Either you get permission or you don't. If you have permission to use or reference "intellectual property" you can publish it and make money for yourself.
If you don't have permission, you can't make money. Fan fiction is an example of this case. Write a story and publish it to the net. If you don't make money, there isn't much room for a legal challenge. However, if you get into the realm of parody or satire, publish it and make as much money as you want. George Lucas lost a case for a Star Wars "porno" cartoon that was classified as parody by the courts.
If it were me and I created a character based on someone's work and I was asked to remove it, I would politely take it down. I wouldn't want to incur the wrath of the "creator."
Scott Hajek
[i]"A beer right now would sound good, but I'd rather drink one than listen to it."[/i]