Expansion Team in: "Whatever Lengths Necessary!"

 

Presenting the sixth appearance of the Expansion Team!  I was very happy to hear that Incredibles 3 is in production, it will be great to see more Elasti-Girl action.  Reed Richards will be back in Avengers Doomsday, but the trailer shows that he still has that stupid mustache.  Either shave it or grow a beard to go with it, Pedro Pascal!

Mister Miracle and Hawkeye

These two are usually seen together as teammates on The Roustabouts, and I thought that I would give them a side mission for this issue.  Let's hope they can turn the table on these two wagering rascals!

 

The Freedom Fighters Vs. The Avengers (100-Page Giant!)

 

Looks like we have another full-issue throwdown on our hands!  Let's hope they can sort out their differences and all get together for a slam bang finale in the last 10 pages!  Here are some closer looks at the stories included in this Anniversary Issue:

X-Men and The Atom (Part One)

 I'm not sure if it's the similarly styles Silver Age costumes, but The Atom looks like he fits right in with the X-Men here.  They are called the Children of the Atom, after all.  Make sure you come back tomorrow for The conclusion of this story, where we discover which X-Men villain has been toying with Ray Palmer..  

Superman and Mary Jane

 

A scene like this could set up quite the divergent timeline.  It would be interesting to watch unfold.

Has anyone checked out Superman and Spider-Man's recent real world crossover, and was it any good?  I'm waiting for these new DC/Marvel crossovers to be collected in digital and then I plan to check them out, but I'd love to hear your opinions.

Superman and Spider-Man have had a history on this blog as well - They were last seen together sporting their black costumes, Superman gathered heroes to find a missing Spidey...  There was a movie of their classic crossover... once they underwent an identity crisis... and once they decided to have a car fight.

Red Tornado and Captain Marvel (Part One)

 

Shoulder pads, buccaneer boots, a cape with a high collar and a red/purple color scheme - Red Tornado's original costume had all the earmarks of the silver age.  Somehow, he still made it work, though.   This is only Part One of this tale, make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Halo and Thor

 

Halo's costume makes her look right at home on the rainbow bridge.  That was enough to suggest a story to me, as I always enjoy using this criminally underrated DC heroine.

Justice League of America and Nova in: "Take One For The Team!"

 

There has been speculation as to who will make up the members of the Justice League when they eventually appear in James Gunn's DCU.  What I'm interested to know is if we will be getting the JLA Satellite as a base for the team.  While I liked the design of the satellite on the Justice League animated series, I'd prefer to see the classic version from the 70's-80's comics.  

Nova Previously met the JLA in STF #3429

Power Pack and Robin

 

It's only fitting that these kids cross paths with comicdom's first sidekick.  I'm still waiting to hear details on the planned Batman: The Brave and the Bold movie, and whether Dick  Grayson will plar a role, as Damian is the rumored Robin of that story.

Brother Voodoo and The Phantom Stranger

 

The Phantom Stranger is a character that I really hope shows up on screen in the new DCU.  I can see him showing up as a supporting character in multiple films.  It would be a great role for an actor to have fun with, but who best to cast?

Moon Knight and Hawk & Dove

Being the youngest of 5 boys in my family, I knew all about battling brothers growing up.  So the bickering between siblings that I read in their adventures rung true to me.  At least they still worked together in the en. Poor Moon Knight had to bicker between his own multiple personalities.

 

Banshee and Blue Devil Vs. Mongul

 

This marks the fourth appearance of the Cassidy Cousins.  They  faced their unlucky curse head on in STF #4414, They met up with their Uncle Ted in STF #4282, and first were featured together in STF #3875...

Batman Vs. The Green Goblin in: "Breaking the Vow!"

 

Norman Osborne enjoys going after a hero mentally as well as physically, so I can see him pulling out all the stops to mess with Brice Wayne's head.  Batman first faced off against The Green Goblin on an MS Paint B&B cover way back in 2011...

Katana and The Swordsman

 The  Swordsman was introduced in the Disney+ Hawkeye series, and I hope it isn't the last that we will see of him in the MCU. We saw Katana in the DCEU, but she was very underutilized.  Let's hope the character gets more of a chance to shine down the road in the DCU. 

Black Canary and Ms. Marvel

 

I'm a little surprised that I haven't paired these two blonde heroines together yet.  Something tells me that they would get along well.  Maybe they would even have the makings of a World's Finest type of team.

The Vision, Frankenstein Jr. and Red Tornado

 

This is the first time that either has met Frankenstein Jr., but The Vision and red Tornado have crossed paths before in The Lost Issues - They battled The Construct in STF #2054, They investigated "who stole humanity?" back in Issue #1272 , merged programming Issue #971 and first met in an early MS Paint cover in Issue #44

The Guardian and The Guardian

 

Evert since I had these two appear together in a back up tale for STF # 665, I have received requests for them to get a full issue to themselves.  It took a while, but I finally got around to doing just that.

Firestorm and The Beast

 

Two of my favorite heroes duking it out with demons for 22 pages would be enough incentive for me to pick up this issue.  Ronnie Raymond works well with intellectual types like Hank McCoy, so I see this as a winning combination.

Edna Mode and 4 Famous Co-Stars

 

If you are going to wear a big initial on your costume, just be sure you are aware of who you are standing next to!  Let's hope these guys can get some fashion tips from superherodom's top designer!

Jonah Hex and The West Coast Avengers

 

We've seen stories where Hex moves ahead in time, but I like it when heroes from the future come back to visit him as well.  I remember really liking the two part story in Justice League of America #198-199, where the leaguers met a bunch of DC's Western heroes.  I would be cool to see the Avengers do the same.