4. Marv
There are lots of great characters in Frank Miller's Sin City series but none more charismatic than the coat-loving Marv, the fierce yet honourable berserker who thinks that Nancy sure is somethin'. The first Sin City book follows Marv as he goes on the hunt for Goldie's killer. Goldie is a haunted young woman who slept with Marv and when he awoke she was missing. His journey takes in the dark alleys, the low-life hoods, the corrupt churches, and the untrustworthy government that make up Sin City, as he kills his way to the truth. Marv is this great mix of unstoppable behemoth, classic noir character, and gentle giant. In the film version Marv was played superbly by Mickey Rourke and we saw the dangerous side to Marv as he took out a squad of police officers single-handedly, and even during his state-sanctioned execution, it takes several attempts in the electric chair to finally kill him. That and the sense of justice he pursues doggedly to the bitter end is what makes Marv a great superhero. And his line about that being a mighty fine coat you've got there is awesome. You can see Marv next in the Sin City sequel, A Dame To Kill For, as Mickey Rourke returns to play him once again.