8 Wrestlers With Gimmicks Ripped Off From Comics

4. Finn Bálor's Demon (Venom)

Finn Balor Venom
WWE.com/Marvel

Think about how Finn Bálor changes when he's portraying his Demon character in WWE.

A friendly, happy and driven professional wrestler without the make up, Bálor turns into a powerful force when under the Demon guise. That sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's almost like Finn is helplessly being used as a host for a greater power with enhanced abilities he can't refuse.

That's the basis of Venom, a character from Marvel's Spider-Man universe. The sentient alien substance preys on other organisms and forges a symbiotic relationship with them that overtakes control of their body. That's how Bálor appears in Demon form, like there's nobody home and he's not the one pulling the strings.

It may have started out as a flashy excuse to paint his body and look cool, but the Venom inspiration has now morphed into something Bálor can call his own. When it started, it was a shameless tribute to the Spider-Man favourite.

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Peyton Royce
 
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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.