Comic book fans know that DC Comics and Marvel have more or less been echoing each other for ages. With characters like Deathstroke, Deadpool and even more recently, Red Tool, the big two couldn't cover up the fact that they’re blatantly copying the work of their rivals.
Regardless, this constant drawing of inspiration has given birth to some of the greatest characters in comic history. Besides, it allows readers a chance to see a different take on a familiar power set. From familiar antiheroes like Deathstroke and Deadpool to heroic warriors like Hawkeye and Green Arrow, it isn't difficult to notice which characters from these comic powerhouses are practically carbon copies of one another.
Updated December 18th, 2022 by Mayra García: Marvel and DC are the two most important companies in the comics industry, so it's only logical that sometimes they draw inspiration from each other. These characters don't always have a similar backstory, but when it comes to their powers, they're definitely related.
15 Sif & Wonder Woman Are Both Fierce Female Warriors
Although one comes from Asgard and the other one from Themyscira, both Lady Sif and Wonder Woman have many similarities. For example, they both are elite female warriors with mythological backgrounds, and they both rely on a sword and shield in the fields of battle.
While Sif doesn't have a lasso of truth like Wonder Woman does, the two have an almost identical power set. Both warriors possess super strength, stamina, and agility, and are experts in hand-to-hand combat. Additionally, Sif and Wonder Woman both share a love for humanity and innate kindness.
14 Quicksilver & The Flash Are The Fastest Among The Fastest
DC's fastest man alive, The Flash, has some competition in Marvel's mutant-not-mutant: Quicksilver, also known as Pietro Maximoff. Originally thought to be a mutant, Quicksilver can run at supersonic speeds due to the experiments the High Evolutionary did on him when he was a baby. Like Barry Allen, Pietro often breaks the laws of physics with his powers.
Pietro was given his incredible abilities, but Barry was involved in a scientific accident that gave him powers with the help of the speed force. While they came across their superspeed in very different circumstances, Barry and Pietro's power set can be narrowed down to the same abilities.
13 The Wasp & Bumblebee Have Suits That Allow Them To Shrink
The name alone suggests there are distinct parallels between the Wasp and Bumblebee. Both Janet van Dyne and Karen Beecher own a suit that modifies their molecular nature, allowing them to shrink themselves to the size of a bug, hence their superhero monikers.
Besides their shrinking powers, both Wasp and Bumblebee have a "sting" to help them in battle. Although they're obviously a copy of each other, their backstories aren't that similar. For example, Wasp is a founding member of the Avengers while Bumblebee is a member of the Teen Titans since she's a younger kind of hero.
12 Doctor Strange & Doctor Fate Could Be Twins
Two seasoned superheroes, Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate share more in common than the word "doctor" in their moniker. While Stephen Strange and Kent Nelson have different backstories — Stephen is a surgeon turned into a sorcerer and Kent gets his powers from Nabu — but their power sets are very similar.
In the broad sense, both Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate are experts in mystical arts. Their wide training in sorcery allows them to create all kinds of spells, manipulate reality, and perform astral projection. These skills are strengthened thanks to their connection to certain mystical and very powerful objects, like the Eye of Agamotto and the Helmet of Fate. Additionally, Doctor Fate and Doctor Strange both own a magic cloak that helps them in battle.
11 Black Canary & Songbird Share Their Powerful Scream
Black Canary's martial expertise and fighting style (mixing gymnastics and hand-to-hand combat) remind comic fans of Black Widow. However, when it comes to her power set, the fandom should instead compare her to Marvel's Songbird, aka Screaming Mimi.
Originally named Melissa Gold, Songbird had Roxxon enhance her vocal cords, allowing her to produce a supersonic scream. Like Songbird, Black Canary is famously known for her Canary Cry. Both characters use their voice to render their rivals useless in battle.
10 Hyperion Is Pretty Much Marvel's Superman
Superman may be the greatest hero when it comes to the many universes within DC's multiverse, but his Marvel counterpart, Hyperion, never rose to the same level of fame. Superman and Hyperion were both sent to Earth as babies after their worlds were destroyed. Here, they were raised as humans, only to one day embrace their power.
Like Superman, Hyperion has super strength, stamina, and reflexes; he can fly; and he has enhanced senses. Hyperion also has Atomic Vision, which is basically Superman's Heat Vision. Both characters even share a weakness for magic, a lack of solar energy, and a specific element: kryptonite for Superman and vibranium for Hyperion.
9 Deadpool Was Actually Inspired By Deathstroke
Due to their popularity, Deathstroke and Deadpool are perhaps the most recognizable example of DC and Marvel characters who have a lot in common — they're both mercenaries with an incredible healing factor and excellent tactical abilities. Casual fans don't know that Marvel's Wade Wilson was actually inspired by DC's Slade Wilson.
According to Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, creators of Deadpool, they drew inspiration from Deathstroke, who appeared in Teen Titans comics at the time. In fact, since both characters' last name is Wilson, the creators have an inside joke about Deadpool being related to Deathstroke.
8 It's Difficult To Know Who Would Win Between Bullseye & Deadshot
Marvel's Bullseye is one of Daredevil's most dangerous supervillains. He doesn't have superpowers, but, as his moniker says, he's an expert marksman who can use anything as a lethal weapon when throwing it. DC's Deadshot also possesses superhuman accuracy without any other kind of powers.
Both Deadshot and Bullseye are assassins with a tragic childhood. Additionally, they have the same specific skillset: they're incredibly gifted when it comes to their aim. Bullseye got an upgrade during Daredevil #197 — by Denny O'Neil, Klaus Janson, Larry Hama, William Johnson, Mike Mignola, Christie Scheele, and Joe Rosen — when he got adamantium strips in his bones that make him stronger. Apart from this, Bullseye and Deadshot are the same.
7 Catwoman's Counterpart Is Silver Sable Not Black Cat
Given that they're both cat burglars with a taste for black and have complicated love stories with beloved superheroes, people tend to think Black Cat and Catwoman are quite similar. However, when it comes to their powers, Black Cat actually has powers, which place her a step above the powerless Catwoman.
Instead, Catwoman's Marvel counterpart would be Silvija Sablinova, also known as Silver Sable. While Selina Kyle is a cat burglar and Silver Sable is a mercenary working with the Wild Pack, they are both experts at martial arts and weaponry, often combining their fighting style with their femininity.
6 The Swamp Thing & The Man-Thing's Creators Were Roommates
DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Man-Thing appeared within a few months of each other back in 1971. Both characters were originally humans who transformed into monsters after a disaster involving a swamp. Both Ted Sallis and Alec Holland transformed them into moving plant-matter-based creatures with a true love for Earth and the ability to command nature.
Swamp Thing and Man-Thing being so similar in name, personality, origin, and even abilities comes from the fact that their creators — Len Wein and Gerry Conway — were roommates back in 1971 when they created them. Roy Thomas attributed this similarity to a subconscious coincidence.
5 Hawkeye & Green Arrow Are Incredible With The Bow & Arrow
Hawkeye and Green Arrow don't need powers to be amazing. They are regular humans with incredible training. Obviously, they share a very particular set of skills: they are expert marksmen, especially using the bow and arrow.
Hawkeye and Green Arrow don't share a backstory. While Oliver Queen is a rich kid, Clint Barton is a former circus worker. However, they're both known for their love of trick arrows, which they usually make themselves. Luckily for the Justice League and the Avengers, they've decided to keep their arrows flying toward the baddies.
4 The MCU Changed Namor So He Could Be Different From Aquaman
If they weren’t both so incredibly arrogant and strong-willed, Aquaman and Namor the Submariner might actually discover that they had a lot in common with one another. They're both kings of the Lost City of Atlantis and they both have major beef with the land-dwelling folk who are obsessed with the destruction of the seas. Additionally, they share the same abilities: superstrength and resistance, they can breathe underwater, and they can communicate with sea animals.
Recently, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the MCU modified Namor's backstory to make him different from DC's Arthur Curry. In this universe, Namor is also K'uk'ulkan, a Mayan deity who has protected his people for centuries. This retcon makes the Marvel character even more interesting than before.
3 Elongated Man & Mr. Fantastic Can Stretch Their Bodies
When an intense ray of cosmic radiation hit Reed Richards's spacecraft, he gained the ability to stretch his body as if it was made of rubber. Ralph Dibny won the same abilities after drinking Gingold, a beverage made of Gingo, a fruit that interacted with his metahuman genes.
Thanks to these very different circumstances, both Dibny and Richards got the chance to become superheroes. Richards took the moniker of Mr. Fantastic and became the leader of the Fantastic Four, while Dibny became Elongated Man. Besides their skills, they share another similarity: they don't have any form of a secret identity. Everyone knows who they are.
2 The Atom & Ant-Man Can Modify Their Size
Both Hank "Ant-Man" Pym and Ray Palmer, aka The Atom, are genius scientists with abilities related to size. Ant-Man discovered the Pym particles while The Atom patented the compression matrix. These two scientific discoveries allow them to shrink or get bigger by using a special suit.
Both Ant-Man and the Atom can become smaller than a particle or bigger than a skyscraper. Their abilities, which can be shared with other characters, often help them bend the rules of physics. This makes them powerful allies to other heroes.
1 Both Batman & Iron Man Dedicated All Their Time & Money To Their Mission
Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are both incredibly talented men with genius-level intellects. However, what truly pairs them together is their real power: wealth. Among the richest characters of their respective universes, Wayne and Stark are always at the top.
Both billionaires have used their money to create a superhero persona that can help their cities. Even if Iron Man would rather use a whole suit, while Batman has a lot of different gadgets, they both make up for their lack of superpowers with technology that they developed themselves.