5 Marvel Heroes Everyone Thought Were Copycats (but Actually Weren’t)

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After DC Comics had already established its superheroes, Marvel Comics entered the scene, leading some fans to claim Marvel simply copied ideas. However, it’s not always that simple. Many Marvel and DC heroes appeared around the same time, and sometimes the similarities are just superficial. In a few cases, Marvel’s characters actually came first! Despite the limited number of truly original hero concepts, the debate over whether Marvel created copycats continues to be a popular topic among fans.

Many Marvel characters share traits or powers with those from DC Comics, leading fans to believe some are inspired by or resemble their DC counterparts. Here’s a look at those Marvel heroes and villains.

5) Vision

Vision first appeared in Avengers #58 in 1968. Created by Ultron as a weapon, he surprisingly turned against his maker and joined the Avengers instead. Over time, Vision developed a more human side, eventually falling in love with and marrying the Scarlet Witch. However, DC Comics fans have long argued that Vision was heavily inspired by their hero, Red Tornado. Like Vision, Red Tornado was originally created by a villain but became a hero and joined DC’s main superhero team.

There was just one issue: Red Tornado first appeared in Justice League of America #64 in 1968. This means Red Tornado debuted in DC Comics two months before Vision did, proving neither character could have copied the other. They were both likely inspired by the growing popularity of robots in movies and stories at the time.

4) Namor

It’s inaccurate to call Namor, the Sub-Mariner, a copy of Aquaman. Although both characters are underwater heroes who rule their own Atlantises, Namor actually appeared in comics first. He debuted in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 in 1939, the same year Superman and Batman were introduced. Similar to Captain America, Namor’s origins go back decades before Marvel Comics even existed.

Aquaman first appeared in More Fun Comics #73, two years after Namor’s initial comic book appearance. The two characters are quite different: Namor is often a proud and combative antihero who sometimes allies with villains, while Aquaman is generally a noble and selfless hero dedicated to doing good. Despite their differences, because both are powerful, water-based heroes with ties to Atlantis, people will always compare Namor and Aquaman.

3) X-Men

There’s long been talk that Marvel’s X-Men were heavily inspired by DC’s Doom Patrol. Both teams feature a group of unusual heroes brought together by a brilliant, wheelchair-using leader, tasked with protecting a world that distrusts them. Doom Patrol simply takes the concept even further with even more bizarre characters, but the core idea – a smart strategist in a wheelchair leading a team of outcasts – remains the same.

A particularly troublesome issue for Marvel is that both Doom Patrol and the X-Men feature villain groups called the Brotherhood – Doom Patrol’s is simply the Brotherhood of Evil, while the X-Men’s is the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Similar to the cases of Vision and Red Tornado, these characters appeared very close together in time. Doom Patrol first came out in June 1963, and the X-Men followed just three months later. Given that comic books are completed well in advance of their release dates, it’s probably a coincidence, even though Doom Patrol co-creator Arnold Drake thinks Marvel copied his team’s concept.

2) Moon Knight

Many people think Moon Knight is similar to Batman, and it’s easy to see why. Both heroes operate at night and aim to scare criminals. While Batman uses darkness to his advantage with a black suit, Moon Knight intentionally wears white to be seen, but the goal is the same: to instill fear in those they fight.

Both characters are wealthy and use unique vehicles and gadgets – Moon Knight has crescent darts similar to Batman’s batarangs. However, Moon Knight differs significantly from Batman due to his supernatural abilities, willingness to kill enemies, and dissociative identity disorder, which creates a distinct separation between his personalities. While both share similarities with older pulp heroes, Moon Knight is more closely inspired by The Shadow than by Batman.

1) Man-Thing

Man-Thing and Swamp Thing share a similar origin story to teams like The X-Men and Doom Patrol. It’s often claimed that one company copied the other, fueling debates among fans. But the reality is both Marvel and DC drew inspiration from an earlier character. Man-Thing first appeared in January 1971, while Swamp Thing debuted in November 1972.

As a big comic book and movie fan, I always thought the whole Man-Thing/Swamp Thing debate was interesting. It turns out, it’s not so much about who copied who between Marvel and DC. There were even whispers of a former employee jumping ship and spilling secrets! But the real story is even weirder. Both characters actually owe a debt to an older, almost forgotten hero: The Heap! He was the original swamp monster, appearing way back in 1942, and it seems both Marvel and DC borrowed heavily from his story. So, it wasn’t a simple case of one company ripping off the other – they both looked to The Heap for inspiration.

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2025-10-23 18:15