DC ANIMATION
From Screen to Page

A wealth of incredible cartoons have brought the characters at DC Comics to life over the years. And while these cartoon tales adapted many elements from the four-color source material, the same animated adventures also added new elements and names to the DC Comics lexicon (and to DC Comics continuity itself!). Personalities, designs, origins, etc., have been born from the assorted animated adaptations featuring DC Comics’ finest, some of which have had major impacts on pop culture (does the name “Harley Quinn” ring a bell?). Unfortunately, there’s also plenty of jumps that flew well under the radar. Continue below for a near-complete list below of some of the most notable characters to jump off of the animated screen and into the four-color page!

Please note this list is for “in-continuity/” “in-canon” appearances in DC Comics, with exception, and does not count appearances in the animated tie-in titles (ie: The Batman Adventures, and so on, etc.) published by DC Comics to support their respective animated programs.

Red Claw
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “The Cat and The Claw, Part 1” – September 5, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Catwoman #43 – May 17, 2022

Nora Fries
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Heart of Ice” – September 7, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman: Mr. Freeze – May 29, 1997

Summer Gleeson
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Heart of Ice” – September 7, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: “Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files” #1 – October 13, 1999

Harley Quinn
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Joker’s Favor” – September 11, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman: Harley Quinn #1 – August 11, 1999

Renee Montoya
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Joker’s Favor” – September 11, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman #475 – January 23, 1992

Temple Fugate
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “The Clock King” – September 21, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Teen Titans #56 – February 27, 2008

Sewer King
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “The Underdwellers” – October 21, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: 52 #25 – October 25, 2006

Kyodai Ken
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Night of the Ninja” – October 26, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Detective Comics #996 – January 16, 2019

The Gray Ghost
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Beware The Gray Ghost” – November 4, 1992
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Gray Ghost (costumed persona) – Batgirl #9 – May 31, 2010
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Simon Trent/Gray Ghost – Gotham Academy #4 – January 28, 2015

Veronica Vreeland
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Birds of a Feather” – February 8, 1993
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: DC’s Beach Blanket Bad Guys Summer Special #1 – July 25, 2018

The Phantasm/Andrea Beaumont
First animated appearance: “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” – December 25, 1993
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman/Catwoman #1 – December 1, 2020

Roxy Rocket
First animated continuity appearance (comic): The Batman Adventures Annual #1 – September 27, 1994
First animated continuity appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “The Ultimate Thrill” – September 14, 1998
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Detective Comics #822 – August 2, 2006

Baby-Doll
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Baby-Doll” – September 10, 1994
First DC Comics appearance: Batman: White Knight #2 – January 2018
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 – September 20, 2022

Lock-Up
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Lock-Up” – November 19, 1994
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (cameo): Robin #24 – November 9, 1995
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (full): Detective Comics #694 – January 3, 1996

Condiment King
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series “Make ‘Em Laugh” – November 5, 1995
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Birds of Prey #37 – November 21, 2001

Mercy Graves
First animated appearance: Superman: The Animated Series “A Little Piece of Home” – September 14, 1996
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Detective Comics #735 – June 23, 1999

Livewire
First animated appearance: Superman: The Animated Series “Livewire” – September 13, 1997
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Action Comics #835 – January 11, 2006

Farmer Brown
First animated appearance: Batman: The Animated Series – “Critters” – September 19, 1998
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: “Batman: Streets of Gotham” #4 – September 16, 2009

Volcana
First animated appearance: Superman: The Animated Series “Where There’s Smoke” – September 19, 1998
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Superman 80-Page Giant #1 – March 17, 2010

Terry McGinnis


First animated appearance: Batman Beyond “Rebirth, Part 1” – January 10, 1999
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (cameo, alternate version): Superman/Batman #22 – September 28, 2005
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (full, alternate version): Superman/Batman Annual #4 – June 3, 2010
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (official): The New 52: Futures End #1 – May 7, 2014

Inque
First animated appearance: Batman Beyond “Black Out” – January 30, 1999
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman Beyond #8 – August 3, 2011

Ebon
First animated appearance: Static Shock “The Breed” – October 10, 2000
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Static: Shadows of Dakota #1 – February 7, 2023

Warhawk
First animated appearance: Batman Beyond “The Call, Part I” – November 11, 2000
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Batman Beyond #9 – February 3, 2016

The Imperium
First animated appearance: Justice League “Secret Origins, Part 1” – November 17, 2001
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Wonder Woman #793 – November 8, 2022

Anansi
First animated appearance: Static Shock “Static in Africa” – February 8, 2003
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Static Shock Team-Up: Anansi #1 – June 13, 2023

Cinderblock
First animated appearance: Teen Titans “Divide and Conquer” – August 2, 2003
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Titans #17 – September 9, 2009

Red X
First animated appearance: Teen Titans “Masks” – September 20, 2003
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Future State: Teen Titans #1 – January 12, 2021

Más y Menos
First animated appearance: Teen Titans “Titans East, Part 1” – January 15, 2005
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Teen Titans #38 – August 30, 2006

Devil Ray
First animated appearance: Justice League Unlimited “I Am Legion” – September 17, 2005
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Black Manta #1 – September 7, 2021

The Music Meister
First animated appearance: Batman: The Brave and the Bold
“Mayhem of the Music Meister!” – October 23, 2009
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: DC Pride 2022 #1 – June 7, 2022

Kaldur’ahm (Aqualad)
First animated appearance: Young Justice “Independence Day” – November 26, 2010
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Brightest Day #4 – June 16, 2010
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance (revamped): DC Rebirth #1 – May 25, 2016

The Light
First animated appearance: Young Justice “Fireworks” – November 26, 2010
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 – December 20, 2022

Razer
First animated appearance: Green Lantern: The Animated Series
“Beware My Power: Green Lantern’s Light, Part 1” – November 11th, 2011
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Green Lantern (2023) #7 – January 9, 2024

Aya
First animated appearance: Green Lantern: The Animated Series “Into the Abyss” – March 24, 2012
First DC Comics in-continuity appearance: Green Lantern (2023) #24 – June 25, 2025