One of the best things about comics is their ability to tell relatable and compelling personal stories. As comics often parallel events in real-life, history has always been an inspiration for fictional stories and characters. The creation of some of the most popular and significant comic book characters was heavily inspired by real-life historical figures, such as famous actors, singers, and even comic pioneers.
In the same way real-life people inspire comic heroes that creators admire, comic villains are often inspired by some of the most notorious people to ever live.
10 Howard Hughes Is The Inspiration For Tony Stark
Wanting Iron Man to take on a "quintessential capitalist" personality, Stan Lee modeled Tony Stark after Howard Hughes, the American businessman and world-renowned pilot. According to Stan Lee, Howard Hughes "was one of the most colorful men of our time" and "was a crazy inventor, an adventurer, a ladies' man, and finally, a nutcase." Minus the perceived insanity, Lee and other Iron Man creators Don Heck, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby shaped Iron Man so he followed these traits. Beyond the Stan Lee written version of Iron Man, the character has undoubtedly maintained the image of the "crazy inventor" and "adventurer."
9 David Bowie Inspired The Art Of Neil Gaiman's Lucifer
Created by comics legend Neil Gaiman, Lucifer, who first appeared in Sandman #16 and later went on to have a solo series, had a look based entirely on the music icon, David Bowie. In an interview with Vulture, Comic Artist Kelley Jones, known for his extensive work with characters like Sandman, Batman, and Swamp Thing, claimed "Neil [Gaiman] was adamant that the Devil was David Bowie. He just said, 'He is. You Must Draw David Bowie. Find David Bowie, or I'll send you David Bowie. Because if it isn't David Bowie, you're going to have to redo it until it is David Bowie."
Considering that hilarious quote from Jones, it's safe to say that Neil Gaiman wanted Lucifer to look like David Bowie.
8 Wesley Gibson Is Modelled After Eminem
The main protagonist of the comic book series Wanted, Wesley Gibson is heavily inspired by rapper Eminem. In a 2008 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wanted creator Mark Millar said that Eminem was the inspiration for Wesley. Universal Studios even considered approaching Eminem for the role in the film adaptation. The resemblance between Wesley Gibson and a 2003 Eminen when Wanted was being published is instantly noticeable. The book's artist, J.G. Jones, did an impressive job of capturing the rapper's likeness, down to the hair and the earrings.
7 J. Jonah Jameson Is A "Grumpy" Version Of Stan Lee
Stan Lee often spoke about Spider-Man and the connected mythos as one of his proudest co-creations. Using his trademark lingo, Lee frequently pointed out the numerous qualities that make Spider-Man an incredible character. For years, fans often wondered if Lee himself served as inspiration for Peter Parker's boss and Spider-Man's number one hater, J. Jonah Jameson.
In an interview on the Talk of the Nation podcast, Lee confirmed this fan theory, saying, "You caught me! I really did. I thought if I were a grumpy, irritable man, which I am sometimes, how would I act?"
6 Darkseid Is A Representation Of Fascist Dictators
One of the most significant creations by Jack Kirby during his time with DC Comics is the evil ruler of Apokolips, Darkseid. Though many parallels can be drawn to the New Gods mythos as a whole, as an evil conqueror with hopes of dominating all of existence, Darkseid is based primarily on real-life fascist dictators, like Hitler and Mussolini. As a scout in the US Army, Jack Kirby saw what fascism was capable of when he helped free a concentration camp, as he described in Ray Wyman's book: Conversations With Jack. Considering his past and the evil he witnessed fascism result in, it makes perfect sense that Kirby felt inspired to represent those evils through Darkseid.
5 Tintin Is Based On A Dutch Actor
Starting back in 1929, The Adventures of Tintin was a comic series about a young Belgian reporter and adventurer named Tintin, who regularly gets involved in dangerous adventures and takes heroic action to save the good guys. Many fans aren't aware that Tintin is based around a real-life person named Palle Huld.
Huld was a Danish film actor who appeared in 40 movies from 1933 to 2000. Huld traveled around the world at a young age, which inspired Tintin's creator, Herge, to make the character.
4 A Horror Icon Inspired The Creation Of Doctor Strange
With the highly-anticipated sequel to Doctor Strange's live-action debut just a few months away, Doctor Strange is one of the most talked-about characters in Marvel. What many fans don't know about Strange is how he's heavily inspired by the horror-film legend Vincent Price, who often played mystic characters like sorcerers and wizards. When Steve Ditko started modeling Doctor Strange, many of Price's features, like his mustache and eye-brows, were used to create the Sorcerer Supreme. Stan Lee even said that Marvel didn't want to hide the similarities between Strange and Price to make the inspiration clear.
3 The Joker Is Based On A Silent Film Character
Batman's arch-nemesis, the Joker, is one of the most well-known villains in all comics. So much so that his signature look and freaky smile are immediately recognizable for comic readers and moviegoers alike. But what many of these same fans don't know is that a massive portion of the Joker, from looks to some behavioral traits, are inspired by german actor Conrad Veidt's performance as Gmynplaine in the 1928 silent movie, The Man Who Laughs.
Considering how the title was also used for a well-known comic story about the Joker by comics legend Ed Brubaker, it's safe to assume this performance still inspires Joker writers.
2 A Famous Actor Is The Model For Professor X
As the leader of the X-Men, which Stan Lee has confirmed on numerous occasions were created as an allegory to the civil-rights movement, Professor X as a figure is inspired by great civil-rights leaders of the 20th century. However, the look of Professor X is largely based on Academy Award-winning actor, Yul Brynner. While once describing the character's creation, Stan Lee said "I thought of Professor X as Yul Brynner..." confirming that Brynner's look was the inspiration for Charles Xavier. Brynner was a world-renowned actor at the peak of his career, which allowed for Professor X to have a look that was recognizable across the world.
1 Hedy Lamarr Is The Original Catwoman
While many famous actresses throughout history have been viewed as inspiration for Catwoman (whose real name is Selina Kyle), the actual inspiration for the look of Catwoman was Hollywood actress, Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr, an Austrian-born actress whose career took place during the golden age of Hollywood, was used for the modeling of Selina Kyle because Batman co-creator, Bob Kane admired her film career. Actress Anne Hathaway, who portrayed Catwoman in the 2012 movie The Dark Knight Rises, told the Los Angeles Times that she modeled her character's dialogue off performances by Hedy Lamarr.