When it comes to a weird, obnoxious, and over-the-top comic character the easier way to put it is – it is a fictional character. In some cases, it is true but not in most cases. If the thought came from a mind there has to be a certain reason for that. This thought applies to all –a villain, a superhero, a psychopath and more. In this article, we are going to read about 8 characters from comics who were inspired by real people.
8 Characters from Comics Who Were Inspired by Real People:
Batman
Writer Bill Finger and artist Ron Kane came up with the idea of Bruce Wayne or Batman. But the inspiration for Batman emerged from two very well-known historical figures. The first person was Robert the Bruce – during the Scottish War of Independence he led Scotland against England. The second person was Mad Anthony Wayne, a war general of the American Revolution. He became well-known for winning battles against conflict with higher numbers, just like Batman fights a one-man war in opposition to the wrong in Gotham City.
Iron Man
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby created Iron Man with a popular business tycoon in mind. The man in the head was Howard Hughes and Lee defined him as an adventurer, multi-billionaire, an inventor, and a ladies’ man. Isn’t that all Tony Stark? Hughes was filthy rich and he lived the life most people dream about and that is certainly reflected in Tony Stark’s life. Both of them also suffered from a crippling obsessive compulsive disorder.
Flash
There have been a few characters that have gone by the name The Flash throughout the DC history such as Jay Garrick, Bart Allen, and Wally West. But the second super-swift hero was Barry Allen. The name of the character came from two iconic American talk show hosts. Artist Carmine Infantino and writer Robert Kanigher came up with his name by combining Barry Gray and Steve Allen.
Superman
A list of comic book characters would remain incomplete without the iconic Superman. Every aspect of his character was inspired by real-life people. The character was formed by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, both of whom admired The Mark of Zorro and Robin Hood. The look of his alters ego Clark Kent was based on the façade of both Shuster and silent actor Harold Lloyd, while his name was a blend of actors Kent Taylor and Clark Gable.
Wonder Woman
The powerful and incredible Amazon princess Wonder Woman was based on two formidable and strong women from the real world. William Moulton Marston, creator of Wonder took inspiration from the two most significant women in his life to create this heroine. The two people were his wife Elizabeth and his research assistant Olive Byrne. Elizabeth motivated him to create a character that overpowers the evil with love. Olive wore Arabic protection bracelets which gave him the idea of Wonder Woman’s bracelets of submission.
Constantine
Constantine was a result of John Totleben, Alan Moore, and Stephen R Bissette. The character of Constantine was inspired by the popular musician Sting. In this particular scenario, the inspiration came in the form of the character’s fondness. The early portrayal of Constantine resembled Sting in terms of clothing and facially.
The Joker
I know it will be shocking if you get to know that there was someone like Joker. But his character was inspired by a real-life actor whose iconic silent film character formed the base of Joker. In The Man Who Laughs, Conrad Veidt played a man whose facial deformity meant it looked like he was eerily grinning all the time. The Joker’s creator, Bob Kane, came up with the notion to apply that impression to his character. However, the initial thought for the Joker character came from a 17-year-old boy Jerry Robinson.
J Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson is an American comic book published by Marvel Comics. This fictional character is commonly in involvement with the superhero Spider-Man. John Jameson was created by writer Stan Lee and the art was provided by Steve Ditko. His character first came into view in The Amazing Spider-Man. The character was based on non other than the legend, Stan Lee.
Also Read: The Difference Between a Boss and a Leader
