The Superhero Rich List
The Wealthiness of Big-Screen Comic-Book Characters ranked by Empire Online:
Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
The perpetually broke Peter Parker is a freelance reporter for the Daily Bugle, but makes so little that he is often forced to take other part-time jobs to fund his studies at Columbia University. Still, he’s a young man who’s going places, with impressive scientific nous that could earn him a comfortable living in research.
Clark Kent (Superman)
As a featured reporter at the Daily Planet, Clark Kent should have a comfortable but not super-luxurious lifestyle – although there are handy perks like trips to Niagara Falls on the Planet’s tab. As Superman, while he has almost unlimited moneymaking potential, he has no known assets but a cape and some boots. There’s no evidence that he even owns the Fortress of Solitude.
Matt Murdock (Daredevil)
While Matt Murdock is a hotshot lawyer by day, his propensity for pro bono work and habit of exhausting himself running about on rooftops in his demonic alter-ego by night mean that he can’t be functioning at the height of his earning powers. Still, he can afford a rather stylist Manhattan loft apartment, so he’s not totally penniless.
Eric Lehnsher (Magneto)
Serious comic book geeks may remember the time that Magneto, working together with Charles Xavier, ended up stealing a mountain full of Nazi gold from evil organisation Hydra. Even assuming that Lehnsher spent lots of it on his Antarctic underground lair, stylish metal hats and covering wear-and-tear on cloaks, we’re guessing that he still has a few hundred tonnes left – hence this estimate.
Fantastic Four
Endorsements and patent ownership has allowed the Fantastic Four to purchase the Baxter Building, rebuilding it after it was transported into space (superhero insurers have to invent whole new branches of actuarial maths) and develop new technologies – but they’re not as wealthy as some of their contemporaries.
Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X)
Largely based on an inheritance from his nuclear scientist father, bolstered by his own shrewd investments and (we suspect) patents, Xavier is seriously wealthy. He’s managed to rebuild his family mansion/school several times, each time extending and improving such amenities as its SR-71A Blackbird (price tag: $33 million!) landing pad and revolutionary Danger Room.
Lex Luthor
Luthor has been known to squander his fortune in madcap, evil schemes to take over the world, but as a general rule he bounces back onto the Rich list with room to spare. One of the world’s smartest men (possibly the smartest, depending on who you believe and whether you count resident Sons of Krypton) and a ruthless business opponent, he makes Machiavelli look like Mary Poppins.
Warren Worthington III (Angel)
Worthington is now sole owner of Worthington Industries, described as being in the “bottom half” of the Fortune 500, hence the annual revenue we’ve used to estimate his net worth here. He also engages in charity work – founding Mutants Sans Frontieres – and has previously funded superhero mutant team X Factor as well as moonlighting for the X-Men.
Bruce Wayne (Batman)
Wayne Enterprises has interests in technology, shipping, steel, aerospace, food, biotech, medical science, electronics, heavy industry and entertainment. A family business since the 17th century and still going strong despite its CEO’s diversions. This estimate is based on the fact that Wayne Enterprises has undeniably significant assets, and appears to be wholly owned by Wayne (going by the last film).
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
Sources on Stark’s wealth are uncertain, with money tied up in funding the Avengers super-team, in his reportedly $7 billion-a-pop suits, and in a PLC that has had difficulties in the last few years. He has claimed $300 billion; Nick Fury pegs him at around $14 billion, Forbes says $6 billion, so we’re taking a rough average.
Source: Empire Online
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