WWE: 10 Comic Book Heroes Needed for SmackDown

Friday night SmackDown with The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio and LayCool used to be the best viewing on television by a mile. 

That show had it all. The Undertaker is one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever, Rey Mysterio had one of the best signature moves with his 619 and LayCool were so mean and catty in their 30-second backstage segment that it became better than any of the Diva wrestling.

Now with trades, injuries and retirements, the Friday night lineup is completely different.

While ratings continue to soar and new stars emerge such as Sheamus, I still feel like something is missing. What SmackDown needs is a new hero. Someone bigger than life, someone straight out of the pages of a comic book.

While any of the X-Men, Justice League or Avengers would be great for the SmackDown brand, I've tried to list heroes from other comic series as well.

In my list of 10, I have included three women who could compete for the Divas championship belt and seven guys who would all have a good chance of winning the World Championship.

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta by David Lloyd and Alan Moore.

V is a psychologically disturbed masked anarchist with a flair for the theatrical.

Using stealth, strength and advanced technology, V is able to fight the totalitarian British government and bring it to the verge of collapse.

Cape: Yes

Mask: Definitely

Skills: Computer savvy, well-read, dramatic and unpredictable

Potential: Each and every stage entrance would be different. His fights would be quick and action-packed. His mask would be everywhere. Ten thousand fans at WrestleMania in V masks occupying the stadium seats would be a sight to see.   

Nemesis: Wade Barrett 

Daredevil

Daredevil, Vol. 1 by Frank Miller.

When radioactive liquid blinded Daredevil, his four other senses were heightened to superhuman capabilities.

He can read books with the touch of his finger and tell if people are lying by the sound of their heartbeat. 

Cape: No

Mask: Yes

Skills:  Judo, aikido, and of course wrestling

Potential: Has a great red costume, is super tough and doesn't need to see to be able to hand out a giant can of whooping.   

Nemesis: Mark Henry 

Thorn Harvestar

Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume by Jeff Smith.

Thorn is the Queen of Atheia and friend to all the good things in the Valley, including the Bones.

She can harness the power of dreaming and defeat the Lord of the Locusts.

Equally at home in the country or the town, Thorn is a born leader.  

Cape: Yes

Mask: No

Skills: Talks to dragons, can see ghost circles, is a Veni-yan-Cari (The Awakened One) 

Potential: Lightning fast with incredible gymnastic abilities, Thorn will bring power and style to the women's division.   

Nemesis: Rosa Mendes 

Mr. Terrific

JSA Classified #29 : Starring Mr. Terrific in "Like Fatherhood, Like Son" (DC Comics) by Arvid Nelson and Alex Sanchez.

Not only is Mr. Terrific a master of time and space, but he is a naturally gifted athlete and accomplished scholar.

This self-made millionaire cannot be detected and is multilingual.  

Cape: No

Mask: Yes

Skills: Black belt, Olympic Decathlon Gold winner, third-smartest person on the planet.

Potential: Has a fantastic name and wears a cool black jacket with "Fair Play" written down the arm and "Terrific" across his back. Has brains and charisma, and is the Olympic Gold winner the WWE has been missing since Kurt Angle left.

Nemesis: Daniel Bryan

Rukia Kuchiki

Bleach, Vol. 2 by Tite Kubo.

Although Rukia gave most of her powers away, she is still the main go-to when it comes to fighting evil spirits.

Sometimes troubled with self-doubt, she is able to work through her problems and has established herself as a leader and loyal friend.   

Cape: No

Mask: No

Skills: Expert in casting spells and in kido (the spirit way)

Potential: Has the ability to get into an opponent's head and with her agility and speed. Rukia could become an unstoppable force in women's wrestling. 

Nemesis: AJ 

American Eagle

Thunderbolts #114 : Faith in Monsters Part Five (Civil War The Initiative - Marvel Comics) by Warren Ellis, Mike Deodato and Cover by Marko Djurdjevic.

A member of the Navajo Nation, American Eagle gained his superhuman powers when a blast of sonic energy struck him in a uranium mine.

Works well on his own but is also a great team player.  

Cape: No

Mask: No

Skills; Strength, speed and stamina (all great wrestling qualities)

Potential: Can go toe-to-toe with anyone. His threshold for pain would make him a great candidate for steel cage matches.  

Nemesis: Drew MacIntyre 

Tom Taylor

Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey.

There is still so much to learn about Tom Taylor.

Is he Tommy Taylor (the Harry Potter-type wizard), or is he just the son of a famous author?

He has a great can-do spirit and an even better knowledge of famous literary landmarks around London.  

Cape: No

Mask: No

Skills: Has a magic door knob, could be a wizard, has a cool map.

Potential: May seem a bit undersized for the WWE, but Taylor has already proven he's a scrapper, and what he lacks in muscles he makes up for with brains and determination. 

Nemesis: The Great Khali  

Black Panther

Marvel Comics In The 1970s: An Issue-By-Issue Field Guide To A Pop Culture Phe by Pierre Comtois.

The Black Panther knows no fear and when he eats a special heart-shaped herb he is able to harness the powers of the Wakandan Panther god. The Black Panther gains superhuman strength and is able to resist evil magic charms. This superhero is also a brilliant strategist, politician, inventor, and scientist. 

Cape: No

Mask: Yes part of a full body suit 

Skills: Genius, gymnast, tracker and master of African martial arts. 

Potential: Mysterious, moody, powerful and misunderstood. A championship belt would look good around the middle of that black bodysuit.    

Nemesis: Big Show 

Silk Spectre

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

As a member of the Watchmen (along with The Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Ozymandias and Rorschach), Silk Spectre was part of one of the greatest teams of superheroes ever.

Comes out of enforced retirement to save the world. 

Cape: Not so much

Mask: No

Skills: Unarmed combat, gymnastics, weight-lifting and a winner's attitude.

Potential: With her strength and her close-combat fighting skills, Silk Spectre would not only have the high-flying moves the Divas division is associated with but would also have the battle of a prizefighter. A real slugger is something women's wrestling has been missing for a long time.    

Nemesis: Natalya

Batman

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller.

Probably the greatest superhero ever, in arguably the greatest graphic novel ever written.

Batman, The Dark Knight Returns sees the Gotham City hero come out of retirement to defeat one of the most dastardly villains ever, the Joker.   

Cape: Yes, the best—even better than Superman's.

Mask: Yes, with bat-shaped ears 

Skills: Technologically advanced, strong, smart and unrelenting  

Potential: Batman would have it all, from the stage entrance in the Batmobile or on the Batbike to his fights in the ring. No ladder or cage match could stop him.

The Dark Knight is also moody and unpredictable. Fans would never know if he was going to walk away from it all or if there were enough guys for him to defeat.    

Nemesis: Randy Orton, but Batman would fight everyone and all at once if needed.

While there are many more who could have made it onto my top 10 (Spiderman, Swamp Thing, Silver Surfer), I think any from my list of superheroes would be good for the WWE.

Who would you like to see leap from the pages of the comic book to the Friday night lineup of SmackDown?