Comic book fans have been aware for a long time that DC Comics along with Marvel have more or less been ripping each other off for ages. With characters like Deathstroke, Deadpool and even more recently, Red Tool, the big two seem to not even be trying to cover up the fact they’re blatantly copying the work of their rivals.
However, this rivalry has given birth to some of the greatest characters in comics history and allows readers a chance to see a different take on a familiar power set. So from familiar faces like Deathstroke and Deadpool to heroes like Hawkeye and Green Arrow, let’s dive in and see which characters are practically carbon copies of one another.
10 Hyperion/ Superman
Though Superman may be the greatest hero when it comes to the many universes within DC’s landscape, his counterpart in the Marvel Universe hasn’t had such an easy go of things.
Their stories are remarkably similar, with Superman getting jettisoned to Earth after the destruction of his home, Krypton and Hyperion sent to Earth-616 as the only surviving member of a race of Eternals from a dying world. And even though their power set is also very alike, they couldn’t have had more different existences within their own universes.
9 Deathstroke/ Deadpool
Due to their popularity, Deathstroke and Deadpool are perhaps the most recognizable example of DC and Marvel characters that have an extraordinary amount in common. Not only are these two spectacular mercenaries but their healing factors and excellent tactical abilities make them a near-perfect match.
While Deadpool has a healing factor that makes him able to go toe-to-toe with the best of them, Deathstroke’s keen intellect and superhuman level mental capabilities bring him just a step ahead of Deadpool’s typical game.
8 Bullseye/ Deadshot
While Deadshot and Bullseye don’t exactly have any powers (although Bullseye does eventually get some upgrades later in his life) what they do have is a very particular set of skills.
The skills that they have mainly revolve around being incredibly gifted when it comes to their aim. Deadshot, as his name would suggest, is a dead-shot when it comes to just about anything with a trigger - and even a few things without a trigger. And Bullseye, well, let’s just say their names pretty much hit the nail on the head.
7 Catwoman/ Silver Sable
While many people would assume that Catwoman’s nature counterpart in the Marvel universe would be someone like Black Cat, at least when it comes to their power set, they’d be wrong.
Though they have a similar theme when it comes to the alter-egos, Black Cat actually does have powers, which brings her a step above the powerless Catwoman. Silver Sable, however, is much more similar to Catwoman, as they are both extremely capable when it comes to martial arts and handling weapons.
6 Swamp Thing/ Man-Thing
Not only are Swamp Thing and Man-Thing incredibly similar in almost every aspect of their character, origin, and ability, they also originally appeared within a few months of each other back in 1971.
Both of these beings were originally humans before a disaster involving a swamp transformed them into the moving plat-matter based creatures that fans have come to know and love. The characters are also both incredibly powerful in that they are powered by magics far beyond the realm of Earth in their respective universe.
5 Hawkeye/ Green Arrow
Like several of the characters featured in this list, Hawkeye and Green Arrow don’t necessarily have the same power set. But what they do have is a very particular set of skills. These skills, oddly enough, happen to revolve around a bow, a drawstring and a whole mess of crave arrows designed to be, rather heroically, nonlethal.
These two have certainly ingested a few too many stories of good old Robin Hood, but luckily for the Justice League and the Avengers, they decided to keep their arrows flying towards the baddies.
4 Aquaman/ Namor The Submariner
If they weren’t both so incredibly arrogant and strongwilled, Aquaman and Namor the Submariner might actually discover that they had a lot in common with one another. Kings of the lost city of Atlantis? Check. Major beef with the land-dwelling folk all too obsessed with the destruction of the seas? Check.
But beyond those simple facts, Aquaman and Namor are both incredibly strong, nearly unstoppable when they decide to go after something, and they both have the loyalty of an entire nation (composed of everyone and everything in the ocean) at their beck and call whenever they decide that they can’t handle the battle themselves.
3 Elongated Man/ Mr. Fantastic
Though the Elongated Man and Mr. Fantastic have a practically identical power set, they’re also quite similar in a few other ways as well. For starters, both the Elongated Man and Mr. Fantastic have done away with any form of a secret identity.
The public is well aware that Richard Reed is Mr. Fantastic and Ralph Dibney is the Elongated Man. Another similarity that the pair shares is the fact that, unlike many characters throughout the DC and Marvel universe, these two are actually capable of holding down a relatively drama-free marriage and family life. Batman Schmatman.
2 The Atom/ Ant-Man
Much like the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, The Atom (AKA Ray Palmer) is a genius scientist obsessed with size. They say that great minds think alike. Well, these two would likely find a lot to love about each other’s work.
While they arrived at their patented creations, the compression matrix and the Pym particle, respectively, have allowed them to shrink to the size of an atom (or smaller in some cases) and grow as tall as an entire skyscraper if they wish to do so.
1 Batman/ Iron Man
Though Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are both incredibly talented heroes with a genius-level intellect and a knack for putting the hurt on the baddies, what lands them on this list together is their real superpower, wealth. Among the richest members of their respective universes, Bruce and Tony have chosen to use their immense wealth in the way most suited to help out their fellow citizens of the world, building themselves a bunch of super crazy toys that will help them beat up some robbers or whatever.
Though Gotham finds itself in shambles time and time again, and things aren’t necessarily looking too great for Marvel’s version of the United States, at least the billionaire class has built themselves super suits and taken to the streets to dole out vigilante justice. Just what the common citizen needed. Super.