All you have to do is take one look at a character like Black Cat to see that Marvel doesn't have a problem ripping off their rival DC. And today on Screen Rant, we're looking at four other times Marvel Comics copied a DC character.
Starting off, let's check off a team that seems like a copy, but might not be. DC premiered Doom Patrol in 1963's My Greatest Adventure number 80, while Marvel's X-Men number one came out just 3 months later. Per Doom Patrol creator Arnold Drake, the lead time was so short that he was initially not convinced by the similarities, but over time began to realize that these similarities were too great to be a simple coincidence. This is a mystery that's caused quite a bit of debate over the years. But what makes it even more fascinating is that the original Doom Patrol are also thought to have been inspired by the Fantastic 4. With that first appearance in My Greatest Adventure beginning, quote, "A joining of the four most unusual people on Earth."
Deadpool is a clear copy of Deathstroke, something Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld vehemently denies. However, it's hard to not see the similarities, namely that they're both homicidal mercenaries, with one named Slade Wilson and the other named Wade Wilson. Despite his denial, Liefeld has even compared the two, stating in 2012 that Slade is a more noble character, while Wade is literally insane. While their personalities can certainly cancel out the similarities for readers, it's hard to ignore how closely one hues to the other.
Within Marvel, there are a number of Superman riffs, but the most powerful and well done has to be the Sentry. The character debuted in 2000 and was a clear analog for Superman, albeit with the addition of a serious addiction problem and a whole plot about having the world's collective mind altered to forget about him. He's also not an alien, instead having gained his immense power from a variation of the Super Serum that created Captain America.
Another variation of Superman named Hyperion appeared in Marvel's Squadron Supreme, which itself was a clear pastiche of the Justice League. Its other members include Power Princess, a clear riff on Wonder Woman, and The Whizzer, himself, a thinly veiled take on the Flash. This team was actually an alternate reality version of an even more clear Justice League copy, the Squadron Sinister, which appeared first in Avengers number 69. Creator Roy Thomas was very upfront about the comparison, stating that the first Hyperion was meant to be an evil version of Superman, although the design was meant to smooth out those similarities. The other members of the Squadron Sinister were Dr. Spectrum and Nighthawk, who were references to Green Lantern and Batman.
Of course, there were plenty more where that came from. What are some of your favorite Marvel properties copied from DC? Let us know in the comments and thanks for watching Screen Rants.