Both Marvel and DC writers and artists need some inspiration from time to time. Whether it's looking to other comics, gazing at beloved books or perhaps even going to the movies, many iconic characters are actually based on another intellectual property.
Plenty of superheroes have actually been inspired by the classic movies of Hollywood. While it's not always obvious, cinema has played a big part in their characterizations over the years. Here are 10 characters you might not have known are based on Hollywood movies.
10 TWO GUN KID
The Two Gun Kid was one of Marvel's earlier attempts at getting a long-running franchise off the ground. During its earlier days of producing genre comics like romance and you guessed it, Westerns, Marvel created this gun-slinging cowboy to hit on a growing trend in popular culture.
The Two Gun Kid came out during the age of cinema first becoming a major form of entertainment. His first appearance in 1948 followed a series of classic western movies including The Outlaw and of course Billy the Kid, where the character takes a lot of inspiration from.
9 THE JOKER
We know what you're thinking; the title suggests superheroes but the Joker is a long-time Batman villain. Well not only has the Joker had heroic turns, but he's also inspired superheroes like the Jester. The origin of the Joker in the comics can sometimes be a bit of a mystery.
The same can be said for real life as there's alternate stories about how he really came about. However, the Universal Pictures distributed Man Who Laughs absolutely played a vital part in this mad clown's creation, alongside later versions of the character becoming based on A Clockwork Orange.
8 ZATANNA
DC's Zatanna has taken a lot of inspiration over the years from various famous magicians. However, there's another comic character that helped to shape the female sorcerer, who also received his own film serial for the general public to enjoy.
Mandrake the Magician is an incredibly important character in the history of comics. The creators of Zatanna drew heavily from this strip and were certainly inspired by the huge brand that was created from Mandrake, including the Columbia Pictures movie in 1939.
7 MORBIUS
It may seem obvious to many but the character of Morbius is of course in part based on all of the Hollywood movies about vampires. Dracula himself played a large part in inspiring the character, however, Marvel also has their own iteration of the famous bloodsucker.
The character was also said to be taken from another science fiction film of the creator's youth but this has never been revealed. The fact that the name Morbius is also from Forbidden Planet has also been pointed out on numerous occasions.
6 PROFESSOR X
Professor X, the mutant teacher who creates the young team of superheroes known as the X-Men, is one of Marvel's most famous characters. While the talented Marvel team was responsible for his creation, it has been revealed that a Hollywood star also inspired Charles Xavier.
The look and movements of Professor X originated from the career of Yul Brynner. Yul has actually appeared in multiple major films including the original Westworld and The Magnificent 7, which gave Xavier his stoic expressions.
5 SHE-HULK
She-Hulk was clearly partially inspired by the original Hulk, her cousin Bruce Banner. However, when Marvel wanted to produce a female version of the hero, they looked to some of Hollywood's other famous strong, women characters.
The Bionic Woman was not only an ongoing TV series but also produced a number of made for television films. The character inspired the creation of She-Hulk so much that even their origins are similar, becoming spin-offs of previous male characters, with She-Hulk taking on the physicality of the warrior.
4 HERCULES
Characters like Thor and Hercules obviously find their origin in Norse and Greek mythology. However, there wouldn't be a demand for these kinds of characters, if the sword and sandal genre of film wasn't so popular during the time period.
Hercules debuted in Marvel Comics in 1964. This follows on from previous cinematic classics such as Jason and the Argonauts which had been released a year prior. The few years before this actually saw Hercules films being released such as the 1961 Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis.
3 NICK FURY
Nick Fury is a difficult character as there are multiple versions of him. The ultimate iteration of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was actually based on the actor Samuel L. Jackson. When it came to casting the character in the movies therefore, it was a no brainer on who to choose.
However, this alternate take on the character became so popular, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe version was added to the mainline of comic continuity as the original Nick Fury's son. This is a real what came first situation, the Fury or the Fury?
2 GREEN LANTERN
We don't want to make the mistake of saying that Top Gun was responsible for the creation of the Green Lantern. Both the original version of the character and the Hal Jordan iteration debuted way before Top Gun ever hit cinemas.
However, we'd be re-missed not to mention the fact that many writers since have taken inspiration from the Tom Cruise pilot and weaved some of the characteristics into their own versions of Hal Jordan, especially when looking back at his earlier days.
1 SUPERMAN
The man of steel has some pretty incredible comic book storylines, all of which showcase the hope that the character can instill in others. While no movie has ever quite inspired that part of the character, Superman's mannerisms certainly came from elsewhere.
Douglas Fairbanks has actually inspired a few heroes with his career. Batman for instance is famously inspired by his work as Zorro. However, the physicality and body movements that Fairbanks brought to his roles also contributed to the artwork of Superman himself.