A combined DCU and Marvel Universe (non-Amalgam)?

[dswynne]

Could such a concept work? What hurdles would there be in making it work?

[PCN24454]

Could such a concept work? What hurdles would there be in making it work?

By now the histories of Marvel and DC are too big to plausibly merge. DC tries it all the time but many of the additions just fall into limbo.

[Mutant God]

Which heroes to which city?
Spider-Man (parker) - Central City
Daredevil - Gotham
Iron Man - Metropolis
X-Men - Bludhaven
Miles Morales - Earth 2

[Phoenixx9]

I know that energies are different on both Earths, including: Chaos, Dark force, Speed Force, Nova Force, Phoenix Force, as well as the various Lantern Corps. Not sure how all of these characters would fare.

Also, would Doc Strange be the Sorcerer Supreme? Or would it be Dr Fate?

[j9ac9k]

I know that energies are different on both Earths, including: Chaos, Dark force, Speed Force, Nova Force, Phoenix Force, as well as the various Lantern Corps. Not sure how all of these characters would fare.

Also, would Doc Strange be the Sorcerer Supreme? Or would it be Dr Fate?

I'm sure there'd be a way to integrate some of them together as well as differentiate them so they can co-exist apart from one another. I also believe "Sorcerer Supreme" to be a title that magic wielders essentially made up. (not totally sure if they've changed it) and that Phantom Stranger or Dr Fate would see themselves as beyond the notion of titles like that anyway.

I think it could potentially work, but you'd have to reboot everything from the beginning and shift some things around - it wouldn't be more complicated or F'ed up as the DCU is now anyway.

[Ulysses]

There would need to be a built in literary device that would allow the universes to be merged gradually. It would have to be a portal that allow stories to happen across both universes but requires them to be moderately short lived. That way writers could merge the universes over many years.

The merging should occur in much the same manner that the shared universes happened to begin with. Marvel did not have a huge event crossover to create their shared universe. It happened over time and organically.

I think a simple announcement from editorial stating that: "the Marvel U and DC U are in fact part of the same reality" would suffice. Folks would be excited and speculate and buzz would be high. Then when it starts to die down you hit 'em with a Flash / Fantastic Four mini series with a huge creative team. Just that mini would sell bonkers! That story would have the hook for why the universes have overlap. And then nothing. Just let people get hyped and let it die down a bit and then Whamo! Batman/Daredevil.

And so forth. Bit by bit over many years like that, you could create a long term sustainable fanbase. But if the plan blows its load early, it would just be a mess. In other words, don't let Didio and Jim Lee oversee the project.

[Restingvoice]

Suddenly there's a burst of activity and world-ending scenario in DC's New York

Then Professor X and Magneto are fighting over Clayface, Killer Croc, and Poison Ivy

I know people probably expecting Batman and Iron Man to be rivals but honestly, he couldn't care less. Luthor, however, considers Iron Man a challenge

Superman's buddying with Captain America

[JTHM]

Non amalgam, as in, absolutely no merging of character? Because in that case you'll have to really rewrite the story of the entire world to make it work. As well as writing out a few characters.

Honestly I am not even sure how it can work. I have my own DC/Marvel Crossover Universe but it's amalgam in some parts. I just don't have any idea how would you write it by respecting all the characters to a T and not merging some of them.

[dswynne]

I know that energies are different on both Earths, including: Chaos, Dark force, Speed Force, Nova Force, Phoenix Force, as well as the various Lantern Corps. Not sure how all of these characters would fare.

Also, would Doc Strange be the Sorcerer Supreme? Or would it be Dr Fate?

You would have to get Grant Morrison (or maybe Geoff Johns) to properly codify these "forces" (if at all), as part of some over all cosmology.

And Doctor Fate could have been a previous holder of the title "Sorcerer Supreme" (back when he was alive as "Nabu"), with Stephen Strange being the present possessor of the title.

[Lightning Rider]

I've been trying to write a story for a while bit by bit, in which the universes were together since inception. It's definitely a bit cluttered but there are interesting things to do. I started a thread on how some of the teams might be different.

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...fused-history/

Some of the details:

I would find it interesting to fuse the Marvel and DC Universes' history as if they had always been one reality. I work on the outline for the story from time to time and came up with a bunch of interesting ideas.

-I'd want to open the story with Superman finding Captain America and helping thaw him out. When he comes to Superman shows him a lot of reverence having been inspired by his WW2 adventure stories growing up. John Stewart is also one of the first to salute him for the same reason. Then Superman takes Cap out flying to show him how much the world and Metropolis have changed. I'd also include a backstory with Wonder Woman and Cap being allies in WW2, which always made Steve Rodgers and Peggy uneasy and jealous despite there not being any fleshed out romance. Hell maybe they both lead the JSA.

-I'd love to play around with and combine the New Gods with Thanos and Ragnarok. Especially considering they were actually born in Jack Kirby's mind from the same type of setting and story.

-Luthor and Magneto would be central opponents in the story since each exudes the same kind of confidence and leadership, and the same supremacist pride in their own species. Luthor hates the idea of surrendering honorable and persevering humanity to tyrant super-beings as much as Magneto hates the ugly oppression and genetic backwardness of homo-sapiens. They're made for each other really.

-The wealth of Monarchs and civilizations make for interesting relationships. I can see Black Panther pining after Vixen but being rejected for a freer life more concerned with on-the-ground concerns, while Black Manta would definitely try and influence (or infiltrate) Wakandan society, which of course implicates Atlantis (which could have Namor ruling Atlantis while Arthur rules Poseidonis or something) . Combining the history there could be cool; the curse of Kordax having a different meaning in Wakanda could also be juicy.

-The Bat family definitely has to coordinate with Daredevil.

-Nick Fury and Waller competing for influence within the shadow operations of the government would make for great material.

-Certain teams would have different members. For example, the Teen Titans should have the "good looking" heroes, while the X-Men have the more freakish ones, which would make for new mixing and matching. Same with the Avengers, who should be what the New 52 JLA was going to be (covert operative misfits but working for SHIELD) and the JLA (independent moral high-ground capes). Captain America might fit into the league while Green Arrow or Captain Atom work with the Avengers.

-Ray Palmer friends with Pym and is maybe there when the Fantastic 4 have their accident.

It's a little tricky but it could work.

Bonus, Jimmy Olsen is a huge admirer of Peter Parker's photography, and Jean goes to Themyscira to get therapy for her Pheonix powers. I also now think Hank and Ray work better as adversaries.

[Ulysses]

I've been trying to write a story for a while bit by bit, in which the universes were together since inception. It's definitely a bit cluttered but there are interesting things to do. I started a thread on how some of the teams might be different.

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...fused-history/

Some of the details:



Bonus, Jimmy Olsen is a huge admirer of Peter Parker's photography, and Jean goes to Themyscira to get therapy for her Pheonix powers. I also now think Hank and Ray work better as adversaries.

Interesting. My thought was to open up the universes in the present but your idea is to go back to rewrite the past so as to retcon the two universes together. This would work well as an "Elseworlds/Ultimate" family of books. Lots of interesting story possibilities!

[Digifiend]

There is one major element that cannot be reconciled. Namor and Aquaman both claim to be the King of Atlantis. Thus, one of them will need a major retool.

[Phoenixx9]

There is one major element that cannot be reconciled. Namor and Aquaman both claim to be the King of Atlantis. Thus, one of them will need a major retool.

True.

Rather than a fight to the death with winner takes all (especially since I like both characters), what about...........Atlantis East and Atlantis West??

[TheRay]

I think this could work. Major problems as I see it would be rogues, because with so many heroes running around I don’t think everyone’s rogues are going to stay the same without being shifted. Furthermore a more rigid timeline would have to be created as well as the ramifications of certain things. For example, following Crisis on Infinite Earths does everything before that on both sides get wiped out or would there simply be too much history to just burn everything like that? Meaning wouldn’t it be irresponsible of The Monitor and so forth to let so much be destroyed?

[Ascended]

True.

Rather than a fight to the death with winner takes all (especially since I like both characters), what about...........Atlantis East and Atlantis West??

You could just roll with the idea of different kingdoms. Orin or Namor rule Atlantis (flip a coin) while the other rules another empire like Poseidonis or Mu or what the hell ever.

As for a merger......I don't think it could be realistically done in a satisfying way. It's a fun idea for a fanfic or creative theory crafting but that's way too many IP's to squeeze into one universe and have everyone come out looking good. A lot of characters and concepts are going to end up buried and abandoned.

I'm not even sure what the real gains would be, other than some mix-n-match with team rosters. I'd love to see a "Justice League Avengers" roster as much as the next nerd but solo books are gonna keep doing solo book things with their own rogues galleries and supporting casts, and.....other than the occasional villain swap or hero guest spot, I feel like all we'd get is tons and tons of overlap.

If someone were to create a new, unified history.....that's a fun idea. But at that point, it stops being the characters and worlds we know and becomes something similar but different. It'd be a lot like 90's Image that just riffed off major DC and Marvel heroes with poorly disguised proxies.