Marvel vs DC
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DC vs Marvel Comics or Marvel Comics vs DC is a four-issue limited series intercompany crossover, published by DC Comics and Marvel in 1996. The series is written by Ron Marz and Peter David, with art by Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini.
Plot summary
Two entities that are brothers, personifying the DC and Marvel universes, become aware of each others' existence. They challenge each other to a series of duels involving each universe's respective superheroes, with the losing universe ceasing to exist. There are eleven primary battles between the heroes, with the outcome of five fights being determined by fan votes. Marvel receives more votes than DC, although the storyline does not show one side as being victorious. Marvel's Living Tribunal and DC's Spectre, two cosmic beings who claim to serve God, temporarily merge their respective universes into the Amalgam universe. The Amalgam universe is occupied by merged versions of many characters, such as Dark Claw (a merging of DC's Batman and Marvel's Wolverine), Super-Soldier (Captain America and DC's Superman), and Spider-Boy (DC's Superboy and Marvel's Spider-Man). An interdimensional traveler called Access eventually manages to restore the universes to their normal state, but the two brothers subsequently begin a climactic final battle that threatens to destroy the universe. At the last minute, however, Batman and Captain America- having been taken by Access to confront the brothers- are able to make the brothers cease their conflict, as the two men are essentially the brothers in miniature- each of them are forever unique among their peers as ordinary men who dedicated their lives to a greater purpose, and yet they,unlike the brothers, do not seek to prove their superiority over each other-, forcing the brothers to acknowledge the foolishness of their continued conflict.
In 1997 the miniseries won the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Limited Series.
Matches
There were 11 matches: 6 pre-written and 5 based on fan votes.
In the pre-written battles:
- Aquaman defeats Namor the Sub-Mariner
- Elektra defeats Catwoman
- Flash defeats Quicksilver
- Robin defeats Jubilee
- Silver Surfer defeats Green Lantern
- Thor defeats Captain Marvel
In the fan-vote battles:
- Batman defeats Captain America
- Spider-Man defeats Superboy
- Storm defeats Wonder Woman
- Superman defeats The Hulk
- Wolverine defeats Lobo
Other match-ups were briefly featured, including Steel vs. Iron Man, Martian Manhunter vs. the Thing, Dr. Fate vs. Doctor Strange and Hawkeye vs. Green Arrow. However, the outcomes of these confrontations aren't shown.
The Spider-Man which faced Superboy during the crossover was actually Ben Reilly, a clone of Peter Parker. Reilly willingly assumed the mantle of Spider-Man so that Parker could have a normal life with Mary Jane Watson and his unborn child.
