7 Avengers Rip-Offs Who Became Beloved Characters In Their Own Right

As one of the biggest superhero teams in the game, it’s no wonder that the Avengers have so many parodies. Now, if you’ve been reading comics as long as I have, you know that Marvel and DC Comics are constantly taking good-natured potshots at each other. One will make a parody of a popular hero or villain, and the other will respond in kind. It’s been happening for decades, and the result is DC Comics having more than a handful of characters inspired by notable Marvel icons.

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Sometimes it’s the result of a writer wanting to borrow the elements or aura of an Avenger like Thor. Other times, these characters popped up thanks to a big marketing push like the New Age of DC Heroes (which gave us our greatest amount of Marvel parody characters in recent years). But no matter how they came to be, they ended up becoming well-received heroes in their own right. So please, read on to discover seven Avengers parodies that, amazingly enough, carved out their own space in the DC Universe.

7. Red Tool

I know Deadpool’s not exactly the kind of Marvel hero people think of when they hear ‘Avenger’, but he’s been on enough associated teams for me. And that’s good, because it gives me a chance to talk about Red Tool, DC’s demented spin on Wade Wilson. Like Deadpool, Red Tool is a superhuman antihero with a smart mouth and a gift for taking punishment. While he was introduced as an antagonist for Harley, the two eventually became allies. Not to mention, fans really liked the idea of a world where Harley and (not) Deadpool could work together.

6. Damage

One such hero that debuted during the New Age of DC Heroes was a revamped version of Damage, who was heavily inspired by Marvel Comics’ Jade Giant, Hulk. DC’s rampaging behemoth didn’t have as many anger issues as the Hulk, but Damage had his own problems. Namely, his incredible size and strength were derived from Miraclo, making his powers only last an hour. Damage’s self-titled comic was incredibly good, and fans really took to him. Damage could have been just a generic Hulk parody, but DC actually put some serious thought into him.

5. Silencer

Another New Age of DC Heroes icon that fans gravitated to was Silencer, a character largely inspired by Marvel’s Punisher. Maybe it’s cheating to call her an ‘Avengers’ parody, but Frank Castle was a part of the Savage Avengers. Anyway, Silencer, aka Honor Guest, is a former assassin who’s called back into duty. Her adventures took her all across the DC Universe, pairing her up with heroes and villains such as Nightwing, Deathstroke, and Wonder Woman. While Punisher is always at odds with the heroes of the Marvel Universe, Silencer has a positive relationship with many DCU icons.

4. Red Lion

I got to tell you, seeing Red Lion come to life was amazing. Christopher Priest, one of the most lauded Black Panther writers in history, took over the Deathstroke title during the Rebirth era. And in it, he introduced a character who’s almost exactly like Black Panther. Like T’Challa, Matthew Bland is a political leader who operates under a costumed identity that utilizes a special, rare material (For Red Lion, it’s promethium instead of vibranium). Fans loved Red Lion in his handful of appearances, so hopefully, he’ll come back one day (maybe under Priest again?).

3. Thunderer

If there’s an Avenger that people really like to see, it’s Thor. That’s probably why The Multiversity had Thunderer take on such a huge role in that event. Like Thor, Thunderer is an elemental god who can control the power of storms themselves (he even uses powerful weapons similar to Mjolnir, like Thunderer’s Thunder-Axe). Thunderer became a crucial member of Justice Incarnate, a team of multiversal heroes dedicated to protecting the various worlds from dark threats that endangered the entire Divine Continuum.

2. The Terrifics

I’ll admit this one is kind of a stretch since every member of the Terrifics was a character that already existed prior to their self-titled series. But they were brought together during the New Age of DC Heroes to essentially act as a Fantastic Four-like squad. Unlike the Fantastic Four, a legit family, these people had no choice but to form a team since they were cosmically bound to one another. But that conflict made for an incredibly captivating series and turned them into a team that, to this day, is remembered fondly by fans everywhere.

1. Sideways

As far as I’m concerned, Sideways is the best original character and the best thing to come out of the New Age of DC Heroes period. While he was 100% meant to give Spider-Man vibes, Sideways is so much more. He’s a kid who was blessed with the incredible cosmic power to create rifts in space and travel between his world and the worlds beyond. And while his comic was unfortunately canceled, Sideways keeps popping up to the delight of fans. The world could always use more Spider-Man, but Sideways was and will always be so much more.

Who are some of your favorite Avengers rip-offs? Let us know below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!