7 Comic Book Characters Modeled After Real People

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Comic book artists frequently use real people as references when designing characters – whether it’s for well-known heroes like Batman or supporting roles in smaller comics. They often start with photos from magazines or movies, but don’t simply copy a person’s look. Instead, they use the images as a foundation, making changes to create a unique appearance. Occasionally, an artist will be particularly inspired by a celebrity and base a character’s entire look on them, even adding subtle nods to the celebrity’s life within the comic.

Here is a look at seven comic book characters who were modeled after real people.

7) Donald Pierce (Donald Sutherland)

Donald Pierce first appeared in the comic book X-Men #129 in 1979 as a member of the Hellfire Club. He was a wealthy businessman and a key figure within the group’s leadership, known as the Inner Circle. Unlike most characters in the X-Men universe, Pierce wasn’t a mutant – he was a cyborg. Created by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, Byrne modeled Pierce’s appearance after actor Donald Sutherland, who was well-known at the time for his roles in films like MASH and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Beyond his looks, Claremont and Byrne included some hidden references in the character’s name. “Donald” is an obvious nod, but his last name, Pierce, is a tribute to actor Alan Sutherland, who famously played Hawkeye Pierce in the film MASH.

6) Dracula (Jack Palance)

Vlad Dracula first appeared in comic books in 1950 with Suspense #7. However, he officially joined the Marvel universe in 1971 with Tomb of Dracula #1. This version of the character was created by Gerry Conway and Gene Colan, and Colan based his artwork on a particular film portrayal of Dracula.

Surprisingly, neither the original Dracula actor, Bela Lugosi, nor Christopher Lee, who famously played the role eleven times between 1958 and 1976, was the first to portray Dracula on screen. That honor actually goes to Jack Palance, who played the character in the 1974 TV movie, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

5) Wilson Fisk (Sydney Greenstreet)

Wilson Fisk, better known as Kingpin, first appeared in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #50 and later became one of Daredevil’s most prominent enemies. Created by Stan Lee and John Romita, the character was designed with a classic Hollywood actor in mind. John Romita Jr. revealed that his father specifically based Kingpin’s look on Sydney Greenstreet.

British actor Greenstreet had a remarkable career, appearing in iconic films like the classic film noir The Maltese Falcon and the beloved antiwar romance Casablanca. He likely served as inspiration for Romita due to his portrayal of the gangster Kasper “The Fat Man” Gutman in The Maltese Falcon.

4) Wesley Gibson, Wanted (Eminem)

Wanted is a 2003 comic book series from Top Cow, created by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. It tells the story of a young man whose life is filled with hardship and abuse from everyone around him—his boss, friends, girlfriend, and even strangers. Everything changes when he discovers he’s the son of a powerful criminal and destined to take his father’s place leading a secret organization that controls the city.

Millar and Jones based the character’s appearance directly on rapper Eminem, paying close attention to details like his bleached blonde hair. While James McAvoy played the part in the movie adaptation of Wanted, the producers first offered the role to Eminem, but he turned it down.

3) The Joker (Conrad Veidt)

It’s clear where the Joker’s character originated from. He first appeared in Batman #1 as the main villain, and although he initially seemed to die, his popularity with fans led DC Comics to bring him back. He’s remained one of their most iconic villains ever since.

The Joker was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, who drew inspiration for his look from actor Conrad Veidt in the 1928 film The Man Who Laughs. Veidt’s character, Gwynplaine, had a distinctive, exaggerated grin that heavily influenced the Joker’s iconic smile. The film itself was based on a novel by Victor Hugo.

2) Nick Fury, Ultimates (Samuel L. Jackson)

When Marvel launched its Ultimates comic series, they decided to update many of their classic characters. A major change involved Nick Fury, who was redesigned as a Black man modeled after actor Samuel L. Jackson. In fact, issue #3 of Ultimates even included a reference suggesting Jackson would be perfect for the role if a movie were ever made.

This story is based on real events. The character Nick Fury in The Ultimates comic series inspired the casting of Samuel L. Jackson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He first appeared as Fury in the movie Iron Man and has been a part of the MCU for over twenty years.

1) Wee Hughie, The Boys (Simon Pegg)

The comic book series The Boys was created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, first published by WildStorm in 2006. After six issues, it moved to Dynamite Entertainment. Many fans of cult films immediately noticed that the character Wee Hughie looked remarkably like actor Simon Pegg, known for his role in Shaun of the Dead.

Robertson based the character of Wee Hughie on Simon Pegg and even asked Pegg to write the introduction to the first collection of issues. Interestingly, when The Boys was adapted for Prime Video, Pegg was too old to play Hughie himself. However, the show creators found a role for him anyway – he ended up playing Hughie’s father.

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2026-01-31 02:19