Onscreen Superheroes photos

George Reeves reluctantly accepted the title role in the 1952 TV series The Adventures of Superman. His double role as both the "Man of Steel" and his mild-mannered alter ego Clark Kent, however, made him a household name.

In 1978 young actor Christopher Reeve landed the lead role as Clark Kent/Superman in the big budget film Superman: The Movie. Although he had the height and handsome features for the part, he lacked the Superman physique. To prep for the role he took part in a vigorous workout regimen under the guidance of actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars movies.

The Superman film was both a critical and commercial success and Reeve became an instant, international star. He went on to star in three sequels- Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). In 1995, tragedy struck when Reeve fell off his horse during an equestrian competition and was paralyzed from the neck down.

Lynda Carter's role as Wonder Woman in the 1975 hit show made her a recognizable star. The former beauty pageant queen turned heads with her infamous eye-catching outfit, a form-fitting costume with a large gold belt, bullet-deflecting bracelets, and a golden lasso.

"Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." The infamous line from the 1977 television series The Incredible Hulk, launched the big green monster and his alter ego Dr. David Banner into super stardom. Bill Bixby's role as the intelligent, yet misunderstood scientist, was a perfect match to the ferocious and rage-filled Hulk played by Lou Ferrigno.

Tim Burton's 1989 Batman marked the first of the film series, followed by sequels Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). Michael Keaton played billionaire Bruce Wayne, who takes on the persona of Batman to battle crime and avenge the murder of his parents. The action filled rivalry between Batman and the notorious Joker, played by Jack Nicholson, made the film a box-office success.

Before becoming a feature film success, Batman found popularity on the small screen with the 1960s television series. The show focused on the relationship of the crime-fighting 'dynamic duo' Batman and Robin, played by actors Adam West and Burt Ward.

Television's dyanmic duo hop into the infamous Batmobile and blast out of the Batcave ready to fight Gotham City villains. Robin's classic line "Atomic batteries to power... turbines to speed," to which Batman would reply "Roger, ready to move out," soon became catchphrases of the hit series.

In 1995, Batman returned to the big-screen again with the third installment of the series, Batman Forever. The film, which featured Val Kilmer as Batman and Chris O'Donnell as Robin, followed the dynamic duo's fight against villains Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carey).

The fourth and final installment of the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman series, Batman & Robin was released in 1997. With George Clooney replacing Kilmer as Batman, the film followed Batman and Robin's fight against an all-star cast of villains including Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Poison Ivy (Uma Therman) and Bane (Robert "Jeep" Swenson).

Director Christopher Nolan picked up the series in the 2005 reboot Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale. Its sequel The Dark Knight (2008), which featured the late Heath Ledger in his haunting and unforgettable portrayal of the Joker, was a huge box-office and critical success. The final part of the trilogy The Dark Knight Rises, hit theaters in summer 2012.

Actress Julie Newmar will always be known as the original Catwoman. Newmar played the feline villainess on the TV series Batman from 1966 to 1967. She famously designed her own costume, which was equipped with a tight black suit, belt, and cat ears and is now on display at the Smithsonian Institute.

Eartha Kitt starred in the third season of the Batman series. The American singer and cabaret star took over for Julie Newmar in the villainous role of Catwoman.

Michelle Pfeiffer was next to take on the Catwoman role in Tim Burton's Batman sequel, Batman Returns (1992). Pfeiffer starred alongside Michael Keaton as Batman, and Danny DeVito as the Penguin. She was praised by critics for her fierce feline performance.

In 2004, it was actress Halle Berry who donned the signature cat suit for the Warner Bros. film Catwoman. Berry played shy artist Patience Philips, who is brought back to life after an attempted murder and miraculously transformed into the dangerous and aggressive Catwoman.

Actor Tobey Maguire is perhaps best known for his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Spider-Man film trilogy (2002-2007). Comic book fan Sam Raimi directed the films, which surround the love triangle between Peter Parker and high school crush Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and his alternate persona as superhero Spider-Man.

Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) each set box-office records, with all three included in the top 30 highest-grossing domestic films. Marc Webb re-created the franchise in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man, with actor Andrew Garfield replacing Maguire as Spider-Man and Emma Stone as high school love interest Gwen Stacy.

In 2008 actor and action star Will Smith starred in the superhero film Hancock. Smith played John Hancock, an alcoholic vigilante superhero who must repair his reputation after reckless actions cause the city of Los Angeles millions of dollars. Although not your typical superhero, Hancock possessed significant powers like superhuman strength, immaculate reflexes, and the ability to fly at supersonic speeds.

In 2007's Ghost Rider, Nicolas Cage brought the Marvel Comics character to life. Cage played the role of Johnny Blaze, a stunt daredevil who sells his soul to the Devil to become the vigiliante Ghost Rider. He reprised the role for the sequel, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 2012.

Robert Downey Jr. portrayed Marvel Comics character, Anthony "Tony" Stark, in 2008's Iron Man. Downey played the part of a masterful engineer, who builds a technologically advanced exoskeleton to become the unstoppable superhero Iron Man. Both Iron Man and its sequel Iron Man 2 were big hits in the box-office, and were released to rave reviews.

In 2012, Downey brought Iron Man to the big-screen again, this time accompanied by fellow superheroes Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in Disney's The Avengers. In the action-filled movie, the crime fighting team must stop Thor's brother and evil villain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) from defeating the planet. The movie was a huge hit, ranked as the third highest-grossing film after Titanic.