Just my kind of thread.
1. First choice, Marvel's Spider-Man hands down. Love the originality of this character. He's got super strength, spider senses, can shoot web (now) and the fact that he's a genius makes him be able to handle his powers very well. I also LOVE his sense of humor. Spider-Man is the funniest super hero I have ever seen. It doesn't make any sense how hilarious he is. I think the main thing I like about Spider-Man though is what he stands for. "With great power, comes great responsibility." Spider-Man's life sucks. He goes through all sorts of things that he just does not deserve. But no matter what, he always tries his best to do the right thing. Even when the world is against him, he does what he knows is right. I've always tried to do that myself.
2. DC's Green Lantern is number two. Though there are a lot f Green Lanterns, I choose Hal Jordan easily. I like the Green Lanterns because they can supposedly do anything. They are only limited by their mind. Hal Jordan takes it to the extreme though. He's the best. It's as simple as that. Most people know John Stewart because of the Justice League cartoon, but if they read up on Hal, they would change their mind quickly. Thank goodness for the movie coming out soon.
3. Third I have to say is DC's Batman. You want to know how you can tell is someone reads comics? Ask them who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman. If they immediately say Superman, they don't read comics. If they have to think about it or they say Batman, then they read comics. Not so say he could easily beat Superman, but Batman is considered one of the top three superheroes of the DC universe (he stands next to Superman and Wonder Woman as the "DC trinity"). What makes Batman so great is his mind. He finds his way out of solutions that no one else can. People often say if they had money they could be Batman... uh no. Batman uses his mind to instill fear in his victims and find their weak points. All the most powerful superheros are afraid of Batman (save the Green Lanterns cause they don't fear anything) not because of his money or gadgets, but because he has probably already figured out how to beat them in a fight. I love my first two choices, but if they got in a fight with this guy, they would lose. End of story.