The irony of Superman renouncing his American citizenship in Action Comics #900 – five days before US Seals put “boots on ground” during a secret mission in Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden – has not been lost on political commentators. But the phenomenon of the nationally-identifiable superhero is still strong. 

Bookish Pavitr Prabhakar of Mumbai gains his spider powers from a yogi and, after the death of his Uncle Bhim, uses them to save Auntie Maya and love interest Meera Jain from demonic crime lord Nalin Oberoi in Spider-man: India.

He may not be American anymore, but in Mark Millar’s Elseworlds tale Superman: Red Son, he never was. Raised on a Ukrainian collective farm to embrace Truth, Justice and the Socialist Way in Stalin’s Russia, Superman’s 50-year link with the motherland sees his “adopted” nation overtake the USA as leader of the free world. Until President Lex Luthor, fur-capped Batman and troubled Vietnam veteran Hal Jordan, decide otherwise.

Marvel’s flag-wearing patriot, Captain America, didn’t go so far as to quit his citizenship but he did give up the red, white and blue uniform for five issues in 1974 when he became the disillusioned Nomad after it was heavily hinted a Nixon-esque American government official was behind the terrorist Secret Empire.

Batman has inspired imitators from around the globe in the form of the Club of Heroes during the 1950s, until Grant Morrison brought the band back together in 2007 for a bit of murder in the mansion in The Black Glove. Now the caped crusader is actively recruiting suitable international candidates in Batman, Inc.

Italian Spiderman can do everything a spider can’t: teleport, mind control penguins, change the size of motorcycles and cause chickens to lay eggs, or packs of his favourite cigarettes, in this spoof of superhero misappropriation.

Japanese Spider-man ran for 41 episodes in 1978, but the only similarity between Peter Parker and young motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro is the outfit in this licensing deal from Marvel. Takuya stumbles upon alien spaceship Marveller from the planet Spider and gains a bracelet giving him spider-like powers – along with the ability to transform the ship into mighty robot Leopardon to aid in his battle against nemesis Professor Monster and his Iron Cross Army.

The Dutch Spider-man, aka Hans Jansen, lacked his American idol’s powers, but that didn’t stop him inventing his own web shooters which fired glue distilled from canal water in 1989.

Captain Italia is a nigh-on indestructible cyborg sold by the Japanese to an evil mastermind for Venice. However, the cyborg overcomes its evil programming.

Captain Chile has done it all: defeated alien terrorist Ozamu bin Alien, helped culinary-challenged Tragactus plan his meals, curtailed the threat of violent, erotic comics pouring out of Otakuland and prevented a corrupt politician from giving away the Chilean sea.

Indonesian scientist Sancaka devised an anti-lightning serum, only to be struck by a bolt out of the blue, transporting him to Lightning Land and gaining the power to fire lighting and run at “typhoon speed” as Gundala. He fights alongside the Superman-esque Gudam and marine hero Aquanus. Gundala also sparked his own 1980’s movie.

Indonesian scientist Sancaka devised an anti-lightning serum, only to be struck by a bolt out of the blue, transporting him to Lightning Land and gaining the power to fire lighting and run at “typhoon speed” as Gundala. He fights alongside the Superman-esque Gudam and marine hero Aquanus.  Gundala also sparked his own 1980’s movie.

After being scratched by a radioactive cat, Catman of Chinese martial arts fest Catman in Lethal Track was imbued with super strength, laser vision and even TV remote control vision.