Since his creation in 1938, Superman has set the blueprint of what a superhero should be and is generally considered by scholars to be the first comic book superhero. Fans are familiar with the story of the “Last Son of Krypton”, an alien boy who crash-lands on Earth and gains god-like powers, choosing to use those powers for others’ benefit.

Superman has been a paragon of heroism since his inception, serving as the symbol of justice and hope. Leading by example, he popularised this hero archetype. He inspired the creation of other heroes, many of whom share many similarities with the Man of Steel, among them those seeking to deconstruct the Superman archetype.

Among the various superheroes who have drawn inspiration from Superman, this list lists 10 Superman copycats and knockoffs introduced from 2000 to the present day. Some are heroic, some morally grey, and some evil incarnates, but they share a heavy influence from the Man of Steel.

10

Homelander

Homelander is a character from Garth Ennis’ The Boys comic (2006) who shares numerous similarities with Superman, starting from his very iconic powerset. Homelander can fly, has super hearing, super strength, laser vision, and invulnerability. He is also the leader of “The Seven”, a superhero group that parallels the Justice League.

While Homelander has the public personality of being a caring, charming, all-American hero, this is only an act to hide his deeply narcissistic and unstable mind. His character is the answer to the question of what would happen if powers were given to the average man; what you get is a narcissist with a god complex.

Homelander is one of the most popular Evil Superman clones. His personality is a clear deconstruction of Superman and the hero archetype, fitting the brutal world of The Boys universe. His popularity only grew after the release of The Boys TV show on Amazon in 2019.

9

Omni-Man

Omni-Man is a Superman-style character introduced in the Invincible comic run, released in 2003, and gained further popularity after Amazon adapted the 2021 series. His origin story is a clear parallel to Superman’s, with a shocking twist. An alien with god-like powers, Omni-Man came from the planet Viltrum under the guise of protecting Earth.

On Earth, Omni-Man performed the role of the planet’s champion in the same manner as Superman. The people loved him, and he was the strongest on the planet. However, under the surface, he had a more sinister goal of conquering the planet for the Viltrumite Empire. A brutal encounter with his son, Invincible, changed the course of his mission.

Omni-Man isn’t of the typical Evil Superman trope. Unlike his contemporaries, he struggled with his morality; his brutality is portrayed as a result of the militaristic indoctrination of the Viltrumite Empire, where weakness is grounds for death. His time on earth living as Nolan Grayson is what kickstarts his redemption and teaches him the error of his ways.

8

Sentry

Fans wisely consider Sentry to be Marvel’s Superman, and for good reason. Sentry is a Marvel Comics character introduced in 2000 by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. Sentry (Robert “Bob” Reynolds) was once an ordinary human who gained extraordinary power by taking a modified super-soldier serum that gave him “the power of a million exploding suns”.

The obvious comparison is the powersets between Sentry and Superman. Superman gains his power from the yellow sun, and the Sentry is described as having “the power of a million exploding suns”. He has the iconic flight, super strength and invulnerability, energy projection and manipulation, molecular manipulation, near-immortality, and regeneration.

Sentry is a hero, but he’s not without blemish. Unlike Superman, Sentry is mentally unstable and has an alter ego, a separate evil personality that represents nihilism, death, and destruction known as the Void. He also has problems with addiction, and his character is used as a vehicle for exploring theses of substance abuse, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

7

Irredeemable’s The Plutonian

The Plutonian made his first appearance in Mark Millar’s Irredeemable in 2009. Unlike the typical evil Superman trope, the Plutonian, also known as Dan Hartigan, started as a beloved Superman-style superhero who saved the planet countless times but eventually broke under the weight of people’s expectations and went on a killing spree.

The Plutonian is one of the most powerful Superman knockoffs and among the most powerful beings in his universe. He has the staples of flight, super strength, speed, and invulnerability, as well as high-level matter manipulation and energy warping. Despite his familiar powerset, his personality deviates from the norm, marked by an insatiable desire to be loved and appreciated.

On the surface, the Plutonian has the makings of a hero, but his primary motivation for saving others was never good; it was born of his desperate need to be loved and appreciated. He lacked humanity and was mentally isolated by his god-like powers; his is a cautionary tale about how absolute power corrupts absolutely.

6

Blue Marvel

Kevin Grevioux and Mat Broome’s Blue Marvel made his first appearance in 2008 in Marvel Comics. Adam Brashear, also known as Blue Marvel, was once a brilliant human scientist who gained unimaginable abilities from a failed antimatter experiment. He is a proper Superman analogue, serving humanity selflessly as a protector.

In terms of abilities and ideals, he shares many similarities with Superman. He has the classic flight, super strength, and invulnerability, with the bonus of a genius-level intellect and energy manipulation. His personality is that of a calm, infallible hero; he can hold his own against powerhouses like Sentry.

What sets Blue Marvel apart is his exploration of racial identity and racism. At some point, Blue Marvel is asked to retire by the U.S. government after it is discovered that he is Black; this grounded look at what it means to be a Black man in America is powerful. Blue Marvel

5

2010’s Superior

Mark Millar and Leinil Francis Yu’s Superior was introduced in 2010 as an homage to Superman. Everything from his aesthetic to the ideals he embodies is reminiscent of the Superman archetype. Superior functions as a love letter to the Silver Age of comics, as his costume is modeled after Superman’s costume in his 1978 appearance.

The story follows Simon Pooni, who was a regular 12-year-old kid until he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Ostracised and bullied, Simon wished his disease would disappear, and this wish was granted by a magic monkey named Orman. Simon then transformed into the fictional hero Superior and performed many selfless deeds; however, this power came at a price.

As Superior, Simon possessed the signature abilities of flight, super strength, and invulnerability. Orman is later revealed to be a demonic figure, and the wish is likened to a monkey’s paw. Simon must choose between staying Superior and sacrificing his soul or returning to his sick, disabled body. He remains as Simon, demonstrating that he was already a hero.

4

Brandon Breyer from Brightburn

In the 2019 film Brightburn, Brandon Breyer is introduced to ask the question, ‘What if Superman were evil by nature?’ In the film, Brandon gains Superman-like abilities during puberty; he also begins to lose his humanity, viewing humans as beneath him and killing anyone who gets in his way.

The story centres on Brandon, an alien whose ship lands on Earth and who is adopted by a childless couple in the countryside. This is on all fours with Superman’s origin story. Nevertheless, when he reaches puberty, his spaceship begins to put voices in his head; he gains unimaginable power but no longer feels empathy for humans.

Brightburn is what happens when Superman is thrust into a horror movie setting as the villain. Brandon has all of Superman’s signature abilities but none of his morality; he is instead driven by his insatiable need to dominate and destroy. He even kills his own parents in the film without batting an eye.

3

DC’s Superman of China

Kong Kenan was introduced in 2016 in DC Comics’ New Superman run as the Superman of China. What makes him peculiar is his origins, personality, and the source of his power, which are distinct from the Man of Steel’s. The Chinese Ministry of Self-Reliance appoints Kong to take up the mantle.

The source of Kong’s powers is his ability to manipulate and control qi; through this, he can use Superman’s iconic abilities, such as flight, super strength, heat vision, and invulnerability. Each power requires a different type of qi, so Kong has to learn each one through discipline and training.

Kong begins his story arrogant and selfish; his actions are motivated by self-interest and his desire for fame and attention. He slowly humbles himself and earns the title of Superman. His story is a coming-of-age tale in which he must grow into his responsibilities as China’s Superman.

2

Jupiter’s Legacy: The Utopian

The Utopian from Jupiter’s Legacy is the first and most powerful superhero in his universe. His powers give him superhuman longevity, so he has served as a symbol of hope, peace, and justice for decades in the story. He is characterised by his unshakeable moral values and his inability to change with the times.

As is customary for a Superman-style character, the Utopian has the abilities of flight, super strength, and longevity. The Utopian has strong moral values and lines he refuses to cross, such as his no-kill rule, but in a world changing fast around him, his rigidity is a character flaw recognised even by his own children.

Superman’s ideology is taken to its logical extreme by the Utopian. Villains are becoming more dangerous, and situations are becoming more nuanced than the idealistic world he is used to. In the face of inevitable change, he is compelled to either change or make way for a newer generation with a fresh outlook.

1

My Hero Academia’s All Might

All Might from My Hero Academia is the undisputed symbol of peace in the My Hero Academia world, mirroring Superman as a symbol of hope in the DC universe. The symbol on his chest is a Kryptonian symbol for hope. All Might is the number one hero and is hope personified.

Once a quirkless human, All Might was bestowed with the quirk ’One for All’ by his mentor, Nina Shimura. Unlike Superman, All Might lived life as someone with no power in a world where those with quirks form the majority in society. This experience shaped his outlook, even making a quirkless Izuku Midoriya his successor.

Conclusively, All Might may not wear a cape, but he embodies the hope and ideals that Superman emanates. In a world where roughly 80% of the population has a quirk, he stands at the pinnacle as the undisputed number one hero and the symbol of peace and stability, deterring crime with his mere presence.

Created By

Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel

First Appearance

Action Comics

Alias

Kal-El, Clark Kent, Jonathan Kent

Alliance

Justice League, Superman Family