For generations, comic book characters have lived far beyond the page. They’ve headlined blockbuster movies, filled Saturday morning TV lineups, and stayed part of the pop culture conversation long enough to win over fans both old and new. And whether you’ve always rooted for the hero or had a soft spot for the villain, chances are there’s at least one character you’ve followed for years.
To see which comic book names still have the strongest hold across the country, we analyzed Google Trends data from the past 12 months to determine the most popular comic book heroes and villains in every state. We also looked at the bigger Marvel-versus-DC battle to see which publisher had the edge overall based on search interest across the full group of characters in our study.
From iconic heroes to scene-stealing villains, the results show just how differently comic book fandom plays out depending on where you live, and which characters have truly stood the test of time.
The Most Popular Comic Book Character in Every State
Before we get into heroes and villains separately, it’s worth looking at the bigger picture first. When people search for comic book characters, they’re not always picking the clean-cut good guy. Sometimes they’re drawn to chaos, brute strength, or a character with just enough mystery to keep things interesting.
From iconic caped crusaders to unforgettable villains, the results show that Americans’ comic book tastes are all over the map, and in some cases, a little darker than you might expect.
A few characters stood above the rest based on how many states searched for them the most:
The Joker: 5 states
The Joker came out on top in the most states in our analysis, which says a lot about the staying power of one of comic books’ most recognizable villains. He’s unpredictable, theatrical, and impossible to ignore, which may help explain why he continues to draw attention across a mix of major media markets and densely populated states like New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
- States: Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas
Bane: 5 states
Tied with The Joker, Bane also claimed five states. While The Joker tends to dominate through personality, Bane’s appeal may come from his reputation as a physically imposing mastermind who’s best known for pushing Batman to his limit. His wins are spread across smaller and mid-sized states, giving him one of the more unexpected regional footprints in the study.
- States: Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
Starfire: 3 states
Starfire’s popularity shows that this map isn’t just ruled by Gotham heavyweights. As a character known for her bright personality, strong powers, and crossover appeal through shows like Teen Titans, she stands out from the darker names on the list. Her presence in Arizona, South Carolina, and Washington adds a little more color to the overall map in more ways than one.
- States: Arizona, South Carolina, Washington
Hulk: 3 states
Hulk’s three-state showing proves there’s always room for a classic. Few comic book characters are as instantly recognizable, and that kind of staying power matters for characters when their stories are being revisited every few years on the big screen. Between decades of comics, blockbuster movies, and one of the most memorable alter egos in the genre, Hulk has remained a go-to name for comic book fans across generations.
- States: Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee
Batman: 3 states
Batman also led in three states, showing that even with plenty of newer characters and movie-driven interest out there, one of comics’ most enduring names still holds his ground. Unlike some of the flashier personalities on this list, Batman’s appeal has always come from consistency: he’s smart, grounded, and always prepared. That kind of mysterious consistency is something everyone likes in a superhero.
- States: Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma
One of the more interesting takeaways from the full character map is how close the overall split was between heroes and villains. In total, 30 states’ top-searched comic book character was a hero, while 21 states favored a villain. Still, the two most popular characters overall were both villains: The Joker and Bane. That says a lot about the staying power of a great bad guy. In comics, villains often get the flashiest backstories, the wildest motives, and some of the most memorable screen adaptations. That kind of larger-than-life presence clearly keeps people interested.
This first look includes everyone in the comic book universe, but next, we’ll shift the spotlight away from the full cast of characters and focus on the names that fight on the side of justice: the most popular comic book hero in every state.
The Most Popular Comic Book Hero in Every State
It’s time to turn to the characters who actually save the day. The ones you should be rooting for. The heroes.
Based on the data we analyzed, plenty of states still have a clear soft spot for the classic hero types. Even if a few darker, moodier favorites still managed to sneak into the mix.
Here are the most popular heroes in our study:
Hulk (Marvel): 8 states
Hulk led the hero field by a wide margin, making him the most popular comic book hero in more states than anyone else in our analysis. First debuting in 1962 and continuing to shine in media as recently as 2021, his appeal spans generations. He showed particular strength in the South, where his larger-than-life reputation clearly still packs a punch.
- States: Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania
Captain America (Marvel): 5 states
Captain America finished next, with support spread fairly evenly across the map. First appearing in 1941, he’s long been one of Marvel’s clearest symbols of old-school heroism, which makes his broad appeal feel pretty fitting. With wins in states as varied as New York, Texas, and Colorado, Captain America didn’t need one regional stronghold to carry the shield.
- States: Colorado, New York, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin
Batman (DC): 4 states
Batman claimed four states and showed especially strong appeal in the Midwest. Since 1939, he’s remained one of comic books’ most enduring names, thanks in part to his darker tone, massive franchise history, and refusal to ever really go out of style. Even without superpowers, Batman’s popularity shows that sometimes the darkest character in the room still steals the spotlight.
- States: Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Oklahoma
Batgirl (DC): 4 states
Batgirl also topped four states, with especially strong support in the Northeast. She debuted in the ‘60s and has since become one of DC’s most recognizable heroines, bringing some of Batman’s appeal while carving out a legacy of her own. She may operate in Gotham’s orbit, but this result proves she’s not just riding sidecar.
- States: Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island
Starfire (DC): 3 states
Starfire rounded out the top group with three states and showed the strongest presence in the West. Introduced in 1980 and boosted by her popularity in Teen Titans, she stands apart from some of the moodier names on this list with a brighter personality and a more playful energy. In a field full of brooding heroes, Starfire brings a little more glow.
- States: Arizona, South Carolina, Washington
In the age-old debate of comic publisher supremacy, the hero results also revealed a slight edge for Marvel. Of the states where a hero came out on top, 28 favored a Marvel hero, while 23 favored a DC hero. It’s a close split, but it suggests Marvel’s leading names had just a little more reach in our analysis, even with DC icons like Batman and Batgirl still putting up a strong fight.
And while the good guys had a strong showing, no comic book universe feels complete without a few memorable troublemakers. Next, we’ll look at the most popular comic book villain in every state.
The Most Popular Comic Book Villain in Every State
Of course, no comic book universe is complete without someone causing problems. And if the hero results showed us who people root for, the villain data gives us a look at the characters they can’t stop thinking about.
A few villains clearly rose above the rest in our study. Some have been around for generations, some have become bigger through movies and TV, and all of them prove that being the bad guy can come with a pretty loyal following.
Here are the villains that stood out most in our study:
The Joker: 14 states
The Joker was the runaway leader in our villain analysis, topping more states than any other character by a wide margin. A favorite since 1940, he’s remained one of comic books’ most recognizable villains for decades, helped along by countless reinventions across comics, TV, and film. He showed especially strong appeal in the Northeast and South, with states like New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas helping drive his lead. For a character built on chaos, The Joker’s popularity looks surprisingly consistent.
- States: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
Bane: 9 states
Bane finished well behind The Joker, but still stood out as one of the clearest favorites in the villain field. Debuting much later than many of those in the study in 1993, he became an especially memorable Batman foe thanks to his interesting backstory, physical power, and tactical mind. His support was strongest in the Midwest, with states like Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin leading the way. Raised in the prison on Santa Prisca and known as one of the few villains to truly break Batman, Bane has a way of clawing his way out of the pit and into the spotlight.
- States: Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin
Penguin: 3 states
Penguin had a smaller footprint overall, but his popularity still came through most clearly in the Northeast. With Massachusetts and New Hampshire among the states where he ranked on top, his showing feels fitting for one of Gotham’s more polished and theatrical villains. For a villain whose whole brand is built on power, presentation, and weaponized umbrellas, Penguin proves that brute force isn’t the only way to leave a mark.
- States: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, West Virginia
Carnage: 3 states
Carnage also claimed three states. Compared to some of the older names in this section, he’s a more modern villain, first appearing in 1992, but his popularity shows just how much staying power a truly unhinged character can have. As Venom’s offspring bonded to serial killer Cletus Kasady, Carnage was practically built to take chaos further than anyone else on the page. And that chaos seems to stick with readers.
- States: Idaho, North Carolina, Washington
Unlike the hero results, the villain map leaned much more heavily toward DC. Overall, 35 states had a DC villain as their top-searched bad guy, compared to 16 that favored a Marvel villain. That gap makes sense when you look at how many of comics’ most iconic villains come from Gotham alone. Between Joker, Bane, and Penguin, DC’s darker side had a pretty clear advantage in this part of the analysis.
Next, we’ll zoom out from individual characters and settle one of the biggest comic book questions of all: which publisher comes out on top in each state — Marvel or DC.
Marvel vs. DC Across the U.S.
After looking at which heroes and villains came out on top in each state, there’s one more showdown worth settling: the big one. Not Batman versus Superman or Avengers versus Justice League — Marvel versus DC.
To figure out which publisher each state leaned toward, we looked at the full field of characters in our analysis and added up the total search interest for every Marvel and DC name included. We used that combined figure as each publisher’s Publisher Search Score — a composite metric built from 100 total characters, including 25 heroes and villains from both Marvel and DC. From there, whichever publisher had the higher total search interest in a given state won that state.
Using that method, Marvel came out on top in 38 states, while DC led in 13.
That’s a pretty decisive edge, and it suggests that while DC had some major individual standouts (especially on the villain side), Marvel’s overall roster had more consistent search pull across the map. In other words, DC may have had some of the loudest names, but Marvel had more characters helping run up the total.
A few things likely helped drive that gap:
Marvel’s depth gave it an advantage.
While DC got big lifts from characters like The Joker, Batman, and Bane, Marvel benefited from broader interest across multiple corners of its universe. Characters like Hulk and Captain America performed well in the hero analysis, and that kind of steady support adds up quickly in a composite score.
Recent screen time likely helped keep Marvel top of mind.
Search interest doesn’t just reflect comic book history. It also reflects what people are seeing in theaters, on streaming platforms, in animated series, and across pop culture more broadly. Marvel’s long run of connected movie and TV storytelling has kept a wide range of characters in circulation, which may help explain why it performed so well across so many states.
DC’s biggest names still carried serious weight.
Even though DC lost the state count overall, it clearly wasn’t out of the fight. In earlier sections, DC villains in particular dominated the map, with Batman villains helping give the publisher a much darker edge. DC may not have won as many states overall, but it still proved it knows how to make a few characters loom very large.
Find The Most Popular Comic Book Characters In Your State
View the full breakdown of the most popular comic book heroes, villains, and publisher by state by interacting with the table below. You can sort by columns to search for your state directly to see which characters stand out most where you live.
Closing Thoughts
From heroes and villains to the bigger Marvel-versus-DC battle, our analysis showed just how differently comic book fandom plays out across the country. Heroes held a slight edge overall, but the biggest character standouts were villains. Publisher-wise, people can’t get enough of the Marvel heroes, while DC proved especially dominant on the villain side.
While newer adaptations and recent releases can help drive interest, many of the names that rose to the top in our analysis have been around long enough to connect with generations of fans.
That longevity is what stands out most. Many of the characters that topped our analysis have been around for decades, and they still hold value for the audiences who grew up with them. In some cases, that value is literal: vintage comic books tied to iconic characters can be worth real money years after they first hit the shelf.
That same idea of long-term value applies to other assets people may not always think about. For some, life insurance is one of them. When a policy no longer fits your needs, it may have resale value depending on the circumstances. Through a life settlement, some policyowners are able to convert an existing policy into cash, something Ovid can help individuals better understand as they evaluate their options.
Methodology
To determine the most popular comic book characters in every state, we created a list of 100 total characters using Marvel and DC’s official websites. The list included 25 heroes and 25 villains from both Marvel and DC. We then ran each character through Google Trends and analyzed their search interest head-to-head over the past 12 months to find which characters were the top-searched in every state.
We used search interest as an indicator of popularity for this study.
To determine whether each state leaned more toward Marvel or DC overall, we summed the total search interest of every character in our analysis by publisher, including both heroes and villains. We used that combined total as a composite score to identify which publisher had the stronger overall search interest in each state.
Fair Use
You are welcome to use, reference, and share non-commercial excerpts of this study with proper attribution. If you cite or cover our findings, please link back to this page so readers can view the full methodology, charts, and context.
