After running this site for a few years where I have been trying to seek out, watch, and review every superhero and comic book movie that I can find, I decided that I wanted to make a definitive list of superhero movies that captured the essence of the range of superhero movies. Going through the decades and choosing the most influential, the biggest disasters, and simply the best superhero movies out there I hope to try and capture what I like to call the 100 Essential Superhero Movies. If you are a fan of superhero movies at all, these are the first ones that you should seek out. Not all of them are great, but when studying history it pays to not just look at the successes, but to also look at the failures. Also, as this list is being made in 2014, this only includes movies made through 2013.

The Polls

While in the process of creating this list, I wanted to involve the audience, and so for some of the more obscure, and guilty pleasure superhero movies I’m leaving it up to the readers to decide via polls. Click the titles of the movies to read a defense for the inclusion of the movie into this list and vote for as many of the movies as you would like to, and a large portion of the rest of the movies are included in the large poll right at the top.

The Meteor Man

X-Men: The Last Stand

Defendor

Condorman

The Punisher (1989)

Fleischer Superman Shorts

Robocop

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

Flash Gordon

Orgazmo

Swamp Thing

Daredevil (Director’s Cut)

Special

Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The List

Superman Movies # 1 – 8

Marvel Cinematic Universe # 9 – 15

Comedies # 16 – 24

Batman Movies # 25 – 38

Early Marvel # 39 – 46

Animation #47 – 56

Original Heroes #57 – 65

Borrowed Marvel #66 – 72

Indie Comics #73 – 84