If you can't get the superhero you want, create your own. Long before Saim Raimi (Evil Dead) made Spider-Man the most successful superhero movie franchise - so far - he wanted to bring to life The Shadow on the big screen. When he was unable to win the rights, he came up with Darkman, about a scientist who is developing a way to make synthetic skin before he mercilessly beaten by gangsters. Thought to be dead, a disfigured Dr Westlake returns to take his vengeance as a bandaged vigilante. Using the synthetic skin, he has the ability to look like anyone - for 100 minutes anyway, before the in-development skin dissolves. Spawned a brief comic book series and two straight-to-DVD sequels.

"... He's a cockroach; first you think you kill him and he pops right back up again! - Robert Durant on Darkman