Superman and Rick Jones

 

I'm a little surprised that we have not heard from Rick Jones in the MCU.  With strong ties to The Hulk, Captain Marvel and The Avengers, he's one of Marvel's most enduring supporting characters, and it would be cool to see him find a place on the big or small screen.  Maybe the lack of solo Hulk projects has been a problem, not to mention all but writing Mar-Vell out of existence in favor of skipping right to Carol Danvers.

The Synthetic Six

 

I have a group of robot heroes on this blog in Robo Force, but I thought for this team I would use heroes that were once fully human, only to begin new lives in powerful artificial bodies.  I think that such a fate would drive me bonkers, so I have to admire that these characters choose to use their new forms to help others.

Hercules and Vixen in: "Hunted... On The Honeymoon!"

 

This marks the eight appearance of the Herc/Vixen team, and we see that there may be a few hiccups on the way to wedded bliss.  Hey, this is comics, nothing ever seems to go completely smoothly with superhero weddings!  Hercules in the MCU has some very fun possibilities - and the actor chosen to play him has me wanting to see more.

Beta Ray Bill and The Metal Men

 

I was laughing to see yesterday's comments lead to a conversation about Beta Ray Bill, knowing that he was scheduled to show up today.  Hey, have you guys been peeking?

Harley Quinn Meets Throg and Cosmo

The new season of the animated Harley Quinn has ended, with another season in the works.  While I enjoy the show, I do have to take exception with the depiction of most of the heroes on the show, especially Commissioner Gordon and Batman, everyone is played off as some kind of a fool. I try to see the series as Harley's interpretation of events, though, and the version we viewers see is one that has been filtered through her crazy psyche.

 

Blonde Phantom and Wildcat

 

I've already established that Tigra is Wildcat's niece on this blog, and I thought it might be nice to give the JSA's resident pugilist a sister as well.  I come from a big family - I have four brothers and two sisters, so stories about relationships between siblings have always appealed to me.

Captain Britain and Firestorm (Part Two)

 

For the conclusion of this two-part tale, we see the reason for Brian Braddock's actions in the previous issue.  Let's hope our heroes can get control of the city's residents before it's too late. There was some talk of Henry Cavill moving over to the MCU to play Captain Britain, but now all the chatter seems to be about him returning to play Superman in a few cameos.  Stories seem to change every few days, so who knows how things will all pan out.

Captain Britain and Firestorm (Part One)

 

These guys have two of my favorite costumes in comics, so I thought it might be cool to see them together.  I'm not holding my breath waiting to see live action versions of either one, though!

This is only Part One of a Two-Part Epic, so make sure you come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Indiana Jones meets King Kong

 

There's been a bootleg trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie floating around, but I'll wait for an official clean copy is released to watch it.  Still, it's receiving positive praise  and Harrison Ford's emotional speech to the audience at D23 about how proud he is of it have me cautiously optimistic.  The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull may not have been well received, but hopefully this final installment will give Indy the proper sendoff that he deserves.

Tintin, Snoopy and Underdog

 

What's better than dogs?  Dogs in space! I can't imagine what sort of mission would call for the aid of these three pooches, but it might be fun to watch it play out. 

Cloak and Dagger and Sandman

 

In Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, it was explained that dreams were a peek into variant versions of yourself.   Since we are still in what Marvel is calling The Multiverse Saga, that certainly opens up the possibility of Nightmare finally making his MCU debut.  Perhaps in a third installment of Doctor Strange, or maybe as the villain in a Midnight Sons type of movie featuring Blade, Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, Elsa Bloodstone and so on. 

Hawkman and Union Jack

 

It's interesting how tastes in art change over the years,  As a kid, I remember being very put off by the work of Frank Robbins when I first saw it on a Batman story.  As I grew older and began to expand my horizons beyond the traditional DC and Marvel house styles, I started to understand the appeal of his dynamic style with exaggerated physicality and thick heavy lines. His comic strip work really won me over.

Wolverine Vs. Man-Bat

 

Do you prefer Man-Bat as a full on villain, conflicted bad guy, or as a straight up ally to Batman and others?  I like him as basically good, but misunderstood and struggling to maintain the balance between his human and savage side.  For that reason, I can see him being somewhat of a Kindred Spirit to someone like Logan.

Batman and Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse

 

I thought I would Pair Batman up with another Bob Kane creation, Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse.  While Kane was famously assisted by the too long uncredited Bill Finger, this cartoon spoof of the Dynamic Duo was all his concept. Hmm - now that I think about it, Courageous Cat's costume looks a lot like the original costume Kane had planned for Batman, before Finger redesigned it to come up with the classic outfit!

Plastic Man and Doctor Who

 

It might be a while before we see Plastic Man in the big screen, but he might be a good candidate for an animated series or at least one of those DC Showcase shorts.  I enjoyed his appearances on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and even remembering liking his original cartoon from when I was a kid, as cheesy as it may have been.

Ragman and The Hulk in: "The Rage Within!"

 

We saw The Hulk head back to Sakaar after his appearance in She-Hulk on Disney+, which raises the question of just what his next storyline in the MCU will be.  Will he have a son waiting for him there? Will he become a Planet Hulk type ruler?  Mr. Fixit? Whatever his next move is, I hope it involves the return of his classic savage personality. 

Ragman first crossed Paths with The Hulk in STF #1259...

The Avengers Vs. The Crime Syndicate in: "Assembled... and Assaulted!"

 

This is the third meeting between these two teams, and this time around, I figured that I would opt for a Silver Age era match up.  They've previously had a Bronze Age style clash in STF #738, and entered into a Modern Age uneasy alliance in STF #3744...

Wonder Girl and Marvel Boy

 

Once I started this cover, I began to wonder what took me so long. Not only do their names seem to go together, their costumes do as well - it seems like a natural combination.

I'm always happy to use artwork by Irv Novick, an underrated talent that illustrated many of my favorite Silver and Bronze age tales.  I was lucky enough to pick up a couple of original page by him several years ago, one with inks by Dick Giordano, the other by Murphy Anderson:

...and one with inks by Murphy Anderson: 

Swamp Thing and Storm

 

This is not a team-up that I would instantly think of, but when I decided on the hook, the story potential really appealed to me.  It would be interesting to see Ororo enter this new stage in her evolution.

I was happy to use the artwork of the amazing Steve Bissette here.  I was lucky enough to pick up a sketch by him many years ago:

The Terminator goes Back to the Future

 

With all the timeline jumping that each of these franchises has done, I figure it's only a matter of time before they bump into each other.  I get a kick out of the idea of Doc Brown and Marty doing their best to avoid having Judgment Day becoming a reality.