The Forbes Fictional Fifteen: The Richest Characters in Comics

Comic books give a lot of clues about exactly how rich their very richest citizens are. There are casual references to buying an island just for a quiet place to stay, buying a hotel so a lady friend can have a swim in a fountain, and of course, Kevlar doesn't come cheap. But exactly how rich are they? Tony Stark, as everyone knows, was a weapons manufacturer, until he decided to quit the business. How did that affect his net worth?

According to the Forbes Fictional Fifteen -- the business magazine's yearly list of the very richest of unreal people -- not very much. "Forbes" publishes a yearly list of the very richest of unreal people. Tony has made the list every year for the past four years, and occupied a spot above Bruce Wayne since 2006:

1. Carlisle Cullen, Estimated Worth: $34.1 billion

2. Scrooge McDuck, Estimated Worth: $33.5 billion

3. Richie Rich, Estimated Worth: $11.5 billion

4. Tony Stark, Estimated Worth: $8.8 billion

5. Jed Clampett, Estimated Worth: $7.2 billion

6. Adrian "Ozymandias" Veidt, Estimated Worth: $7 billion

7. Bruce Wayne, Estimated Worth: $6.5 billion

8. Tooth Fairy, Estimated Worth: $3.9 billion

9. Thurston Howell III, Estimated Worth: $2.1 billion

10. Sir Topham Hatt, Estimated Worth: $2 billion

11. Artemis Fowl II, Estimated Worth: $1.9 billion

12. C. Montgomery Burns, Estimated Worth: $1.3 billion

13. Chuck Bass, Estimated Worth: $1.1 billion

14. Jay Gatsby, Estimated Worth: $1 billion

15. Lucille Bluth, Estimated Worth: $950 million

It's clear that movies might make fame, but they don't entirely make fortune. Tony and Bruce are routinely beat out by Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck, both of them well known but neither one cinematic heavyweights. It's also clear that research is put into the list. Bruce Wayne's blurbs mention the setbacks he suffered in his 'Black Glove' storyline -- hardly common knowledge for anyone who is not a regular comic book reader -- as a reason for his slipping status.

Still, there's no doubt that fame counts on "Forbes" countdown, though. Tony started getting ahead on the list once his picture stopped being an animated panel and started being a snapshot of Robert Downey Junior in a goatee. Adrian Veidt began circulating on the list after the "Watchmen" buzz started, while Green Arrow, DC's Batman knock-off, disgraced mayor and recently-acquitted billionaire is nowhere on the list. And, like everything else this year, the top spot went to "Twilight." Carlisle Cullen has come out of nowhere and dominated the list. He's an easy billion ahead of Scrooge, and three times as rich as Richie. With that kind of money, and with two more movies ahead, it looks like he'll be number one at least into the year 2011.