Ant-Man and Wonder Woman

 

This is a rare case where I used an actual Super-Team Family cover to make a lost issue. Some prep work was required before I could add in Ant-Man.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress: 

Magnus: Robot Fighter and Swamp Thing

 

These two heroes may not have much in common with one another, but it would be cool to see them fight side by side.  All it would take is the right kind of adversary to bring them together.  I think that these mechanical menaces would fit the bill nicely.

Animal Man and Machine Man in: "Man To Man Defense!"

 

These two heroes first appeared together in STF #4095, and I thought I would bring them back together.  The FGG (Foreground Gun Guys) are back, and someone has to take them down, after all!

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...

Elongated Man and Ant-Man & The Wasp

 

I always enjoyed the backup tales featuring Ralph and Sue Dibny involved in a quick mystery.  Clever twists and cool stretching scenes made them a delight to read.  I can definitely see Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne joining in on of their investigations.

Starfire and Doc Samson

 

Can even Dr. Leonard Samson help these battling Tamaranians find some common ground, or would he just get caught up in their ongoing feud? I don't know, but it would be fun to read about!

Steel and Doctor Doom

 

I always liked the story when Iron Man and Doctor Doom were forced to work together when they were stuck in medieval times.  I thought I would give that concept its own STF spin.  The jury is still out for me as far as Tony Stark becoming Doctor Doom, though - we'll have to see how the movies handle that.

Iron Man Vs. Brainiac

 

I am thankful today for all of the visitors to this blog who have sent feedback, comments and suggestions, and I hope that all are having a wonderful day today.  

This is another match up that has been long overdue on this blog.  The intellect of Tony Stark up against the AI evil of Brainiac seems like a natural. Let's hope his run-ins with Ultron have taught the Armored  Avenger a few tricks to use here.

Iron Man and Darth Vader

 

Ken Roskos, a Patron of this Blog, suggested I pair these two together, and I was surprised that is was a match up that I had not gotten to yet.  I fondly remember Iron Man's reluctant team ups with Doctor Doom, and I think that a tale like this could give the same vibe.  

Iron Man and The Flash (Times Two!)

 

Time for a double dose of these heroes!

The Flash and Iron Man have shared adventures on the blog before - They were last seen together in STF #2962, they faced a moving violation in STF #2546, and had a two-part tale that began in STF #1164 and concluded with their future counterparts in STF #1165...

Iron Man and Ice

 

There have been talks of having Robert Downey Jr. return to the role if Iron Man, along with other deceased or retired Avengers.  I know that Marvel Studios is in a slump now, but the way to correct things is to not saturate the market with sub-par product.  Hopefully they will go back to what worked in the first place - concentrating on a few movies and shows a year and maintaining close quality control.  To bring back characters that have already completed their arcs will smack of desperation unless it is really done well.

Aqualad and Iron Man

 

An oddball pairing here but this was a case in which I noticed that I had a couple of images that seemed to go together well.  I can definitely see a story that mixes both Manhunter and Stark Tech.  Garth doesn't get enough respect, especially these days, and it would be nice to see him take center stage again.

Black Lightning and Iron Man

 

There's still plenty of talk of bringing Tony Stark back to the MCU, either as an AI program in Armor Wars or Ironheart or back to life in one of the upcoming Avengers movies due to the machinations of Kang.  If Marvel Studios goes through with this, I hope they are very careful about it.  I'd hate to see his emotional sacrifice from Avengers: Endgame undermined.  Robert Downey Jr. isn't getting any younger either, he'll be in his 60's by the time the next Avengers movies are released.  Time will tell if any of this actually comes to pass, I just hope plenty of thought is given if they go this route.

Hercules and Vixen in: "Hunted... On The Honeymoon!"

 

This marks the eight appearance of the Herc/Vixen team, and we see that there may be a few hiccups on the way to wedded bliss.  Hey, this is comics, nothing ever seems to go completely smoothly with superhero weddings!  Hercules in the MCU has some very fun possibilities - and the actor chosen to play him has me wanting to see more.

Iron Man and Robin

 

I'm a little surprised that I haven't done this pairing before.  I can see Tony Stark and Dick Grayson attending the same high society event when villains crash and they have to suit up, it feels like a natural story.  Plus, they look pretty cool together.

Coming tomorrow: STF #3800!

Vixen Marries Hercules

 

I've put this couple through enough - for the lucky seventh appearance of the Herc/Vixen romance, I've decided to give them a happy ending and finally have them tie the knot. Wonder Woman marrying Captain America has proved to be one of my most popular covers, so I felt this blog could use another wedding, even if the path there may not have been a completely smooth one for Herc and Mari.  Will it be smooth sailing for the happy couple from here on out?  Only future covers will tell that tale.

Vixen and Hercules in: "Love's Last Breath!"

 This marks the sixth appearance of the Herc/Vixen team, and it looks like Mari McCabe was just a little too late in reciprocating Hercules' affections. What good is a comic book romance if you can't inject a bit of tragedy? This cover also finally allows me to include The Recorder, a character I was introduced to in the 80's Hercules Mini-Series.  I always got a kick out of that guy, and I have been meaning to use him for years.

Hercules and Vixen in "Hercules: Prince of Charming?"

 

This marks the fifth appearance of the Herc/Vixen romance, so I thought that it was time that they received their own tag.  Vixen is at last finally giving the smitten demigod a chance - let's hope he doesn't blow it.  Time (and future covers) will tell if she starts to truly reciprocate his feelings.

The Metal Men vs. Ultron in: "Downloading Depravity!"

 

The Metal Men previously clashed with Ultron in STF #1836...

I enjoyed seeing the ultimate Ultron in the last couple of episodes of What If on Disney+, but one moment had me scratching my head.  SPOILERS for the final episode follow:

When Thanos arrives with the Infinity Stones to collect the final one from Ultron, Ultron uses the mind stone to immediately slice him in half, instantly killing him.  A cool and shocking moment to be sure - but why couldn't The Vision do the same in Avengers: Infinity War with his Mind Stone, instead of trying to destroy it?  I know there was a comment about how the Stones have slightly different properties in different realities, so I suppose that's a loophole.  Still, The Vision could have at least tried to use it in that way against Thanos.

Iron Man Vs. Doctor Light

 

I am always happy to use an Iron Man image featuring the talented artwork of Bob Layton.  There's something about how he makes it shine that puts his depiction above all others for me.  Many years back, I commissioned an Iron Man vs. Dr. Doom illustration from him, and he went above and beyond and recreated an entire classic cover for me.  I could never afford an actual cover original, so receiving this was a real treat: