10 Superheroes You Totally Forgot Were Rip-Offs

When it comes to oceanic folklore, there are really only two cultural landmarks on which to draw from: the mythology of the native peoples from the pacific islands and the lost city of Atlantis. And given that most public audiences were either ignorant towards or outright dismissive of Polynesian heritage, it made sense for the first aquatic themed superhero to be Atlantean. That was, of course, Namor the Sub-Mariner.

While he was the original comic book king of Atlantis, he was later copied and overshadowed by DC's Aquaman. Emerging almost three years after Namor, Aquaman was also the half-breed king of Atlantis, the son of a nautical human man, could breath underwater, communicate with and control sea life, had enhanced physical and magical abilities, and wielded a trident ordained by an oceanic deity.

However, this blatant character theft often goes unnoticed due to two factors. First off, all, the character designs are very different. Aquaman wears a suit of golden Atlantean armor and green pants while Namor rocks nothing but a speedo and looks like the Keebler Elves' Vietnam vet uncle. Second, their personalities, depending on the continuity, are vastly different. Namor is usually arrogant and pompous but Aquaman is bombastic yet altruistic. But their powers, weapons, and origins are too similar for them to not be intrinsically connected.