8 Wrestlers With Gimmicks Ripped Off From Comics
Anarky rules...
Whether he was dressing up as Daredevil, The Joker, Flash, Captain America, Silver Surfer or Batman at WWE events like WrestleMania and SummerSlam, Rey Mysterio looked awesome. The effort he put into having those outfits made was clear, and it wasn't a new thing; back in the WCW days, Rey's wardrobe was influenced by Spider-Man and The Phantom too.
As cool as they were, Rey's costumes didn't have an impact on his actual character. Other stars in WWE (and beyond) have taken things one step further and worked gimmicks with personalities lifted from the comic book stars they were cosplaying as.
Much like Mysterio's fascination with patterning his looks after superheroes, this is hardly new. One can dip into the WCW playbook of the 90s to see Marvel rip offs, and even TNA have reached deep into comic lore to inspire some of their more famous characters.
WWE are the main focus here though. They've shone a green light on gimmicks from Batman, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and more over the years. There's been a real DC and Marvel influence over some of your favourite wrestlers.
Stand back...
8. Peyton Royce (Poison Ivy)
After debuting on NXT in early 2015 as a jobber named KC Cassidy, it took Peyton Royce a few months to find her feet in WWE. Once she turned heel, she was off to the races, but it wasn't as part of The Iconic Duo that Royce found her feet as a character. No, she was a Poison Ivy-inspired queen of seduction first.
It's a shame that Royce didn't get a chance to fully develop this gimmick before linking up with Billie Kay as the future IIconics; her entrances, and the fact she carried a flower to the ring, were definitely inspired by Ivy's intrinsic connection to nature and plants, and it was working.
There was potential there to turn this into a real departure from the usual bitch blueprint WWE used for heel women.
By adorning her ring attire with swirling roots (just like those darting across the Batman character's body), Royce looked unique. She spoke of showing everyone who she really was and seduced the camera with piercing glares that were surely lifted from Dr. Isley's alter ego.