Thwack! Time for the not so superheroes to step out from the shadows...

They might not have earnt hundreds of millions at the box office or turned into matching curtains and bedspreads, and for many they were at the back of the queue when the scripts and the spandex were handed out, but the following heroes who hit the big screen deserve their moment in the limelight.

So, as was sang in the opening titles to Supergran, 'stand back Superman, Iceman, Spiderman, Batman and Robin too' and give a warm welcome to the unsung and sometimes unloved superheroes.

Condorman (1981)

, Basically Frank Spencer does superhero via Pink Panther style tomfoolery. It's kiddie fun from Disney with some glorious action set pieces, with a villainous lead by Oliver Reed, playful score by Henry Mancini and support from the dad from Teen Wolf. Michael Crawford leads a double life as a comic strip writer and secret agent come superhero of sorts, which for people of a certain age should evoke a smile, fond memories and harks back to a time when boats and cars were physically built and not just CGI.

The Return of Captain Invincible (1983)

Featuring Alan Arkin in the titular role as an alcoholic former superhero who has retired to Australia, which all sounds somewhat similar to a certain Will Smith movie, although this one features some interesting songs and Christopher Lee as the villain, now you are interested. It's all a bit mad but great fun all the same and even ranks as one of the fave movies of a certain Terry Pratchett. It certainly has to be seen to be both enjoyed and believed.

Howard the Duck (1986)

Dubbed 'A New Breed of Hero' when released in the UK after its dismal US showing to hide the fact he was a duck, Howard, the script was penned by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, who also wrote Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doomboth were also executive produced by George Lucas. What could go wrong you say, everything! Although Lea Thompson's character sleeping with our feathered friend probably didn't help and must have made for some interesting parent and child conversations on the way back home, which is probably the one defining moment that helped send it the way of the Dodo.

Looking back it's not all that bad, still holds the attention and is fun and exciting in equal measure, so it isn't a completely bad egg, and has a great score by John Barry. And lest us not forget this was the very first Marvel comic made into a movie, sure we had seen The Hulk and Spiderman on the small screen but this was the first at the cinema.

The Rocketeer (1991)

'An airborne Indiana Jones' screamed the fab - I loved it that much I bought it - retro poster, courtesy of Barry Norman, the movie is again from the pages of a comic book, both which make more than a passing nod to the classic serial, 'King of the Rocketmen'.

It's a brave move having an unknown, Bill Campbell, in the leading man role and unfortunately isn't one that wholly works and ends up being from the dull school of Luke Skywalker, still like Luke he is surrounded by an engaging supporting cast, such as Alan Arkin, Jennifer Connolly and the films greatest asset, Timothy Dalton as the sneering Nazi sympathising Errol Flynn-esque bad guy. It's got some great set pieces and visuals and if the likes of The Hulk can be rebooted then why not this, with Iron Man doing great box office and the leap forward in special effects, bring it on.

The Shadow (1994)

From David Koepp, the future writer of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls - do you see a pattern developing here - and the Director of Highlander we have a character cited as a direct influence on Batman, so it was only going to be a matter of time until he got a big screen makeover. Brimmed hat, cloak and the cool tones of Alec Baldwin are no problem but the massive fake nose, c'mon! We get another interesting supporting cast featuring the often underused Penelope Ann Miller, Sir Ian McKellen, Tim Curry and Peter Boyle. Enjoyable in the same vein as The Phantom, it's a shame that more people didn't take to these characters as both deserved a wider audience and more outings.

The Phantom (1996)

Ah, the ghost who walks...in the jungle...in purple. Based on the Kings Features comic strip, the movie has a fun cast, including big screen Buffy, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones and the slightly woodenly perfect Billy Zane as our titular hero, all doing their panto best.

The script, by Jeffrey Boam who also wrote The Last Crusade and Lethal Weapon 2, canters along at an almighty pace and its limited budget gives it a real zip to it and a real feeling that you are back watching a 30s-esque rip-roaring serial that makes it perfect Sunday afternoon viewing. Perhaps the best superhero movie you've never seen.