This gave me a smile. I mean, I absolutely agree, but this is the best way I've ever seen it worded.
IMO, I think it's this: CoX doesn't just let you make a hero, it makes it EASY to make a hero. I don't think I've ever made an unplayable character in this game, even with sets I don't really like. I've played other games (especially other MMOs at the time CoH came out) that actually made it possible- even easy- to completely bork your character to the point where only an expensive respec could save it. It's also a rare gem in that you can make an amazing looking character right from level one, which gives the player instant investment in what happens to that character. ;)
And then, when you have your character? CoX is the first and only MMO I've played that feels like it takes place in a real city, which is the perfect backdrop for the game and every story arc feels like your own little comic book. You can dive deep into the lore or just skim over it, but you feel like a part of the world right from the get-go, rather than just a faceless minion who never gets credit for all the amazing things you do (a complaint that I am unashamedly directing at WoW.)
CoX really only has one competitor when it comes to making an actual super hero in an MMO, and the other game may be a bit shinier but it somehow missed the mark when you actually got into the game, which is why I was never tempted to pay out for a free-form slot. I was subbed to CoX right up until close, though.