10 Popular Comic Book Characters Completely Ripped Off From Other Characters
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Have you ever had the feeling that some comic book characters seem very similar to others? Superman is the first modern comic book superhero, so when you see other characters with super strength or the power of flight, it’s easy to make comparisons.
Comic book companies copy each other’s stories, events, and characters all of the time. Sometimes, the similarities are laughably blatant. Other times, the similarities are more subtle and nebulous.
Red Lion is a Blatantly Unapologetic Black Panther Ripoff
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Black Panther became an MCU sensation and made the late Chadwick Boseman a household name. Black Panther debuted in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966 and made his MCU debut in 2016. DC also debuted Matthew Bland, aka Red Lion in Deathstroke: Rebirth #1 in 2016. These comic book characters are virtually alike. Bland is a ruthless monarch of the African nation Buredunia and wears a red-colored Black Panther-esque suit. Red Lion has similar abilities to Black Panther but Buredunia is no Wakanda. It doesn’t harbor priceless ore like vibranium. Bland stole one of Deathstroke’s high-tech costumes and refashioned it to create the Red Lion suit.
Is Moon Knight a Batman Ripoff?
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Batman and Moon Knight are comic book characters who are extremely wealthy, mentally unstable vigilantes operating by night to fight crime. Bruce Wayne resides in Wayne Manor while Marc Spector resides in Spector Manor. Neither has superpowers but both are trained fighters and strategists. The major difference between them is that Moon Knight was mystically resurrected and inspired by an Egyptian God while bats inspired Batman; Batman wears a black suit while Moon Knight wears a white one. Batman made his debut in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 while Moon Knight debuted in Werewolf By Night #32 in 1975.
Aquaman is a Ripoff of Namor, the Sub-Mariner
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Jason Momoa became a household name in the DCEU in 2016 and by grossing $1.1 billion in 2018’s Aquaman. When Namor debuted in 2022’s Wakanda Forever, casual fans assumed Namor was modeled after Aquaman – the reverse is True. Namor, ruler of Atlantis, debuted in the first Marvel comic, Marvel Comics #1 in 1939. Aquaman debuted in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941 and like Namor, was an undersea ruler of Atlantis. Namor’s MCU origins were changed in Wakanda Forever so as not to confuse casual fans of DCEU’s Aquaman
Black Cat is a Blatant Catwoman Ripoff
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Catwoman has been portrayed in live-action TV and films since the 1960s. Selina Kyle, A.K.A. Catwoman, debuted in Batman #1 in 1940. Catwoman became and roof-crawling jewel thief to escape poverty, but evolved over decades as an antihero and love interest to Batman. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat thief, debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 in 1979. Black Cat is nowhere near as popular as Catwoman and the influence is undeniable. Hardy was a rich kid who stole for kicks. Black Cat is a flirtatious love interest for Spider-Man. It’s one of these comic book characters that was modeled on the other.
Imperiex Prime is a Direct Ripoff of Galactus
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Imagine a colossal space entity encased in armor eating and destroying galaxies to sustain itself. The entity even sends scouts to check out suitable worlds to devour for sustenance. The entity sets its sights on Earth and must fight the planet’s mightiest heroes. If that sounds like DC Comics Superman villain Imperiex Prime then you would be right. Imperiex debuted in Superman #153 in 2000. However, Galactus, who has the same persona, debuted in Fantastic Four #48 in 1966 at Marvel.
Hawkeye is a Blatant Ripoff of Green Arrow
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Jeremy Renner’s take on the archer superhero Hawkeye is a household name. While Stephen Amell’s CW show Arrow is a cult favorite, the show had to shorten its name to distance itself from Ryan Reynolds’s 2011 Green Lantern flop and publicly distance the two IPs. While Renner’s Hawkeye is more well-known, Green Arrow was created first. Green Arrow debuted in DC’s More Fun Comics #73 in 1941. Hawkeye first appeared in Marvel’s Tales of Suspense # 57 in 1964. These comic book characters are basically the same.
Thanos Was Modeled After Darkseid
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Thanos became the cultural zeitgeist bad guy for the 2010s in the same way Darth Vader was in the 1970s and 1980s. Everyone knew about Thanos whether they were comic fans or not. Do you know that Thanos was a ripoff of DC’s Darkseid? Darkseid debuted in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #13 in 1970. Darkseid was created by Jack Kirby after leaving Marvel for DC. Jim Starlin created Thanos in Invincible Iron Man #55 in 1973. Starlin modeled the character after Darkseid and another Kirby creation, Metron. While Thanos sought to gain the affection of Lady Death by erasing half the universe, Darkseid sought universal domination via the Anti-Life Equation.
Dr. Strange is a Ripoff of Dr. Fate
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Benedict Cumberbatch’s MCU role as Dr. Strange was so successful and revered that some casual fans believe that Pierce Brosnan’s DECU role as Dr. Fate was created as a response in 2022’s Black Adam. Both characters are decades old and have similar powers but Dr. Fate debuted first. Dr. Fate debuted in More Fun Comics #55 in 1940. He was an adventurer who stumbled upon the tomb of the Mesopotamian deity Nabu and was granted mystical powers. Dr. Strange debuted in Strange Tale #110 in 1963, gaining his powers from a mystic master in Tibet.
The X-Men Might Be Complete Ripoffs of Doom Patrol
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A wheelchair-bound teacher leads a group of beings with strange superpowers and houses them in his mansion. The team is shunned by society but taught by the wheelchair-bound leader to become superheroes and fight for justice in a world that hates them. That is the story of Doom Patrol, who predates the comic book debut of the X-Men by weeks. Doom Patrol premiered in My Greatest Adventure #80 in June 1963. X-Men #1 debuted in September 1963. No one knows if Marvel truly ripped off DC, but the theory persists.
Ultron Is Probably a Ripoff of Brainiac
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Brainiac is a DC superintelligent AI and android determined to amass all of the knowledge in the universe. Brainiac travels the universe, collecting cities from planets, shrinking them to add to his collection, and destroying planets. Brainiac debuted in Action Comics #242 in 1958. Ultron is a superintelligent AI with a God-like complex determined to destroy humans, Ultron debuted in Avengers #54 in 1968. Both characters are obsessed with technologically hyper-evolving themselves to succeed. While Ultron was probably a ripoff then, both characters seem distinct today.
Most Comic Book Characters Are Directly Inspired By Other Characters
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Imitation might be the highest form of flattery, but it might be a necessity when publishers create comic book characters. Inspiration has to come from somewhere, so it is not the end of the world as long as such imitations are not excessively blatant, or legally actionable.
If you’re a comic book fan, enjoy the wealth of creativity, or creative embarrassment in some cases, available to you.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
