Are making characters identical, but different gender lazy?

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Wolfrazer

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#1  Edited By Wolfrazer

Ok perhaps not identical, but for some reason when I see a character who is different then the rest. Eventually, someone comes along and pretty much makes the exact same character only a different gender and its like besides the different personality it just seems to me kinda lazy and or a cheap way to get people to like the character. Not to mention, for me personally if I see a character for a long time and then later an almost identical one comes along I have a real hard time liking the other character because the only thing that is different is the gender. So I either only tolerate, or completely dislike said character and vastly prefer the original. 
 
This seems to be more with woman though, not to say that there isn't men but I have seen lots of characters like that for instance 
 
Supergirl/Power Girl= Superman 
 
Batwoman= Batman(may be wrong on this dunno, but just seems that way.) 
 
She-Hulk= Hulk 
 
etc etc, you see where I am going with this. 
 
Now its NOT a bad thing, but to me it just seems kinda uncreative/lazy. Sure you can give the characters different personalities, but why can't you also give them different skill sets that completely make them different?

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Jorgevy

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#2  Edited By Jorgevy

@Wolfrazer said:

Supergirl/Power Girl= Superman Batwoman= Batman(may be wrong on this dunno, but just seems that way.) She-Hulk= Hulk Wonder Man= Wonder Woman(I think right? Dunno, he could be different.)

Power Girl is a totally different character who only shares the fact that she is a kryptonian which means she has the same powers, but a lot of characters have similar powers

Batwoman = Batman - nope, different

Wonder Man is Marvel and Wonder Woman is DC???

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obscurefan

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#3  Edited By obscurefan

It's not really lazy, it's just a sign of the way things are. It's hard these days to create a new character that everyone wants to read. We already have all these characters and people only have so much money to spend on comics, so they want to buy something they feel some attachment or familiarity with already. So whenever they create any character its a safer bet to have them be similar to one we already know, simply because then the audiences will already have some feeling of attachment going into it.

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SmashBrawler

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#4  Edited By SmashBrawler

@Wolfrazer said:

Wonder Man= Wonder Woman(I think right? Dunno, he could be different.)

What?

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Wolfrazer

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#5  Edited By Wolfrazer
@obscurefan:   I suppose so....

@Jorgevy said:

@Wolfrazer said:

Supergirl/Power Girl= Superman Batwoman= Batman(may be wrong on this dunno, but just seems that way.) She-Hulk= Hulk Wonder Man= Wonder Woman(I think right? Dunno, he could be different.)

Power Girl is a totally different character who only shares the fact that she is a kryptonian which means she has the same powers, but a lot of characters have similar powers

Batwoman = Batman - nope, different

Wonder Man is Marvel and Wonder Woman is DC???

Ok goofed on the Wonder Man bit, didn't know he was Marvel.
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SoA

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#6  Edited By SoA

wonder man and woman are different, he is not a greek god or has any origins with greek mythology , he is made of ionic energy

u have a point with this thread you just have bad examples lol

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Lvenger

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#7  Edited By Lvenger

Only if they're a copy of the original. As long as they have a good personality and story behind them, then I'm fine with that.

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Wolfrazer

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#8  Edited By Wolfrazer
@SoA:  Ya I know I goofed on that one, don't really know about him. I fixed it though.
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joshmightbe

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#9  Edited By joshmightbe

Wonder Man is from a different company than Wonder Woman and has next to nothing in common with her aside from super strength and the ability to fly. She is powered by Olympian gods, He is powered by Ionic energy, She was raised a warrior princess from a mythological paradise, He was an actor from L.A., She is one of DC's top tier heroes, he is at best B-list, and I'm saying that as a fan of his, He has energy based powers, she has fist based powers, I guess the both did have a W on their costumes at some point so I guess that's something.

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joshmightbe

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#10  Edited By joshmightbe

@Wolfrazer: I agree that She-Hulk was a bit of a lazy origin but I will defend to the death her position as more than just a girl Hulk.

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DocFatalis

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#11  Edited By DocFatalis

Well, to stay alive, a comic has to sell.

By introducing female characters similar or partly similar to the male ones, the comics companies kill two birds with one stone:

1) It lets the female audience identify to this new character who, for once, isn't a macho man with a square jaw.

2) it let's the male audience drool on the perfect body of the super heroine in question.

So it's an attempt to start selling to girls and then to sell even more to boys.

In the defense of those companies, we have to admit that many of those characters started by being simple rip-offs (yes, Supergirl, I am pointing at you) but that nowadays they do make an effort and try to give them an interesting personality and background.

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mettlekm

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#12  Edited By mettlekm

Spider-girl. x-23. Superdog. All those. lazy is accurate. You can also look at it as a fresh take on an old character.

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Cap10nate

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#13  Edited By Cap10nate

@obscurefan said:

It's not really lazy, it's just a sign of the way things are. It's hard these days to create a new character that everyone wants to read. We already have all these characters and people only have so much money to spend on comics, so they want to buy something they feel some attachment or familiarity with already. So whenever they create any character its a safer bet to have them be similar to one we already know, simply because then the audiences will already have some feeling of attachment going into it.

This.

People wgo nothing about the character histories would be more prone to purchasing a Batgirl or Batwoman title than a Huntress title even if they the same quality or same story because of the Bat brand

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jobiwankenobi

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#14  Edited By jobiwankenobi

I hate it when they do this.

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JediXMan

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#15  Edited By JediXMan  Moderator

Depends on how it's done. For example, I like X-23 because I like the character. I didn't think she was lazy.

Same for Batgirl or Batwoman. They're not the same as Batman.

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Inverno

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#16  Edited By Inverno

Well Ms. Marvel started as carbon copy to Captain Marvel... and now she is more popular than her original counterpart.

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fodigg

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#17  Edited By fodigg

Distaff Counterparts are a definite problem, especially for Marvel who has too many of their stars in that role (e.g., Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, She-Hulk, Red She-Hulk, Valkyrie, Rescue). I mean, so does DC (e.g., Supergirl, Power Girl, Batgirl, Batwoman, Mera, Miss Martian, Hawkgirl), but at least they can point to Wonder Woman as a long-standing unique female lead. I think that's why we've seen Black Widow's rise to prominence and Ms. Marvel's transition to Captain Marvel recently. But it really seems like the X-Men is where all of Marvel's unique women are (e.g., Storm, Rogue, Mystique, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Shadowcat).

There's just a lot of these. So many that I hit the max on images and it cut off a bunch. All the way down to the female Ghost Rider, Lady Deadpool, Stature, Jade, and even Lady Bullseye. There are so, so many.

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fodigg

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#18  Edited By fodigg
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Timandm

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#19  Edited By Timandm

@Wolfrazer:

While I like many of the female counterparts, and I see enough differences in from the original, what I DO think is lazy, is naming them by simply putting a "Ms." or "SHE" or "LADY" at the beginning of the Male counterpart's name:

Hulk - SHE Hulk

Captain Marvel - Ms. Marvel (although, she's changed it recently)

Thing - SHE Thing (and yes, there IS a She Thing)

Would male characters do the same? A man suddenly gains the same super powers that a female super hero has... Does he just put "HE" or "SIR" in front of the name?

Storm - HE-Storm

Shadow Cat - HE Shadow Cat

Firestar - HE Firestar

Moonstone - Sir Moonstone

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TheBigRedCheese

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#20  Edited By TheBigRedCheese

I'm not a huge fan of "identical" characters. I can't blame the company for creating them, especially if there is a market for the characters. Batman is a popular character, so instead of making 12 titles with the character lets put out a few Bat-related characters. I'm in the same boat as you. I normally prefer the original character as well.

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Blood1991

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#21  Edited By Blood1991

@Timandm said:

@Wolfrazer:

While I like many of the female counterparts, and I see enough differences in from the original, what I DO think is lazy, is naming them by simply putting a "Ms." or "SHE" or "LADY" at the beginning of the Male counterpart's name:

Hulk - SHE Hulk

Captain Marvel - Ms. Marvel (although, she's changed it recently)

Thing - SHE Thing (and yes, there IS a She Thing)

Would male characters do the same? A man suddenly gains the same super powers that a female super hero has... Does he just put "HE" or "SIR" in front of the name?

Storm - HE-Storm

Shadow Cat - HE Shadow Cat

Firestar - HE Firestar

Moonstone - Sir Moonstone

I would prefer the He-shadowcat to be called MAN SPRITE!

Oh and while some have lazy orgins like She Hulk she is a VERY different character than her male counter part which can be said about most female counter parts. I am for a male counterpart for a female character like a Wonder Boy, or Mayybe Captain Marvel "Carol" could have a male counter part called Mr. Marvel or Marvel Boy.

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Timandm

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#22  Edited By Timandm

@Blood1991: How about Tom-Cat instead? LOL!

She-Hulk is definitely very different. I've liked her since issue 1, and yes, I actually bought and read issue one when it first came out... Too, bad I didn't know about "collecting" comics back then.

Actually, I sort of hate the whole "super hero name" thing for those who aren't keeping a secret identity... What's the point? However, if I was a super-hero and wanted a secret identity my code name would be.... The Paper Clip!!!!

I'd never explain it... Just let bad guys wonder why I call myself The Paper Clip.

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Blood1991

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#23  Edited By Blood1991

@Timandm said:

@Blood1991: How about Tom-Cat instead? LOL!

She-Hulk is definitely very different. I've liked her since issue 1, and yes, I actually bought and read issue one when it first came out... Too, bad I didn't know about "collecting" comics back then.

Actually, I sort of hate the whole "super hero name" thing for those who aren't keeping a secret identity... What's the point? However, if I was a super-hero and wanted a secret identity my code name would be.... The Paper Clip!!!!

I'd never explain it... Just let bad guys wonder why I call myself The Paper Clip.

Oh you sir I like. I just want to see a dude phase through a wall and scream "Here comes MAN SPRITE!" Watch out bad guys XD

I love me some She Hulk my dad had about 15 issues of her Sensational Run from the 80's and I just thought she was freakin KICK ASS. Also The Paper Clip is the most brilliant name ever. No one would know your powers, everyone would underestimate you and no one would call for you when the world was in peril.

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red_titan

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#24  Edited By red_titan
No Caption Provided

WONDER TWINS, BOOYAH!

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Timandm

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#25  Edited By Timandm

@Blood1991: LOL!!!! I haven't thought about that! The world is in Peril... The president's men are asking who to call for help...

Secretary of Staf (SoS)f: Mr. President. A decision must be made. Who should we call?

President: The Paper Clip!

SoS: I beg...I beg your pardon?

President: Call The Paper Clip! Call him now!

SoS: (Looks around the room at all the other confused faces staring back) Um.. Sir... Are you just making this up?

President: No, he's a real super hero... He has... um.. powers...

SoS: He has "Paper Clip" Powers?

General of the Armed Forces: What the smurf does would THOSE powers be? What, does he HOLD STUFF TOGETHER?

President: Actually, I have no idea, I just sort of want to see him in action and find out....

SoS: Sir, this really isn't the time to simply satisfy your curiosity. We really should call someone we know and can depend on.

President: (Sighs...) Oh, very well.. Call in... The MAN SPRITE!!!

SoS: (Again staring around in confusion) um...

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Blood1991

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#26  Edited By Blood1991

@Timandm said:

@Blood1991: LOL!!!! I haven't thought about that! The world is in Peril... The president's men are asking who to call for help...

Secretary of Staf (SoS)f: Mr. President. A decision must be made. Who should we call?

President: The Paper Clip!

SoS: I beg...I beg your pardon?

President: Call The Paper Clip! Call him now!

SoS: (Looks around the room at all the other confused faces staring back) Um.. Sir... Are you just making this up?

President: No, he's a real super hero... He has... um.. powers...

SoS: He has "Paper Clip" Powers?

General of the Armed Forces: What the smurf does would THOSE powers be? What, does he HOLD STUFF TOGETHER?

President: Actually, I have no idea, I just sort of want to see him in action and find out....

SoS: Sir, this really isn't the time to simply satisfy your curiosity. We really should call someone we know and can depend on.

President: (Sighs...) Oh, very well.. Call in... The MAN SPRITE!!!

SoS: (Again staring around in confusion) um...

Thus the World ends in chaos and flames and the only survivers are The Paper Clip invunerable to all forms of Harm and Man Sprite who simply phased through everything.

Damn Mr. President for not lying about the Amazing Paper Clips powers. YOU HAVE KILLED US ALL!

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Timandm

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#27  Edited By Timandm

@Blood1991: LOL!!! Good ending... Cept.. um... We need at least two females to survive as well...

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Blood1991

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#28  Edited By Blood1991

@Timandm said:

@Blood1991: LOL!!! Good ending... Cept.. um... We need at least two females to survive as well...

Who said anything about survival? We all die humans, mutants and metahumans all. They just bicker back and forth until they kill each other. Man Sprite attempts to kill The Paper Clip by phasing his hand into his chest to grab his heart, but The Paper Clip's body reacts nullifying Man Sprites Powers. Man Sprite confused and in alot of Pain sreams and kicks, but The Paper Clip starts running full force into the wreckage and SPLAT Man Sprite dies, but his hand forces itself into The Paper Clips heart killing them both and all life is gone.

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Timandm

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#29  Edited By Timandm

@Blood1991: Well... As long as there are no women left, then I can accept them killing each other... However.... if this is the Marvel or DC universe, you have know that we're all just going to come back to life and start fighting all over again...

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Blood1991

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#30  Edited By Blood1991

@Timandm said:

@Blood1991: Well... As long as there are no women left, then I can accept them killing each other... However.... if this is the Marvel or DC universe, you have know that we're all just going to come back to life and start fighting all over again...

Oh yeah I should have mentioned that The Paper Clip has the Phoenix Force and after his death implodes into a time loop that sends Man Sprite one week before the end of the planet to save everyone and a tribute statue is placed in the honor of The Paper Clip the greastest hero the world never really knew.

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Timandm

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#31  Edited By Timandm

I feel honored... and yet... strangely disturbed at the same time... LOL! Life is confusing.

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Dra5tik

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#32  Edited By Dra5tik

@JediXMan said:

Depends on how it's done. For example, I like X-23 because I like the character. I didn't think she was lazy.

Same for Batgirl or Batwoman. They're not the same as Batman.

This

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TheWitchingHour

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#33  Edited By TheWitchingHour

It's not as lazy as talking a well established character and making them red.

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Timandm

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#34  Edited By Timandm

@TheWitchingHour said:

It's not as lazy as talking a well established character and making them red.

Well said.