disappeared after his debut.
9/10 The Falcon
6 Sidekicks & Partners
Sam Wilson began his costumed career as Captain America’s partner The Falcon. However, he found a few of his own sidekicks along the way as well. One of Sam’s closest friends and partners is the vampiric falcon named Redwing, who has stayed by his side for years.
When Sam Wilson earned the costume of Captain America, he worked alongside heroes that included D-Man and Misty Knight. He also got his own official partner when Joaquín Torres was genetically modified with Redwing’s DNA to become the second Falcon. Wilson also briefly worked with Ian Rogers/Nomad before he started training Rayshaun Lucas as Patriot.
8/10 Green Arrow
6+ Sidekicks & Partners
Oliver Queen plays a similar role in the DC universe as Batman, though he is more socially minded than the Dark Knight. Like Batman, Green Arrow has brought on a few sidekicks and partners over the years. His first was Roy Harper, who joined him as Speedy before he became Arsenal and later Red Arrow.
Green Arrow worked closely alongside Black Canary as his partner for years, forming a tight family unit. He would help guide other archers like Mia Dearden as the second Speedy and his son Connor Hawke as the second Green Arrow. Queen’s young sister Emiko joined him as Red Arrow, and she even had a sidekick named Dart when she took over as Green Arrow in Future’s End.
7/10 The Flash
6+ Sidekicks & Partners
Jay Garrick may have been the greatest Flash, but Barry Allen was the first to form his own Flash Family when he became the Silver Age’s scarlet speedster. He worked with Wally West as Kid Flash before Allen’s death during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
When Wally West took over as The Flash, he briefly worked with a partner named Chunk before teaming up with Bart Allen/Impulse. Bart would also take on the Kid Flash role before Wallace West took over in the New 52. Heroes like Jesse Quick worked with Flash while Wally West’s kids Irey and Jai also briefly joined their father as his partners in the ever-expanding Flash Family.
6/10 Wolverine
6+ Sidekicks & Partners
He may be a loner when he’s not working alongside the X-Men, but Wolverine has brought a few different mutants under his wing over the years. He may never have had an official sidekick, but Logan has definitely picked a few favorites to mentor with a few of the greatest Wolverine quotes. He first began training Kitty Pryde when she joined the X-Men, forming a lasting bond.
Wolverine then took mutants like Rogue, Jubilee, Armor, and Quentin Quire under his wing to help guide them. His clone/daughter Laura worked alongside him as X-23 before taking over as Wolverine. She later welcomed her own partner and clone Honey Badger/Scout during her time as Wolverine.
5/10 Superman
8+ Sidekicks & Partners
It might be surprising to some fans to learn that Superman has quite a few sidekicks. He’s one of DC’s strongest superheroes, so doesn’t exactly need the help. However, he trained his young son Jon as Superboy, who later took over as the new Superman.
Kal-El has had a few animal sidekicks like Krypto and Beppo the Super-Monkey over the years. His family has grown with Supergirl and his young clone Conner Kent/Superboy as well. He’s partnered with heroes like Steel and even worked alongside Robin. He even recently revealed the existence of a previously unknown sidekick named Boy Thunder as well.
4/10 Shazam
10 Sidekicks & Partners
The Wizard empowered young Billy Batson as his champion Shazam. He became the World’s Mightiest Mortal when he said his magic word, which imbued him with the powers of the gods. However, Batson learned he could share his power with his allies as well.
Originally known as Captain Marvel, Batson shared his powers first with three other Billy Batsons who became known as the Lt. Marvels. He briefly worked alongside a talking tiger named Mr. Tawny and the non-powered Uncle Marvel as well. The modern Billy Batson shared his power with his adoptive siblings Mary, Freddie, Pedro, Eugene, and Darla as the Shazam Family.
3/10 Aquaman
10+ Sidekicks & Partners
Another character with a surprising number of sidekicks and partners is DC’s Aquaman. He worked with two forgettable Aquagirls before they disappeared after a single issue. His son Aquababy was a short-lived sidekick before Black Manta murdered him. Garth officially teamed up with Aquaman as the first Aqualad before he became Tempest.
Aquaman fought alongside the more memorable Tula as Aquagirl, with Lorena Marquez and Aquaman’s daughter, Andy succeeding her in the role. Aquaman’s son Koryak briefly served as a sidekick as well before Jackson Hyde took over as Aqualad. Aquaman worked alongside other partners like Dolphin, Lagoon Boy, his wife Mera, and all kinds of underwater creatures.
2/10 Captain America
10+ Sidekicks & Partners
Steve Rogers is one of Marvel’s most well-known heroes. He has been fighting against evil since WWII as Captain America and worked with a few partners over the years. He fought alongside his first sidekick Bucky during the war. After Bucky’s apparent death in WWII, Captain America was hesitant to work with new sidekicks for a time.
There were a few heroes who used the name of Bucky who also worked alongside other Captain Americas. One Cap also briefly worked with Golden Girl as well during the war. In the modern age, Rogers briefly welcomed Rick Jones as his new Bucky. He also partnered with heroes like Falcon, Nomad, D-Man, Free Spirit, Jack Flag, and others who have remained close allies.
1/10 Batman
10+ Sidekicks & Partners
The Dark Knight is best known by comic fans as one-half of the Dynamic Duo. Batman has been training young heroes as his partner to build his own crime-fighting family for years. Dick Grayson’s first costumed identity was Robin, though he’s been followed by heroes like Jason Todd and Tim Drake.
Batman’s son Damian Wayne eventually took over the role of Robin, though Batman has worked with other partners as well. There have been three Batgirls, Batwoman, Bluebird, The Signal, Orpheus, Onyx, Bluebird, two Batwings, Azrael, and themed animals like Ace the Bat-Hound. He’s also been aided since the beginning by Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon.
