My Hero Academia isn't shy about showcasing its Western influence, as the series was clearly partly inspired by popular comic book superheroes from Marvel and DC Comics. The manga series has been very upfront about its inspirations, as heroes from both comic book publishers cameoed in the first volume of the manga.

My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi originally debuted in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014. The popular series stars Izuku Midoriya, a superhero-obsessed kid who lives in a world where a majority of people have superpowers (quirks). Sadly, Izuku's quirk never emerges, but, when he meets All Might, one of the world's greatest heroes, he becomes his protege and has his power passed on to him. The focus of the series is Izuku learning how to use his powers while training with other quirk-sensitive kids at specialized training schools. The manga was adapted into an extremely popular anime series and has had two animated films.

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The series has many parallels with superhero comics and characters, just as Marvel and DC Comics both have been influenced by Japanese manga and creators. In the first volume of My Hero Academia, the series has subtle cameos from popular superheroes when explaining how quirks became the norm. After it's revealed 80 percent of the world's populations have superhuman abilities, the series shows a panel about fantasy becoming reality. In the panel, you can see a number of popular character's silhouettes.

My Hero Academia Marvel DC

In the panel, you can see Wolverine, Spider-Man, Superman, and what appears to be either Moon Knight or Doctor Mid-Nite. There are also some iconic Japanese characters, including Devilman, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider. The moment is a really great nod to the comics and characters that inspired My Hero Academia. It also shows that in the manga's universe, these popular heroes exist... at least fictionally.

While there will likely never be a full-fledged crossover between My Hero Academia and popular Marvel and DC Comics heroes, this is as close as readers will probably ever get. It would be incredibly cool to see All Might, Superman, Deku, and Spider-Man team-up against a common enemy like Doctor Doom or Shigaraki. For now, we'll just have to imagine a team-up in our minds and enjoy the small cameo for what it is. Regardless, it's awesome that the characters exist (even if they're fictional) in the My Hero Academia Universe.

Next: My Hero Academia: 10 Facts You Need To Know About Hawks