Do you ever wonder what superhero has the most threatening websites related to a search conducted for their particular name? No, me neither, but the folks at McAfee did, and just because it may not be something you first think of, that doesn’t mean the findings aren’t interesting or useful. In fact, a list like this would probably be useful for parents who are raising active Internet users, and for those who want to avoid getting infected when they are using a common search engine to find infringing files.
Considering the popularity of comic book characters, McAfee’s findings will probably come with little surprise. No, the only surprise comes from the character leading the way when it comes to being associated with malicious websites, if only because the character has not crossed over to the big screen. As you can probably tell by the lead image, the comic character most associated with malware-ridden websites is, in fact, Aquaman. Like I said, surprising, but not because I belong to the “Aquaman sucks” congregation or anything. Just the opposite, actually. No, again, the reason Aquaman being the most popular character in relation to unsafe websites is surprising is because there are other characters who have a much more solid hold on the public’s eye.
Characters like Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman, The Avengers. You know? Characters who have successful movies attached to them? The reason for the surprise has to do with how McAfee determined their “Most Toxic Superhero” list:
The research found that searching for the latest “Aquaman and free torrent download,” “Aquaman and watch,” “Aquaman and online,” and “Aquaman and free trailer” yields a 18.6% chance of landing on a website that has tested positive for online threats, such as spyware, adware, spam, phishing, viruses and other malware.
The thing is, there isn’t much to watch in relation to Aquaman’s character. Sure, he’s made an appearance on Super Friends and the self-titled show from the same era, as well as the new Justice League cartoon, but there hasn’t been a standalone Aquaman TV show or movie in quite a while. With that in mind, what the hell are these people searching for? Is there some kind of underground Aquaman movie, similar to Roger Corman’s Fantastic Four, in circulation?
As for the rest of the list, it’s full of names you know and love:
Aquaman 18.60%
Mr. Fantastic 18.22%
The Hulk 17.30%
Wonder Woman 16.77%
Daredevil 16.70%
Iron Man 15.63%
Superman 15.21%
Thor 15.10%
Green Lantern 15.00%
Cyclops 14.40%
Wolverine 14.27%
Invisible Woman 12.40%
Batman 12.30%
Captain America 11.77%
Spider-Man 11.15%
Perhaps I misunderstand the malicious software infection strategy, but it would seem phrases like “Download Dark Knight Rises” and “Avengers 2 free trailer” would yield more victims, as opposed to Aquaman.
