Characters, storylines and art styles are all elements that are regularly ripped off in the comic book industry, which has been a standard practice even before the superfolks took over.
But once DC Comics and Marvel Comics started battling it out for the top spot they began to rip each other off at an alarming rate- which resulted in some of the most beloved comic book characters of all time.
Most comic readers know Deadpool is a blatant rip-off of DC's Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, but over the years Deadpool has evolved into an unique and hilarious yang to Deathstroke's dark and brooding yin.
And speaking of brooding- Wolverine is one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, but surprisingly he's a rip-off of the DC Comics character Timber Wolf (nee Lone Wolf), who has all but the adamantium skeleton.
Doctor Strange is another rip-off character who ended up outshining the original character he's based on, DC's Doctor Fate, but readers have a hard time deciding between the two because their stories are so darn mystifying.
And lastly there's the issue of Black Cat vs Catwoman- they're both virtually the same in every regard, from their powers to their penchant for burglary, but one kisses a bat while the other kisses a spider...you decide which is better!