The Marvel Universe might have thousands of original heroes populating its world, but there are more than a few who were inspired by DC Comics heroes. The Big Two have both been around for decades and every once in a while, they give a little jab at the competition by making heroes obviously modeled after other heroes.
It’s not that these heroes are jokes at DC Comics’ expense. In fact, many of them have become icons in their own right. But it’s fun to look back on which Marvel heroes were inspired by the publisher’s rival and how different they are from from the original. Read on to discover 8 Marvel heroes inspired by DC Comics.
8 Doctor Spectrum is a Spin on Green Lantern
Created By: Roy Thomas and John Buscema
The Green Lantern Corps is the DC Universe’s band of heroes that can create anything they imagine thanks to their Power Rings. However, there isn’t a Corps in the Marvel Universe (except for the Nova Corps, but they’re nothing like the Lanterns). That being said, Marvel Comics does have its own Green Lantern-like hero in the form of Doctor Spectrum, one of the linchpin of Marvel’s own ‘Justice League’, the Squadron Supreme. He may not have a Power Ring like Green Lantern, but Doctor Spectrum’s got something just as cool.
Just like Hal Jordan or any other Green Lantern, Doctor Spectrum can create anything with his Power Prism, such as weapons and shields. And also, like the Power Ring, Spectrum’s Power Prism enables him to fly through space and even phase through walls. Doctor Spectrum doesn’t have a Corps like Green Lantern, but he does have a number of variants who share the same power set as him.
7 Power Princess Was Modeled Off Wonder Woman
Created By: J. M. DeMatteis and Don Perlin
One only needs to take a look at Power Princess and realize that she was created to be the Marvel equivalent of Wonder Woman. Like so many in the Squadron Supreme, Zarda was conceived as a parody of a DC hero and her origin makes that quite clear. In the same way that DC’s Diana was born on the secluded island of Themyscira (or Paradise Island), Power Princess comes from Utopia Isle and is one of the most effective and brutal fighters around.
Zarda has the same power set as Wonder Woman does, including super strength, enhanced reflexes and speed, as well as the ability to fly. In addition to her kick-ass combat training (that any Amazon would be proud of), Power Princess uses several weapons forged from Utopian technology. But rather than a lasso, she prefers a discus that she throws with incredible aim and precision. Aside from Zarda’s more brutal nature, she and Wonder Woman are incredibly similar.
6 The Imperial Guard Lampoons the Legion of Super-Heroes
Created By: Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum
Not every DC parody is meant to be completely on the nose, but in the case of the Imperial Guard, they absolutely were. The Imperial Guard is an expansive superhero team modeled after another huge team, the Legion of Super-Heroes. Just like the Legion was a team that brought alien heroes from all walks of the universe together, so did the Imperial Guard (though the Guard is a team based in modern-day, rather than the 31st Century like the Legion).
The Imperial Guard has numerous that lampoon specific Legionnaires. Astra is the team’s Phantom Girl, Nightshade is the team’s Shadow Lass, and Glom is an incredibly obvious parody of the infamous glutton Matter-Eater Lad. To be fair, they do have that aren’t direct riffs on the Legion of Super-Heroes’ . And unlike the Legion, which was formed as a team inspired by Superman, the Imperial Guard was formed to protect the interests of the Shi’ar Empire.
5 FastForward Was Literally the Flash in the Marvel Universe
Created By: Mark Gruenwald and Mike Manley
This particular hero is interesting because he’s not just a parody of DC Comics’ the Flash. He’s literally meant to be the iconic speedster. Several years after the Scarlet Speedster’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, FastForward debuted in Quasar #17, as an amnesiac speedster who couldn’t his name, other than it sounded like ‘Buried Alien’. Aside from a name that’s a few phonics from being ‘Barry Allen’, the speedster had yellow hair and wore a tattered yellow and red costume just like the Flash.
Just like the Flash, FastForward took to liking being known as the ‘fastest man alive’ and even outran several of the fastest speedsters on Earth. However, his time in the Marvel Universe was incredibly short, limited to only two appearances. He might not actually have been Barry Allen, but FastForward was a cool experiment to see what would happen if a DC character actually had to adapt to life in the Marvel Universe.
4 Hyperion is Marvel's Ultimate Superman Riff
Created By: Roy Thomas and John Buscema
It should come as a surprise to no one that Superman is one of the most parodied heroes in the comic book world. In fact, Marvel has several heroes based on the Man of Steel such as Virtue and Wundarr the Aquarian (the latter of which had to be changed to combat allegations of plagiarism). However, the hero that’s most similar to the Big Blue Boy Scout is the Marvel Universe’s Superman, Hyperion. And yes, he’s also a member of the Squadron Supreme.
Like Superman, Hyperion is an alien with a bevy of bowers, including enhanced strength, speed, durability, and flight. And he wouldn’t be a Superman riff if he didn’t have eyes capable of heat vision and the ability to see the electromagnetic spectrum. While Superman has generally been portrayed as being able to live longer than most, Hyperion can increase his longevity by channeling cosmic energy, which also grants him an incredible healing factor, differentiating him from the genuine Man of Tomorrow.
3 The A.U.T.H.O.R.I.T.Y. is Based on...The Authority
Created By: Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley
Marvel’s used DC Comics to create some interesting additions to its overall canon. But sometimes a character or team is made literally just for a one-off joke. And unfortunately for fans of The Authority, one appears just to make a gruesome exit in the middle of a widely out-there Hulk storyline. Those familiar with the Authority in the DC Universe know them to be a team of Earth-hopping enforcers who venture through numerous realities across the interdimensional space known as the Bleed. And in Hulk #2, fans got to see a similar team...for a few s.
While traveling between realities, the Jade Giant is approached by a team that refers to itself as the Alternate Universe Timeline Hazard Operations Response & Intervention Team Y (or A.U.T.H.O.R.I.T.Y.). However, readers don’t really get to know them as the Hulk killed them all by plowing straight through them. One could naturally assume they had a similar mission or powers as the Authority, but it seems like readers will never know.
2 Squadron Supreme is Marvel's De Facto Justice League
Created By: Roy Thomas and John Buscema
It’s not enough to just have a few characters modeled after classic DC characters. Marvel took the extra steps and has a whole cache of heroes inspired by the Justice League with the Squadron Supreme. It’s not just the heavy hitters that are parodied with characters like Nighthawk riffing Batman or Hyperion being modeled after Superman. The team also has Atom, Hawkman, and even a Zatanna parody in its roster. Interestingly enough, the Squadron Supreme was actually based on an earlier group known as Squadron Sinister, an all-villain parody of the Justice League.
But the Squadron Supreme is all-hero. They even have their own collection of villains based on Justice League foes, like Gorilla Grodd and Parasite. There have been a number of incarnations of the Squadron Supreme over the years, but no matter their allegiance, they’re always taking cues from DC’s Justice League.
1 Deadpool is Absolutely Marvel's Deathstroke
Created By: Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza
The idea of Deadpool being a parody of Deathstroke is a contested one. Co-creator Rob Liefeld has denied this multiple times, saying that Deadpool was actually inspired by G.I. Joe’s Snake Eyes and Spider-Man. However, the two possess way too many similarities for their not to be some inspiration. Both are renowned mercenaries with superhuman healing factors and Deadpool’s identity of Wade Wilson is awfully close to Deathstroke’s Slade Wilson. And where else would one do a ‘death stroke’ other than a ‘dead pool’?
That being said, the two characterizations are pretty different. Deathstroke has a long history of being on the wrong side of history, allying with villains (and that’s not even getting into his sordid history with the Titans). Deadpool, on the other hand, does have the heart of a hero buried deep inside of him, and he’s even earned the respect of a few of Marvel’s greatest heroes. But for all their differences, Deadpool stands out as one of the coolest and most well-known DC parodies (no matter how much it’s denied!).
