Corollary: Comics and Community X
I've been informed that there's another widely used open-source comic book character, the Russian cult comic strip character Octobriana. Stuart Taylor seems to be the character's biggest proponent, but Octobriana has also been used by Bryan Talbot and the Luther Arkwright GURPS role-playing game. While her storied past is equal parts myth and history, Octobriana's impact on pop culture, while largely unseen, is relatively widespread, including implementations in Finland as well as the UK. Michael Kennally has even organized the Octobriana Society to further research about, understanding and use of this character. Interesting stuff!