Marvel and DC’s biggest heroes duke it out in this wild crossover. Fans determine the outcome of the fights, resulting in an immersive experience that showcases each character’s powers and abilities.
The Jade Giant and the Man of Steel collide in this fun, non-canonical story. Kurt Busiek and George Perez created an epic, action packed story that every fan should read.
1. The Death of Gwen Stacy
The death of Gwen Stacy was a landmark moment in comics. For the first time a main character was killed off without an explanation. Marvel was experimenting with new storytelling formats at the time, and Gwen’s death helped them discover what works and doesn’t work.
It wasn’t an easy death for readers either. The story was so traumatic that many fans stopped reading the book altogether. It wasn’t until later that the writers realized that they had pushed the limit of what their audience could handle, but they also found that it made them create some truly groundbreaking stories.
The death of Gwen is still a memorable moment for comic book fans because it made a strong impact on the world of superheroes. It isn’t often that a major love interest gets killed off, and the fact that Gwen had no real family or friends made it even more shocking for fans. That being said, the death of Gwen was far from the end of her story, as she has since returned multiple times.
2. The Hulk vs. Batman
The most famous Marvel vs DC crossover of all time, this story pits the two biggest characters from each company against each other. It is an improbable and silly story that is great fun to read, with gorgeous art. It is a throwback to the 70’s and 80’s when cross company events were rare enough that it was a big deal when Superman showed up in Spider-Man or the Hulk appeared in Batman.
The story takes place in an alternate reality that makes sense given the Hulk’s backstory but it brushes any concern about continuity under the rug. The Joker manipulates the Hulk into going along with him and at times the Joker becomes God-like and goes berserk bending and twisting reality.
While the story is a bit slanted towards Batman it still works and provides fans with a good chance to see two iconic heroes from different companies square off. One example is a scene where the Hulk hurls a car at Batman and he avoids being crushed by performing a dive roll through both side window panels. This is a stunningly cool moment that is a testament to the indulgent suspension of disbelief that comic book readers have.
3. Phoenix Force
The Phoenix Force has existed throughout the Omniverse for billions of years, and it has saved multiple universes from destruction. It was stolen by Necrom, who used a portion of his own essence to incubate it on Earth.
Its power is unlimited and it can heal or destroy everything it touches. It is immortal, and if it is killed it will resurrect itself from the ashes. It can also create new life.
The most famous incarnation of the Phoenix was Jean Grey, who was a member of both the X-Men and the Avengers. She was a powerful hero with immense destructive power. Marvel editors were hesitant about how dangerous and unbalanced Jean had become, and the decision was made to kill her off.
The retconned Phoenix Saga storyline spawned a spin-off called Phoenix Force, which features a team of incredibly powerful heroes who are able to draw upon the power of the Phoenix. The members of the team include Yakov Katzenelenbogen, a French-Israeli commando; Gary Manning, a Canadian demolitions expert; Keio Ohara, a Japanese martial arts master; Karl Hahn, a German GSG 9 operator who took part in the Iranian Embassy Siege and a tour of duty with Castro’s prison guards; and David McCarter, a Cockney soldier who fought in Vietnam and is a former SAS operator.
4. JLA vs. Avengers
After a lot of talk and one false start, the first intercompany Marvel-DC crossover was a massive success in 2003. Written by fan favourites Kurt Busiek and George Perez, JLA vs Avengers set out to bring together the two flagship superhero teams of the day in a high-stakes adventure.
It all starts with Krona, the cosmic villain introduced in Green Lantern back in the ’60s, who begins a quest to unlock the secrets of creation by visiting various universes, causing apocalyptic cities to appear and disappear and mind-controlled civilians to roam the streets. He also visits the Marvel Universe, and is confronted by an angry Avengers roster.
Of course, the heroes all rally to fight the threat. The slugfest between Superman and Thor is especially spectacular, with the Man of Steel taking on the God of Thunder’s mighty hammer Mjolnir. The book also saw the Avengers move away from being ‘The American Team’ by having a Wakandan leader lead the team (a nod to their real world origins). It wasn’t perfect, and it certainly didn’t revolutionise comics, but it was a solid and enjoyable read for fans of both worlds.
5. Avengers vs. X-Men
The X-Men and Avengers have crossed paths many times, but rarely to this extent. Previously the teams clashed in House of M, X-Men: Disassembled, Onslaught and more. But when the Avengers break Utopia sovereignty to kidnap Hope Summers, a mutant born from the Phoenix Force and with ties to Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants, it sparks a war between the two teams.
Kieron Gillen was at the helm of this five-issue miniseries, and it’s not a light event cash-in. The story arc is meant to transition the X-Men into the new status quo established by the Avengers relaunch, Marvel NOW.
It’s a solidly constructed story with a ton of action, but it also does well in giving breathing room to key characters and in providing fans with legit character beats. The X-Men’s team of heroes is represented well, and there are some great scenes between Hope and Nova or Scott and Emma. Even the more low-profile characters like Magik and Namor get a moment in this story. For that reason, it’s a worthy addition to the Marvel vs. DC crossover canon.