If anything serves as a testament to Spider-Man’s incredible popularity, I’d say it’s how many times DC Comics has taken inspiration from him. Marvel Comics’ wall-crawler is indisputably one of the most popular heroes to ever exist. Peter Parker has had dozens of classic storylines, many of which have been adapted into hit cartoons, video games, cartoons, and feature films. Both Marvel and DC have a long history of creating new characters inspired by each other’s properties. But over the years, I don’t think any hero has inspired as many counterparts in the DC Universe as Spider-Man has.
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Seriously. While DC Comics has made more than its fair share of Marvel parodies (like Harley Quinn’s frenemy Red Tool, a Deadpool pastiche), the publisher keeps introducing Spider-Man counterparts. Sometimes they’re cold, lethal vigilantes like Black Spider, and sometimes they’re more affable good guys like Blue Beetle. Personally, my favorite Spider-Man-inspired hero is always going to be Sideways, who went in an incredibly unique direction. But whether they showed up for a handful of appearances or anchored their own books, DC has a lot of cool Spider-Man clones, so read on to discover 5 of them.
5. Bug
Bug is admittedly one of the rarest Spider-Man knock-offs. He generally only ever shows up in group shots with the rest of the Retaliators, the Earth-8 equivalent to the Avengers. It’s hard to even find a decent picture of him solo (he’s in the yellow suit with bug eyes and antennae in the middle of the picture above). We don’t know much about him, his powers, or what makes him different or similar to Marvel’s iconic hero. But he does prove the universal truth that Spider-Man is a crucial part of the Marvel hero lineup.
4. Black Spider
Black Spider is a unique case in that, unlike the rest of the characters, this character leans more in the ‘antihero’ territory. Eric Needham is a former drug addict who almost exclusively targets drug pushers as a way to make up for accidentally killing his own father. Outside of one time in the Young Justice cartoon, Black Spider doesn’t use web-shooters. Instead, he prefers wrist-mounted pistols, as well as any other kind of lethal weaponry he can get his hands on. He may not be the most noble Spider-Man pastiche, but he definitely stands out from the pack.
3. Rana Dorada
Rana Dorada is the newest Spider-Man clone on the block. He first appeared as an original hero living on Earth-22 before it was later revealed that he lived on the Prime Earth as well. Instead of spiders, this hero is meant to have more of a frog motif, with his name literally meaning ‘golden frog’, after the yellow amphibian. As such, Rana Dorada is often seen leaping and kicking with his powerful legs, though he does share Spider-Man’s ability to cling to walls (I guess there are some things that spiders and frogs have in common).
2. Blue Beetle
Interestingly, Spider-Man and the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle both have one huge thing in common. They were both co-created by Steve Ditko. I can see a lot of people seeing this as a stretch, especially since many see the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle as a more apt comparison. But I feel like Ted and Peter are way more similar. Both lighthearted guys had the minds to make a lot of bug-themed crime-fighting gear? These two are more alike than most want to admit. It’s just a shame Peter never thought to invest in a floating spider ship.
1. Sideways
He might be one of many Spider-Man counterparts, but DC Comics really broke the mold with Sideways. Derek James was made to be DC’s Spider-Man equivalent during the New Age of DC Heroes, but the publisher did not settle for a mere rip-off. Thanks to a run-in with the Dark Multiverse, Sideways has the ability to make rifts, allowing him to travel through the various worlds of the multiverse. He has the same jocular spirit and energy as Spider-Man (not to mention a costume that borrows heavily from Peter’s suit). But Sideways was way more than ‘just’ a Spider-Man copycat.
Who’s your favorite Spider-Man clone that lives in the DC Universe? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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