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Unsurprisingly, My Hero Academia takes plenty of inspiration from Marvel and DC comics.
Series creator Kohei Horikoshi made it clear that he loves the American superhero genre. Superheroes have been culturally popular since the late 1930s. Horikoshi had several decades of inspiration to inform his work.
Several characters in My Hero Academia share noticeable similarities with the Marvel and DC cast. This can range from equivalent powers to a striking physical resemblance. With that in mind, this article will take a look at some obvious examples.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views
My Hero Academia characters with counterparts in the Marvel and DC universe
10) Re-Destro / Multiple DC and Marvel villains
Rikiya Yotsubashi, better known as Re-Destro, is a major villain in My Hero Academia. He led the Meta Liberation Army before Tomura Shigaraki took control of his organization.
In terms of physical appearance and expressive mannerisms, Re-Destro is very similar to The Joker from the Batman series. Both of these criminal masterminds are rather unpredictable.
Re-Destro also has a very long nose just like Penguin, another Batman villain. However, his Quirk is a direct counterpart to The Hulk, a popular Marvel superhero. Both of them require stress to power themselves up.
9) Mirio Togata / Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde is a young character from the X-Men series, known for her intangible superpowers and mastery of martial arts. She is very similar to Mirio Togata from My Hero Academia, a top student from the U.A. High School.
Both of these characters are highly regarded among their peers for their gifted intellect. However, unlike Kitty, Mirio's Permutation Quirk has considerable drawbacks. Anytime he uses his ability, everything passes through him, which could render his senses moot.
8) Himiko Toga / Mystique
These shape-shifters are considered very dangerous threats in both their respective universes.
Toga's association with the League of Villains makes her a wanted criminal. By comparison, Mystique is a deadly assassin and recurring villain in the X-Men series.
Interestingly, both of these characters have very tragic backstories related to their powers. Toga was shunned by society for her interest in blood. Keep in mind that her Transformation abilities require the use of blood samples. Meanwhile, Mystique had to put up with anti-mutant resentment her entire life.
7) Itsuka Kendo / Kamala Khan
Kamala Khan is a Marvel superhero who can use Morphogenetics to increase the size of her body parts. She typically fights with very large fists, not unlike Itsuka Kendo from My Hero Academia.
Both of these young teenagers also have very heroic qualities, driving the point home further.
6) Jurota Shishida / Beast (X-Men)
Jurota is a Class 1-B student who truly shined in My Hero Academia. His Beast Quirk makes him abnormally powerful, both in speed and strength. This made him a considerable threat when his class fought Class 1-A in the Joint Training arc.
X-Men fans will immediately recognize the similarities between Jurota and Henry Phillip McCoy, better known as the Beast. The former's Quirk even shares the same name as the latter's superhero alias.
Both characters are also known for their striking intelligence and bookwormish appearance.
5) Muscular / Venom
Izuku Midoriya fought a supervillain by the name of Muscular in the Forest Training Camp arc. This is basically My Hero Academia's version of Spider-Man versus Venom.
Both Muscular and Venom depend on their massive strength to quickly take out threats. Meanwhile, both Midoriya and Spider-Man have to rely on their speed and skill to dodge attacks and land their own.
4) Shota Aizawa / Batman
Batman is a DC superhero who lacks any superpowers of his own. Instead, he relies on his fighting skills and versatile technology.
On the flip side of that coin, My Hero Academia's Shota Aizawa can use his Erasure Quirk to remove his opponent's abilities. However, just like Batman, he also needs to depend on his clever wit.
Aizawa mainly uses capturing tape to subdue his foes, just like Batman uses his cable rope.
3) Twice / Deadpool
Twice is My Hero Academia's answer to Marvel's Deadpool. Both characters are known for their comedic timing and wacky facial expressions. However, while Deadpool is defined by his anti-heroic nature, Twice is a tragic villain who is an outcast in society.
It should also be noted that Twice's Double Quirk is similar to Riot, a DC villain from the Superman comics. They even share very identical costumes with each other.
2) All Might / Superman
All Might is the physical embodiment of patriotic heroism, proudly wearing his red and blue colors. My Hero Academia's strongest character is the anime version of Superman, another overwhelmingly powerful fighter who prefers to use his fist.
Both of these superhumans truly represent what it means to be a hero. They inspire other characters through their undying determination, physical willpower, and strong moral code.
All Might is My Hero Academia's tribute to the superhero genre. Fans can't think of a more fitting way for Kohei Horikoshi to represent his love for the genre than by taking inspiration from the world's greatest superhero.
1) Izuku Midoriya / Spider-Man
During the 2018 Comic-Con event, My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi revealed that Spider-Man was his biggest influence.
The series' main character Izuku Midoriya is very much like Peter Parker. Both superheroes have to shoulder a lot of responsibility in their respective series.
Interestingly, Midoriya gained a new superpower during the Joint Training session, known as Black Whip. This functionality is similar to Spider-Man and his web-based attacks.
