DC vs. Marvel
| DC vs. Marvel | |
|---|---|
The cover to the first issue of DC vs. Marvel. Art by Dan Jurgens.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics Marvel Comics[1] |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Hitchens |
| Publication date | April – May 1996 |
| Number of issues | 4 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Ron Marz Peter David |
| Penciller(s) | Dan Jurgens Claudio Castellini |
| Collected editions | |
| DC versus Marvel Comics | ISBN 1-56389-294-4 |
DC vs. Marvel Comics (issues #2–3 titled Marvel Comics vs. DC) was a comic book limited series crossover published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from April to May 1996. The series was written by Ron Marz and Peter David, with art by Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini.[2]
Two godly brothers who personify the DC and Marvel Universes become aware of the other's existence, and challenge one another to a series of duels involving each universe's respective superheroes. The losing universe would cease to exist. The story had an "out of universe" component in that the outcomes of primary battles were determined by readers voting.[3]
Numerous smaller, story-driven skirmishes occur throughout the series, not counted with the primary duels meant to determine the outcome between the brothers.[4]
There were eleven battles fought between the two universes:
- Aquaman (DC) vs. Namor (Marvel). Aquaman won by crushing Namor with a whale.
- Elektra (Marvel) vs. Catwoman (DC). Elektra won by cutting off Catwoman's whip as she hung from a girder on a building under construction. Catwoman survived by falling into a dumpster filled with sand.
- Flash (DC) vs. Quicksilver (Marvel). Flash won due to his superior speed.
- Robin (DC) vs. Jubilee (Marvel). Robin won by using his cape as a decoy and then by tying up Jubilee.
- Silver Surfer (Marvel) vs. Green Lantern (DC). Silver Surfer won when both collided with each other and released a huge explosion which knocked out Green Lantern but Silver Surfer was unfazed.
- Thor (Marvel) vs. Captain Marvel (DC). Thor won when Captain Marvel was forced to change back to his alter ego Billy. Billy tried to change back but Thor exerted control over him using the magic lightning and the resulting blow caused his hammer to fly off and Billy to fall unconscious.
There were other primary battles, with the outcomes determined by a vote by the readers:
- Superman (DC) vs. Hulk (Marvel). Superman wins with a one-punch knockout on the Hulk, although they were evenly matched in raw power (of note, this comic took place during the "Professor Hulk" phase, wherein the Hulk retained Bruce Banner's full intelect at the cost of full strength).
- Spider-Man (Marvel) vs. Superboy (DC). Spider-Man wins by tying up Superboy with impact webbing and electrocuting him with high voltage.
- Batman (DC) vs. Captain America (Marvel). The match ends in uncertainty--though both are evenly matched after hours of combat, a sudden flushing of the sewer knocks Cap off balance as Batman manages to strike him with a Batarang. Batman rescues Cap from certain death via drowning, but Cap's unconsciousness from nearly drowning causes him to lose.
- Wolverine (Marvel) vs. Lobo (DC). Wolverine beats Lobo in a brutal barfight which was largely off panel.
- Storm (Marvel) vs. Wonder Woman (DC). After Diana drops Thor's hammer in order to allow the fight to happen as it was intended, Storm wins the battle after repeatedly hitting Diana with her lightning after a brief melee encounter.
Collection edition
The series was collected into a trade paperback titled DC versus Marvel Comics (collects mini-series and Doctor Strangefate #1; 163 pages; September 1996; ISBN 1-56389-294-4). Two versions of this paperback exist with one edition having DC winning three of the five fan voted battles and another version of the trade paperback with Marvel winning three of the fan voted battles. In both editions only Superboy and Lobo lose their respective bouts.
