Top 10 Characters DC Stole from Marvel
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VOICE OVER: Adrian Sousa
Written by Ty Richardson
We suppose Superman's quest for justice excludes questionable copyright practices. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Character DC Stole from Marvel!
For this list, we're looking at the numerous characters DC used to copy ideas from Marvel. Both companies have “borrowed” characters and concepts from the competition, so we're not bashing DC – Marvel's just as guilty.
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page at http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and submit your idea.
We suppose Superman's quest for justice excludes questionable copyright practices. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Character DC Stole from Marvel!
For this list, we're looking at the numerous characters DC used to copy ideas from Marvel. Both companies have “borrowed” characters and concepts from the competition, so we're not bashing DC – Marvel's just as guilty.
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page at http://WatchMojo.comsuggest and submit your idea.
We suppose Superman’s quest for justice excludes questionable copyright practices. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Character DC Stole from Marvel!
For this list, we’re looking at the numerous characters DC used to copy ideas from Marvel. Both companies have “borrowed” characters and concepts from the competition, so we’re not bashing DC – Marvel’s just as guilty.
#10: Tracer
Sabretooth
We understand that Tracer comes from a group of villains entirely based on Marvel villains called the Extremists, but that doesn’t excuse blatantly copying the design. The long-flowing hair and the blades on his arms still make us think Tracer is just another design for Sabretooth. Credit where credit is due, at least they didn’t completely copy Sabretooth’s backstory. Tracer comes from the planet Angor, which was wiped out by a nuclear explosion. Yeah, that ought to keep him from seeming more like Sabretooth! Oh, and spoiler alert: this won’t be the only member of the Extremists on this list.
#9: Atomic Skull
Ghost Rider
You know what's really cool? Flaming skull heads! Just look at Ghost Rider! The kickass biker from 1972 is easily recognizable from a crowd with his forever-burning head of hellfire. Does DC have anything like him? Well, their first Atomic Skull, Albert Michaels, was a scientist who looked more like a zombified Doctor Strange. Yet, when Joseph Martin became Atomic Skull in 1991, it was pretty clear where the inspiration for his design came from. Later on, he gives his soul to a demon in exchange for enhanced powers. The similarities just couldn't stop at the flaming skull head…
#8: Bumblebee
The Wasp
We could easily just say, “The Wasp came first” and compare bees to wasps, but there’s a little more below the surface. Karen Beecher-Duncan possesses the same kinds of powers as Janet and Nadia van Dyne. Like our favorite Wasps, Bumblebee can fly, shrink herself, and use electrical powers. Despite debuting in 1976 (thirteen years after the Wasp), we put Bumblebee so low on the list because of how her character has managed to become more unique over the years. Yes, she follows the same concept as the Wasp, but that doesn't detract from her interesting story...nor does it keep her from being labeled as a rip-off, unfortunately.
#7: Red Lion
Black Panther
This could not be any less subtle. As the newest entry on our list, Red Lion debuted in 2016, and he's… he’s Black Panther, but Red. He's the permanent leader of an African kingdom, uses razor-sharp claws in combat… yeah, Red Lion doesn't try too hard to deviate from T’Challa in any meaningful way. Well, DC, we suppose it's better to make a clone fifty years later than to never make a clone at all!
#6: Lord Havok
Doctor Doom
We told you there would be another Extremists member on the list! To Lord Havok’s credit, the two maniacal geniuses have very different backstories. Lord Havok was originally part of a terrorist group on a parallel Earth while Victor Von Doom was raised by a Latverian nobleman. (You know, normal life!) What makes them so identical is their concept. Both are super intelligent beings who wear suits of silver power armor that enhance and grant them additional superhuman powers. With Doctor Doom debuting in 1962, however, Havok seems nothing more than a copycat.
#5: Red Hood
Winter Soldier
Marvel may have copied Robin in the form of Bucky Barnes, but the tables were turned decades later. In January 2005, Marvel reintroduced Bucky to the world, but not as the same peppy soldier we knew. Bucky was now the Winter Soldier, a killing machine with a sweet metal arm. Sure enough, a month later, DC does the exact same thing with Jason Todd, the second Robin who had died in the “Death of the Family” storyline in the 80s. While the Red Hood identity has been used before, Jason Todd would become the face of the character, setting out to serve his own justice against the Joker and even Batman on a few occasions. Both are long-dead sidekicks who returned from the grave first as villains, then as gritty anti-heroes, so the connection is hard to miss.
#4: Swamp Thing
Man-Thing
In 1971, DC debuted an antihero called Swamp Thing. A scientist is caught in a chemical blast whose body was dumped in a nearby swamp. He awakens as a creature made of vegetation. Oh, wait, that’s also the backstory for Marvel’s Man-Thing, which debuted just a month earlier than Swamp Thing. Some of Swamp Thing’s abilities are also found in his counterpart, but at least Man-Thing has the power to secrete acid! Oh, but there’s a plot twist here; Man-Thing was a rip-off of another comic book character: The Heap from Hillman Periodicals.
#3: Imperiex
Galactus
What makes Galactus such an intimidating, frightening villain? Aside from his massive size, he’s the devourer of worlds! Now, how could you make that a little lamer? Enter Imperiex, DC’s own Galactus and the destroyer of galaxies... how original! Debuting in 2000 (a whopping thirty-four years after Galactus), Imperiex is a living embodiment of entropy that seeks to destroy the universe in order to create a perfect one. Absurd? Yep. Ridiculous? Oh, absolutely! His design is so visually overwhelming that it's really hard to look at him.
#2: Guardian, Commander Steel, & General Glory
Captain America
Much like Marvel’s numerous attempts at making their own Superman, DC has tried many times to make their own Captain America. Commander Steel premiered in 1978 with a patriotic color scheme to match Steve Rogers. His series only ran for five issues. Then, there's General Glory, whose patriotic values are often used to parody the Captain. Lastly, we have Guardian, who premiered a year after Cap and wields a gold shield. You know, guys, at least General Glory is trying to be the Deadpool to Cap’s Deathstroke.
#1: Aquaman
Namor the Submariner
Namor the Submariner - often referred to as “Marvel’s first mutant” -made his debut in 1939. As a half-human and half-Atlantean, he possesses numerous aquatic abilities, including communicating telepathically with animals. Sounds like a certain king of Atlantis… However, Aquaman is the real copycat here, debuting in 1941, just two years after Namor. As most of us know, he can communicate with underwater animals and wields many aquatic abilities. Guess who ended up becoming the most famous of the two.
For this list, we’re looking at the numerous characters DC used to copy ideas from Marvel. Both companies have “borrowed” characters and concepts from the competition, so we’re not bashing DC – Marvel’s just as guilty.
#10: Tracer
Sabretooth
We understand that Tracer comes from a group of villains entirely based on Marvel villains called the Extremists, but that doesn’t excuse blatantly copying the design. The long-flowing hair and the blades on his arms still make us think Tracer is just another design for Sabretooth. Credit where credit is due, at least they didn’t completely copy Sabretooth’s backstory. Tracer comes from the planet Angor, which was wiped out by a nuclear explosion. Yeah, that ought to keep him from seeming more like Sabretooth! Oh, and spoiler alert: this won’t be the only member of the Extremists on this list.
#9: Atomic Skull
Ghost Rider
You know what's really cool? Flaming skull heads! Just look at Ghost Rider! The kickass biker from 1972 is easily recognizable from a crowd with his forever-burning head of hellfire. Does DC have anything like him? Well, their first Atomic Skull, Albert Michaels, was a scientist who looked more like a zombified Doctor Strange. Yet, when Joseph Martin became Atomic Skull in 1991, it was pretty clear where the inspiration for his design came from. Later on, he gives his soul to a demon in exchange for enhanced powers. The similarities just couldn't stop at the flaming skull head…
#8: Bumblebee
The Wasp
We could easily just say, “The Wasp came first” and compare bees to wasps, but there’s a little more below the surface. Karen Beecher-Duncan possesses the same kinds of powers as Janet and Nadia van Dyne. Like our favorite Wasps, Bumblebee can fly, shrink herself, and use electrical powers. Despite debuting in 1976 (thirteen years after the Wasp), we put Bumblebee so low on the list because of how her character has managed to become more unique over the years. Yes, she follows the same concept as the Wasp, but that doesn't detract from her interesting story...nor does it keep her from being labeled as a rip-off, unfortunately.
#7: Red Lion
Black Panther
This could not be any less subtle. As the newest entry on our list, Red Lion debuted in 2016, and he's… he’s Black Panther, but Red. He's the permanent leader of an African kingdom, uses razor-sharp claws in combat… yeah, Red Lion doesn't try too hard to deviate from T’Challa in any meaningful way. Well, DC, we suppose it's better to make a clone fifty years later than to never make a clone at all!
#6: Lord Havok
Doctor Doom
We told you there would be another Extremists member on the list! To Lord Havok’s credit, the two maniacal geniuses have very different backstories. Lord Havok was originally part of a terrorist group on a parallel Earth while Victor Von Doom was raised by a Latverian nobleman. (You know, normal life!) What makes them so identical is their concept. Both are super intelligent beings who wear suits of silver power armor that enhance and grant them additional superhuman powers. With Doctor Doom debuting in 1962, however, Havok seems nothing more than a copycat.
#5: Red Hood
Winter Soldier
Marvel may have copied Robin in the form of Bucky Barnes, but the tables were turned decades later. In January 2005, Marvel reintroduced Bucky to the world, but not as the same peppy soldier we knew. Bucky was now the Winter Soldier, a killing machine with a sweet metal arm. Sure enough, a month later, DC does the exact same thing with Jason Todd, the second Robin who had died in the “Death of the Family” storyline in the 80s. While the Red Hood identity has been used before, Jason Todd would become the face of the character, setting out to serve his own justice against the Joker and even Batman on a few occasions. Both are long-dead sidekicks who returned from the grave first as villains, then as gritty anti-heroes, so the connection is hard to miss.
#4: Swamp Thing
Man-Thing
In 1971, DC debuted an antihero called Swamp Thing. A scientist is caught in a chemical blast whose body was dumped in a nearby swamp. He awakens as a creature made of vegetation. Oh, wait, that’s also the backstory for Marvel’s Man-Thing, which debuted just a month earlier than Swamp Thing. Some of Swamp Thing’s abilities are also found in his counterpart, but at least Man-Thing has the power to secrete acid! Oh, but there’s a plot twist here; Man-Thing was a rip-off of another comic book character: The Heap from Hillman Periodicals.
#3: Imperiex
Galactus
What makes Galactus such an intimidating, frightening villain? Aside from his massive size, he’s the devourer of worlds! Now, how could you make that a little lamer? Enter Imperiex, DC’s own Galactus and the destroyer of galaxies... how original! Debuting in 2000 (a whopping thirty-four years after Galactus), Imperiex is a living embodiment of entropy that seeks to destroy the universe in order to create a perfect one. Absurd? Yep. Ridiculous? Oh, absolutely! His design is so visually overwhelming that it's really hard to look at him.
#2: Guardian, Commander Steel, & General Glory
Captain America
Much like Marvel’s numerous attempts at making their own Superman, DC has tried many times to make their own Captain America. Commander Steel premiered in 1978 with a patriotic color scheme to match Steve Rogers. His series only ran for five issues. Then, there's General Glory, whose patriotic values are often used to parody the Captain. Lastly, we have Guardian, who premiered a year after Cap and wields a gold shield. You know, guys, at least General Glory is trying to be the Deadpool to Cap’s Deathstroke.
#1: Aquaman
Namor the Submariner
Namor the Submariner - often referred to as “Marvel’s first mutant” -made his debut in 1939. As a half-human and half-Atlantean, he possesses numerous aquatic abilities, including communicating telepathically with animals. Sounds like a certain king of Atlantis… However, Aquaman is the real copycat here, debuting in 1941, just two years after Namor. As most of us know, he can communicate with underwater animals and wields many aquatic abilities. Guess who ended up becoming the most famous of the two.
Nikolai Rodriguez
“What about Killer Croc/The Lizard? ”
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