Both books feature a merry band of social misfits, who become reluctant heroes after being brought together by a wise guy in a wheelchair. So what if Professor X is bald and the Chief's bearded? Both their teams grouse at being labeled FREAKS while saving the world from some really weird menaces. Doom Patrol, created by Arnold Drake for DC Comics, premiered in My Greatest Adventure #80, in 1963. A mere 3 months later, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby released the X-Men. Coincidence? Quite possibly, because the time in between the two creations is far too brief for Lee and Kirby to concoct a similar concept, and then get it scripted, illustrated, and published. Some comics historians, however, have pointed out that the creators, artists, and publishers of both books often lunched together. And it's likely the idea for Doom Patrol had been openly discussed early enough for the Marvel Brain Trust to devise a competing title. What's really interesting, Doom Patrol creator Arnold Drake eventually ended up in Stan Lee's Bullpen, writing - what else? - X-Men. Either way, Marvel's hands are clean on this one. Because even if Stan Lee's X-Men was inspired by Drake's Doom Patrol, it's a safe bet that Doom Patrol in turn had been inspired by Lee's Fantastic Four, the very first team of oddball heroes. So, all's fair in love, war and comic book publishing. And in the end, are we concerned about a little creative cribbing? Nah. Whether they're old or new, big or small, bearded or bald, and whether they're named for bugs, birds, or bats, we can't get enough of these super-powered people. With this much supply and demand ... some duplication is bound to happen.
Tom English is an environmental chemist who loves reading comics, watching movies, and writing stories both weird and wonderful. His fiction has appeared in several print anthologies, including CHALLENGER UNBOUND (KnightWatch Press, 2015), GASLIGHT ARCANUM: Uncanny Tales of Sherlock Holmes (Edge SF and Fantasy) and DEAD SOULS (Morrigan Books). Tom also edited the mammoth BOUND FOR EVIL: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad, which was a 2008 Shirley Jackson Award finalist for best anthology. Among his non-fiction books is DIET FOR DREAMERS, a collection of inspirational stories featuring everything from Stan Lee to Sherlock Holmes to Slinky Toys. Tom resides with his wife, Wilma, surrounded by books and beasts, deep in the woods of New Kent, Virginia.
