DC Comics created the gold standard when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster introduced the world to Superman. But that didn't stop every comic company from trying to create a similar version of the legendary hero. Few have managed to recreate the same magic and only Shazam was successful enough to earn a lawsuit and court order to cease-and-desist.
Over the decades, Marvel Comics has introduced its own versions of a super-powered hero who can fly, is invulnerable, has super strength, and wears a cape. A few even have glowing eyes. For a closer comparison of the 10 Marvel characters who are low-budget knockoffs of Superman consider the following list of pale imitations.
10 Omega The Unknown
Omega lived out his adventures in the imagination of a 12-year-old child. He created by a dying race of aliens who manufactured bipedal prototypes designed to preserve the culture of an extinct race. Omega was the only prototype to survive.
Flight, super strength, and a suit with boots and a cape that were all the same color scheme as Superman's made for easy comparison to the Man of Steel. But the headband and violent tendencies that were more like that of General Zod made it easy to forget this character when he died before the 10-issue series drew to a close.
9 Hyperion
Hyperion is the sole survivor of his planet Earth-13034. He was originally viewed as a villain and could stand up to heavy hitters like Thor. Hyperion has heat vision, super strength, flight, a symbol he wears on his waist like a belt, and a familiar farmer's appearance.
Hyperion gains additional strength from the radiation of the sun. The story diverges sharply from the Man of Tomorrow because there are so many versions of Hyperion. Each has the basic powers of Superman but they are all significantly different characters with different storylines.
8 Marvelman - Miracleman
Marvelman, whose alter ego was Michael Moran, was introduced as a replacement for Captain Marvel. The lawsuit filed by DC Comics prevented Fawcett comics from publishing its most popular creation. Marvelman is actually a tertiary Superman since Captain Marvel was based on Superman and Marvelman is based on Captain Marvel.
He had Superman-like powers that include flight, invulnerability, energy blasts, and super strength. To draw a closer connection to Billy Batson, Moran changed instantly into Marvelman by saying the word "Kimota." Marvelman eventually changed his name to Miracleman and his powers grew to include force fields and telepathy.
7 Sun God
Zoran was the leader of the Great Society, which was the name of a Justice League rip-off that Marvel created for the New Avengers title. Zoran and his Society defeated a legendary Incursion that saved their universe. But, that didn't mean that they could avoid a face-off with the powerful Illuminati.
Sun God had the strength to slap around Hulk but not the speed or icy breath that Superman is known for using. Both characters are susceptible to magic, which proved the undoing of Zoran at the hands of Doctor Strange.
6 Superior
Superior was created by Mark Millar for Marvel's Icon imprint. The character wore a cape and costume that look like they were pulled from Superman's costume rejection pile. But it was the power set of superhuman strength, agility, and speed, coupled with flight, invulnerability, and freeze-breath that make the real argument that Marvel ripped-off from DC.
Superior also shared many of the moral and personal qualities that the Man of Steel is known for portraying. This includes bringing speeding locomotives to a standstill, slowing a plummeting satellite, or rescuing a kitten from a tree limb.
5 Sentry
The Sentry was a hero who wore a belt similar to Hyperion with an S that is very similar to Superman's shield. Bob Reynolds became the Sentry when he drank a super-soldier formula, which is an origin story that more closely resembles Captain America's than Kal-El's. But, his suit and cape, strength, flight, and invulnerability powers make him a clone of the Man of Steel.
The biggest difference between the two is the dark side that exists within the Sentry's persona. The Void is the evil aspect that was also amplified by the serum and is a being so powerful it can undo all of the Sentry's efforts and break every bone in Hulk's body without breaking a sweat.
4 Virtue
Ethan Edwards was the son of a Skrull scientist. The impending doom of an attack from Galactus led the scientist to place his only son in a ship to Earth. His hope was that his son would conquer and rule his adopted planet. But his powers of flight, super-vision, superhuman strength, invulnerability led Ethan to become the hero Virtue and not a villain.
In addition to comparisons to Superman, Ethan, like Clark Kent, was adopted by a midwest couple, raised according to their values, and eventually left for the big city. His daytime job is even reporting for The Daily Bugle.
3 Wundarr the Aquarian
Having a scientist for a father is the first connection from Superman to Wundarr. But a scientist father who foretells the death of his home planet makes the connection stronger. Putting his only son Wundarrr into a ship and sending it to Earth is like hitting the nail on the head too many times. Then he was raised by Maw and Paw.
Wundarr hailed from the planet Dakkam and a people called Dakkamites, which sounds similar to the Kryptonians who lived on Daxam named Daxamites. His powers of leaping great distances and invulnerability are identical to Superman when he first appeared in Action Comics.
2 Wonder Man
Simon Williams is a super-powered actor who got his powers after Baron Zemo experimented on him. At first, this doesn't sound like Superman. However, Simon's alter ego Wonder Man has a strength that is equal to Thor, flight, invulnerability, and is probably immortal since he is a being composed of pure energy.
To top it off, his eyes glow red. Simon is not the ethical hero that Superman embodies, but as one of the strongest Marvel heroes in existence, he can hold his own in almost any fight.
1 Prodigy
This one gets weird. There were a few times when Peter Parker couldn't be Spider-Man because he was under suspicion, so he would take on different identities. One of those identities was Prodigy.
Parker built a suit that gave him amazing strength and the ability to leap so far he appeared to be flying. The cape helped him glide and was a necessary distraction when Parker needed to fight crime using another identity.