Top 10 Characters Marvel Stole from DC

Ever found it odd that Marvel doesn't have anyone on their roster who carries any resemblance to Superman? Well, that's because they've tried making their own Man of Steel and...well, it hasn't exactly worked out. The many Hyperions from across the multiverse are all pretty clear-cut Superman clones. Sentry has appeared in numerous storylines only to be killed off almost every single time. (Hey, just like Supes!) And as for Gladiator, there was no way to make his purpose any less subtle.

Every superhero needs a good sidekick, right? It’s hard to deny Bucky’s resemblance to the Boy Wonder, and considering the timing, we don’t think anyone would even argue that this was simply a coincidence. DC debuted Robin as Batman’s sidekick in 1940, with Marvel debuting Bucky Barnes as Captain America’s partner just one year later. Both have gained a respective amount of popularity since their early years, but Robin is the true O.S. (original sidekick)!

These two androids are almost carbon copies of each other. Both are robotic beings with artificial intelligence that were originally created to bring an end to their respective superhero teams; Red Tornado for Justice League and Vision for the Avengers. However, Red Tornado debuted in August 1968, with Vision debuting only two months later. It also doesn’t help that both are highly intelligent beings and are visually very similar. At least we can tell the two apart from their abilities; one can manipulate wind and the other has a stone in his forehead.

When looking at the similarities between these two, they become too identical to not question who copied who. Much like her DC counterpart, Black Cat is a cat burglar who dances the line between being a hero and a villain (more often the latter). She even utilizes a whip for combat! On top of that, Felicia Hardy has a complex romance with Spider-Man, similar to Selina Kyle and Batman. While Black Cat comes off as a copycat (no pun intended), one of the character’s co-creators, Marv Wolfman, states that he got the idea for her from a Tex Avery cartoon… right...

Speaking of Marvel taking inspiration from the Dark Knight, Moon Knight has often been referred to as “Marvel’s Batman” by comic book fans. Visually, Moon Knight looks like a hooded, whited-out version of the Caped Crusader, and their stories share many narrative elements. Like Batman, Moon Knight’s stories are often dark and gritty, and they can get incredibly graphic at times. The comparisons don’t stop there, as Moon Knight has displayed excellent investigative abilities and is an expert in martial arts, and even tosses moon-shaped shurikens. Sounds an awful lot like a particular billionaire we know…

The idea of a hero that can run at high speeds isn’t exactly as mind-blowingly original as it once was. Since his debut in 1940, and especially since his revamp as Barry Allen in 1956, The Flash - in his many incarnations - has been the face of this trope, and no hero has reached the same level of reputation. Of course, given the Scarlet Speedsters’ popularity, Marvel needed a speedster of their own. Enter: Quicksilver, who made his debut in 1964. Unfortunately, he comes off as nothing more than a Flash knock-off, and the streak of lightning on his costume certainly doesn’t help. When it comes to speed, you just can’t beat the original.

You know what makes Green Arrow awesome? The way he kicks ass with a bow and arrow, his sweet Robin Hood-like costume, and that sweet, sweet facial hair! It's no wonder he was one of DC’s most popular characters. So, in 1964, Marvel decided to make their own archer character: Hawkeye. While he may have started out as a villain, Hawkeye would end up following Green Arrow’s footsteps. Green Arrow joined the Justice League and Hawkeye joined the Avengers. Although, Green Arrow copied Hawkeye, too; both fell in love with heroines Black Canary and Mockingbird, who also have similarities with one and other.

When Rob Liefeld showed his design of Deadpool to “Teen Titans” writer Fabian Nicieza, the writer blatantly said, “This is Deathstroke from ‘Teen Titans’.” I mean, the dude isn’t wrong! Both characters are mentally disturbed assassins that use swords and guns to kill anything standing in their way. Nicieza even named Deadpool’s alter ego Wade Wilson, deriving it from Deathstroke’s real name, Slade Wilson. Deadpool might be a rip-off of Deathstroke, but we’d like to think of this as a beneficial relationship; one just couldn’t exist without the other, even if only one of them has seen massive success at the box office.

Yeah, Deadpool wasn’t the only deliberate DC rip-off… Thanos’s creator, Jim Starlin, has confessed that Thanos is essentially derived from Darkseid. He was told by editor Roy Thomas, “If you’re going to steal one of the New Gods, at least rip off Darkseid, the really good one!” Sure enough, Thanos was born two years after. Like Darkseid, he’s a total beefcake hell-bent on galactic conquest. Had it not been for Thanos’s wrinkled chin and glorified glove of rainbow rocks, somebody could have found themselves in a lawsuit!

Someone was bound to make the superhero team-up a reality, and it was DC who beat Marvel to the punch. The Justice League premiered in 1960 with DC’s most popular heroes (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, to name a few) filling the roster. Three years later, Marvel would premiere their own superhero team comprising of some of their most popular heroes. As we said, though, this was a concept that was inevitable, but it was Marvel and their crew of heroes who were second-at-bat.