Amalgam Comics (1996, 1997)
If the first official Marvel/DC crossover is strange in its mundanity, the second goes in the total opposite direction. When the two universes collided in the mid-’90s, they created a new universe, one consisting of mash-ups between characters from the two worlds: Superman and Captain America combine to create Super Soldier, Batman and Wolverine are Dark Claw, and Superboy and Spider-Man become Spider-Boy. Sometimes, the combinations were sweaty (Speed Demon mixes the Flash, Ghost Rider, and the Demon Etrigan), but they were often inspired, as with the Hal Jordan/Tony Stark combination Iron Lantern.
Sonic the Hedgehog Meets Spawn (1998)
Ask any Sonic the Hedgehog fan and they’ll tell you about how weird things got when Ken Penders was writing Sonic the Hedgehog for Archie Comics, but the strangest moment might be in Sonic Super Special #7, written by Penders and drawn by Jim Valentino, in which Sonic and his pals met Spawn, the Savage Dragon, Shadowhawk, and other characters from the Image Universe.
While Image has become a respected publisher of intellectual, creator-owned comics, the company was still in its infancy in the 1990s, and mostly traded in obnoxiously edgy knockoffs of Marvel and DC heroes. No, Shadowhawk doesn’t break the backs of any racists in Mobius and Savage Dragon doesn’t punch through Doctor Robotnik, Sonic and Knuckles do briefly encounter the Hell-born warrior Spawn in a dark alley.
Marvel/Guiding Light (2006)
As much as some fans are loathe to admit it, superhero comics are soap operas. So it’s kind of surprising that superheroes and soap operas only officially crossed over once. On the long-running series Guiding Light, Harley Cooper (Beth Ehlers) briefly gained superpowers after being electrocuted. Putting on a costume, Harley fight evil doers for a little while as the Guiding Light, before losing her abilities. In 2006, however, the Guiding Light returned, this time in the pages of a Marvel Comic by writer Jim McCann and art collective Udon Studios. Here, the Guiding Light helps Spidey and the Avengers battle Venom, Doc Ock, and other baddies. The team-up is short-lived, and all involved go back to their own separate, but equally ridiculous, adventures.
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash (2007)
Of all the crossovers on this list, this is the most disappointing. The idea of seeing Bruce Campbell’s Ashley J. Williams do battle with Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees is so compelling that New Line Cinema tried to get Campbell and Sam Raimi to bring it to the screen. So a comic book version should be a pretty good substitute, right?
Well, maybe, if it had a different creative team. Published by DC’s Wildstorm imprint and Dynamite Entertainment, written by James Kuhoric, and penciled by Jason Craig, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash takes the treatment that Jeff Katz wrote for a movie and amps up the nastiness. The basic concept is solid, with Freddy stuck inside Jason’s mind after Freddy vs. Jason and seeking out the Necronomicon to get more power.
