10 iconic comic book characters on screen then and now

From humble early days to their current CGI'd hugeness

10 iconic comic book characters on screen then and now

When you want to know about ageing badly, you go to Mickey Rourke. When it comes to ageing brilliantly, you go to cinematic characters from the DC and Marvel universe.

But to admire them in all their shiny CGI, spandex glory now, we also have to remind ourselves of how decidedly low-maintenance they used to look. So feast your eyes on the images below, pairing vintage stills with their modern, and, let's face it, more intimidating up-to-date versions.

A fascinating look at just how far these fictional icons have come in such a short space of time, we should also warn you that those recent brooding blockbusters are about to seem very silly.

Spidey senses cringing.

Use the slider to move between each picture

The Hulk

The Joker

Wolverine

Iron Man

Batman

Dr Strange

Spider-Man

Catwoman

Superman

Thor

Marc Chacksfield
Content Director

As Content Director of Shortlist, Marc likes nothing more than to compile endless lists of an evening by candlelight. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.