I think the tell for Hellboy is that he LIKES to go it alone

But so does Batman, in theory. There are a lot of solo heroes.

Also, with the above statement I'm still not seeing a whole lot of difference from Wolvie.

Wolverine is more likely to use lethal force when not actually warranted, more likely to have a huge ideological divide between himself and his compatriots (other definition) and the guy giving the orders. Wolverine's worked the underworld.

I think, looking at the X-Men, it's an organization that was built to do several things--be a school, mutant rights activists, etc.--that happens to be filled with super-heroes.

I'd say this applies very strongly to Ultimate X-Men, but I cast my mind back to the first reboot of the X-Men, and although it was a school, it was a school for superheroes. New Mutants was a school school that had superpowered kids in it. Aside from Rogue (who was a failure), it seemed to be more like vocational training and less like teaching.

Starfire was trained as a warrior, and is somewhat more powerful than most Tamaranians, because she's a warrior princess type, y'know.

Yes, and there's the whole slavery torment thing too. But I'm just grabbing at a highly superpowered race, most of whom are content to do whatever, and not be a hero -- with great power, no exceptional responsibility. She's not even Batman level above the rest of her people. Would Supes choose to be here if Krypton was whole? Would he be saving people there?

Aside from Rogue (who was a failure)

Rogue was a failure? I haven't read X-Men in a long time. How did she fail?

Would Supes choose to be here if Krypton was whole? Would he be saving people there?

Sort of impossible to say. If Krypton never exploded, Supes wouldn't have been sent to Earth at all, probably wouldn't know it even existed, and wouldn't have been raised to be a hero by the Kents.

She never learnt to control her powers at all, despite it being her reason for hanging at the mansion.

Let me think of aliens -- they are typically the last of their race, right (Martian Manhunter, et al)? Or very stranded (Warlock)? I'm blanking on other categories ...

Oh, I thought she went back to being one of the bad guys again. I do remember that she originally went to the mansion because she thought it was the only place she could learn to live with what her powers were doing to her.

So where do you guys put Huntress on the scale? I'm quite curious.

She never learnt to control her powers at all, despite it being her reason for hanging at the mansion.

Failure as a student, you mean?

Martian Manhunter is the last of his race, yes.

Hawkman and Hawkwoman are...ex-patriots? Who knows anymore?

Starfire is, I guess, a Tamaranian princess escaping slavery. Or was before she left.

Hm. What other alien superheroes are there? I'm sure Marvel has tons (Captain Mar-vell, for instance), but I'm not a big Marvel guy.

Failure as a student, you mean?

Yes, which weakens the premise that it's a school (or an effective one) -- what with the not teaching and stuff, except for the kidlets.

Koriand'r kept going home, but then there was the insane sister. Not sure if she's just fleeing a failed relationship at this point.

So where do you guys put Huntress on the scale? I'm quite curious.

Vigilante. Like Punisher.