Madman and Ant-Man and the Wasp

Continued from yesterday's cover, we see where Madman has gone missing, and who is behind it all.  It's a good thing that Bill Foster's allies are already on the case! Mr. Mind previously tangled with Ant-man & The Wasp in STF #4553 and Ant-Man and Captain Marvel in STF #3901...

Atom and The Wasp in: "Behind the 8-Ball!"

 

I love the Gil Kane-designed costume for The Atom.  Recent appearances of Ray Palmer have him sporting a new suit, but nothing compares to the classic original look for me.

The Atom and The Wasp have shared some previous adventures on the blog - They first crossed paths in STF #216... they fought back an Inch High Insurgency in STF #768... they faced off against The Cannoneer in STF #1646... they battled Kang and Chronos with Ant-Man in STF #1844, and are both members of Microforce...

Booster Gold and The Avengers in: "Skip Day!"

 

A lot of prep work was required to remove Spider-Man before I could add Booster Gold in to this image.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes progress:

Booster first met The Avengers back in STF #3114...

Hawkwoman and Wasp

 

Hawkgirl was the only character that didn't really work for me in the new Superman movie.  I didn't mind Isabela Merced in the role, but she just seemed like a normal girl with wings, rather than a reincarnated warrior with ties to an alien culture.  Perhaps the character herself is not aware of her origins yet, and that side will be explored in future appearances.  Also, wasn't the movie supposed to be about Superman inspiring his fellow heroes?  She didn't seem very inspired when she straight up murdered one of the bad guys, and I thought that moment undermined the theme of the film.

Avengers and Green Lantern in: "Infinity Fever!"

 

Hal Jordan first crossed paths with The Avengers way back in STF #5, an MS Paint effort from 2011. I'd say it was high time for another meeting - although this encounter looks just a fraught with friction as the first!

Avengers Vs. Composite Superman

 

If you were wondering where the rest of the Totalitarians were while Super-Skrull was battling Metamorpho a few days ago, well here is a partial answer to that question.  Let's hope that teamwork from Earth's Mightiest Heroes wins the day!

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.

Ant-Man and The Wasp Vs. Dex-Starr

 

Ant-Man and The Wasp received their Power Rings in STF #3993, and I thought it was time to send them on a mission. What better Green Lantern to join them than the diminutive yet daring Xax?  Let's hope they can keep one step ahead of the ferocious feline Red Lantern!

Ant-Man & The Wasp vs. Mr. Mind

 

We kept getting teased with Mr. Mind in the Shazam! movies, but he never got more than quick cameos.  He's just the kind of odd character that James Gunn seems to like, though - so I am holding out hope that he will eventually get his due in the new cinematic DCU.

Hourman meets Giant-Man and The Wasp

 

Hourman originally met this pair in a back-up tale in STF #3408, and I thought that tale deserved a full length sequel. Plus, it gave me the excuse to use an Olympics related title.

Martian Manhunter and The Avengers

 

This all-Kirby classic required some prep work before I could add in J'onn J'onzz.  Here's a look at the behind the scenes process:

Green Arrow and The Wasp

 

Oliver Queen has seen his fortunes come and go, so I can see him hobnobbing with jet setter Janet Van Dyne at some point.  When the venue they are attending is compromised by the likes of HYDRA, you know that action would be sure to ensue!

Avengers and The Teen Titans in "Mad March of the Mega-Men!"

 

I've had the Avengers meet The New Teen Titans on the blog - first in STF #1250, and then again in STF #3179, but for this Anniversary Issue, I thought it would be cool if Earth's Mightiest Heroes had an epic adventure with the original Teen Titans team.  With two such powerful teams, I needed to find adversaries that could give them a run for their money, and that's where the classic Kirby monsters come in!

Here are larger images of the individual stories:

The Wasp and The Flash

 

There were many factors that went into the underperformance of The Flash, but the character itself was not one of them.  Let's hope that we don't have a situation like with Hal Jordan, who was taken out of all movie plans for over a decade due to his movie not hitting the mark.  I'm guessing it will take until Justice League: New Frontier is released before we see a new Barry Allen (or Wally West?).

Green Lantern and Ant-Man & The Wasp

 

We've seen Green Lanterns of all sizes, from microbes to entire planets - so there's no reason these two diminutive heroes can't get in on the action.  It might be fun to see them explore the Microverse of OA.

Can we really only be a week away from STF #4000?  I'll give you a tease about what to expect:  An oversized cover featuring an adventure between a major DC team and a fan favorite Marvel mutant group that have yet to meet on the blog, which will take them to various exotic locales.  Then, some extras - A new STF-inspired Saturday Morning cartoon line up plus a big look at STF-related swag... the toys and games and merchandise from over the years that never existed - but should have! Of course, there are a few covers to go before that which I hope you will enjoy (including a couple of comment suggestions fulfilled).

The Avengers Vs. Poison Ivy

 

It may seem like a lopsided match at first - But if Ivy was on her turf with the ability to turn an Avenger or three to her will through mind controlling spores or something, she just might give Earth's Mightiest Heroes a run for their money.  It would be fun to watch play out at any rate!

Ant-Man & The Wasp Vs. The Legion of Doom

I had seen superhero cartoons before, but nothing prepared me for Challenge of the Super-Friends.  Here not only did the Super-Friends expand their roster, but they also battled The Legion of Doom, an army of DC supervillains, in every hour long episode!  It may seem quaint now, but for 9 year old me it was like a summer blockbuster every Saturday.

Tigra and Cat-Man (Part 5 of 7)

 

As we hit Part 5 in our week-long tale, and it looks like Tigra wants to bring the team back together again - but why would she after all that's happened?  And just who is this new master that she mentions?  There's more to this story, so make sure you come back tomorrow for chapter 6!

Giant-Man and The Wasp Vs. Brainiac

 

Principal filming has completed on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and I have one major question about the production:  Just who is Bill Murray playing in the movie, anyway?  I'm trying t think of a Marvel character he might be portraying, but I can't come up with anything that convinces me.  My only real guess is that maybe he is playing an older version of Scott Lang that shows up due to some Kang related time travel shenanigans.

Microforce (The Animated Series!)

 

Microforce first appeared in STF #1690... and I thought that this team would be a candidate for another cartoon adaptation.  There's been rumors of an Atom film being prepared by Warner Bros.  I'd love to see it if only to see how DC will handle a shrinking superhero story differently than Marvel's Ant-Man movies.