Description

DC versus Marvel / Marvel versus DC            Comics Lot
Writers: Ron Marz & Peter David
Artists: Dan Jurgens, Claudio Castellini, Joe Rubenstein & Paul Neary
Inkers: Dan Jurgens, Claudio Castellini, Joe Rubenstein & Paul Neary
Colorists: Gregory Wright & Digital Chameleon
Letterer: Bill Oakley
Editors: Chris Duffy, Joe Andreani, Mike Carlin & Mark Gruenwald
Covers #1,4 by: Dan Jurgens & Joe Rubenstein
Covers #2,3 by: Claudio Castellini & Paul Neary

In early 1996, the two largest publishers of comic books decided to team up to produce an epic storyline in which characters from one publisher would fight characters from the other. Fans have always wondered who would win if, for example, Superman battled the Hulk, or if Namor fought against Aquaman. The outcome of these battles was decided solely by fan votes.

In the midst of the series, the Marvel and DC universes actually merge, creating an “Amalgam” universe. Here, the world is populated by super-hero hybrids such as Spider-Boy, Speed Demon, Doctor Strangefate, Super Soldier, and Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D

Story/Spoilers
In issue #1, A mysterious box in a Manhattan alley begins emanating a strange light. The light breaks free from the box, and spreads throughout the world. Anyone tagged by one of its shafts disappears, only to reappear in a parallel universe. Spider-Man gets struck by a shaft and ends up in DC’s Gotham City, where he meets the villainous Joker. Likewise, Juggernaut finds himself transported to DC’s Metropolis, where he arouses the ire of Superman. Both worlds struggle to understand these paranormal occurrences, but life continues. Heroes and villains adjust to their new surroundings and engage new enemies in battle. Reporter Clark Kent discusses these strange events with his new photographer, Ben Reilly, but both men conclude that it’s something only a higher power can understand. They turn out to be wrong, as neither the Spectre nor the Living Tribunal comprehend the disturbances throughout the fabric of their respective universes. Elsewhere, two unknown cosmic beings reach out to each other across the void between realities.

Next in issue #2, The story opens with Axel Asher, whose consciousness is invaded by images of the Brothers. They even appear in the pupils of his eyes. He starts sweating and has trouble walking, having to lay down on the hood of his car for a moment. A police officer approaches and thinks Axel is drunk or on drugs. Axel enter his car, but the officer instructs him to step out of the vehicle. Another police officer approaches and questions the credentials of the other one. He is not familiar with him and he has been working the city for 9 years. It soon turns out that they are both police officers, but from different cities. One works for New York City and the other for Gotham City. As the Brothers gain awareness of one another, the worlds seem to mingle together, as seen when New York City people find themselves suddenly in Gotham City.

It is soon evident that Axel and the police officers are not the only ones affected by the phenomenon. Near them, Wolverine emerges from a sewer. He is engaged in combat with Killer Croc. Reporter Clark Kent and photographer Ben Reilly co-worker record the fight. The two partners secretly plan to ditch each other, change into costume, and intervene.

A scared Access leaves his wrecked car and realizes he is an unfamiliar area of the city. He steps into a familiar-looking alley and finds an familiar man desperately trying to prevent a glowing box from being torn apart. The man seems to recognize him and asks for his help, though there is not enough time for him to explain how Axel can help.

Elsewhere, Thanos watches the potentially cataclysmic fluctuations of the universe and smiles. His smile fades when he hears a loud “boom”. He turns around and sees a smiling Darkseid. Back on Earth, Captain America is fighting Bane. He throws his shield against Bane and it misses its target. Bane mocks the abysmal aim of the Shield-Slinger.

Back on New York/Gotham City, a confused customer enters a shop. It is full of “Looney Tunes” and “Pinky and the Brain” merchandise. The customers claims he was in this store the previous day and none of this stuff was here. He asks the store manager what happened to the display of X-Men merchandise. The manager has never even heard of the X-Men. The two men apparently come from different worlds. Their conversation is interrupted when Wolverine and Killer Croc continue their fight within the store.

Nightwing has been observing the fight between Killer Croc and Wolverine. He decides that they are both “bad news” and resolves to intervene. Nightwing fails to notice Gambit standing behind him and getting ready to attack him. While flying on the air, Storm and Wonder Woman have a chance encounter. Storm shouts “goddess” in surprise. Diana thinks Storm has misidentified her as a goddess, and explains that she is an Amazon.

Elsewhere, Bane has apparently defeated Captain America, whose shield is apparently flying aimlessly. Bane is about to break the back of his opponent and wonders why Cap threw away his only weapon. The shield changes course like a Frisbee and lands on Bane’s head. His head collides forcefully with the ground, leaving him unconscious. Captain America wins this battle and comments that his strategy works.

Meanwhile, the Lizard is surveying Gotham City. He has yet to notice that Batman is following him. However, he gives up his tracking of the Lizard when he notices Nightwing fighting Gambit. Batman’s priority is to help his former partner.

Nearby, the unnamed man tells Axel that he is trying to preserve the box (and the universes) with duct tape. This does not work and light emerges from the box, tearing it apart. Light also emerges from the eyes and mouths of the Spectre and the Living Tribunal, who comment that it it too late.

In the merchandise store, the battle is apparently over. Nightwing is trying to explain to Batman that a “Cajun” (Gambit) tagged him pretty good. When he came around the Cajun run off with someone else (Wolverine). He theorizes that the two of them are probably miles away. Batman is not so certain. They hear the sound of a familiar motor and go check out the source. They see that Wolverine and Gambit have stolen the Batmobile. Inside the car, Wolvie is driving. He plans to drive the vehicle to Westchester County and to consult Charles Xavier about what is going on.

Nightwing is frustrated and wonders what else can go wrong this night. The scene briefly shifts to the Batcave, which is being explored by Mole Man and his Moloids. Batman tells “Dick” to calm down. He wants to know from where did Gambit and Wolverine come from, and believes tracking them will be easy. He also hopes to get a clue on the whereabouts of the missing Robin, who he fears is in danger. Robin is actually in Jubilee’s bedroom, having a pleasant conversation with her. She keeps complimenting his fashion sense and seems smitten with her guest.

Suddenly there is a blinding light over the Batmobile. Wolverine screams in pain as his senses are going on overload. The same mysterious light appears to several people, both normal average humans and super-powered individuals. Among them are Batman, Captain America, Superman, Hulk, and Thor. The unnamed man explains to Axel that he has tried to hold it back, tried to do the job he has been doing for ages. But he failed. Now the Brothers have noticed each other and the battle has been joined. He warns Axel not to go insane from what he is about to see.

The next image is a giant panel of the two Brothers, as their story starts being told directly to every being witnessing. One is a red giant with some blue details on his body, the other a blue giant with some red details on his body. They stare at each other. The heads of various characters are seen witnessing the scene and reacting to it. The story begins. In the beginning there were two entities. They were called “Brothers”, although they were also sisters, sexless, and everything in between. They were yin and yang, good and evil, the mainyu. They encompassed the whole of everything, except each other. Each was simply “me”. Once before they faced each other in battle. They unleashed forces which ended all creation and began all creation over again. In the explosion of death and rebirth, the Brothers were blasted apart. Their shattered essence fractured the newborn universe into a multiverse. Fragments of their essence blew in all directions. As the universe spread, so did the Brothers. It took them eons just to remember they had consciousness. They had to think before they could be. In all that time, their memory of each other had vanished. But due to recent cosmos-shaking events that tore the fabric of the universe and redefined reality, the Brothers have now become aware of each other once more.

The red Brothers has an image of the Spectre in its eye. The blue Brother has an image of the Living Tribunal. The story continues. The Brothers have once again realized that each of them was no longer “me” but “us”. But they could not continue to exist with their lack of uniqueness. Nor is either of them whole. In their battle centuries-ago, parts of each of them ended up in the other Brother’s universe. Both of the Brothers desired to be whole and unique. But they have learned the futility of facing each other in a head-to-head struggle. They have observed and understood the existence of their respective cosmic guardians, the Spectre and the Living Tribunal. This gave them the idea of a solution to their problem. Based upon their belief that each of their respective universes is intrinsically superior to the one of the other Brother, they will choose representatives to fight for them. They will choose part of their respective super-powered beings and place them in battle against each other. This battle will be the war to end all wars, and the end of one universe.

The problem is that some of these chosen champions are so powerful, that a battle between them could continue forever with no true conclusion. The Brothers resolved this problem by setting some simple rules. When one champion manages to immobilize his/her opponent, the battle ends and he/she is the victor. The equivalent in Earth-wrestling of pinning one’s opponent. Whichever side loses the most matches vanishes forever. Each pair of heroes will be summoned, when it is their time, to a place of battle. They must battle each other, and can not refuse. Because if they refuse, nothing will stop the Brothers of going to war themselves. Instead of one universe perishing, that war will mean the end of everything. The story of the Brothers ends.

Each of the Brothers reveals his champions by briefly having them stand on his hand. The hand of the blue Brother includes Aquaman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Catwoman, Flash, Green Lantern, Lobo, Robin, Superboy, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The hand of the red Brother includes Captain America, Elektra, Hulk, Jubilee, Namor, Quicksilver, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man (Ben Reilly), Storm, Thor, Wolverine.

As the story and vision ends, the scene returns to Axel and the ummamed man in the alley. The box is still glowing, but now seems stable. Axel asks for further information on what he has learned. The unnamed man reminds him of the lost parts of the Brothers, which they lost in the Big Bang. He suggests calling them “shards”. The shards take different forms. Some of them collected together and became vortexes of barely containable power, creating inter-dimensional gateways. The box is one of them. Other shards became parts of living beings, souls. These beings have various states of self-knowledge, always seeking for a purpose in life. They are never happy and are always wandering. They are certain that they are part of a greater whole, but never know what part or what whole. Many of them go insane or destroy themselves. A few of them spend their lives wandering and unfulfilled. Every so often, one or two of these beings become aware of what they are. The unnamed man identifies himself as one of these aware shard-beings. He then identifies Axel as another of them.

The first battle is about to begin, the chosen champions being Thor and Captain Marvel. They introduce themselves to each other, and learn that they both possess the power of gods. Before the battle, the two decide to kneel and pray to these gods. Elsewhere, Thanos and Darkseid are facing each other. The Brothers have not chosen them as champions, but they want to fight anyway. Darkseid in particular states his belief that Thanos is a pale imitation of himself.

Lois Lane walks at night and discovers that ordinary people have taken an interest in the battles, by placing bets about which champion will win each fight. She finds it incredible that the fate of the universe is hanging on balance, but people are actually placing bets about it. She is suddenly grabbed by two villains, Jonathan Crane and Ebenezer Laughton. They are both called the Scarecrow and have teamed-up to abduct Lois, as a “valuable hostage”. She is rescued by her co-worker “Peter Parker” (Ben Reilly using an alias), who uses unarmed combat moves to knock out both villains. “Peter” decides to lead the shaken Lois to the Daily Planet, where they both work. Superman flies above and realizes that Lois is being attended to. He decides not to intervene, though he notices “Peter” is being a bit too affectionate with Lois and feels slightly jealous.

The battle of Captain Marvel takes place in a carnival. At the entrance of the carnival Rick Jones and Snapper Carr are acting as promoters to the battle and edging people to place their bets with them. Inside the carnival, the two heroes exchange mighty blows already. The Captain is less than enthusiastic about the cause of their fight. In his view the Brothers are “cosmic babies” who have to learn to play nice together. He suggests finding a way to convince them, but Thor observes that they do not have enough time to do this.

The Captain lifts and throws an entire Ferris wheel at Thor, who uses Mjolnir to shatter the object. Large pieces of debris land on the Captain and threaten to immobilize him. He uses the phraze “Shazam” to turn himself into Billy Batson. He then slips easily through the debris. Thor is intrigued to learn that the Captain has a smaller, weaker alter ego. He notes however that this alter ego seems healthy, unlike Donald Blake who is “lame of leg”.

Billy uses the phrase “Shazam” to try and return to the Captain Marvel form. Thor figures that lightning holds the key to his opponent’s power. He decides to use Mjolnir and his own powers to prevent this lightning from ever reaching Billy. The lightning effect throws energy all around and stuns Thor himself. He is left, however, relatively unharmed while Billy Batson is knocked unconscious. Thor wins the fight, though he notes that he dislikes the nature of this victory. He quickly realizes that Mjolnir has vanished, and fears the otherworldly lightning had an effect on his hammer. He wonders where did Mjolnir land.

Somewhere else, Wonder Woman discovers Mjolnir landing in front of her. She reads an inscription on this “ancient Norse battle hammer” (as she calls it), which says that whoever holds the hammer and is worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. She finds worthiness to be inherently subjective but is intrigued. She tries to lift it and starts being bathed in energy.

In an underwater location, the battle between Namor and Aquaman has already begun. It is not going well. Namor keeps trying to punch his opponent and finish the battle quickly. Aquaman uses his agility to evade every attack, but does not seem to attempt any counterattack. Aquaman mocks his opponent for being “musclebound and slow”. Aquaman then tries to reason with Namor, by claiming they are too evenly matched. He ends speaking in mid-sentence to swim away and head for the surface. Namor starts chasing him.

The scene switches to a tank truck in the middle of nowhere. The trucker and his son converse about the Brothers. The two encounter the Flash and Quicksilver, who have apparently turned their race into a speed race. The Flash observes that Pietro might be the fastest man alive in his universe, but he still can not keep pace with him. The Flash uses his super speed to deliver punches on Pietro, who is too slow to avoid them. Wally comments, however, that they would be better as friends than enemies. Pietro informs him that he already has more than enough friends and enemies, he is not looking for additional ones.

The runners do not watch where they are going, as they focus exclusively on their opponent. They almost collide with the tank truck, which swerves to avoid them and crushes. The fuel it was carrying starts burning and the truck seems about the explode. The Flash stops the race to save the trucker and his son. The hero inhales some smoke and stops running to take a breath of fresg air. Quicksilver sees his opponent with his guard down, and starts attacking at super speed.

The Flash is taking some hits and falls on his knees. Pietro hesitates to go for the finishing move, because he feels guilt about using the Flash’s heroism against him. His brief hesitation is all that it takes to change the course of the battle. Wally recovers and delivers a series of counter-attacks at super speed. Pietro is knocked out. The Flash is the victor, and observes that the one who hesitates is lost.

The scene changes to Aquaman, who surfaces at an aquarium. A nearby whale warns him that he is being followed. He turns and sees a flying Namor heading towards him. Namor observes that Aquaman claims to be an Atlantean king, but that he is not amused or impressed with what he has seen of him. He sees Aquaman as an “Atlantean impostor” and calls for him to surrender. Aquaman attacks with his hook hand, which turns into a cord and wraps itself around Namor. They exchange insults for a while, but Namor is still confident that he can break free.

Aquaman wins by using his ability to communicate with sea animals. He has the nearby whale leap on top of Namor, who is knocked out and immobilized. Aquaman observes that Namor’s weakness is that he is too noble to cheat. Arthur himself does not share that weakness.

At the offices of the Daily Planet, Lois Lane thanks “Peter” (Ben Reilly) for rescuing her. He fusses over her and refuses to let go. He is secretly smitten with her and believes she wants him too. They soon meet their new boss, the Kingpin. He has bought this newspaper and chastises them for “lollygagging” (spending time aimlessly) instead of working. “Peter” calls him Kingpin, but the boss denies this and asks to be called Wilson Fisk. He tells “Peter” to mind his manners, because he would not like him to get angry.

The story ends with some silent scenes. Thanos and Darkseid continue to face each other, Wonder Woman has lifted Mjolnir and has been transformed into a female version of Thor, Axel Asher and the unnamed man are staring at the glowing box, and the Brothers survey their universes.

Next in issue #3, The story begins with Jubilee sitting on a rock and starting to write in her diary. She notes that she has not written for a while, since things have been kind of crazy. Now it seems like the whole universe is coming to an end. She starts by writing what she knows. There are two universes, the one she knows and another one. They are kind of similar but still different. The two universes started merging, with people and building crossing from one to the other. Everybody started freaking out, particularly the heroes who were trying to keep total chaos from breaking out. Nobody could figure out what is going on, not even “big deal brains” like Emma Frost and Charles Xavier. But everybody still wanted to know why this was happening.

Jubilee continues her narration. The people received an answer in the form of the Brothers. They are gods or entities who are the embodiment of everything in their respective universe. They had both forgotten that the other Brother still existed. Due to a series of cosmic events, the Brothers noticed each other again. They have decided to find out whose universe is better. To do so they picked champions to represent them. And one of these chosen champions is Jubilee herself, who describes herself as a pyrokinetic mutant mall rat. Once a champion is summoned, he/she will have to fight somebody from the other universe. The fight ends when one of the combatants goes down for the count. The champions are not really given a choice. The Brothers have decided that only one universe gets to survive. The losing universe will cease to exist.

Jubilee continues her narration. The battles have already started. Thor has faced and defeated Captain Marvel. But Namor has lost to Aquaman and Quicksilver could not outrun the Flash. So Jubilee’s universe is losing 2 to 1. Jubilee finds it weird and creepy that ordinary people react to this battle as if its a sports competition and placing bets. She thinks that people find this easier than thinking of the actual consequences of the battle. She compares this to whistling in the dark to take your mind of your fears.

Jubilee continues her narration by mentioning her love life. She thinks she has finally found “Mr. Right” in the person of Robin, her new lover. The problem is that in the battle for the fate of the two universes, Robin is her chosen opponent. She has to fight against him. And she thinks the situation stinks. At this moment, Robin interrupts her writing. He was looking for her through a fully interactive biosphere and is quite surprised at its size. Jubilee explains why this place is larger that it seems. Robin complains that waiting to be summoned is driving him nuts. He suggests walking together to get their minds off the situation. Jubilee informs him that she was writing in her diary, because she did not know when or if she will get another chance to update it. She finishes writing in her diary, by pointing that she has to put on her brave face and her famous attitude. Because otherwise people will notice how scared she is. She hopes this is not the final entry in her diary but still says goodbye to it. She then leaves the diary and holds hands with Robin. At these moment, the two of them are summoned by the Brothers and are teleported away.

Jubilee and Robin re-appear at what seems to be a dark warehouse of some sort. It houses giant balloons. Jubilee comments that she founds the location spooky. Before they start fighting, Robin wishes her luck. In reply, Jubilee grabs him and kisses him. A moment later, they start fighting. Jubilee starts by tossing a few of her firecrackers at Robin, which he easily evades. She comments that this is not an fair fight, since Robin does not have any powers. While evading her next attacks, Robin claims that he does not need powers. He soon hides in the shadows, forcing Jubilee to look for him.

Jubilee eventually sees Robin’s cloak and starts approaching it. It is a trap, as Robin has removed his cloak and attacks her from behind. He uses a grappling hook as a lasso and ties her up. She is immobilized and loses the fight. A concerned Robin asks her if the rope is too tight for her. Jubilee is quite frustrated that Robin did not even have to land a punch to win. He points that he planned it this way, as he never intended to hit her. She finds the sentiment surprising but sweet. She then asks “handsome” if he is planning on untying her. He smiles and seems about to do so.

The scene shifts to outer space, where Green Lantern and the Silver Surfer are preparing to face each other. They are not particularly pleased with the idea and the Surfer points that this is not their first meeting. In the past, they have teamed up to preserve both universes. But the Surfer claims that the cosmic beings who command them are the most powerful entities he has ever encountered. Even his former master Galactus pales in power before them. Which means they can not defy their will.

While discussing their situation, Green Lantern tries using various energy constructs against the Surfer. They fail to make even an impression. He next tries something more ambitious. He uses his energy to create armor for himself, a lance, and some kind of steed to ride. He looks like a knight ready to joust. He charges against the Surfer, who also uses his Surfboard as a vehicle to acquire speed. The battle is decided in a high-speed collision, which causes a powerful flash of green light. When it is all over, the Surfer is conscious and transports an unconscious Lantern in his Surfboard. He has won, though he feels regret for his victory.

The scene shifts to Gotham City, where Catwoman is fighting Elektra in an unfinished building. Catwoman uses her claws to draw the first blood in the fight. Catwoman is curious at why was she chosen as a champion, since nobody ever accused her of being a hero. While evading one of Elektra’s Twin Sai, she guesses that Elektra is not a hero type either. Not when she is carrying around blades like these. She uses her whip to immobilize one of Elektra’s arms. Catwoman explains that she always had a thing for whips, since they have such a wide range of uses.

Elektra suddenly turns the tide of battle. She uses her tied-up hand to take control of the whip and uses her strength to start throwing Catwoman around. Soon Catwoman falls off the building, hanging on to the whip for dear life. Elektra holds the other end of the whip and the weight of her opponent. Catwoman is surprised with how strong Elektra seems to be. Elektra chooses this moment to inform Selina that she is a professional assassin and gladly kills her opponents. But since this combat was not a result of her choice or occupation, she will not slay Selina just to please the Brothers. But she still intends to win. She uses her remaining sai to severe the whip. Catwoman falls from a height to a truckload of sand. The fall does not kill her, but she is unconscious and immobilized. Elektra has won.

The scene shifts to Metropolis and the offices of the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is holding the next issue of the newspaper. The front page article is her story the battles. It reports that 6 battles have taken place and the result is a 3 to 3 tie. The article is accompanied by a photo of Catwoman and Elektra. Lois’ co-worker “Peter Parker” (Ben Reilly using an alias) congratulates her on her reporting skills. She thanks him for the compliment and points that she would not be around to write the article if “Peter” had not saved her from the two Scarecrows (Jonathan Crane) and Ebenezer Laughton. “Peter” answers that his rescue of her was a service by her “friendly neighborhood” photojournalist.

“Peter” (who is smitten with Lois) takes the opportunity to ask her out on a date. She reveals that she is already engaged to another man. Clark Kent chooses the moment to reveal that Lois is engaged to him. He stands behind “Peter” and makes a point of towering over him while speaking. A shocked “Peter” apologizes for hitting on Clark’s fiancée. He then makes an excuse to leave the room, while feeling about to die from embarrassment. He comments to himself that he just feels like a jerk. At this moment, “Peter” is teleported away.

Lois is not particularly impressed with how quickly “Peter” disappeared once confronted by Clark. Clark argues that “Peter” is a nice kid who just did not know about their relationship. At this moment, the Daily Planet’s new editor J. Jonah Jameson arrives with a new assignment for them. Apparently the Hulk is fighting Metallo in downtown Metropolis. Jameson points that they should cover this battle since innocent lives are at risk and property damage is certain. All the makings of a great story for their newspaper. Jonah soon notices that Clark Kent has vanished and asks a surprised Lois where did he go. She makes a quick excuse that Clark is probably already on the job. Outside, Clark is changing clothes and transforms into Superman. He seems ready to take care of the situation.

The scene shifts to the Alley, where Axel Asher and his unnamed mentor are discussing. Axel has learned that he is supposedly a shard from both universes embodied by the Brothers and that this is the reason he has been a life-long wanderer. He refuses, however, to believe in what he has learned. He argues that he is nothing special and that his mentor is just a crazy homeless guy. The mentor has little patience for Axel’s denial of reality. He grabs Axel’s arm and strange light appears. Axel is transformed into Access for the first time, though he is bewildered. The mentor explains that he is the keeper of the gateway between the two universes, one in a long succession of keepers. His time on the job is almost over and Axel is the next in line for the mantle. Axel has to be become Access and to preserve the balance between the two universes. Access is uncertain of how to accomplish this.

The scene shifts to an alien bar, somewhere in space, where Wolverine is fighting Lobo. Lobo wields a hook-ended chain as a weapon. He manages to press his hook into Wolverine’s chest, a seemingly lethal wound. Wolvie screams in pain at first, but then uses his hand to remove the bloody hood. The wound instantly heals. He explains to Lobo about his Healing Factor and how it lets him take a lot of punishment. He claims that he dishes even more punishment to his opponents.

Wolverine attacks Lobo with his bone claws. The two of them fall behind the bar and continue to fight, soon vanishing from the sight of the spectators. They exchange threats and apparently grapple, but the sounds of the battle soon end. There is deadly silence for a while. Then Wolverine slowly emerges from beneath the bar and grabs a smoldering cigar out of an ashtray. He has apparently won and starts smoking in victory. What happened to Lobo is not explained.

The scene shifts to an area outside Fawcett City. Wonder Woman wields Mjolnir and has been transformed into a female version of Thor. She feels more powerful than ever before, claiming she has the power of a god. She is challenged by her new opponent Storm, who is not intimidated. Storm explains that she too has been called a goddess and commands the power of lightning. Diana points that Storm has no hope or winning while she wields the hammer. Storm has no indention to surrender. Diana realizes that she could easily win, but the fight would not be fair. She voluntarily drops Mjolnir to the ground and gives up the powers of Thor.

Diana and Storm attack each other. Storm uses her weather powers to summon a gale and a torrent of rain. Diana is not impressed. She grabs Storm by the ankle, uses Storm’s leg for leverage, pulls her own body around, and delivers a powerful kick to the back of Ororo’s head. While impressed by Diana’s great strength, Storm claims that it is of no use against her lightning. She starts electrocuting Diana. Diana tries to withstand the pain, but is eventually knocked out. Storm holds Diana,who she calls “sister”, into her arms. She has won the fight.

The scene shifts to Greenwich Village, where Spider-Man (Ben Reilly) is fighting Superboy. A shot of web-fluid destroys Superboy’s glasses and enrages him. Spidey proves good at evading his opponent and confusing Conner. However, Conner uses his “tactile telekinesis” to destroy the water tower where Spidey was standing, leaving the Spidey trying to avoid all the water coming at him. Spidey is quite surprised to learn of this ability of his opponent.

Spidey curiously asks what is Superboy’s story. He guesses he is Superman’s kid brother or second cousin. Conner identifies himself as a clone of Superman, which shocks Spidey. Conner takes advantage of the surprised reaction to grab Spidey, but he then receives two powerful kicks in the face. Spidey points that he has the comparative strength of a spider.

Conner disappears from sight and Spidey goes looking for him. Conner emerges from the water directly beneath Spider-Man and knocks him off of his feet. While Spidey tries to regain his senses, Conner flies right at him at great speed. Spidey recovers just in time to cover his opponent with “impact webbing”. Not watching where he is going and still flying with high speed, Conner crushes into a high-voltage electrical box. He is electrocuted and knocked out. Spidey is the victor, but seems sorry at what happened to his opponent.

The scene shifts to Metropolis, where the Hulk uses a large statue of Superman to knock Metallo around. The real Superman arrives and the two heroes introduce themselves. The intelligent Hulk points that he prefers being called “Dr. Banner” or “Bruce”. While they talk, Metallo recovers and charges them both. He receives two powerful punches in the face, one from each hero. This battle seems to be over. But then the Brothers summon the heroes and teleport them away.

Hulk and Superman re-appear in the Grand Canyon, with no bystanders in sight. Clark figures that the Brothers send them here to ensure that no innocents would be endangered by their fight. Bruce lays the first punch, sending Superman crushing into a rock formation. Superman counter-attacks with his heat vision. It pains the Hulk, but fails to knock him out.

The two combatants exchange some powerful blows. Superman decides to take the battle seriously, because at stake is the safety of his world, his universe, and the woman he loves (Lois). He delivers his most powerful punch and sends Hulk flying. Hulk crushes to the rock wall of the Canyon, which collapses and buries him in rock. He is knocked out. Superman notes that defeating the Hulk required everything he had ton give, and his opponent almost stood up to it. He decides to wait for the results of the battle between the universes.

The scene shifts to Manhattan, where Captain America is fighting Batman. Cap is frustrated because Batman keeps melting into the shadows, like he is a part of them. He has trouble locating his opponent, and Batman favors surprise attacks. He comments that Batman is more evenly-matched with him than Hydra, Baron Zemo, and Red Skull.

The two opponents attack each other with neither gaining an upper hand. Batman stops to take a breath and notes that they have been at it for hours. He fears the battle could be prolonged for days and decided by one of them dropping from exhaustion. He suggests finding a way to stop the Brothers from wiping out one universe or the other. Cap points that the Brothers could end up wiping both universes if there is no outcome. Cap explains that he chose to become Captain America back in the 1940s to save the world from the greatest threat it had ever known. He is still trying to save his world. Batman explains that he chose to become Batman to protect innocents. He guesses this is what he is still doing.

The battle has taken them down to the sewers of Manhattan and there is suddenly a deluge of water. The fighters try to evade the water, while throwing projectile weapons to their respective opponent. Captain America’s Shield misses its target due to a poor throw by Cap, but a batarang finds its target at Cap’s head. The rising water gets them both, but Batman swims up while the dazed Cap sinks. Realizing that Cap is drowning, Batman takes a breath and dives to rescue him. He locates a half-drowned Cap and swims with him to the surface. Cap’s condition means that Batman has won this battle.

The two former combatants exit the sewers together. They are already wet but its raining on the surface, denying them a chance of getting dry. Cap has recovered but feels poorly about his loss, fearing he may have doomed his entire universe. Attracted by the glow of the box, they step into the Alley. They encounter Access and his unnamed mentor. The mentor rejoices at their presence, pointing to Access that they now have one from each universe. This is their chance to use them and save everything. Access touches the heroes, who start glowing. They seem confused at what is Access doing. The box is destroyed by a sudden burst of light.

The scene shifts to the Brothers. Something is happening to them as they touch hands. They merge and cease to exist, leaving a single giant entity is standing in their place. The new entity is the embodiment of the combined universes, and the old universes merge into a single one to match it. The story ends with images of the characters inhabiting the new universe, Earth-9602. They are Amazon, Dark Claw, Deadeye, Doctor Doomsday, Doctor Strangefate, Lethal, Nightcreeper, Spider-Boy, Super Soldier, and Wraith.

Finally in issue #4, Access retrieves the shards of reality he hid in Dark Claw and Super-Soldier and, with the help of the Spectre and the Living Tribunal, cleaves the Amalgam universe into its two original components. However, the two universes still overlap, and the Brothers decide to fight out their conflict themselves. As their cataclysmic battle threatens to end all existence, Access, Batman and Captain America decide to intervene. Their efforts are futile, and the Brothers obliterate the heroes. However, as they die, the Brothers manage to glimpse the individual histories of both Batman and Captain America. What they see inspires them and reminds them of the beauty and courage of their creations. They decide to end their conflict and congratulate one another. With the battle ended, they convert the universes back to normal and undo all the damage they caused. All is well, but Access struggles with his knowledge of what has transpired. In order to remain true to his restless, inquisitive nature, he rejects his knowledge and journeys back into the unknown.

Comics lot contains: DC versus Marvel / Marvel versus DC (1996) Issues #1-4.  DC Comics / Marvel Comics

Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

All First Printings
Publisher: DC Comics / Marvel Comics
Publication Date: 1996
Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25 x 6.7
UPC: 761941206974

Collectible Entertainment note: Comics 1,2,3,4 are in Very Fine + condition.  Beautiful Set!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious DC Comics and/or Marvel Comics collector / enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Very Highly Recommended.

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