GoCollect Blog: Let’s Play Who Appeared First in DC and Marvel Comics (lets-play-who-appeared-first-in-dc-and-marvel-comics )

For years there has been a playful rivalry between DC and Marvel fans. But did you know they copied characters from each other? Let’s play a game and test your knowledge to see if you can figure which hero or villain appeared first!

Darkseid Vs Thanos

Let’s start with two big baddies. Thanos is the last survivor of the settlement of Eternals on Titan. He was head over heels with the deity of Death, chasing her everywhere trying to woo her. Finding out about the Soul Gems he set out to capture them to be the most powerful being ever and to finally be worth of Death herself.

Darkseid is a ruthless dictator who ruled his land with fear. With his Omega Beams, he can kill, teleport, and resurrect at will. Instead of death, he wants to control the world’s free will through the Anti-Life Equation.

Now, who came first? Although Thanos appeared first on the big screen, Darkseid beats him on print. Darkseid was first in Forever People #1 (1971) while Thanos appeared second in Iron Man #55 (1973)

Aquaman Vs Namor

Time to put your knowledge to the test! These two are the known rulers of Atlantis, but who is the first one to lay claim to that title? Aquaman is an Atlantean with incredible speed and skill who commands all sea life. He also happens to be one of the founding members of the Justice League.

Namor is a special breed of ruler. He is a hybrid mutant and Atlantean known to possibly be an Alpha Level Mutant.

So who appeared first? Marvel wins this round with Namor being the first official Marvel superhero appearing in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly in April 1939. Aquaman appeared later in More Fun Comics #73 in November of 1941.

Deathstroke Vs Deadpool

These two mercenaries have been compared numerous times over and over again. Even their names appear to have been copied from the other. Slade Wilson was an Army soldier and long time enemy of the Teen Titans. While Wade Wilson (get it) was part of the Weapon Plus program becoming Weapon X.

Although Deathstroke is more meticulous in his actions, Deadpool brings in a comedic flair. Deadpool’s iconic breaking of the fourth wall allows him to do things that other characters can’t.

However, we need to settle who was first. With an 11 year difference, it is no surprise that Deathstroke is the leader here. Deathstroke appeared in Teen Titans #2 in December of 1980 while Deadpool appeared in New Mutants #98 in February 1991.

Imperiex Vs Galactus

Destroyers of worlds and galaxies, these two are to be feared on every level. Galactus, a humanoid once known as Galan was the sole survivor of a universe that existed before the current multiverse. To live, he must feed off the life force of planets to which he uses his herald to find.

Imperiex is the embodiment of entropy and has destroyed universes to create new ones from the ashes. He even destroyed Earth, the planet that holds the universe together (at least in comics it does).

So which of these powerful beings was the first to destroy its world and show up in comics? Galactus takes the win here. Galactus appeared in Fantastic Four #49 (First Full Appearance) in 1966 while Imperiex appeared for the first time in Superman Vol. 2 #153 in 2000.

How are you doing so far? Time for the last one…

The Flash Vs Quicksilver

The Flash has a long legacy in comics, tapping into the Speed Forces to access his super speed. Jay Garrick was the first Flash to founding the Justice Society while Barry Allen was one of the founders of the Justice League.

Quicksilver, the son of Magneto and altered as a child has played many sides of the field. He also happens to be the sister of our beloved Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff. Said to be just as fast as the Flash he has been a hero and a villain many times.

But who was the first speedster?

The first appearance of The Flash was Flash Comics #1 in January 1940

First appearance of Quicksilver? The X-Men #4 in March 1964

BONUS ROUND!

The Atom Vs Ant-Man

Two heroes who use size to their advantage, as they say, good things come in small packages. The Atom uses a suit to shrink himself down to size and fight crime. The most famous of the Atoms was Ray Palmer. Palmer has served in the Justice League, Teen Titans, and even Suicide Squad. He even appeared on the show Legends of Tomorrow as a Time-Traveling Hero.

Just like The Atom, the Ant-Man uses a similar suit to convert his body to the size of an ant as well as a giant. The Ant-Man suit, created by Dr. Henry Pym, utilizes subatomic particles dubbed "Pym Particles" which reduces their size to that of an insect. Though Pym has taken on many other identities, the Ant-man moniker has been taken by others, with Scott Lang currently in the role.

Although we all know and love our Paul Rudd as Ant-man, he appeared four months after the appearance of The Atom. The Atom first appeared in Showcase #34 in October 1961 while Ant-man’s debut was in Tales to Astonish #27 in January 1962.

So how did you do? Were you able to guess who appeared first in every category? In the battle between DC and Marvel, who did you think came out on top? I love sharing facts like these because it makes you think if maybe one was based on the other and how each character developed.