Superman carries the crown when it comes to superheroes, and for good reason. He's been around for a very long time, and his iconic status was cemented due to a mixture of positive values, charisma, and unparalleled heroism. Fans have seen the character evolve from a straightforward do-gooder, to a complex hero with an unshakeable sense of morality.
Naturally, such a character would elicit a bit of envy from other would-be writers, and many of them went on to create full-fledged Superman rip-0ffs. Some were done on purpose, to pay homage to the character, while others felt more like shameless copycats. Some of the most obvious can demonstrate that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
10 Captain Marvel Absorbs Solar Energy
Captain Marvel was one of the Marvel Comics' first Superman clones, but his origin story was quite different from the Kryptonian saga. The character Mar-Vell has evolved over the years, finally culminating in the most recognizable form of Captain Marvel - Carol Danvers.
The original Captain Marvel was a Kree warrior who could absorb solar energy to gather strength, possessed the power of flight, and super speed, among others. Though not as closely similar to Superman in comparison to the others, there's no denying the intention Marvel had for boosting their own uber-superhero.
9 Sentry Sets Himself Apart Through A Tragic Backstory
Sentry is a Superman clone with an incredibly interesting (and tragic) fate. He is doomed to be forgotten, lest he signal the return of his other half - the Void. The man known as Robert Reynolds used his power to erase his alter-ego's memory from the entire world, thus banishing the Void. If he were to be remembered, the threat would resurface.
Super-strength, speed, and senses are all here, plus a few extra talents including shapeshifting, invisibility, telepathy, and resurrection. Some of his powers, such as that last one, are beyond his control, while others are dangerous if the Void persona manages to assert itself.
8 Hyperion Has All Of The Classic Superman Powers
Of all the Superman copies, Hyperion is probably the most popular. He's been the subject of many different interpretations at Marvel over the years, but he's best known as a member of Squadron Supreme, and the Avengers at one point.
In terms of powers and abilities, Hyperion is a near-clone of Kal-El. He has heat vision, ice breath, flight, super hearing, speed...the works. There are enough differences in the story to set him apart, but everyone knows what he was supposed to embody.
7 Plutonian Explores An Evil Clone Of The Hero
The character of Plutonian is another Superman rip-off used to examine the "what-if" scenario of such a being going off the deep end into villainy. His origin story is shrouded in mystery, setting the real focus on his heinous acts as a God-like being with incredible abilities.
Plutonian possesses an identical set of powers to Superman, but they are psionic in nature (whereas Superman's powers are biological in nature.) Essentially, the character can manipulate matter and energy down to the atomic level.
6 Supreme Has His Own Lex Luthor
Image Comics took their own crack at the Superman formula with Supreme, but it was a rocky path towards stability. The original Supreme was a man named Ethan Crane, imprisoned for the murder of two confirmed assulters, and given a chance at a new life by participating in a secret government experiment.
Alan Moore got ahold of the property later on and retooled the character's origin story around the premise of Crane being exposed to a meteorite containing a powerful reality-bending element. He even went up against his own Lex Luthor copy, in the form of Darius Dax.
5 Super-Shock Sets Himself Apart By Abandoning His Moral Code
Super-Shock is an obvious Superman copy from the Powers comics series and is portrayed as having both exceptional abilities and a strong moral code. That all changed when he went off the deep end and became a rampaging supervillain who engaged in a series of horrific crimes, shortly before his own death.
Flight, speed, strength, and superior senses were all copies of Superman, but Super-Shock also had a few more abilities, including mastery over life and death. He demonstrated this by killing a woman and resurrecting her over and over again, simply to prove a point.
4 Samaritan Is Essentially The Frustrated Version Of Superman
Samaritan is essentially a frustrated version of Superman; a guy who can't sit still long enough to enjoy his powers without being angry that he can't save everyone. While this is a strength of sorts, it's also a major curse that robs him of the benefits of strong relationships with other people.
Like Superman, he's capable of super-fast flight and immense strength, but he's also got a trick up his sleeve. Samaritan can manipulate energy fields, which allows him a few more abilities that include travel between alternate dimensions. He's Superman, without the upbeat spirit.
3 Gladiator Also Has All The Same Powers As Superman (So Long As He Believes In Himself)
This odd-looking superpowered being was a Strontian, whose race possesses incredible strength and abilities. Though he's a Superman copy, there is one defining difference with his character. The level of his superpowers adjusts to the level of confidence in his particular mission or purpose.
Gladiator has all of Superman's powers, including speed, strength, heat vision, frost breath, and super-hearing. He can also fly at warp speed, resist psychic attacks, and employ his built-in healing factor. In some ways, he was more powerful than Supes, if his confidence and fortitude were up to par.
2 Apollo Also Has Solar Based Powers
Wildstorm's Apollo was clearly a lift of Superman, and all the dressing up in the world couldn't change that. Decked out primarily in silver, with a bright-gold chest emblem, Apollo embodied the solar-based nature of his powers, which included super-strength, heat vision, flight, and a few others such as molecular manipulation and immortality.
When the Wildstorm universe merged with DC's Multiverse, Apollo crossed over relatively unscathed. Even the writers admitted that Apollo was a bit too close for comfort to the Superman trope. Nevertheless, he continues to soldier on, even through Flashpoint (in different forms).
1 Homelander Is Meant To Be Almost Identical To Superman
This central figure from The Boys can't be faulted for being a Superman rip-off. After all, that was the intention. The similarities are practically identical, save for one key difference - Homelander is a killer masquerading as a noble-hearted hero for the cameras.
Everything from Homelander's super-strength, flying abilities and heat vision (to name a few) are cookie-cutter copies of Superman's abilities. The character is a walking philosophical question about what would happen if the most powerful man in the universe went bad, and just who could stop him.