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The professional wrestling business has always been cashing in on the good versus evil aspect in their storylines, and sometimes the companies went a bit far with this possibility when they started creating superhero gimmicks for the wrestlers. Masked or unmasked, some of these gimmicks went onto become big successes while others was laughed off the arena by the fans.
Though most of these gimmicks would sound like a joke to many, the amount of entertainment that they managed to pull out shows the creative team’s sheer brilliance or immense amount of luck. From Hulk Hogan to Eric Young, most of the wrestlers have given a go at being a superhero in the ring. So here is a look at the five most successful superhero gimmicks in professional wrestling.
5. Batman
“It’s not who I am underneath… but what I do… that defines me,” – The Batman
Inspired from the caped crusader WWE created a gimmick for Tony Marino in 1966 which gave importance to the actions of the superhero rather than who he was under the mask. Though the WWE version of Batman didn’t have a utility belt or high speed bat mobile, the gimmick managed to get the attention of the fans in a positive way. The Batman was introduced along with other gimmicks like Doink and Mantaur but gained more prominence over the others when he managed victories against opponents like Johnny Rodz and Baron Mikel Scicluna. Batman later teamed up with WWE champion Bruno Sammartino which again boosted his popularity. After enjoying four successful years, the gimmick was phased out in 1970.
4. Super Eric
Eric Young, who is known for taking up close to a hundred gimmicks, took up the Super Eric in 2008. Like all his other roles Young portrayed the superhero in an entertaining and comic manner which was a treat for the young wrestling fans. Young even went on to make a super hero league in TNA by forming an alliance with Curry Man and Shark Boy. The justice league inspired alliance was called the “The Prince Justice Brotherhood” and was successful to an extent. Though the gimmick was short lived, it proved to be an important milestone in Young’s career, with most fans pointing it as the reason for his confidence in the ring.
3. Mr. America
A rip off of Captain America, Mr. America was one of the stupidest gimmicks that were given to Hulk Hogan. It had Hogan’s entrance music and his signature move, with the only difference being in the funny mask he wore. The gimmick came into existence in 2003 when Hogan Was forced to sit out if his contract. To avoid this he debuted as Mr. America and even passed a lie detector to prove that he wasn’t really the Hulk Hogan. Though it was stupid, the cat and mouse game between him and the McMahons was fun to watch and thus became one of the most cult gimmicks of Hogan. The Mr. America character was phased out after Hogan revealed that it was him behind the mask and eventually quitting WWE.
2. The Hurricane
“Stand back there is a hurricane coming through,” – The Hurricane
Arguably the most successful superhero gimmick in professional wrestling, Gregory Helms gave another dimension to the category with his Hurricane character. He gave stable and consistent performances for a longer period than most of the other gimmicks, which included an upset over Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and title reigns in both the cruiserweight division and the tag team division. He also had a side kick in the early stages known as the Mighty Holly (Molly Holly) who later betrayed him by hitting with a frying pan. Then the Hurricane formed an alliance with Rosey and Super Stacy (Stacy Kiebler), which also made waves in the wrestling world. The hurricane gimmick finally came to an end in 2005 when Helms ripped of his mask after being assaulted by Kurt Angle.
1. Blue Blazer
“Ladies and gentlemen, earlier tonight here in Kansas City, tragedy befell the World Wrestling Federation and all of us. Owen Hart was set to make an entrance from the ceiling, and he fell from the ceiling. I have the unfortunate responsibility to let everyone know that Owen Hart has died. Owen Hart has tragically died from that accident here tonight,” that was a direct quote from Jim Ross who witnessed the death of Owen Hart.
Criticized mostly for being responsible for Hart’s demise, the Blue Blazer (portrayed by Hart himself) has been one of the most controversial gimmicks that were introduced in professional wrestling. Before the tragic event, the blue blazer managed to produce a unique and innovative wrestling style.
Along with this, he always stood up for the right reason projecting him as a crime fighter in the ring. Unmasking of the Blue Blazer became a favourite storyline of the fans. The Blue Blazer was supposed to face The Godfather in 1999 pay-per-view Over the Edge for the Intercontinental Championship, but the night ended on a sad note as Hart fell to his death after trying to make a superhero entrance from the ceiling of the arena. Despite the miserable climax, Blue Blazer was one of the most charismatic superhero gimmicks that became equally popular with the fans.
