FIVE CHARACTERS FROM MARVEL COMICS WHO WERE BASED ON REAL-LIFE ACTORS (BAD-ASS EDITION)

Since November, 2023, I've posted two articles featuring a selection of characters published by DC Comics who were based on real-life people (click here and here to check those out). So, in the name of fairness, I thought that it would be a jolly good idea to do the same thing once again, but this time focus on the characters published by Marvel Comics who were based on real-life people. Or should I say, based on real-life actors? Either way, please enjoy 👇.

Name: Charles Francis Xavier / Alias: Professor X / Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby / First appearance: The X-Men #1 (Volume 1) / Cover date: September 1963

Who's this character based on? The Academy Award-winning actor, TV director, author, and photographer, Yul Brynner, who's best remembered for starring in many notable films, such as 'The King and I' (1956), 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960), and 'Westworld' (1973). Yul was born on the 11th of July, 1920, and died in 1985 from lung cancer. He was 65 years old.

Name: Wilson Grant Fisk / Alias: Kingpin / Created by: Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. / First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (Volume 1) / Cover date: July 1967

Who's this character based on? Two fairly famous actors from the Golden Age of cinema, namely, the British actor, Sydney Greenstreet, who starred in such classic films as 'The Maltese Falcon' (1941) and 'Casablanca' (1942), as well as the American actor, Robert Middleton, who starred in films like 'The Court Jester' (1955) and 'Love Me Tender' (1956). Sydney was born on the 27th of December, 1879, and died in 1954 from complications caused by Bright's disease and diabetes. Robert, on the other hand, was born on the 13th of May, 1911, and died in 1977 from congestive heart failure. The former was 74 years old, and the latter was 66 years old.

Name: Michael Morbius / Alias: Morbius, the Living Vampire / Created by: Roy Thomas and Gil Kane / First appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (Volume 1) / Cover date: October 1971

Who's this character based on? The American actor, Jack Palance, who was generally known for playing either tough guys or villains on the silver screen, such as in films like 'Sudden Fear' (1952) and 'City Slickers' (1991). Coincidentally, Jack played a vampire in the 1974 film, 'Dracula', although his performance didn't inspire the creation of Morbius as the film was released three years after Morbius's comic book debut. Jack was born on the 18th of February, 1919, and died in 2006 from natural causes. He was 87 years old.

Name: James 'Logan' Howlett / Alias: Wolverine / Created by: Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr., and Herb Trimpe / First appearance: The Incredible Hulk #180 (Volume 1) / Cover date: October 1974

Who's this character based on? The American actor, Paul D'Amato, who throughout his career starred in a few famous films, including 'The Deer Hunter' (1978) and 'Heaven's Gate' (1980). In an interview he gave to the press, John Byrne, who first drew Wolverine for an X-Men comic book, told a reporter that even though Wolverine wasn't initially based on one specific individual, he decided to model him on Paul after he saw the actor in the 1977 film, 'Slap Shot'. Paul was born on the 2nd of October, 1949, and since his last known acting role in 2009, he's made numerous public appearances before becoming a boot fitter for a ski shop located in Vermont.

Name: Emma Grace Frost / Alias: White Queen / Created by: Chris Claremont and John Byrne / First appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #129 (Volume 1) / Cover date: January 1980

Who's this character based on? The British actress of both stage and screen, Diana Rigg, who's probably best known for starring in the TV show, 'The Avengers' (1965 to 1968), as well as the James Bond film, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969). According to one of Emma Frost's co-creators, Chris Claremont, he was inspired to create Emma after he watched an episode of 'The Avengers', entitled, 'A Touch of Brimstone', where Diana's character, Emma Peel, and her partner, John Steed, had to infiltrate a criminal and hedonistic underground society named, interestingly enough, the Hellfire Club. Diana was born on the 20th of July, 1938, and died in 2020 from cancer. She was 82 years old.

So, there you have it, folks, five characters published by Marvel Comics who were based on real-life actors. Out of curiosity, have you come across any of these facts before? Or is all of this something new? In any event, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.