7 Avengers Rip-Offs Who Became Beloved Characters In Their Own Right

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It’s not surprising that the Avengers, one of the most famous superhero teams, are often parodied. For those who follow comics, it’s well known that Marvel and DC have always playfully teased each other. They’ve been creating parodies of each other’s heroes and villains for decades, leading to DC Comics developing several characters clearly inspired by Marvel’s biggest names.

These characters sometimes originated from a writer’s desire to create someone similar to an Avenger, like Thor. Other times, they were introduced through large marketing campaigns, such as DC’s ‘New Age of Heroes,’ which actually led to a surge in Marvel-inspired characters. Regardless of their origins, these characters became popular heroes in their own right. Here are seven Avengers parodies that surprisingly found a place in the DC Universe.

7. Red Tool

Deadpool isn’t your typical Avenger, but he’s been part of enough related teams for me. This brings me to Red Tool, DC’s version of Wade Wilson. Like Deadpool, Red Tool is a wisecracking, tough-as-nails antihero. He started as an enemy of Harley Quinn, but they later teamed up, and fans loved seeing them work together.

6. Damage

During the era of new DC heroes, Damage emerged as a powerful character clearly influenced by Marvel’s Hulk. While Damage wasn’t driven by rage like the Hulk, he had a unique limitation: his immense strength and size came from a substance called Miraclo, and only lasted for an hour. Despite the similarities, Damage’s comic book was well-received by fans, proving he was more than just a copycat – DC put genuine effort into developing his character.

5. Silencer

Silencer is another popular DC character who, like Marvel’s Punisher, is a vigilante with a violent past. Though she shares similarities with the Punisher – Frank Castle was even on a team called the Savage Avengers – Silencer, whose real name is Honor Guest, operates differently. Once a professional assassin, she’s pulled back into action and travels throughout the DC Universe, teaming up with well-known heroes like Nightwing and Wonder Woman, as well as villains like Deathstroke. Unlike the Punisher, who often clashes with Marvel’s heroes, Silencer generally has good relationships with many of DC’s iconic characters.

4. Red Lion

It was really exciting to see the Red Lion character debut! Christopher Priest, a highly respected writer known for his work on Black Panther, introduced Red Lion in the Deathstroke comic series during the Rebirth era. Red Lion is very similar to Black Panther – both characters are political leaders who use a costumed identity and rely on a unique, rare material (promethium for Red Lion, vibranium for Black Panther). Because fans enjoyed Red Lion’s few appearances, many are hoping he’ll return in future comics, possibly with Christopher Priest writing the story again.

3. Thunderer

Thor is consistently a fan-favorite Avenger, which likely explains his prominent role in the Multiversity storyline. Similar to Thor, Thunderer is a god with control over storms and wields a powerful weapon akin to Mjolnir – in his case, Thunderer’s Thunder-Axe. He became a key member of Justice Incarnate, a team of heroes from across different universes who worked together to safeguard all worlds from threats to the entire multiverse.

2. The Terrifics

Okay, so this one’s a bit different. The Terrifics were all established characters before they got their own comic. They were created as part of DC’s ‘New Age of Heroes’ initiative, intended to be similar to the Fantastic Four. However, unlike the Fantastic Four, who are a family, this group was forced together by cosmic forces. This created a lot of internal conflict, which made for a really engaging story, and fans still remember the series fondly.

1. Sideways

I think Sideways is the most interesting original character created during DC’s New Age of Heroes. Although he was clearly inspired by Spider-Man, Sideways quickly became much more than just a copy. He’s a young hero with the amazing ability to open rifts in space and travel to different worlds. Even though his comic series didn’t last long, fans are always excited to see him appear. We’ll always have a need for heroes like Spider-Man, but Sideways offers something truly unique.

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2025-11-17 01:43