John Quincy Adams

Few characters can claim a pedigree quite like this one — John Quincy Adams made his comics debut in the Golden Age classic Know Your Presidents back in 1948, bringing a slice of American history to the four-color page. Over a remarkable span stretching into 2014, this sixth president has kept extraordinarily distinguished company, sharing pages with the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and his own father John Adams. Perhaps most unexpectedly, his Marvel appearances include a turn in Deadpool, proving that even a statesman of the early republic isn't immune to the wilder corners of the Marvel universe. A genuinely unique presence in comics history — part civics lesson, part pop-culture curiosity, and entirely worth a second look.