9 Superhero TV Shows You Probably Forgot About (PHOTOS)
Swamp Thing (1990)
Long before DC Universe’s failed reboot, this three-season USA series starred Dick Durock as the “man-turned-muck monster” who protects his swamp from evil. Durock previously portrayed the character in the Swamp Thing films of the 1980s.
The Flash (1990)
John Wesley Shipp, best known as Dawson’s dad on Dawson’s Creek, played starred in this one-season CBS show as Barry Allen, a scientist who gains super speed in a lightning strike. Shipp later reprised the role — and two others — on The CW’s current show of the same name.
The Invisible Man (2000)
This two-season Syfy series, apparently unrelated to the H.G. Wells story of the same name, starred Vincent Ventresca (a.k.a. Fun Bobby on Friends) as a convicted thief who is employed by a spy company that sets him up with a volatile substance called Quicksilver that can bend light and render him invisible, with occasional side effects like pain and psychosis.
Birds of Prey (2002)
This DC Comics adaptation, which lasted for one season on The WB, imagined a Gotham City abandoned by Batman but guarded by his and Catwoman’s daughter, Huntress, who is joined by Oracle (formerly known as Batgirl) and a telepath named Dinah Redman (daughter of Black Canary).
Blade (2006)
Taking place after the events of Blade: Trinity and based on the titular Marvel Comics character, this short-lived Spike drama starred rapper Sticky Fingaz as the famed vampire hunter and future Wipeout co-host Jill Wagner as his reluctant partner.
Bionic Woman (2007)
A reimagining of the 1970s-era Lindsay Wagner, this NBC drama featured Michelle Ryan as a bartender who gains superhuman speed and strength when her boyfriend saves her from a near-fatal car crash through the use of bionic implants.
Flash Gordon (2007)
Lasting for one season on Syfy, this action-adventure series starred Fifty Shades of Grey star Eric Johnson as the eponymous comic strip character, who follows in his father’s footsteps and follows a spacetime rift to travel to the planet Mongo, where he confronts a ruthless dictator.
No Ordinary Family (2010)
An ordinary American family — led by The Shield‘s Michael Chiklis and Dexter‘s Julie Benz — becomes No American Family in this one-season ABC drama when they gain superpowers in a plane crash in the Amazon.
Human Target (2010)
Roughly inspired by the DC Comics series of the same name, this two-season Fox drama starred Body of Proof‘s Mark Valley as a private contractor who offers himself as a “human target” to protect his clients — all the while trying to figure out the mystery of his past.
Media companies are all about superhero universes these days, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe vying for box office receipts and television ratings.
Believe it or not, however, there was a time when superhero shows stood on their own — based on Marvel or DC characters, perhaps, but not included in any shared universe.
Click through the gallery above to see the also-rans of the small screen’s superhero genre.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services