“There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!” was the battle cry of the 1960s and '70s cartoon super-canine. Underdog was the humble Shoe shine Boy's alter-ego, and “The Underdog Show” began with a play on Superman's famous opening: “Not bird, nor plane, nor even frog, it's just little ol' me, Underdog!” Though he thwarted bad guys, Underdog wasn't perfect. Occasionally his powers would fade in the middle of a heroic rescue, and he'd have to swallow the revitalizing energy pill stashed in a secret compartment of his ring.

You may sometimes feel like your genealogical research needs a hero's help: You visit the same census returns and birth certificate indexes over and over again, only to come up empty-handed. Underdog himself may be unavailable, but these 19 research “underdogs” - genealogy's most underused, overlooked resources - may be the superheroes that revitalize your family quest.