10 Comics Characters You Didn’t Know Were Rip-Offs

8. Batman (Zorro)

Batman is one of the most famous characters there is. He's the inspiration for dozens of heroes throughout the years, including Midnighter, the Darkman, and every superhero pastiche in kids cartoons. He's one of the biggest superheroes, casting his dark shadow over all. He's a super rich man, with a butler and a cave, who - through illegal violent means - is taking revenge against those who harmed his family, fighting back against criminals overrunning his town. He wears a black cape and leaves a simple symbol near his victims. He is hunted by the police, loved and feared by the populace, and will never stop fighting.

But, here's the thing - all of that describes another hero: Zorro. Yeah, the character Antonio Banderas played in that near-forgotten nineties film? Zorro was created in 1919 and has the same MO as Batman. It's not a coincidence either. Batman is openly a bad Xerox of Zorro. The comics even make reference to it.

Right before Batman's parents die, they see a movie. While the movie is different depending on which comic you're reading, it is always a Zorro film. So, not only is Batman a rip-off of Zorro in real life, he's even a rip-off of Zorro in the comics. C'mon, Bruce, you're a billionaire genius and you can't think of anything more original than Zorro but with Bats?