Yondu and Green Lantern, Green Arrow & Black Canary

 

With the down to Earth feel of the upcoming Lanterns series on HBO Max, I'm surprised they didn't just go for a true hard travelling heroes type show and include Green Arrow into the mix.  Hopefully Ollie and Dinah will get their chance to shine eventually in the DCU.  Yondu first met Green Arrow in STF #3109...

Warlord and Man-Thing in "A Tale of Interdimensional Tension!"

 

This cover serves as a direct continuation to STF #2207. Let's hope that these two are finally done fighting and can find a way to work together. I'm still hoping that Man-Thing will make a return to the MCU.

Machine Man and Green Arrow & Black Canary

 

One of the things that I hope to see in James Gunn's DCU is the relationship between Green Arrow and Black Canary.  Arrow touched upon it, but that series was much more interested in the archer's feelings for Felicity Smoak.  I think that Gunn is a fan of the characters, so hopefully he has some plans up his sleeve.

Aquaman and Ms. Marvel

 

Now that Jason Mamoa is officially the Lobo of the DCU, I wonder what that means for Aquaman.  I am assuming it will be some time before we see him in live action, but when we do, what direction will the James Gunn-led universe take?  Will we get something closer to the classic comics version?

Green Arrow Vs. Bullseye in: "One Perfect Shot!"

I'm looking forward to Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.  I haven't seen any sign of Bullseye in the promotional material, so I don't know if he is expected to show up in this upcoming season.  That would be too bad, they spent so much time building up the character on the Netflix series.

Green Arrow and Bullseye first clashed in STF #2505...

Spider-Man and Karate Kid

 

Avengers: Doomsday is about to begin filming, and I wonder what Spider-Man's role in it will be.  I am sure Marvel will want to include him, but his new status quo after No Way Home means that all of his ties to Earth's Mightiest Heroes are gone.  How will a loner like him fit in with the rest of the action?

Songbird and Vibe

 

This epic battle of sound-based heroes and villains comes from a suggestion by Christopher Daly, a Patron of this blog.  I'm thinking that the letterer on this issue would have a chance to really be able to go to town with some of the sound effects within.  Thanks, Christopher! 

Legion of Super-Heroes and Warlock

 

My only real nitpick with Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 was the portrayal of Adam Warlock.  The man-child thing is a bit overdone in the movies, and he didn't really remind me of the character I read in the comics.  Hopefully he will be depicted a bit more faithfully if he should appear un the future.

The Legion of Super-Heroes and The New Warriors

 

Well, this certainly looks like it will be a crowded issue.  Let's hope that the LSH and their time traveling visitors can stop tripping over each other long enough to face of against whatever threat has brought them together!

The Avengers and Warlord

 

Marvel has had the jump on DC when it comes to getting their characters and concepts into the movies for a while now, but DC has had a few wins so far.  Getting their version of Atlantis on the screen before Marvel could introduce Namor was a big one.  Now I am wondering which prehistoric society will show up first - Warlord and Skartaris or Ka-Zar and the Savage Land?  I haven't heard of plans for either, but I hope we'll see one or the other in the next decade.

Legion of Super-Heroes and The Black Knight

 

Presenting Part One of a Two-Part Epic!  It looks like The Black Knight has traveled a long way to find one specific Legionnaire.  But which one of the future heroes depicted on this cover is he hoping to recruit?  Make sure you come back tomorrow for the thrilling conclusion!

Green Lantern & Green Arrow Vs. The Frightful Four

Warner Bros is taking their sweet time bringing Hal Jordan back to the movies.  There's the long ago announced and slow moving Green Lantern Corps series for HBO Max, but he wont be part of that.  By the time he hits the big screen again, we'll be ready for a new Oliver Queen as well - so why not bring them back together?  I'd be up for a Hard Travelling Heroes movie!

 

Warlord and Tarzan

 

I'm kind of surprised I hadn't featured this pairing before, but better late than never!  It also gives me the opportunity to feature the artwork of the very talented Mike Grell.  I enjoyed his work on Green Arrow back in the day, and I was glad to be able to pick up a sketch by him:

Defenders and the Legion of Super-Heroes

 

I'm surprised that I haven't paired up these two teams until now, I had to go back and check just to be sure.  There's enough variety in the memberships of DC's premiere Super Team and Marvel's official Non-Team that any number of line ups could make for an exciting tale with lots of contrasting personalities and power sets.  I'm still hoping to eventually see big budget live action treatments for either team.

Aquaman in the Marvel Universe

 

For this Anniversary Issue, I thought that it would be fun to spotlight one DC hero that never received the 100-Page Giant treatment back when that format was popular in the 70's.  Such an oversight must be remedied, and this blog is just the place to do it! This marks the first time Aquaman has met these characters, except for The Punisher - they also shared an adventure in STF #1438...

Imperial Guard and Legion of Super-Heroes

 

I've been meaning to get both of these groups together on a cover for a while, but it has always been a challenge, given the huge rosters that each team has.  It's more like teaming up two armies! Looking at the final cover, one thing really stands out to me - Dave Cockrum really knew how to design costumes!  

Ka-Zar and Warlord

The Savage Land is one locale we have not seen (or even had mentioned) yet in the MCU.  I wouldn't be surprised to see it show up one day though.  I mean, Marvel heroes vs. dinosaurs on the big screen?  Take my money now!  Maybe once the X-Men are up and running, we'll get a cool Sauron plot.

Green Arrow and The Falcon in: "Stung by the Scorpion, Held Hostage by Hyde!"

Looking back, it seems odd to me that for his first several appearances, The Falcon did not even have his iconic wings yet!  How do you create a superhero named The Falcon, and not give him the ability to fly?  Fortunately, that oversight was remedied before too long, completing one of the coolest looking Bronze Age hero costumes.

Green Arrow and The Falcon also shared an adventure in STF #2837...

The Legion of Super-Heroes Vs. The Avengers

I thought I would present one giant story for this Anniversary Issue.  I previously featured these two teams meeting in STF #1300, but I wanted to revisit the concept in a bigger way.  So, you see the match-ups presented here - who do you think comes out on top when these super-groups clash?

Iron Man and Aquaman in: "Trouble with the Double!"

Rumors persist that Robert Downey Jr. is not quite done with the role of Iron Man after all.  There has been speculation that he will either appear as an AI character or at least a voice inside of a suit of armor, mentoring Riri Williams or whoever the next Iron Man will be.  I realize that the impermanence of death is a staple of comics, but I think it is too soon for this, and I'd think that RDJ wouldn't want to dilute the character's sacrifice that way.  At this point, the one place I wouldn't mind his return is to voice Tony Stark in the What If? animated series.

Aquaman and Iron Man first met in STF #471... and met again in STF #2525...