One of the pipe dreams for any comicbook fan is to see heroes and villains from different ‘universes’ interacting. For the longest time, this kind of scenario was deemed impossible. That would be like seeing Manchester United and Liverpool combining their players to form a new team – it’s just not done. But over the last two decades we’ve actually seen these crossovers happen. What was once thought impossible has happened. We’ve seen intercompany crossovers successfully done and to the delight of comicbook fans worldwide. But with the proliferation of so many crossovers, it would be cool if we can narrow down the list to those crossovers that really bring the high entertainment value we’ve come to expect from these rare events. Here’s a list of some of the most memorable crossovers in comicbook history:
1. Marvel Vs DC
What better way to open this list than with the historic crossover between two of the biggest comicbook companies in the world – Marvel and DC. This crossover was HUGE in no small part to the prominence of the two companies. But more than that, it involved the top superheroes from both companies – there are no second stringers here boys and girls. The crossover gave fans what they wanted, pitting a DC hero against a Marvel hero. The outcome of the battles were left to the fans to decide through a vote that happened before the series was written and released. There were some expected outcomes but also some victories that were questionable to say the least because the voting system would obviously favor the heroes with the larger fanbase. But these flaws are minor compared to the obvious coup of seeing Marvel and DC moving in the same universe.
2. Archie and Punisher
If there’s a crossover that will take the crown as the unlikeliest pairing then, hands down, it would have to be Archie and Punisher. Just thinking about how these two disparate characters would interact will make your brain explode. The story revolves around a drug dealer that looks like Archie and Punisher’s out to hunt the criminal down. And if that’s not enough to make things surreal, Josie and The Pussycats and Sabrina The Teenage Witch also join in on the fun. Now, your brain will explode.
3. Sonic The Hedgehog and Image Comics
Sonice The Hedgehog has been marketed as a kid-friendly but ‘gritty’ videogame character. Just look at that frown on his face and you know the guy means business. But is he serious enough to fight alongside superheroes? Apparently, the guys at Image Comics think so and from this idea came the Sonic The Hedgehog/Image crossover. It’s a trip to see Sonic fighting alongside such Image Comics regulars like The Savage Dragon, Shadowhawk, fan favorite The Maxx and, of course, Spawn.
4. Transformers and the New Avengers
If you’re one of the Autobots and you’re having a hard time defeating uber-Decepticon Megatron and his minions. What will you do? Well, in this crossover, you call The New Avengers. The Transformers/New Avengers crossover is like a summer action blockbuster set on paper. It’s an action-packed story filled with many exciting scenes. And whose jaw won’t drop when they see the Iron Man transformer?
5. X-Men and Star Trek
The title says it all, Earth’s mightiest mutants go boldly where no Marvel superheroes have gone before – inside the USS Enterprise. If the X-Men were geeks they’d have drooled the whole time because they not only got to meet the crew of the original Star Trek but also the crew of Star Trek:TNG as well. And eat your heart out Kirk, it’s Picard and Storm who got attracted to each other.