The Thing and Hourman

This was a pairing that I had always meant to get to in my MTIO: The Lost Issues days, but never did.  I still think that a hero that has powers, but only for an hour at a time could make for a great series - it's too bad that Hourman was completely wasted on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and we never even got to see that aspect of his abilities.

Batman and The Defenders (The Movie!)

This cover comes about as the result of a conversation in the comments section.  I liked the idea of a live-action Defenders team, but I still wanted to honor the cross-company aspect f this blog.  With that in mind, I added in Batman - because Batman goes with everybody!  Justice League may have missed the mark, but I'm thinking this could be a true blockbuster!

Batman and The Defenders met in a more traditional comic way back in my B&B: The Lost Issues days...

Batgirl and Hellcat in: "Criss-Crossed Crusaders!"

Patsy Walker is expected to return for the second season of Netflix' Jessica Jones.  Marvel fans of course know her as Hellcat - but will she ever suit up in the show?  Given its gritty nature and Jessica's attitude towards Daredevil's costume  in The Defenders, it seems unlikely that the blue and gold suit makes an appearance..  Still, Patsy did seem inspired by all the new protectors showing up in Manhattan, so that may be leading somewhere.

Batgirl and Hellcat first crossed paths way back in STF #89...

The Avengers meet Orion and Lightray

Avengers: Infinity War was originally supposed to have "Part I" in the title, but they decided not to go that route, and will give the 4th film in the franchise its own (for now, mysterious) title.  Does this mean that the new film will be self-contained, without feeling like half of a story?  I can't imagine there won't be at least a couple of cliffhangers. 

Long-time STF visitors know that Darkseid enslaved The Avengers way back in issue #377...

Flash Gordon and Superman

Because of the 80's camp classic film (and that film's role in the movie Ted), Flash Gordon is often considered a cheesy character.  For me, my first thoughts go to the amazing comic strips he appeared in.  The artwork is beautifully detailed, well ahead of its time when compared to most comics of the era.  I'd love to see a more serious take on the sci-fi hero one of these days.

Madman and Daredevil

Mike Allred recently posted a quick animation that he made of Madman on his Twitter feed, and it looked great.  Allred's style lends itself perfectly to cartoon form.  I've been waiting for the character to make the jump to other media for years now, and I'd love to see him on the big or little screen.

The Spirit and The Spectre

There are some comic pages that stay with you forever.  One of the most powerful for me wast the final page of The Spectre #9 by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.  Ostrander had been writing a brilliant story in the series thus far with Jim Corrigan/The Spectre coming to terms with his misdeeds in the past and vulnerabilities.  Upon realizing that a woman he cares deeply for, Amy, cannot be saved despite all of his abilities, he pulls back his hood and we see a distraught Spectre/Corrigan hybrid whispering her name in a full-page shot.  The combination of Ostrander's Story with Mandrake's masterful depiction of the moment made it the most impactful page of an amazing series.

Power Man and Afro Samurai

 My preference for a character's appearance is usually how I first encountered them, so I still have a great fondness for the classic chain belt and tiara look for Power Man.  That said, I can understand the need to update Luke Cage's appearance.  I'm glad Marvel at least still makes sure to usually put him in a yellow shirt, as a nod to the old days.

Spider-Man and Tarantula

The golden age Tarantula had a very generic looking costume until Jerry Ordway gave him a makeover in the pages of All-Star Squadron.  I loved the brown and black outfit that was spider-themed while still being a very original design.  It's too bad that the character has all but disappeared since that series ended.

Blue Beetle and The Silver Surfer Vs. Dr. Doom

Every Marvel movie has been building up to a battle with Thanos, which we are about to finally get in Avengers: Infinity War.  Once that mega-storyline concludes, there will need to be another overarching villain for the MCU... and who better than Doctor Doom?  Sure, he's tied in with The Fantastic Four, but he has had dust ups with just about every major Marvel hero over the years.  Let's hope he finally gets a proper cinematic treatment.

Wonder Woman and Groo The Wanderer

I'd love to see Groo The Wanderer in animation some day.  I remember on TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes back in the 80's, there would be quick little animated bits featuring the artwork of Sergio Aragones  when the program was coming in and out of commercials.  His style looked perfect in motion, and it would be great to see his signature barbaric creation in cartoon form as well.

Wolverine Vs. Freddy Krueger

Sure, there's the obvious similarities with the claws, but that's not the only reason I think this would be a cool match up.  Logan would have no qualms about going after a killer like Freddy, but how does he stop someone who is already dead?  Freddy could torment him in the dreamscape, but how far could he get when his subject can regenerate and has seen it all?  The grumpy dialogue alone would be worth the price of the comic.

Green Arrow Vs. Hawkeye in " Skyjacking the Sky-Cycle!"

Green Arrow and Hawkeye have met a bunch of times on the blog - They first met in one of my very earliest STF covers... then they were at odds with a few fellow Avengers along for the tale... Next up they faced off against The Hulk and Solomon Grundy... then it was time to hone their skills... and next they shared an adventure with Black Canary and Mockingbird. , then there was a classic adventure from early in their careers,,, and finally, the last time they battled some robots together...

Sub-Mariner Vs. Popeye

I'm wondering where The Sub-Mariner will first show up now that Marvel has the rights to use him in the movies.  Aquaman will beat him to the punch ans far as a solo underwater hero film is concerned so maybe they will go in another direction and he will show up alongside the Fantastic Four.  The whole Reed/Sue/Namor love triangle angle would be perfect for some onscreen drama to add to the action scenes.  Of course that means the need to introduce the FF first!

Captain Marvel and Adam Strange in: "Subterranean Strike Force!"

I have featured these two space-faring heroes together before - Mar-Vell mourned Adam's "death" in STF #1867, and they first crossed paths in STF #1386... It was correctly pointed out to me that it would be cool to see them side by side with Mar-Vell's original costume.  I have to say, I think that Adam Strange's helmet fin looks like it would be the more aerodynamic one!

Firestorm and Black Goliath

I read with interest that Laurence Fishburne is going to portray Bill Foster in the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp.  Will he be there in a professional capacity only, or is there a chance that we will see his super-heroic side?  Fishburn may be a bit too old an out of shape these days, but Marvel has demonstrated their ability to de-age actors for flashback sequences, so maybe they will surprise us.

Thor Vs. The Composite Superman

Thor: Ragnarok to me felt more like a Guardians of the Galaxy movie than a Thor film, with the emphasis on comedy, colorful visual palette, wacky alien races and classic rock & roll kicking in during the action scenes.  It was very enjoyable and well made, but you could definitely feel the influence of James Gunn's movies.  The only times where I was really bothered was  when the film did not allow some of the heavier moments to sink in before moving on to another joke.  Thor lost friends, family, Mjolnir, body parts and his home - but seemed to keep yukking it up the whole way through.

Batman meets Han Solo & Chewbacca

Star Wars: The Last Jedi seemed to divide fans and critics, and I would have to say that my opinion falls somewhere in the middle.  My main issue was that the film felt bloated with some unnecessary elements.  The whole Finn/Rose/DJ subplot at the Casino did not work for me and I feel could easily have been jettisoned.  I think that the actions of Laura Dern's Holdo character should have been given to Admiral Ackbar, he deserved much better than what he got.  While I wish Luke was more proactive, old Jedis becoming hermit loners is in keeping for the series so far.  I did like the performances and action sequences (and yes, the Porgs) quite a bit, and I liked Leia's force moment more than most seem to.  Hopefully in the next installment the last remaining heroes from the original trilogy - Chewie and the Droids - get a lot more to do.

Doctor Fate Vs. Loki

Many are speculating which characters are going to make it out of Avengers: Infinity War alive, given that a lot of contracts will be up and that this marks the end of Marvel's "Phase Two" plans. I'm thinking at least that this will be the swam song for Tom Hiddleston's Loki.  He has appeared more than any other villain in the movie series.  Plus the teaser trailer hints at him bringing one of the Infinity Gems to Thanos, which I can imagine leads to a confrontation that won't end well for him.

Justice League Vs. Squadron Supreme (Plus 4 More tales!)

What the...?  Didn't I just post STF #2000 the other day?  Time is certainly flying by! It seems like not that long ago that I was sitting on my bedroom floor reading 100-Page Giants and feeling like I had a whole lifetime ahead of me.  Today is my 49th birthday, and I am definitely aware of my age and mortality - but I'm still glad I have this blog and a love for comics and superheroes to help keep me feeling young!

This is the fourth meeting between The League and The Squadron.  The were last seen together in a two-parter that began in STF #1425 and concluded in STF #1426....  and they first met way back in STF #205...

Space:1999 and Spider-Man 2099

Iwas happy to see some Gray Morrow covers when looking for Space: 1999 images.  I have always loved his realistic depictions, almost painterly with his pencils and inks - there's no other artist with a style quite like his.  I especially enjoy his depictions of women - He did a Zatanna Special and Lois Lane 2-issue mini-series a few decades back that I still remember fondly, those characters have rarely looked better.

Coming tomorrow is STF #2100, so stay tuned!

The Hulk Vs. The Marvel Family

I wasn't sure about the casting of Zachary Levy as Captain Marvel for the upcoming Shazam! film, but I am really on board now.  He definitely has the looks facially, and recent pictures that I have seen have shown that he is indeed bulking up for the role.  Christopher Reeve went through a similar transformation in preparing for the first Superman movie, and that turned out OK.  Acting-wise, I think Levy has the chops to portray a kid in an adult's body with the wisdom of Solomon.  I have seen Asher Angel act before, and he will make a fine Billy Batson (although maybe a year or two too old if they want to do a bunch of sequels - but first things first).

White Tiger and Bronze Tiger

These are two characters that deserve wider recognition, and I'd love to see them branch out into live action.  Bronze Tiger did show up on a couple of episodes of Arrow a few years back, but I'd really like to see the character added to the roster of the Suicide Squad sequel (if that film still ends up getting made).  White Tiger would be prefect to show up as a supporting character on any of the Netflix Marvel shows.  

Black Racer Vs. Quicksilver

Well before characters like Guy Gardner pr USAgent hit the scene, Pietro Maximoff was the first hero I can remember thinking of as kind of a jerk.  Sure, there was Namor, but in those days I considered him as much of a villain as a hero. Quicksilver was always clearly on the side of good, fighting alongside The Avengers, Inhumans and X-Men - but there was no getting around his abrasive personality.  It was cool to see that not all superheroes had the same cookie cutter type of good guy personality, and it helped with the the group dynamics of the teams he operated with.  I did like the explanation later on that he could never fully shut off his speedy perception, so the world always seems in slow motion for him, leading to a state of irritation.

Zorro and Ghost Rider

If you are going to have a color-coded costume be effective in the old West, you really need to complete the look by getting a horse to match.  Sure, it may be tough to find all the right accessories, but once you have everything together, the bad guys will think twice before taking on such a stylish opponent.

Galactus joins The Secret Society of Super-Villains

While Justice League missed the mark for me, I did like the tease at the end that an Injustice League/Secret Society of Super-Villains type of team will be formed to take them on in the future.  It would be a nice change from the "powerful would be ruler and his army of cannon fodder troops" plot that we have seen a few times now.  If only they weren't being led by Jesse Eisenberg's Luthor... if they're going to recast Batman, can't they recast him as well?

Aquaman & Mera and Marrina

I have been catching up on some comics I have missed in digital form, and I am currently reading Geoff Johns' New 52 Aquaman run.  I really like what I have seen so far.  Johns tackles a lot of the misconceptions about the character head on, in a fun and exciting way.  Aquaman's classic costume has rarely looked better than it does here, with Ivan Reis' amazing depiction. Mera get to really show off her abilities as well, it's a truly fun read.

Spider-Woman and Wonder Girl in "Twin Targets!"

DC Comics had been doing legacy and spin-off heroes for years, but it was still a relatively new thing for Marvel when characters like She-Hulk and Spider-Woman hit the stands.  I think Marvel was wise to have the still be quite distinct from the heroes that inspired them, and not just in gender.  Jennifer Walters retained her normal intelligence as She-Hulk and enjoyed the transformation, which was very different from Bruce Banner.  Spider-Woman had very little to do with Spider-Man at all, indeed they only crossed paths a few times.  She carved out her own path without having to become just an offshoot of an existing hero.

Spider-Woman and Wonder Girl first discovered their familial relationship back in STF #831...

Doom Patrol and Vision & The Scarlet Witch

I liked the late 80's revival of Doom Patrol, especially the first few issues illustrated by Steve Lightle.  The title, like the team it featured, was very unstable.  After Lightle's too early departure, a replacement artist was found in Erik Larsen, who's style was markedly different from what had gone before.  Just  as readers were getting used to the new direction, the book took another big turn when writer Grant Morrison came on board and introduced a host of offbeat characters and concepts.  Eventually, it became part of the Vertigo Imprint, and it finally got a bit too weird for my taste and lost me.  The Doom Patrol never stay down for long, though.  They've been revived multiple times since then and I imagine they will be again.

Robo Force Vs. Magnus: Robot Fighter

It was only a matter of time before Super-Team Family's premiere team met the one man who would like to disassemble them all.  Let's hope that Magnus realizes that not all robots are bad robots!

This is Robo Force's fifth appearance on the blog - they faced off against Brainiac in STF #1850... they almost lost one of their own in STF #1450... they Battled Ultron in STF #202 and first became a team back in STF #150...

Nightwing Vs. Taskmaster

Taskmaster is a character that I would love to see show up in a Marvel movie.  His ability to mimic the skills that he sees makes him a viable opponent for many different heroes, so there's plenty of opportunity to use him.  The only tricky part is the costume.  I don't like it when the movie versions veer too far away from the suits we see on the comics page, but I have to admit his looks like it might be pretty tough to translate to live action. 

If you are wondering when Taskmaster learned to fight like Batman, it happened way back in my B&B Lost Issue days, an early MS Paint effort from 2010...