Favourite Childhood Heroes

When you’re eight years old and impressionable you need someone strong and morally just to look up to. You know, like a gang of mutated turtles that fight aliens and eat pizza… Right? To celebrate the release of the new adaptation of beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows on June 9, we have curated the childhood favourite heroes that we held so dear.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Starting its legendary run in 1988, the heroes in a half shell were thrusted upon the world to become a phenomenon still enjoyed by kids everywhere. We fully believe that a gang of mutated turtles, who were trained by a rat in martial arts, could competently fight aliens. The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows crawls out of the sewers and onto the silver screen on June 9.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers

How easily fooled we were, loving a TV show that was actually teaching us about environmentalism the whole time… and we thought it was cool! Did anyone else want a grass-green mullet?

Jem and the Holograms

Jem and the Holograms sure was sexist and full of bad eighties fashion, but you can’t say she wasn't a hero. Jem was the original Hannah Montana for keeping her pop-star alter ego a secret, was extremely charitable for supporting 12 foster children and was a pioneer in hologram technology.

Masters of the Universe

Prince Adam, a.k.a the all-powerful He-Man, was the hero of the best sword and sorcery shows on television at the time and my personal style icon. Don't believe he was the bomb? Let’s just point out that he defended his planet from Skeletor while riding a FIGHTING TIGER. Epic hero.

ThunderCats

Thunder, thunder, ThunderCats, hooo! Humanoid cats that save the world from evil? Yes please. This classic show taught us about everything from following the rules and friendship, but mostly about kicking butt. We know what you’re thinking and the answer is yes, the show definitely began the fandom that is furries.

G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe is a real American hero, you can tell because it says so in the show's title. This hunk o' man was in constant battle with Cobra to fight for freedom! Freedom and the ladies that is.

Ghostbusters

While not technically a childhood cartoon, the Ghostbusters were definitely a group of heroes to look up to. Bill Murray himself is an outright champion and the entire gang prove that friendship is key to solving life's (paranormal) challenges.

Inspector Gadget

While we would all be a bit of a mess if Inspector Gadget was our only mentor, I'm sure you can agree that he was something special. Being able to have any and all gadgets at your fingertips is a kid's dream!

Mighty Max

All kids could relate to this pre-teen with a bad attitude. Mighty Max was a prophesied brat from the future with a teleporting hat and a Viking as a bodyguard that we desperately wanted to be.

Batman

Batman is a favourite hero for many reasons, but mainly because he has no powers. He is a rich computer geek with great fighting skills and completely set apart from other superheroes. It makes 8-year-old you think that maybe, just maybe, you could be him.

Superman

Superman on the other hand is the most powerful orphan in the world. As the very first classic superhero, he spawned every secret identity, every super power and villain to come. A true hero with a good heart and super slick hair.

Spider-Man

An 80's wonder, an Internet meme and now a part of the Captain America: Civil War team, Spider-Man has come a long way from his Peter Parker origin story. We love him because he's relatable, has a sense of humour and just powerful enough to best the regular bad guys.

Wonder Woman

A hero worthy of the title, Wonder Woman was the world's first female superhero. She was born from the ideals of feminism and drew her powers from Greek mythology, and we looked up to her because she was an absolute badass!