The Destroyer and Batman

 

I had to groan when I saw that The Batman Part II has been delayed yet again and now will not come out until 2028.  That probably also meant that we won't see Batman join the DCU until after that (if the DCU lasts that long between poor reception and company mergers).  Hopefully whatever Matt Reeves has planned will be worth the six year wait for a sequel.

Fantastic Four and Space Cabbie

 

More recent versions of Space Cabbie depict him with a very futuristic looking taxicab.  There was something cool to me about the original version, just a regular looking taxi with a big ol' fin in the back, zipping through the cosmos.

Wonder Woman and The Thing

 

Reed Richards could have used that lasso, I seem to remember one member or another of the Fantastic Four getting mind controlled on a semi-regular basis back in the day.  The Thing first met Wonder Woman way back in 2011, on an MS Paint MTIO Cover...

Metal Men Vs. The Absorbing Man

 

This could be an interesting match up.  Would Crusher Creel be able to absorb the team's shapeshifting abilities in addition to their metallic properties? I'm thinking that would make for a more exciting battle, so if I was the writer, I'd say yes. 

OMAC and The Jack of Hearts

 

A lot of prep work was required on the original image before I could add out heroes in.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes process:

Black Panther and Superman

 

Here's another pairing tat I have been meaning to get to for a while. It looks like they have their work cut out for them with these glowing monstrosities.

Captain America and Green Arrow in: "A High-Rise Heist!"

 

I was surprised to realize that I had gone this far without featuring a team up between these two heroes.  To make up for it, here's a Golden Age adventure - And up next tomorrow will be a Bronze Age style cover featuring them together as well.

Giant Man and The Chalengers of the Unknown

 

The Microverse certainly fits into the category of the unknown, so it's only natural that The Challengers would be interested in exploring it.  Who better the serve as a tour guide than Hank Pym?

The Fantastic Four and The Phantom Stranger

 

Haunted houses are bad enough, but a haunted Baxter Building, including Reed's Lab? That's a whole new level of trouble to deal with.

Batman and Nighthawk in "Battle of the Billionaires!"

 

It looks like these two rich boys are at it again!  They were last seen fighting over a gold digger in STF #1295, and they first appeared together frightened side by side in on of this Blog's earliest covers...

Bulletman and Captain America

 

I remember being surprised when I first encountered Bulletman in the comics.  Here he was appearing in a Justice League/Justice Society crossover - and I didn't realize DC had the rights to the character.  Up until then, I had seen him only as an action figure, I thought he was part of the G.I. Joe line. I'm still not sure how he got mixed in with the rest of those Real American Heroes.

Sun Boy and Devil Dinosaur

 

This is a meeting I've had in the back of my mind for a while.  Of all the locales presented in the MCU movie, I am a little surprised we haven't seen The Savage Land yet.  Oh well, just another thing to get to once everything is probably rebooted after Avengers: Secret Wars.

Elongated Man Vs. The Absorbing Man

 

So this is where Ralph's been while his wife was out looking for him! I always thought that Crusher Creel could be a mighty force for good with his power set, but alas, he just doesn't have the mindset for that kind of life.

Iron Man and Captain Comet

 

Jack Kirby mastered the art of action in comics and his design sense was an inspiration to all. Murphy Anderson made everything look sleek and lavish, especially when he was on full art chores, but still quite evident when he served only as inker. I was glad to combine their two styles here.

Samurai Jack and Groo

 

This pairing comes about from a suggestion by Jeff O'Hare, a Patron of this blog.  Thanks, Jeff! though these two have quite different personalities, they share a warrior's spirit.  I think that they would actually work well together.

The Hulk meets The Guardian & The Newsboy Legion

 I had some pretty crazy neighbors during my 20 years living in Brooklyn, but it was nothing like this.  Let's hope they can find some community building exercises to work on together.

Machine Man and The Demon

 

Kirby was as great at designing monstrous creatures as he was at designing futuristic mechanics.  A story that combined both really gave him a chance to show off his talents.

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:

The Atom and The Thing

 

Al Pratt seems to have a similar personality to Ben Grimm, and I think that they would get along.  That is, unless they were manipulated into battle by a creep like The Wizard! 

Jimmy Olsen and Professor X

 

I'm looking forward to seeing Patrick Stewart as Professor X one more time in Avengers: Doomsday.  I just hope he doesn't die in the movie, though.  We've already seen Professor X killed off in X:Men 3, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The poor guy can't get a break - only Thomas and Martha Wayne have had more on-screen deaths!