Friday, July 25, 2025

Manhunter and Shang-Chi

 

It always makes a big difference when comic artists illustrating expert fighters have really done their homework.  When the reader sees a character like Shang-Chi or Iron Fist using actual martial arts moves, it adds a lot to the effectiveness of the scene. Hopefully this issue would contain plenty of such sequences.

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Betty and The Beast

 

It looks like Archie Andrews has met his match. Maybe a well-timed Sentinel attack will distract the competition.

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Nightwing and Puck

 


Nightwing previously faced off against The Ringmaster with The Roustabouts in STF #2410, and with Nightcrawler way back in STF #68...

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Scarlet Witch and The Metal Men

 

They would probably be wise to follow Wanda here.  She's proven herself a close friend to a Synthezoid, why not a team of robots on the run? 

Monday, July 21, 2025

John Wick Vs. Cobra Commander

 

OK, admittedly this story may only take 2 comic panels to tell, but I still feel like it would make for a satisfying read!  John Wick 5 is reportedly in development, although I'm not sure how that works given the end of the last film.  Perhaps his appearance in Ballerina (which I have not seen yet) explains it?

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Thunderbolts and Plastic Man

 

Yes, Eel O'Brien also has a past working outside the law, but would this team made up of former members of the Masters of Evil tolerate his humor and antics? I'm not quite sure about that, but I bet it would make for an interesting read.

Saturday, July 19, 2025

Mr. Terrific and Storm

 

I saw and quite enjoyed the new Superman movie.  I liked how it truly embraced its comic book roots, it felt like reading a Silver or Bronze age issue.  I wasn't crazy about the major change to Superman's Kryptonian origin, though.  Mr. Terrific was definitely a standout.  Edi Gathegi's performance was great and his actions scenes were a blast to watch.  Definite spinoff material there!

Friday, July 18, 2025

Two-Face and She-Hulk

 

Between their duality and legal background, this feels like a natural combination.  I can only imagine what Harvey Dent's plan is with this newfound power. 

Two-Face encountered Jennifer Walters' cousin Bruce Banner in STF #4280...

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Swamp Thing and Shaman

 

Looks like a somewhat metaphysical issue.  That's ok, those those can make way for some lavishly illustrated tales.  I just wonder who it is that these two are trying to contact.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Sgt. Fury and Wonder Woman

 

I'm betting that Fury and his Commandos would have welcomed some back up as powerful as Wonder Woman on their missions.  I know that I would have certainly welcomed reading about it!

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Hellboy and Gargoyles

 

There was talk of a live action Gargoyles movie a few years ago, but I haven't heard much about it since the projects announcement.  It appears to still be in development, so hopefully we will hear about some forward momentum soon.  If done right, it could be a very cool film.  Thanks to Mike Shirley, a Patron of this Blog, for suggesting this team up!

Monday, July 14, 2025

Iron Man and Robocop

 

Robocop was the closest thing we had to an Iron Man movie until the real thing came along a couple of decades later, so this seems like a natural combination to me.  Watching these two in action side by side would make for a fun summertime flick.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Doctor Mid-Nite and The Hulk


 Can it be?  Does Dr. Mid-Nite really have what it takes to cure Bruce Banner's condition?  And even if he does, are any of his instruments strong enough to work on the big green guy?  The answers are only sixty cents away!

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Nova and Stargirl

 

He's back and badder than ever!  That's right - Earth STF's greatest menace, Mr. Universe, returns for his 11th appearance to vex a couple of young heroes.  Let's hope that they have better luck than the rest in putting this guy away for good!

Friday, July 11, 2025

Robotman and Giant-Man

 

I guess I have read so many groan inducing puns in the comments section of this blog, that it's starting to rub off on me, because the one above even makes me wince.  Still, It does seem to be the kind of thing that Cliff Steele might say, and it would definitely be cool to see him working alongside Hank Pym.

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Spider-Man and Black Canary

 


This is another example of a cover that required a bunch of de-cluttering before I could add in any new elements. Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress: 

 

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Angel and The New Teen Titans

 

You would think that the Titans would welcome a wealthy benefactor like Warren Worthington into their ranks, but it looks like drama has followed.  Just what could have happened to get Kori so worked up?

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Worf Vs. Wolverine

 

Yes, Chronos has one of the most garish costumes out there.  I'm not sure which era the time villain has visited in which those striped leggings are in fashion.  Still, his mask at least has always looked cool to me and even creeped me out a little as a kid.

Monday, July 7, 2025

Hyperion and Martian Manhunter

 


I wonder if Ed McGuiness was a fan of the Masters of the Universe toy line.  I ask that because the muscular figures that he illustrates definitely remind me of the look of He-Man and his crew.  That's not a complaint - McGuiness's artistic skill and knowledge of anatomy allows him to effectively present his exaggerated style, which works well for superhero stories.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Sub-Mariner and Captain Marvel Jr.

 

The Golden Age Namor wasn't a big fan of working with other heroes, but when the mission was crushing Captain Nazi and his minions, I am sure he would make an exception.  

Saturday, July 5, 2025

Thor and The All-Star Squadron

 

It will be interesting to see what kind of role Thor will play in the next Avengers movies, seeing as he is the last remaining of the founding members (I'm not counting The Hulk, who is just green Mark Ruffalo now).  The real question is, will the God of Thunder survive the experience?

Friday, July 4, 2025

Miss America and Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy

 

Happy Fourth of July to those who celebrate the holiday!  Whether you do or not, I hope that your day and weekend is filled with family, friends and nice weather!

Thursday, July 3, 2025

How you can help support STF: The Lost Issues!

It is time once again for my once a year reminder about how you can help keep the blog going - while it is a labor of love for me, it remains a one-man operation and can be quite time consuming to keep up on a daily basis after 15 years, trying to maintain or improve the quality. 

The blog will of course always be free - and ad-free, but if you would like to help support it, there are a couple of ways to do so - by by making a one time contribution by clicking on the "Donate" button at the bottom of this page, or by becoming a Patron at Patreon.  While I welcome and take suggestions from anyone, Patrons of course will get special consideration in that regard.

I truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to check out my covers, and those who participate in the comments sections, whether on the blog itself, the Facebook Fan Page or my X feed.  I always enjoy hearing feedback and I read every message with amusement, appreciation and interest. I may not respond to every idea for a future cover, but I see them all and keep a list of every one that I feel has potential. you'll never know when a team up you suggested a year or so earlier might suddenly show up.

It should be a fun year ahead.  STF #4900 will hit in a couple months, and then the march toward STF #5,000 will begin!  I never would have made it this far without the support and encouragement that I have received over the years. Thank you all for stopping by for your daily dose of team up fun!

The Quarrymen in: "Rock and Rule!"

 

I'm surprised that it took me until the fourth appearance of The Quarrymen to pit them against Terrax.  It seems like a natural confrontation, and I am betting that this former herald of Galactus will give them a run for their money.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Man-Bat Vs. The Abomination in: "We, Who Were Men Once..."

 

We've already seen the abomination a few times in live action, now it's time to get Man-Bat on the big screen.  He may be too out there for Matt Reeves grounded take on Batman, but James Gunn's more fanciful DCU seems like the perfect place for Kirk Langstrom's bestial alter ego to show up.

These two first faced off in STF #4491...

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Roger Rabbit and Batman

 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a thrill for me back in the day, watching cartoon characters from different companies crossing over with each other.  The only thing missing was a superhero appearance.  Sure it was too soon for Batman The Animated Series, but surely Max Fleischer's Superman could have done a fly by?

Monday, June 30, 2025

Godzilla Vs. Chemo

 

Both of these big bruisers came about as the result of scientific tampering.  It's only natural that they would clash if the crossed paths.  Woe be to anyone who is unfortunate enough to get between them!

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Power Man & Iron Fist and The Flash

 

There's a lot of speculation that James Gunn's DCU may concentrate more on Wally West than Barry Allen when The Flash is introduced.  I can understand them wanting to do something different after the TV series and the DCEU version, but I hope that Barry gets at least a little time to shine.  Maybe an adventure with Kyle Chandler's Green Lantern before he moves aside to make way for John Stewart to be the main GL of the DCU.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Captain America and The Question

 

Chris Evans is insisting that he will not be a part of Avengers: Doomsday, so the Steve Rogers Captain America will apparently continue to be off the board in the MCU if he is to be believed.  Still, the lackluster box office and critical reception of Sam Wilson's cinematic outing as Captain America may have Marvel thinking about bringing Rogers back at some point.  

Friday, June 27, 2025

Green Arrow and The Phantom

 

I had to de-clutter the original Phantom cover before I could add in Green Arrow to the mix.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:



Thursday, June 26, 2025

Iron Man and The Human Bomb

 

Uh oh!  Hopefully this isn't just a one-page comic story.  Tony Stark's armor will protect him, but what about the surrounding city?  The bombastic battle is only sixty cents away!

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Hawkman and Conan in: "The Hyborian Incarnation!"

 

I presented a tale in which Conan met Hawkman in the present day back in STF #1652, and I thought that a follow up cover should feature the winged hero showing up in barbarian times.  Hawkman has been reincarnated throughout the years, so why not?

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

The Micronauts and Nightwing & Flamebird

 

This is just the kind of crazy circumstance that I would expect to see  in a story about The Bottle City of Kandor.  I'd think The Micronauts would be right at home there, there must be a good reason that they want out.

Monday, June 23, 2025

Daredevil and Rose & The Thorn

 

Rose & The Thorn was a cool back up series.  It's too bad that the character has slipped through the cracks.  DC needs more heroines that are not just female versions of previously existing male heroes.

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Captain Marvel and Captain Action

 

Thank goodness that when a giant monster emerges on Earth-STF, there will always be a random pair of heroes to combat it.  Let's hope that these two are up to the task.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Ghost Rider and Vigilante

 

With all the trouble Marvel is having bringing Blade back to the big screen, I wonder how long it will be before we see Ghost Rider in the movies again.  Perhaps the answer would be a Midnight Sons type of film combining the two, and bringing in other characters like Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Photon Vs. Sinestro

 

I definitely think that this would be a cool match-up.  Their battle would also most likely provide the artist and colorist on the issue an opportunity to really step up with some impressive visuals.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

The Punisher and Hitman (Part Two)

 


Continued from yesterday's cover, we see that these two are diving head first into the challenge that awaits below.  Let's hope they have what it takes to live to tell the tale!

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The Punisher and Hitman (Part One)

 


These two probably would not have much interest in joining forces.  That conflict is just what would make for an interesting tale, however.  It would be a story too big to be contained to a single issue, though - so make sure you come back here tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Superman and Triton

 

I always liked the design of Triton.  As much as I enjoyed Aquaman and Namor as characters, Triton's appearance seemed to make a lot more sense for a hero that spends his time beneath the waves. Plus, he just looked really cool!

Monday, June 16, 2025

Moon Knight and Vigilante

 

Something about the Adrian Chase Vigilante series must have really inspired artists.  Going over the covers, I am really impressed by the consistent quality of them.  Every illustrator brought their A-game, and I can remember the issues really standing out on the racks back in the early days of the direct market.

Sunday, June 15, 2025

The Shadow Vs. Werewolf by Night

 

Uh-oh - Has Lamont Cranston been bitten?  And what will happen if he becomes a werewolf himself? The exciting answers are just 60 cents away!

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Avengers Vs. Composite Superman

 

If you were wondering where the rest of the Totalitarians were while Super-Skrull was battling Metamorpho a few days ago, well here is a partial answer to that question.  Let's hope that teamwork from Earth's Mightiest Heroes wins the day!

Friday, June 13, 2025

Firestorm and Nick Fury

 

There was a lot of clutter on the original Fury of Firestorm page that I needed to remove before I could add any new elements in.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:



Thursday, June 12, 2025

Katana and Valkyrie

 

Katana is better at wielding a sword, but Valkyrie has Asgardian strength to back her up.  This would be an interesting match up.  But just why would Brunnhilde want The Soultaker in the first place?

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Metamorpho Vs. The Super Skrull in: "Pliable Rivals!"

These two first battled in STF #4761, in a more Silver-Age style cover.  I thought that round two could have more of a Bronze Age feel.  Another month or so and we will finally get to see Rex Mason in live screen action!

 

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Tintin and The Phantom Stranger

 

There's nothing like a crisply detailed mystery to make for an entertaining afternoon of reading.  I'd like to see what kinds of secrets that this pairing could uncover together.

Monday, June 9, 2025

Falcon and Wildcat

 


These two heroes are used to more down to Earth, street level villains, so they might be over their heads when dealing with a cosmic entity like The Stranger.  I wouldn't count them out, though!


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