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After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Amazing Spider-Man #129 is one of the biggest key comics of the bronze age. It’s the first appearance of the Punisher – a character based on Don Pendleton’s Mack Bolan the Executioner – who went on to star in hundreds of his comics. It’s also the first appearance of the Jackal – the mastermind behind the infamous Spider-Man Clone saga of the 1990s. The very limited [print run: 1,500] Mid-Ohio variant of No Hero #1 pays homage to this classic cover.

Amazing Spider-Man #129 February 1974 Gil Kane

No Hero #1 (Mid-Ohio variant) November 2008 Juan Jose Ryp

On Ebay: Spider-Man | No Hero
On AtomicAvenue: Spider-Man | No Hero

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

The first Scorpio debuted in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1. Jim Steranko concocted a now-classic cover featuring Nick and his pals with his evil brother, Jake (Scorpio), lurking just around the corner. Forty years later, Juan Jose Ryp paid tribute to it with the auxiliary variant of No Hero.

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 June 1968 Jim Steranko

No Hero #0 (Auxiliary) June 2008 Juan Jose Ryp

On Ebay: Nick Fury | No Hero
On AtomicAvenue: Nick Fury | No Hero

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Blade the Vampire Slayer debuted in Tomb of Dracula #10. The cover to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #6 pays homage to that milestone issue.

Tomb of Dracula #10 July 1973 Gene Colan

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9 #6 February 2012 Georges Jeanty

On Ebay: Dracula | Buffy
On AtomicAvenue: Dracula | Buffy

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

New Moon is the second film in the Twilight Saga movie franchise. The cover to Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #36 pays homage to the movie poster.

Twilight Saga: New Moon 2009 movie poster

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #36 September 2010 Georges Jeanty

On Ebay: Twilight | Buffy
On AtomicAvenue: Twilight | Buffy

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

After the events of the Dark Phoenix Saga, wherein Jean Grey is killed off, Cyclops left the team in X-Men #138. The cover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #35 pays homage to this milestone issue.

X-Men #138 October 1980 John Byrne

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #35 May 2010 Georges Jeanty

On Ebay: X-Men | Buffy
On AtomicAvenue: X-Men | Buffy

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

These days it’s hard to think of Spider-Man villains without the Green Goblin coming to mind but, there was a time when the Goblin wasn’t very important to the Spidey mythos. The original Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #14 and was killed off in Amazing Spider-Man #122. His son, Harry, adopted the Goblin mantle in Amazing Spider-Man #136 and, in Amazing Spider-Man #176 (cover date: 1978), Harry’s psychiatrist Barton Hamilton became the third Goblin. For the next five years, the Spider-Man books were Goblin-free! That is, until Amazing Spider-Man #238 (cover date: 1983), when the Hobgoblin debuted.

Initially, the identity of this Goblin was unknown and was an important running subplot of the series for the following five years. Finally, Hobgoblin’s identity was revealed in Amazing Spider-Man #289 (cover date: 1987). The cover of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #33 pays homage to this milestone issue.

Amazing Spider-Man #289 June 1987 Tom Morgan

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #33 March 2010 Georges Jeanty

On Ebay: Spider-Man | Buffy
On AtomicAvenue: Spider-Man | Buffy

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

New Mutants #39 May 1986 Art Adams with Bill Sienkiewicz

Steed & Mrs. Peel vol. 3 #0B August 2012 Joshua Covey

On Ebay: New Mutants | Steed
On AtomicAvenue: New Mutants | Steed

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

The first appearance of Demolitia pays homage to the first appearance of Bloodsport.

Superman vol. II #4 April 1987 John Byrne

Action Comics #718 February 1996 Kieron Dwyer

On Ebay: Superman
On AtomicAvenue: Superman

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Iron Man #128 famously dealt with Tony Stark’s alcoholism – leave it to Deadpool to poke fun at such a serious issue.

Iron Man #128 November 1979 Bob Layton

Deadpool #7 June 2013 Kevin Macguire

On Ebay: Iron Man | Deadpool
On AtomicAvenue: Iron Man | Deadpool

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Before making a name for himself on X-Men in the 1970’s, John Byrne illustrated Doomsday +1, which was written by Joe Gill and published by Charlton. This post-Apocalyptic work was Byrne’s first original, color-comics series and it went on for six issues, initially. Actually, the first series ran for 12 issues but issues #7-12 just reprinted the first six issues. Continuity Comics launched Urth 4 in 1989 and, when their comic universe underwent a revival in 1993, it was retitled as Earth 4. The first issue of their new series seemed to pay homage to the last all-new issue of Doomsday +1.

Doomsday +1 #6 May 1976 John Byrne

Earth 4 #1 December 1993

On Ebay: Doomsday | Earth 4
On AtomicAvenue: Doomsday | Earth 4