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...

Mickey Mouse and Batman

It's been fun checking out some of the classic cartoon shorts on Disney+.  They must have made an impact on me as a kid because  even though I haven't seen some of them for 45 years or longer, the memories of seeing them for the first time come flooding back when I watch them anew.

Batman last tangled with The Beagle Boys in STF #2901...

Captain Comet and Thor in: Blake and the Behemoth!"

In my mind, Thor is still Don Blake.  I'm not sure why that aspect of the character eventually went away in the comics.  I like when heroes have secret identities, and this was one of the cooler ones.  Plus, the sight of an unassuming surgeon with a permanent limp striking his cane on the ground and transforming into the God of Thunder was always awesome to see.  I miss that.

Captain Comet and Thor were first revealed to be cousins in STF #2292...

Doom Patrol and The Hulk

I liked this version of The Doom Patrol, even if the newer members didn't have as much of a "freak" element to them.  I thought that Joshua Clay, Tempest, was a cool character with an interesting power set.  I don't really remember seeing him anywhere in the DCU after Grant Morrison took over the title.  Was he killed off, de-powered, or just forgotten about?

Shazzan and The Fantastic Four

This is a team up I always hoped I would see.  After all, both properties were a part of Hanna-Barbera's World of Super Adventure, a cartoon anthology that aired when I was a kid. Alas, they only appeared together in the opening credits.  Still, that was enough to get my young mind reeling with the possibilities.

Black Panther Vs. Bane

Much like the concerns about Robert Pattinson's physique for his upcoming role as Batman, here has been some online discussion about Chadwick Boseman's current appearance.  Recent social media posts have shown him to having apparently lost weight and looking quite different than he did as the Black Panther.  Maybe it's for another role, or maybe that's just his normal look between projects.  Given the delays in Hollywood filming there's probably plenty of time to work out and bulk up before shooting on the sequel begins, so I don't think there's much cause for alarm at this point.

Supergirl and The Silver Surfer

If the MCU is indeed building to the introduction of Galactus, they have to bring in The Silver Surfer at some point.  But what is the best way to go about that?  Do we want a stand-alone Silver Surfer movie, telling the story of Norrin Radd's transformation into the Sentinel of the Spaceways?  Or would we like him to show up in another movie?  Since namor seems to be on track to make his MCU debut first, perhaps he can get together with Dr. Strange and the Hulk for a Defenders movie that will center around the Surfer's arrival.

Huntress and Hawkeye in: "Sister... Hacked!"

This is the sixth appearance on the blog featuring these heroic siblings.

They first appeared together in STF #505...

Next, they had a twisted family reunion in STF #1387... 

which continued into the next issue, STF #1388...

Then they visited their parents in STF #1877...

And the last time, they ran afoul of gangs in STF #2625...

In fact, I think it's time they get their own label:  Hawkeye/Huntress...

Hellboy and Wonder Woman

Fans got their way with the announcement that the Snyder Cut of Justice League will be completed and presented on HBO Max.  Now there's lots of talk of an Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad, since much of that movie was lost in editing.  It's nice to know that studios pay attention to some of these online movements.  I wonder what it would take to allow Guillermo Del Toro to complete his Hellboy Trilogy, after the poorly received reboot all but killed the franchise.

The Light Brigade in: "Illuminating Evil!"

I'm hoping that we get a full trailer soon for WandaVision.  Despite delays, the series is still set to debut on Disney+ before the end of the year.  I mostly want to see how Monica Rambeau looks, and if they manage to give her a costume close to her classic appearance from the comics.

This is the Third Appearance of The Light Brigade - they previously battled Blackheart in STF #2690, and first appeared in STF #2170...

Superman & Captain Marvel Vs. Galactus

Superman previously faced off with Galactus in STF #428, and it looks like he's called in a reinforcement for the second round here...

Interesting to hear that Henry Cavill will be back in the role of The Man of Steel, but only as a guest star and not in his own movie.  Some are speculating that he will show up in Black Adam, but that movie is sounding pretty jam packed already.  Maybe he'll show up in a Flashpoint movie that resets the DCEU?

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.

Fighting American and Captain America

Some more Jack Kirby today, this time a double dose.  The thug here reminds me of another thing that Kirby excelled at - depicting ugly mugs for villains and creatures.  No wonder he did such a memorable job on characters like The Thing, Darkseid, The Demon and The Hulk.

Hawkman and Hercules in: "Outnumbered... on Olympus!"

I'd say that between the two artists featured on this cover,  a generation of creators was inspired and created.  Jack Kirby was the master of huge concepts, the use of exaggeration to depict power and action, and a brilliant designer of machinery and devices.  Joe Kubert excelled at landscapes, the physical form and pacing - and created a school where he could share his vast knowledge.  I can'y imagine what comics would look like these days had these two legends not been a part of the scene.

Herc previously met Hawkman in STF #849... and they also shared a Golden Age adventure in STF #1795...

Han Solo Vs. Aliens

And Han thought that battling a swarm of Mynocks was a handful!  Let's hope he is aware of the acid blood when shooting at such close range... and that Chewie is close by to offer some back up!

This tale takes place not long after Luke Skywalker's Alien encounter in STF #1363...  and another Harrison Ford character faced of against the Alien Queen in STF #1665...

Red Tornado and Mr. Fantastic

This cover features two artists that rank high among my favorites, and who were both gone far too soon.  Mike Wieringo and Don Newton each had very distinctive and instantly recognizable styles, and it was always a treat to see which projects and characters they were working on next.  Both were also at the height of their careers during their untimely passing.  We were fortunate to have enjoyed a wealth of their talents, and I can  only imagine the further contributions to comic art they would have made if they were still with us.

Black Racer Vs. Thanos

One change that the MCU made for Thanos was his motivation.  He wanted to eliminate half of all life in the universe to restore his twisted sense of balance, while in the comics, he was trying to impress the living embodiment of Death, who he was obsessed with.  I can understand why the change was made, that might have been a tricky concept to pull off.  Then again, Cate Blanchett's Hela was realized perfectly, perhaps the Goddess of Death could have taken Lady Death's place.

The Flash and Iron Man in: "Monkey Suit!"

It will be interesting to see how The Mandarin is handled in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  The bait and switch that Marvel pulled with an actor portraying the villain in Iron Man 2 was one of the few times that fans really had a problem with a choice made for the MCU.  I'm glad there's a second chance to get him done right.

The Flash and Iron Man have shared adventures on the blog before - They were last seen together in STF #2546, and had a two-part tale that began in STF #1164 and concluded with their future counterparts in STF #1165...

I... Vampire Vs. Morbius

I have to admit that I had very little interest in the Morbius movie until i saw the teaser trailer for it a while back.  The brief glimpse of Jared Leto in full Morbius make up looked great, far more faithful to the comics than I was expecting.  Then, Michael Keaton shows up as Adrian Toomes (The Vulture) at the end!   Now I am curious to see how much it will tie into the MCU/Sony Spider-Man movies, and who else might show up in the film.

Doctor Doom Vs. Catwoman

It seems like Zoe Kravitz will be sporting a costume like the one above when she appears as Catwoman in Matt Reeve's upcoming Batman movie, from what I have been able to discern from set reports.  I think that she will look great in the role, and I really hope that she and Robert Pattinson have great on-screen chemistry.  A mutual attraction between Selina Kyle and Batman/Bruce Wayne that the audience buys into is a key element, and can provide a through line for a trilogy if done well.