10 Marvel Heroes Who Are DC Copycats

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“There are no original ideas anymore.” It’s a statement that’s been shouted into the void for years, echoing across message boards since their inception. DC Comics began in 1937, followed by Timely Comics (which would eventually become Marvel Comics) in 1939. It’s only natural for creative minds to have similar ideas and release them around the same time. This happens constantly in Hollywood. It even has a name: Twin Films. Think Antz and A Bug’s Life or Dante’s Peak and Volcano.

Comics aren’t immune to this phenomenon. The big two publishers, DC and Marvel, have spent decades “inspiring” each other. With imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, here are 10 Marvel characters that wouldn’t exist without their DC counterparts.

10

The Fantastic Four and The Avengers Owe The Justice League

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes And Marvel’s First Family Wouldn’t Exist Without DC’s Team-Up Book

The story goes that Marvel founder Martin Goodman was out golfing with DC head Jack Liebowitz. During their game, Jack allegedly boasted about DC’s skyrocketing sales, thanks to a book featuring their most popular heroes, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman, teaming up. Martin didn’t take too kindly to this bragging and, after the game, rushed back to Marvel editorial. He grabbed Stan Lee and demanded he create a team-up book to rival DC’s success.

Stan, however, didn’t want to create a team book just for the sake of it. Instead, he teamed up with his good friend Jack Kirby to craft something truly special. The result was The Fantastic Four, a series about a family of space explorers that get incredible powers. The characters were complex and unlike anything else at the time. Over time, Stan and Jack created some of what would go on to be the biggest characters for the publisher and put them in their own team book, The Avengers.

9

It Took Quicksilver Decades to Catch Up to the Flash

Mutant Powers Got Nothin’ on the Speed Force

Enhanced speed is a common trait among characters in superhero media. DC’s Flash debuted in 1940’s Flash Comics #1, while Marvel’s mutant speedster Quicksilver didn’t appear until 1964. At first glance, both characters are defined by their super speed, but a deeper look reveals considerable differences between them.

In terms of raw speed, The Flash far outpaces Quicksilver by most comic book metrics. The name “The Flash” typically refers to Barry Allen or Wally West, since they’re the most popular versions of the character. The original Flash, Jay Garrick, could reach speeds just over the speed of sound. Quicksilver, on the other hand, surpasses the speed of sound but falls short of the speed of light, making him faster than Jay Garrick but much slower than Barry or Wally. Quicksilver has also experienced changes to his abilities. At one point, he lost his speed powers and temporarily gained teleportation abilities before eventually regaining his original super speed.

8

There’s No Hawkeye Without Green Arrow

Clint Barton Has Failed This City

Two characters who often receive flak from their respective fan bases, Clint Barton and Oliver Queen, are more similar than many realize. Clint debuted in 1964, while Oliver has been around since 1941. Despite their vastly different backstories and motivations, both are key members of their respective superhero teams and fight for the side of good.

It’s generally believed that Oliver Queen is the better archer, often displaying near-superhuman feats with a bow. In the non-canon DCeased storyline, for example, Queen managed to headshot a zombie Aquaman riding the Kraken, all while moving through the ocean. Clint Barton, however, might have the edge in martial combat, having spent significant time fighting without his bow during his stint as Ronin. That said, this remains a hotly debated topic among fans.

7

Doctor Strange/ Doctor Fate

Masters of Magic and Might

Marvel’s Defender-turned-Avenger, Doctor Strange, took a page from DC’s Doctor Fate when he hit the scene, though Fate predates Stephen Strange by two decades. Both are masters of the mystical and divine, but they approach their powers in distinctly different ways. Doctor Fate’s abilities come from the ancient being Nabu, who grants powers through the Helm of Fate. Strange, meanwhile, wields an array of mystical objects imbued with magical properties.

That’s not to say Fate lacks his own enchanted gear—his Cloak of Destiny grants flight and other powers, while the Amulet of Anubis amplifies his abilities. One key distinction is that Fate’s powers are entirely dependent on his equipment. Without them, Nabu’s host is a mere mortal. Strange, on the other hand, is a true sorcerer capable of conjuring magic on his own.

6

Vision/ Red Tornado

Mechanical Men With Hearts of Gold

This one is something of an oddity when it comes to whether one character copied the other. While it’s easily verifiable that DC’s Red Tornado debuted two months before Marvel’s Vision, production timelines suggest both were likely conceptualized and developed around the same time. Despite this, comic fandom often considers Vision a copy of Red Tornado, but why?

Both are androids created by supervillains in their respective universes. T.O. Morrow used stolen future tech to create Red Tornado, while Ultron utilized advanced past technology to craft Vision. Each was initially designed to defeat their world’s premier superhero teams but eventually became valued members of the Justice League and the Avengers. The similarities go further: the two are similar in design, with red skin and long capes with high collars. Both become self-aware and experience human feelings and emotions, and both have featured in stories where they have different personalities residing within them.

5

Reed Richards/ Elongated Man

DC Even Created a Copycat of Their Own Character in This Scenario

There’s no shortage of long, stretchy men in comics. The list includes, but isn’t limited to, the original Plastic Man, followed by Elongated Man and then Reed Richards. Reed Richards, the smartest living person in the Marvel Universe, gained his elastic powers from cosmic radiation during a scientific research mission to outer space.

Elongated Man’s origin is far stranger. Fascinated by contortionists as a teen, he devoted his life to chemistry and created an extract from a rare fruit that granted him his powers. While their backstories are vastly different, both characters chose to use their newfound abilities to fight injustice. Calling Reed a copycat may not feel accurate to everyone. Instead, comparisons to Plastic Man, who predates both Reed and Ralph, might be more fitting.

4

Sentry/ Superman

Sentry Is Actually Quite Different from the Man of Steel

Sentry made his debut in 2000 in The Sentry miniseries under Marvel Comics’ Marvel Knights imprint. Superman, on the other hand, has been around much longer, first appearing in 1938. While the two caped heroes share many surface similarities, the details distinguish Sentry from his predecessor. Both heroes are incredibly powerful, capable of flight, and invulnerable. They even share a similar aesthetic, with colorful suits prominently displaying a large “S” on their fronts.

However, that’s where their similarities end. Sentry gained his powers from a variation of the super soldier serum used on Captain America, while Superman’s abilities come from Earth’s yellow sunlight. Additionally, Sentry has a dark alter ego, The Void, which exists solely to undo all the good Sentry accomplishes.

3

Black Cat/ Catwoman

The Catwoman Moniker Could Fit Both Characters

Selina Kyle predates Felicia Hardy by almost four decades. Both characters are often introduced as anti-heroes and thieves, typically clad in similar full bodysuits and using comparable equipment. The primary difference lies in their abilities. Felicia, depending on the era, is sometimes a meta-human. She initially received psionic powers from Kingpin, allowing her to manipulate probability and cause bad luck for others.

After Doctor Strange removed these powers, Felicia developed cat-like abilities as a side effect. Through later comic book events, her probability powers were eventually restored. In addition, Felicia has the physical stamina of an Olympic athlete and extensive martial arts training. Selina Kyle, on the other hand, has no superhuman abilities, making her accomplishments all the more impressive, especially when going toe-to-toe with meta-humans.

2

Thanos/ Darkseid

The Deadliest Forces In Their Universe

When Jack Kirby left Marvel for their Distinguished Competitors in the early ’70s, he brought with him several ideas originally intended for Thor and Asgard. He reimagined these concepts into an entirely new comic book mythos, creating The Fourth World and The New Gods. From this, DC’s ultimate evil, Darkseid, was born. Two years later, The Mad Titan, Thanos, debuted in The Invincible Iron Man by Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich. Both Darkseid and Thanos are towering, terrifying figures in their respective universes.

Darkseid seeks to subjugate the universe to his will using the Anti-Life Equation, a mathematical formula more conceptual than tangible. Thanos, on the other hand, is driven by his obsession with death and chaos. According to Jim Starlin, when he first conceptualized Thanos, he was heavily inspired by The New Gods and initially modeled Thanos after Metron, the man in the Mobius Chair. However, his editor, Roy Thomas, suggested he “beef him up” and bluntly said, “If you’re going to steal one of The New Gods, at least rip off Darkseid—the really good one!”

1

Deadpool/ Deathstroke

Their Similarities Are Undeniable

This debate has been ongoing for years but was seemingly put to rest in 2022 when Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld addressed it in an interview with Flickering Myth. Rob claimed that the primary inspiration for the Merc with a Mouth was G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes, a sword-and-gun-toting ninja soldier. While this explanation might seem to settle the matter, there are still too many similarities between Deadpool and Deathstroke to ignore. They both favor swords and guns, they’re both mercenaries, their costumes are similar, and their secret identities are Wade Wilson and Slade Wilson, respectively.

In a playful jab at Marvel, DC introduced “Redtool” in the 2014 Harley Quinn ongoing series, a parody of Deadpool with a similar suit and a penchant for using hammers and screwdrivers as weapons. DC also created a more Deadpool-like version of Deathstroke in the 2006 Superman/Batman Annual #1, portraying Slade Wilson with a behavior more in line with Deadpool’s chaotic persona than his usual deadly seriousness.

“}]] Some Marvel Heroes, like Doctor Strange and Quicksilver, are a little too similar to their DC counterparts.  Read More