Caped crusaders aren’t always the valiant, bad-guy-busting greats that have been consistently showcased since the superhero genre made an appearance. In the past decade or so, some superheroes have lost their PG factor and have turned into TV-MA gold, delivering bloody trauma and insane amounts of violence. While the superhero genre is rife with awesome shows perfect for kids to enjoy, there are also quite a few series that are absolutely too disturbing and should never be seen by children.
Some prime disturbing watches from the vast realm of superhero shows are <em>The Punisher</em>, which showcases a vigilante fueled by nothing but anger and vengeance, and the mature animated series Spawn, which features a hellish protagonist that doesn’t hold back while fighting crime. These two series, as well as the rest on this list, are part of the superhero genre but are in no way series to watch during a family sit-down.
10
‘Misfits’ (2009–2013)
This British sci-fi series is one filled with crude, but hilarious moments that can also stun an entire crowd. Misfits follows a group of delinquents sentenced to community service, who, in the process of serving their time, gain superpowers ranging from invisibility to immortality.
Misfits is filled with crazy, fun events that would captivate any audience. While the series is extremely entertaining as it focuses on a group of young superpowered offenders, the show doesn’t fear pushing boundaries and leaning into disturbing territory. The series doesn’t feature a group of kids gaining superpowers and going out to save the world; they mostly just use their abilities for absurd or selfish purposes and often in a crass manner. Misfits is an epic ride, but with it being filled with intense dark humor, shocking smut that showcases a lot of bodily fluids, and intense and violent moments, the series is definitely too disturbing for children’s eyes.
9
‘Harley Quinn’ (2019–present)
Animation doesn’t necessarily mean for kids only, and Harley Quinn is definitely not meant for children’s curious eyes. The animated series centers around Harley Quinn (Kaley Cuoco), after she finally figures out that the Joker (Alan Tudyk) was never worth it. Thus, her chaotic life ensues without her psychotic villainous boo, filled with fun, extreme violence, and a journey of self-discovery.
Harley Quinn is a supercharged Rated-R series that features bright colors and hilarity. The adult animated superhero show is a riot of dark humor, extreme violence, and intense profanity. Standing as a parody series that showcases some of DC’s most treasured characters, Harley Quinn takes outrageousness and pure absurdity to the next level, a level that can border on extremely disturbing, even for adults. With heads that explode and blood splatter galore, along with pretty graphic sexual moments, Harley Quinn is an animated series that should not be played in front of children, but is an insanely great time for adults.
8
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
This HBO series is a remix/sequel of the popular graphic novel of the same name, and showcases just as many dark and adult-oriented moments as the original story. Watchmen is set in an alternate America, where any masked vigilantes that roam the streets are considered outlaws.
From the very first episode, with its haunting depiction of a real historical event—the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre—it was evident that Watchmen wasn’t going to pull any punches. The show delves into harsh topics ranging from racism to trauma, and portrays violence so brutal that it can stun an audience. Of course, for those of the appropriate age, Watchmen would definitely be considered as an ambitious and completely brilliant series, but due to the show’s unflinching dedication to detail in its depiction of disturbing topics, as well as its complex plot, Watchmen stands as a series that firmly sits in the category of too disturbing for children.
7
‘The Punisher’ (2017–2019)
This Amazon animated series might be a cartoon, but it is well-known for its gory brutality. Based on Robert Kirkman’s comic,<em>Invincible</em> follows the young teen Mark Grayson ( Steven Yeun), who at last gains the powers he inherited from his superhero father Nolan, a.k.a. Omni-Man ( J.K. Simmons), only for things to quickly go downhill from there.
Invincible is quite the thrilling watch for both older teens and adults. It’s an exciting watch with an interesting story that hooks its audience from the very first episode, thanks in part to the shocking blood-soaked mess that kicks off the mysterious plot. The show doesn’t shy away from the realism that heroes are much stronger than normal people, and when they choose to be villains, well, humans become rather squishable when needing to prove a point. The violence is graphic, and the themes range from harsh parental betrayal to acts of genocide.Invincible may be a fantastically colorful and fun watch, but in no way is it okay for young children to sit through.
3
‘Spawn’ (1997–1999)
Spawn is a groundbreaking animated series that stands as one of the darkest and most disturbing shows to come out of the late ’90s.
Spawn follows a murdered government assassin, Al Simmons/Spawn( Keith David), as he makes a deal with the devil to return to Earth, where he comes back as a hellspawn and fights crime.
The HBO cartoon is in no way for the faint of heart. For adults—especially fans of the comic series it’s based on— it’s an uncompromising adaptation that delivers captivating but extremely mature storytelling.Spawn is pretty much hard-rated R-rated horror/noir cartoon specifically marketed towards adults rather than kids. The series is rather bleak and gritty, featuring dark, haunting alleys,< / This Prime Video sci-fi series is highly anticipated,with its second season set to arrive September 17,
The Boys’ (2019–present)
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