History Expy / Comicbooks

* In the sixties, {{DCComics}} published a blatantly obvious [[ArchieComics Archie]] expy called ''Binky''. The main difference was that Binky had dark hair, not red, [[BettyAndVeronica and he dated a hotter version of Betty while a Veronica clone tried to get his attention]]. Even though it was very dated and inferior to the original, Binky reprint comic books were published in Scandinavia for decades.
** There were several Archie expies from several publishers.

* In the sixties, {{DCComics}} published a blatantly obvious [[ArchieComics Archie]] expy called ''Binky''. The main difference was that Binky had dark hair, not red, [[BettyAndVeronica and he dated a hotter version of Betty while a Veronica clone tried to get his attention]]. Even though it was very dated and inferior to the original, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Binky reprint comic books were published in Scandinavia for decades]].

* [[JetDream Jet Dream and her Stunt-Girl Counterspies]] are Expies of [[{{Goldfinger}} Pussy Galore and her Flying Circus]] and/or {{Gender Flip}}ped {{Blackhawk}} Expies.

* Volstagg of the Warriors Three from ''TheMightyThor'' is heavily based on {{Shakespeare}}'s Falstaff. The Warriors Three as an ensemble can also be seen as expies of TheThreeMusketeers.

* In the ''[[{{ComicBook/Catwoman}} Catwoman]]'' story "Selina's Big Score", Stark is a blatant Expy of Parker, VillainProtagonist of a series of crime novels by Richard Stark. He also [[ComicBookFantasyCasting looks like]] Lee Marvin, who played Parker (renamed Walker) in the film adaptation of the first novel, ''[[{{Film/PointBlank}} Point Blank]]''. (Darwyn Cook, who wrote and drew the story, later went on to officially adapt the Parker novels to the comic medium.)

* Not too long ago, during Marvel's Dark Reign event, the "Sinister Spider-Man" title(Mac Gargan's Venom posing as Spider-Man) introduced us to Doctor Everything, a pretty blatant expy of Watchmen's Dr. Manhattan, right down to his....disturbing penchant for nudity.

* Not sure whether this belongs here or in CaptainErsatz, but I can't believe either page hasn't yet mentioned how similar [[{{Batman}} Kirk "Man-Bat" Langstrom]] is to [[{{Spiderman}} Curt "The Lizard" Connors]]. Really, regardless of where each character ended up, the only difference between their origins is the specific ailment they were trying to cure and the specific animal they were working on. The issue is that they were created within three years of each other (Man-Bat actually came first), so it's unclear how much of this was intentional or whether it was more like some of the ambiguous DuelingMovies cases.

* DC's ''{{All-Star Squadron}}'' featured the Young All-Stars, who were meant to replace the [[TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] versions of Superman (Iron Munro), Wonder Woman (The Fury), Batman (Flying Fox), Aquaman (Neptune Perkins, Tsunami), and Green Arrow (Tigress) Post-Crisis, because they, you know, weren't active back then anymore. They had Nazi-created evil counterparts called Axis Amerika to contend with, which were ''also'' retrofitted Expies of the vanished Earth-2 heroes: Ubermensch (Superman), Gudra the Valkyrie (Wonder Woman), Grösshorn Eule and Fledermaus (Batman and Robin), Usil (Green Arrow) and Sea Wolf (Aquaman). Part of the reasoning was that, metaphysically speaking, iconic characters like Superman and Wonder Woman were "too big" to be replaced by just ''one'' new (and inevitably "lesser") character.
** The TokenJapanese member of Axis Amerika, Kamikaze was an expy of Fawcett's {{Bulletman}}.

* Volstagg of the Warriors Three from ''TheMightyThor'' is heavily based on {{Shakespeare}}'s Falstaff.

** Mocked by Zeus himself. Hulk's reason for confronting him was that he wanted Zeus to help his family. As Zeus comments "Sacrificing yourself to save others? Wrong religion." *[[CurbStompBattle bitchslaps]]*

** Mocked by Zeus himself. Hulk's reason for confronting him was that he wanted Zeus to help his family. As Zeus comments "Sacricing yourself to save others? Wrong religion." *[[CurbStompBattle bitchslaps]]*

* In a rather unusual example, in Marvel's ''incredible Hercules'' and later, in ''Incredible Hulks'', Zeus served as an expy for God. That is, the Judaeo-Christian God. Zeus, previously portrayed as distinctly unimpressive, especially next to his intelligent and scheming wife, became considerably more imperious - and when put on trial, threw the "angry at God" argument back into the faces of his accusers. When the Hulk confronted Zeus, the context was somewhat awkward if Zeus is taken as himself, but perfectly logical when read as God. Of course, a Hellenistic pagan might raise his eyebrows at this, since to him Zeus = God.

* ''{{Planetary}}'' by WarrenEllis contains a large number of [[CaptainErsatz Captains Ersatz]], but the minor character of Jack Carter undergoes a remarkable transformation during the story in which he appears. He is initially introduced as a CaptainErsatz for [[{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]] (who Ellis had written but did not create), but in the final panels of the story mutates into a true Expy of Spider Jerusalem from Ellis's ''{{Transmetropolitan}}''.
** Who himself is an expy of HunterSThompson.

* In his last series of ThePunisher, GarthEnnis nails the looks and personality of the Colonel who captures him after none other than MorganFreeman.

* When created for the ''{{Spider-Man}} and his Amazing Friends'' cartoon, Firestar's civilian identity bore a resemblance to Mary Jane Watson. The resemblance was actually remarked upon in the comics some time later. Likewise, her superhero powers make her a clear Expy of The Human Torch, the only difference being the gender swap to give Spidey an Amazing Female Friend.
** Additionally, the cartoon portrayed Firestar as a former member of the X-Men, and she replaced Jean Grey for TheSmurfettePrinciple in that continuity. Triple Expy Action!

* In a rather unusual example, in Marvel's ''incredible Hercules'' and later, in ''Incredible Hulks'', Zeus served as an expy for God. That is, the Judaeo-Christian God. Zeus, previously portrayed as distinctly unimpressive, especially next to his intelligent and scheming wife, became considerably more imperious - and when put on trial, threw the "angry at God" argument back into the faces of his accusers. When the Hulk confronted Zeus, the context was somewhat awkward if Zeus is taken as himself, but perfectly logical when read as God.
Of course, a Hellenistic pagan might raise his eyebrows at this, since to him Zeus = God.

* In a rather unusual example, in Marvel's ''incredible Hercules'' and later, in ''Incredible Hulks'', Zeus served as an expy for God. That is, the Judaeo-Christian God.
Zeus, previously portrayed as distinctly unimpressive, especially next to his intelligent and scheming wife, became considerably more imperious - and when put on trial, threw the "angry at God" argument back into the faces of his accusers. When the Hulk confronted Zeus, the context was somewhat awkward if Zeus is taken as himself, but perfectly logical when read as God.

* In a probably deliberate example, since the character is a Redeeming Replacement for on of [[SpiderMan Spider-Man's]] worst enemies, but Phil Ulrich the heroic Green Goblin suggests an expy of Peter Parker. Ulrich is an UnluckyEverydude who works for the Daily Bugle and even has an Uncle Ben just like Peter (although Ulrich's doesn't get killed). In the ''SpiderGirl'' series, the two characters are close friends.

* In a probably deliberate example, since the character is a RedeamingReplacement for on of Spider-Man's worst enemies, but Phil Ulrich the heroic Green Goblin suggests an expy of [[SpiderMan Peter Parker]]. Ulrich is an UnluckyEverydude who works for the Daily Bugle and even has an Uncle Ben just like Peter (although Ulrich's doesn't get killed). In the ''SpiderGirl'' series, the two characters are close friends.