10. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

In the mind of most Baby Boomers and older Gen Xers, Marvel Comics' The Hulk was a scary green dude who saved the day and destroyed property on Friday night television in the late 70s. Then came the Ang Lee full-length feature in 2003, starring a 20-foot-tall CGI Hulk that was critically reviled and rejected by fans. For the few years that followed, viewers feared their favorite green behemoth would be shelved indefinitely. Then French action director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2) came up with a rebooted version of the film franchise, which stayed closer to the television show's overall theme of redemption, while staying one step ahead of the authorities in the style of The Fugitive. This remake of sorts did much better than its predecessor thanks to decent performances by Edward Norton (as Bruce Banner), William Hurt (as General Ross) and Tim Roth (as Special Forces agent Emil Blonsky).

9. Punisher War Zone (2008)

Two previous versions notwithstanding, Punisher War Zone offers a bulkier, muscular, and stealthy Frank Castle (aka The Punisher, played by Rome's Ray Stevenson). The film made very little money at the box office but nevertheless conveys the comic book's true essence: that of a vigilante whose beef with organized crime invariably results in bloodshed and carnage. Director Lexi Alexander likely had fans in mind when she opted to include villain Jigsaw (Dominic West), as well as fan favorite Microchip (Wayne Knight), a genius who helps Castle on his mission, providing tech assistance. Some may argue that the 2004 film was marginally better, having John Travolta as the main villain. War Zone edges out its predecessor by including known material from the comic book to retain relevance.  

8. Hellboy (2004)

Based on the Dark Horse Comics best-selling series of graphic novels, the success of Hellboy rests mainly on the shoulders of star Ron Perlman a.k.a. man beast Vincent on TV's Beauty and the Beast. Perlman perfectly captures the Hellboy character attitude and all as he and his fellow freaks at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) fight crimes of occult or supernatural nature. Director Guillermo Del Toro relies heavily on Mike Mignola's source material, in this case using an original story connecting Hellboy with Mad Russian Gregori Rasputin, portrayed here as a wizard assisting subversive Nazi elements in World War II. As a demon figure with a great sense of humor, the titular Hellboy does his best to save the day while remaining a secret from the public.

7.  Blade (1998)

Originally written as a recurring supporting character in the 1970's Marvel comic Tomb of Dracula, the Blade character -- half-man, half-vampire, all killing machine and a "Day Walker" who possesses all of the vampires' strengths but none of their weaknesses -- is faithfully portrayed onscreen by athlete turned actor Wesley Snipes. His existing martial arts prowess brings an extra edge to the eponymous vampire hunter. Blade was followed by two sequels, neither of which measured up to the original.

6. Iron Man (2008)

Robert Downey plays billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, a technological genius whose brush with death at the hands of terrorists leads him to build a state-of-the-art suit of armor in order to defeat his enemies. Though the film doesn't address the alcoholism of the main character as per the long-running comic book, it is only fitting that the role be played by Downey, whose own real-life dependency struggles doubtless prepared him psychologically for this role. A sequel is already in the works slated for a 2010 release.

    5. X-Men (2000)

Shot in Toronto, and starring no less than a dozen well established actors, X-Men fared well enough to warrant two follow-ups, adding some fan favorites to the roster along the way. This is also the film that put Aussie actor Hugh Jackman on the Hollywood map, leading him to feature in his own spin-off film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in 2009.


 4. Unbreakable (2000)

Director M. Night Shyamalan followed his smash The Sixth Sense with this excellent mystery about a regular man (played by Bruce Willis) who is suddenly faced with the realization of who (or what) he might be following his miraculous escape from a terrible train wreck. This film -- a kind of thoughtful thriller examining the superhero concept in an innovative fashion -- was a nice change for Willis, best known as an action star.

3. Watchmen (2009)

Once dubbed the "unfilmable movie" by would-be director Terry Gilliam, the Watchmen had a long and difficult history prior to its eventual release in early 2009. Based on the popular graphic novel by reclusive British writer Alan Moore (who also wrote V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell), Watchmen tells of an alternate timeline when super heroics are common, the Cold War never ended, and American presidents continue past their third terms. Within the Watchmen universe, viewers can follow the deeds of the titular group of vigilante heroes who find themselves moving on with their private lives when heroics are deemed illegal by the government. Due to this complex saga spread out over 12 issues back in 1986, many were unable to effectively condense the story into a viable script, that is, until 300 director Zack Snyder took on the task. His finished product provided a tale filled with humanity and drama, which received mixed reviews due to Snyder's insistence on remaining true to the source material. Still, Watchmen remains a uniquely dark take on the superhero genre.

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

Though director Tim Burton had already made his own version of the Batman/Joker ballet starring Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton in 1989, director Christopher Nolan wished to retain his gritty vision of a world filled with everyday villainy (rather than Day Glo arch-nemeses), as seen in his reboot from 2005, Batman Begins. Thus did The Dark Knight see the light of day, pitting Christian Bale's Batman against a psychotic and brilliant Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger, arguably the best performance of his career (earning him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role). The tightly written plot makes Dark Knight one of the best ever superhero films.

1. Superman (1978)

Granted, it may not be the most state of the art film on this list. But at the time of Superman's release in 1978, no studio had successfully adapted a major comic book to the big screen without resorting to silly premises or even sillier costumes. Along came Richard Donner, who with the help of writer Tom Mankiewicz, beefed up the script while excising the campy dialogue, resulting in a more acceptable, watchable film. Starring Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and featuring a brief appearance by Marlon Brando as Jor-El, Superman single-handedly turned the superhero genre into a marketable product. The special effects, along with honest performances from its cast, convinced mass audiences that a man could indeed fly.