| Posted: 23 Sep 2009 07:57 Last Edited By: Arjun |
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Let's look at some of comicdom's (possibly) biggest ripoffs, and siblings separated at birth
Solomon Grundy and Hulk
 
Solomon Grundy came first, as we all know. However, more recent sketches and even the DCAU adaptation of this character seem way too similar to the Hulk. The similarities are too visible to ignore.
The Spectre (DC) and Marc Spector (a.k.a. Moon Knight, Marvel)
 
DC's Spectre was the original character, from way back. His design got a lot more stylised with time, and in the 1970s, a very different character who looks a lot like him turned up in Marvel. It's difficult to call either a rip-off, even Moon Knight, so at best, they're siblings separated at birth.
Batman (DC) and Blackwing (Marvel)
We know what Batman looks like. Marvel ripped off DC's iconic superhero to create a minor foe for Captain America.
Catwoman (DC) and Black Cat (Marvel): The images speak for themselves. Both are very agile women with a feline theme. Both have started off as enemies of a famous costumed superhero. Both eventually become his (albeit uneasy) allies. Both have dressed in black at least once.
Feral, Tigra, Thorn: One feline female too many from the Marvel stable.
And of course,
Deathstroke (DC) and Deadpool (Marvel): This is possibly the most famous of the 'rip-offs'. When the designer of Deadpool was told that this character looks a lot like Deathstroke from Teen Titans, the whole story started. Deadpool was eventually developed as a parody of Deathstroke, and the comic universe as a whole, to good effect.
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| Posted: 24 Sep 2009 01:01 |
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Hulk and Solomon Grundy (Came from a nursery Rhyme) were ripped off of the Pulp fiction books, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. Plus there was that Jewish supernatural story of Golem. Moon Knight was based on those radio plays heroes like Shadow and the Phantom. That cowl and cape can be dated back to Red Riding Hood. Batman was a composite of Zorro and Dracula and some DaVinci drawings (Which Zorro was influenced by Highwayman and Robin Hood tales). Not Blackwing, Nightwing from the Squadron Supreme, which were all intentionally ripped off of the Justice League (So was the Guardian and the Shiar's Imperial Guards from the Xmen books). Remember that Cyborg Superman, he was intentionally ripped off of Mr. Fantastic and came from a story similar to the Fantastic Four origin.
Look at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ripped or spoofed off of Daredevil.
Better case is DC's Swamp Thing and Marvel's Manthing. There's a debate which came first, which the two muck monsters were based on some boogey man stories.
We can go on, like the Savage Dragon/Hulk with a fin, Youngblood/Avengers, Wildcats/Xmen, Supreme/Superman/Thor/Shazam.
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| Posted: 24 Sep 2009 01:02 |
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(So was the Guardian and the Shiar's Imperial Guards from the Xmen books)
I meant Gladiator and the Shiar's Imperial Guards.
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| Posted: 24 Sep 2009 19:54 |
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I wouldn't count hulk and solomon grundy as rip offs, Solomon Grubdy has in recent years been written as a hulk surrogate, but he didn't start out that way.
The Specter and Moon Knight have completely differnt powers and origins so I don't think they are particularly related either.
Now, that being said, there are a number of intentional homages between companies, such as the Squadron Supreme and the Justice League, or The Fantastic Four's origin story and Cyborg Superman's origin story. But those are intentional winks, and I wouldn't call them rip offs.
Beyond that you have archetypes, the Golem, the wild man, the wealthy vigilante, which get revisited all the time. Robin Hood, leads to Zoro, which leads to Bat man, and eventually Night Hawk.
You also have variations on this theme, with characters like the punisher, who in his creation is intended as a more real world variation on Batman, sans family fortune.
Strait ripoffs, like say Marvel Man (a clear rip off of Captain Marvel in his original stories) are rare and rarely popular enough to get a following where people are interested in them to notice they are rip offs.
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| Posted: 25 Sep 2009 03:42 |
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Times has changed, you can go back to the huge copyright/likeness/similarities battle Captain Marvel/Shazam had with Superman, then in the 80s, after the success of the 78 Superman movie, DC attacked that tv show Greatest American Hero.
I'm just surprised that DC didn't attack Marvel's Squadron Supreme (Or the new rework), probably because it was just a small run or those books promoted DC stuff.
Nowadays, you can find DC ads in Marvel books, like that Wonder Woman Dvd popping up in Marvel books.
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| Posted: 25 Sep 2009 18:58 |
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according to comicbook legends revealed:
[url=null]http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2005/06/23/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-history/[/url]
The Squadron's similarities were intentional and supposed to be a sort of cross over between avengers and JLA (the first apperance of the evil JLA were supposed to be avengers, but was reworked late in the game).
That, and other one shot homages are common (When the Thing went to France we found that the Parisian heroes were all similar to other heroes we've seen from another book.
Essentially what happens, is the characters are created as a one shot. And because each company does it, no one makes a fuss any more. Then as time goes on, the characters get used again and again, maybe even getting thier own book eventually. But by that time, the characters are established, and the chance for the other company to raise a fuss has passed.
Now a days, you can put out the Sentry, or another Superman Analog, and so long as he's call Muper San it's likely not going to cause a problem, since D.C. is probably going to make a Hulk Analog (doomsday anyone?) to kick around as well.
So long as origin costume and name are differnt enough you can have similar characters. Also, if they are based on public domain characters you can get away with it too, hence why there is both a Marvel and D.C. Hercules currently active.
The Superman Shazam trials were much earlier in the game, when people weren't paying homage, but were out and out stealing. THe industry has matured a lot since then so you don't see these court fights as much (though you still get them form time to time).
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