Adam Strange and Magnus: Robot Fighter

 

Giant robots wrapped in a science-based mystery is just the type of situation that would get these two together.  I'd love to see them share an adventure.

Superman Vs. The Red Skull

 

The promotional materials for the new Superman movie should be ramping up soon with the release date getting closer.  I am looking forward to seeing a full trailer, but who am I kidding, I'm already sold by the teaser (and honestly, they had me at Metamorpho) - maybe I should skip it to avoid spoilers?  Who am I kidding again, I know I won't be able to resist watching!

Batman Beyond and Space Ghost

 

This is a cartoon special that I would love to see.  These heroes have two simple yet amazing costume designs that are perfect for animation, and it would be glorious to see them together.  The Space Ghost appearance on Batman: The Brave and the Bold is one of the highlights of that series.

The Punisher Vs. Nexus

 

This is another cover that looks relatively simple, but required a bit of prep work.  I had to remove and replace Nexus's targets prior to adding Frank Castle in.  Here is a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Coming Tomorrow:  STF #4600!

Spider-Man and The Challengers of the Unknown

 

The fourth Tom Holland led Spider-Man movie now a go according to the actor.  Rumors have swirled from the plot being tied in heavily to the two upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars films to a smaller, more street level adventure.  I think that I would prefer the latter.  I loved the status quo set up at the end of the last movie, and would like to see that explored a little before he gets mixed up with a big crazy universe-changing story again.

The Thing and Hawkman & Hawkgirl

 

This is the Thing's third outing with Hawkman.  They first appeared together in a MTIO cover from my MS Paint days, then they had a classic adventure in STF #3632. I thought that it was time for Hawkgirl to get in on the action.

Spider-Man and The Guardian

 

We've seen Peter Parker put his smarts to work for various companies over the years, so why not Cadmus Laboratories?  I think its a simple set up that could lead to all kinds of fun stories.

Nexus and Grendel

 

Grendel and Nexus were two characters that I didn't read much of when they first appeared, as the titles that they appeared in weren't available where I shopped.  Still, I thought they looked really cool from what I did see of them, and I was a fan of both Steve Rude and Matt Wagner - so I made a point to seek out some of their adventures later on.  Great stuff.

Space Ghost and The Tick

 

While Space Ghost Coast to Coast was a fun series, I preferred the Hanna-Barbera star as a straight up hero.  But who could take his place for hosting duties?  Given his outgoing personality, I thing that The Tick would be the perfect candidate for such an assignment.

Doctor Doom on the Planet of the Apes

 

I remember the early 70's when Apes were everywhere.  My brothers and I would watch the Planet of the Apes TV series and we had lunch boxes, trading cards action figures and more dedicated to the post apocalyptic franchise. Something about that monkey world really grabbed my young imagination.

Superman and Cyclops

 

When The X-Men finally come to the MCU, one of the main things I want to see is a far better treatment of Cyclops.  The previous actors in the role did a fine job, it's just that they were not given much to work with.  Fans want to see Scott Summers as the seasoned field leader we know from the comics rather than a straight man relegated to the background until he is unceremoniously killed off.

Wing Command

 

There was a discussion in a comments section a while back about creating an all-winged team.  I originally thought it would be tough to do given the space that winged characters generally take up on a cover, especially with all the different candidates for such a team. I figured I would try the concept but limit it to heroes that have feathered wings, and that seemed to be more manageable.

Space Ghost Vs. Doctor Doom

 

I featured this match up as one of the back up tales in STF #3100, but I felt that it was strong enough to deserve an issue all by itself.  Actually, this scene looks to be taking place merely moments after the one depicted on that cover.  Consider this an expanded version of that classic tale!

Coming tomorrow: STF #3500!

Superman's Pal, Jonny Quest

 

I am happy to combine the artwork of two greats for this cover.  Doug Wildey is an artist that I was aware of, but began to truly appreciate when looking for Jonny Quest images for this blog.  I have been a huge Steve Rude fan for many years.  So  much so, that I commissioned three sketches from him, and purchased up a page of his from Spider-Man: Lifeline:

Super Friends and Birdman

 

Wendy and Marvin didn't do much for me as a kid watching The Super Friends.  I know the idea was for me to see what it was like for someone closer to my age to hang out with the World's Greatest Super-Heroes, but in my imagination, I wanted to actually be a hero, not just a bystander.  The Donnie and Marie-inspired Wonder Twins were a better solution, since they actually had powers and could participate in the action.  Still, like the first two companions, they had no comic book counterparts, so I never got very attached to them. 

Deadman and Jonny Quest

 

I was looking for something to read recently and picked up a digital TPB of Neal Adam's recent Deadman work.  His artistic skills have not waned much at all over the years, and it's great to see his innovative panel layouts and dramatic character poses.  The story was just crazy though, with a wild plot that was hard to keep track of.  I wasn't complaining that much because it gave Adams an excuse to draw Batman, Zatanna, The Spectre, The Phantom Stranger and The Demon as well as Boston Brand. He left the tale with seeds for a sequeland I'll definitely check out any follow up that he decides to create.

The Galaxy Trio and The Fantastic Four (And More!)

 

Ever since I saw Marvel's Fantastic Four share the opening credits for Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure with HB's stable of heroes as a kid, I have wanted to see an honest to goodness meeting between these two comic universes.  Alas, the Hanna-Barbera superhero seem to restrict their crossovers to DC characters these days, but there's no reason we can't imagine what it would be like for the Marvel heroes to get in on the action here at STF: The Lost issues!

The Guardian and Captain America in: American Outlaw!"

This was another tricky cover to put together - all those shards of glass! It took some time to isolate and position them all, not to mention removing unwanted elements from the original Captain America #222 splash.

Cap and The Guardian have crossed paths before on the blog - they swapped shields in STF #2336, they had a Kirby-Illustrated adventure in STF #790, and they first met one another in STF #69... Cap also met the Manhattan Guardian in STF #2571...

Space Ghost Vs. Darkseid

The live action Scooby-Doo movie may have not been a masterpiece, but it did well enough at the box office to warrant sequels.  I wonder why we haven't seen more Hanna-Barbera properties given the big screen treatment.  Space Ghost would be my first choice, although The Herculoids or Jonny Quest would be great to see as well.  Heck, the should get a whole interconnected HBCU going!

Doctor Strange and Doctor Mid-Nite

Doctor Mid-Nite has one of my favorite Golden Age costume designs.  It always kind of reminded me of a pirate for some reason.  It looks like something that someone would actually pull together with random items of clothing.  Even with five colors it all works well together.

Bob Greenwade, a Patron of This Blog, suggested this doctorly meeting, thanks Bob!