JAPAN/UNITED STATES: My Hero Academia and Marvel/DC similarities! When it comes to Manga vs Comics, it is a topic of heated debate among their fandom. However, both collide at one point sharing huge similarities with each other.
There exists a genre in both where they cover similar icons brimming with special powers; yes, the attire can be another topic of discussion, but overall they are very much close to being the same.
The superhero genre in manga and comics is the point where they share a huge resemblance with each other, or to say particularly, comics gain the upper hand.
When we talk about manga based on superheroes, there comes One’s One Punch Man and Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia (MHA) in our minds. Though ONE’s manga deserves a separate topic on “how to master the storytelling while carrying a parodic touch”, today we’ll talk about Horikoshi’s take on super-powered characters and their resemblance with Marvel and DC.
My Hero Academia characters who share resemblance with Marvel/DC
Toga and Mystique
When it comes to copying the look of others, Toga and Mystique rank at the top of their game, both can change their appearance in any character of their respective universe. This grants them the ability to wreak havoc and chaos in most situations.
Their powers hold a huge potential which has a major impact on the storyline and somewhat affects the fate of the protagonist. In X-Men Days of Future Past, Mystique’s ability helps to build one of the deadliest weapons to kill mutants, which affects the fate of Logan, aka Wolverine.
Similarly, Toga, with her Quirk, helps Heroes in their battle with Yakuza and Overhaul. Although the events depicted differ heavily, the impact on the protagonist remains the same.
However, there is a slighter difference between both characters. When it comes to copying or transforming into other characters, Toga needs to ingest the blood of the same character. While on the other hand, Mystique doesn’t have to go through the process. She just transforms within a blink of an eye.
Mirio and Kitty Pryde
Both are optimistic persons having the ability to phasing, which acts as an ultimate menace against their enemies. Mirio defeating the entire Class 1-A remains one of the best ‘one vs many’ fights in My Hero Academia. While on the other hand, Pryde facing off against Juggernaut and playing a vital role in X-Men Days of the Future Past proves this teenage mutant has also come a long way.
Although Mirio and Kitty Pryde share the same powers, there is a heavy alteration if we look in detail. Kitty can pass through objects without having any effect on her body. The same can’t be said about Mirio. He has to control his power with sheer delicacy; otherwise, every existing thing, for example, Oxygen, can pass through his lungs, killing him in an instant.
Mirio also explains Izuko Midoria, the potential of his phasing ability, also the danger it carries if not used with concentration. The visual representation shows how he can pass through the ground and continues to cross every layer of the earth if he doesn’t use his powers properly, which is fatal for him.
Kitty has some extra advantages as compared to Mirio; she has the ability to transfer the consciousness of a person to his/her past version, which was depicted in X-Men Days of Future Past (Film).
All Might and Superman
All Might, as the counterpart of DC’s Kryptonian hero in My Hero Academia, is the most obvious comparison, and who could avoid their similarities when it comes to their power and strength? Talking about My Hero Academia’s heroic leader, he has immense strength to knock out any villain with a single smash. Additionally, the unforgettable ionic ‘United States of Smash’ that defeated All For One remains the Plus Ultra factor of his power.
Unlike Man of Steel, All Might can’t fly, but with his immense strength, he can jump at a very high height that provides a similar vibe to flight. Superman takes the upper hand with his heat vision which acts as a helping factor while fighting an adversary.
When it comes to appearance, both wear similar costumes, which consist of red, blue, and yellow coloured spandex along with a cape. Both share an optimistic approach towards everything in life, acting as a symbol of hope and peace. Both superheroes are considered ideal personas by other heroes of their universes.
Talking about Superman’s weakness, it is Kryptonite, and when it comes to All Might, he cannot withstand his muscular form for a longer time. Keeping asides the undeniably similar character traits, there exists one major difference between them.
Superman is an extraterrestrial being from Krypton, while All Might is a Quirkless human who received the power of One For All from his mentor Nana Shimura.
Without a dought All Might can be considered as a Superman of My Hero Academia.
Midoriya and Spider-Man
Marvel’s poster boy and My Hero Academia’s poster boy may appear as totally different heroes on the surface level. But if we look in detail, both characters share huge similarities, which makes our belief concrete on this point.
First of all, Spider-Man is a teenager with the powers of a radioactive spider, which include enhanced strength, great reflexes, wall-crawling, and the iconic spider sense. To add more to his abilities, Peter Parker has also made web shooters that help him swing across skyscrapers in New York.
My Hero Academia’s Midoriya is also a teenager, but unlike Spidey, he received his power (One For All) from All Might. His powers share a huge potential if used correctly; otherwise, without proper guidance, they can damage the body of the user.
On the power level, both have different abilities, but when it comes to personalities, both are very much similar. Their never giving up attitude is evident of the fact. On top of that, Horikoshi has revealed that Marvel’s Web Slinger is the major inspiration for Deku. According to My Hero Academia’s mangaka, Spider-Man is the epitome of a hero, someone who helps and gives hope to others.
As the story of MHA progresses in the manga, Deku gains a new power known as Blackwhip, similar to Spidey’s web-slinging ability.
Also Read: My Hero Academia Season 6 Trailer Brings Tomura Shigaraki as the MVP
