Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman. Superman is arguably the world's best-known superhero, and he's pretty much had that title locked down since he first premiered decades ago.
Though his powers are truly iconic, they've become somewhat standard in recent years. Especially considering the new wave of superheroes that have come after. Several heroes, demigods, and metahumans take from Superman, and some even offering a more dynamic and complex alternative to the Man of Steel.
Omni-Man
Some Superman-clones are more obvious than others, and Omni-Man from Invincible is one of the prime examples. Honestly, he's practically an older Supes with J.K. Simmons's voice and some distinguished facial hair. The biggest difference between the two alien superheroes is their intentions.
Superman came to save, Omni-Man came to conquer. Unlike the race of benevolent beings on Krypton, Omniman and the Villtrimites are a race of superbeings looking to destroy weaker races. Submit or die doesn't exactly sound like truth, justice, and the American way.
Homelander
Omni-Man was Superman with ill-intent, but Homelander opens up a whole new can of worms. The Superman doppelganger from The Boys is a sadistic, narcissistic hybrid of the Man of Steel and Captain America. An all-American type of man, Homelander is a symbol of superheroism, but with a set of sinister secrets lying beneath.
He has all of Superman's powers practically but with a celebrity facade that Clark Kent would never compromise his morals to obtain. He definitely makes most comic fans thankful Superman is one of the good guys.
The Samaritan
The world of Astro City is a unique and original take on the realm of superheroes. A bit more story-heavy and dramatic than something from the average Justice League adventure, any team resembling DC's heroes has to have a Superman stand-in. Enter the Samaritan.
Aside from the design, a few powers, and origins, this Honor Guard member is practically Superman's doppelganger. Samaritan is a superhuman who has super strength, flight and has a day job as a journalist in a huge city. Sound familiar?
Thor
It might not seem like Thor was directly influenced by Superman at first, but consider his narrative and abilities. Replace Krypton with Asgard, and things start to blend when comparing the two. And that's no trick of Loki's by any means.
Thor might be a god, but he's an immortal being defending earth from the forces of evil with his super strength, flight, and invincibility. If it weren't for his magic, he would be an even match for Superman himself.
Martian Manhunter
Although he has a few otherworldly alien abilities that Superman doesn't, they share more than a few similarities that warrant recognition and a spot on this list. An alien superhero sent to earth after his home is destroyed definitely sounds more than familiar by now.
J'onn J'onzz's alien powers and work with the Justice League certainly put him in the same league as his red-caped counterpart.
Hercules
There is no way any comic book fan worth their salt can look at Disney's version of Hercules and not get Superman vibes. Hercules is a demigod that falls to earth from another realm of superior beings, is taken in by farmers, and has a symbol of his homeworld found on him as a baby.
His origin story alone is nearly verbatim that of Clark Kent. There's a saying that comics and superheroes are our modern myths, and Disney took that concept and ran with it in this '90s gem.
Ikaris
With the upcoming film adaptation, let's talk about Marvel's Eternals. More specifically, Ikaris. If there was any further proof of superheroes being modern myths, one only needs to look to Ikaris and the rest of the god-like heroes created by the Celestials.
Replace Superman's heat-vision and sun-strengthened abilities with psionic abilities, and that's essentially the main idea. While the cosmic-mythological motifs might be a far cry from the son of Krypton, the basic framework is still there.
Shazam
In no uncertain terms, Shazam is just Superman with magic instead of inherited abilities. Just from looking at their basic design, the resemblance is even intensely uncanny. But that doesn't mean Billy Batson's alter-ego is 100% unoriginal. On the contrary, his vibrant personality makes him an excellent alternative to the Man of Steel.
Superman will always be a classic, but being a god among men isn't the most relatable. On the other hand, Shazam is a kid with the ability to turn into a Superman equivalent. What comic book reader hasn't wanted that?
Hyperion
Hyperion is almost a shot-for-shot remake of the original Superman. Not only does he share similar powers, origins, and weaknesses with him, but he also works on Marvel's answer to the Justice League, Squadron Supreme.
Granted, this was more of a study of DC's characters and their tropes and flaws, but the record still stands. If it looks like a Superman clone and walks like a Superman clone...
The Sentry
Where Hyperion was an outright copy of Supes, The Sentry is an upgrade. Apart from similar shared abilities and an S logo, the Sentry greatly improves on the Superman formula in several ways. That concept alone puts him in the contender's spot for most powerful Marvel character.
Not only is the Sentry stronger, more durable, and literally an immortal, he can contain, withstand, and use more power and energy than Superman ever could. Sentry would tear through him like a high-caliber bullet and melt him with the heat of a thousand suns if they fought.