Comic characters are usually fantastical creations and aren't known for being realistic. However, inspiration has to come from somewhere, even if you're dreaming up superheroes, and a surprising number of characters have been based on or taken inspiration from real-life figures, whether in personality or appearance.
Some of these imitations are more obvious and more flattering than others. Some writers and artists have openly admitted to borrowing from real life. In other instances, fans think they know some characters' real-world counterparts, whether their creators have owned up to it or not.
10 Tony Stark Was Inspired By Two Billionaires
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When Tony Stark was first dreamed up by Stan Lee, he was inspired by the real-life billionaire Howard Hughes. Hughes was famously eccentric and, much like Tony Stark, he was an inventor, adventurer, and womanizer. Lee has been quoted in several interviews talking about his inspiration for Iron Man, and even named Tony's father, Howard, in a nod to the real man.
When Stark made the change to the big screen, the MCU's version of Tony Stark drew inspiration from a contemporary billionaire inventor; Elon Musk. Musk has founded several companies, including SpaceX and Tesla Motors. He was even given a cameo in Iron Man 2.
9 Stan Lee Based J. Jonah Jameson On Himself
The editor-in-chief, J. Jonah Jameson might not be the most obvious stand-in for comics legend Stan Lee, but according to Lee himself, he was the original inspiration. In an interview with NPR when asked if Jameson was modeled on him, Lee said, "I thought if I were a grumpy, irritable man, which I am sometimes, how would I act? And that was it. So, you got me."
Lee also told Kevin Smith that he'd like to play Jameson in a movie. Sadly, audiences never got to see the Generalissimo play this exaggerated version of himself, although Lee did have many cameos in Marvel movies and beyond. Lee even named Jameson's wife after his own and based his secretary on his real one.
8 Darkseid Was Based On Two Famous Figures
Created by Jack Kirby, Darkseid is one of DC's most terrifying villains. He rules the planet Apokolips and has an army of parademons able to conquer whole worlds. There were two main inspirations for Darkseid's creation. His appearance was first based on the iconic actor Jack Palance, but his personality has far more sinister origins.
Kirby decided there was no bigger villain than Adolf Hitler, and created his own autocratic leader who wants to conquer all. Drawing inspiration from World War II was not uncommon in the early days of Marvel and DC Comics, so creating a villain based on Hitler is no real surprise.
7 Neil Gaiman Had Clear Ideas About What Lucifer Looked Like
DC's version of Lucifer Morningstar was created to appear in The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth, before getting his own self-titled series. Gaiman's version of the fallen angel derived his personality from the way that Satan behaves in Paradise Lost, the epic poem by John Milton.
However, Gaiman's Lucifer came out looking very different. In his book Hanging Out With The Dream King: Conversations With Neil Gaiman And His Collaborators, artist Kelley Jones wrote, "Neil was adamant that the Devil was David Bowie. He just said, 'He is. You must draw David Bowie."
6 Xavier and Magneto Could Be Inspired By Civil Rights Heroes
Since their creation, the X-Men have always tackled social justice. Mutants have been subjected to a lot of prejudice, which pushed two leaders, Charles Xavier and Magneto, to dedicate their lives to campaigning for mutant rights.
The characters were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, and it's well known that the movement was a big inspiration to them both. While neither Lee nor Kirby ever confirmed a connection, many fans firmly believe that Xavier and Magneto were inspired by Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X. In both comics and real life, these duos have ideological similarities, but very different methods.
5 Harley Quinn Was Voiced By Her Inspiration
Harley Quinn has an unusual origin, as she was originally created for a cartoon series before being added into the comics, and she was originally voiced by the real woman who inspired her. Batman: The Animated Series was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. The pair wanted to create a henchman and love interest for the Joker.
Dini was inspired by his friend, soap actress Arleen Sorkin, after he saw her on television. Sorkin told Starlog Magazine that Dini saw her in an episode of Days of Our Lives, saying, "We did a dream sequence where I was a court jester, and he said that was the inspiration for Harley." Sorkin was invited to voice the character she had inspired.
4 Wonder Woman Was Based On Her Creator's Loves
When William Moulton Marston decided the world needed a female superhero, he didn't look very far for inspiration. Wonder Woman was inspired by the two most important women in Marston's life; his wife Elizabeth, and his research assistant and girlfriend, Olive Byrne. Marston had a polyamorous relationship, fathered children, and lived with both women.
Wonder Woman's appearance and personality drew on both women, and they both helped Marston with ideas for the character. Marston gifted Byrne with a pair of Arabic protection bracelets in place of a wedding ring, which became the inspiration for Diana's famous magic bracelets.
3 Wee Hughie Is Simon Pegg
It's easy for any movie buff to see that Garth Ennis was heavily inspired by Simon Pegg when he created Wee Hughie. Wee Hughie appears in The Boys, as an everyman character who finds himself drafted into a team of dangerous CIA superhumans.
The similarities between Pegg and Hughie are obvious, but they're not just cosmetic. As well as looking exactly like the actor, Wee Hughie has a lot of personality traits that are shared with mild-mannered geek, Tim Bisley from Spaced, one of Pegg's most famous and beloved roles.
2 MODAAK Is A Satirical Portrait Of Donald Trump
M.O.D.A.A.K. (or Mental Organism Designed as America’s King) appeared in 2016, as an alternative version of the big-headed villain M.O.D.O.K. This version of the Marvel villain operates on Earth-65, and it's pretty clear who he was inspired by.
M.O.D.A.A.K might just be a huge head on a strange mechanical body, but the similarities between his face and that of then-US President Donald Trump are undeniable. Much like Trump, M.O.D.A.A.K also hated foreigners and was concerned about being thought of as having tiny hands. If Trump is aware of the villain he inspired, it's safe to bet he isn't flattered.
1 Artists Just Wanted To Draw Sting
John Constantine wasn't created with a famous singer in mind. In fact, the reverse is true. Artists Steve Bissette and John Totleben just wanted to draw Sting, and Constantine was created for the purpose. Both artists were big fans of Sting's band, The Police, and had been drawing background characters with his face in Swamp Thing for some time.
Alan Moore was tasked with coming up with a character who could be drawn like Sting and came up with a younger, grittier mage who didn't seem like a cliched wise mentor. Bissette and Totleben drew Sting in a trench coat and John Constantine was born.