Who was the first Marvel hero to meet an alt reality version of themselves

[Riv86672]

1968, in Avengers Annual #2. The Avengers of that time battled their alternate selves at the behest of the Scarlet Centurion.

Yes, and I think this was the first Marvel comic (probably not the first comic) to use the story of Alternate Reality versions of the heroes who become authoritarian fascists.

So if this great early example’s right, then the answer to my question might be, The Avengers...



...more specifically, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne!

[pageturner]

1968, in Avengers Annual #2. The Avengers of that time battled their alternate selves at the behest of the Scarlet Centurion.

cap beats Thor epic

[davew128]

Did Marvel even do multiverse stuff before the 1980s, except for What If which I'm pretty sure never involved anyone meeting a counterpart of themselves?

Sure it did. The timeline of the original GOTG was an alternate reality from 616. Even the original Squadron Supreme were from an alternate reality.

Now as for meeting alternate versions of themselves...I would state that Flash was NOT the first to do it, where Barry Allen and Jay Garrick are most definitely not the same people. I might go with Superman and/or Batman in one of the old JSA/JLA teamups.

[Iron Maiden]

Probably Rama-Tut/Scarlet Centurion/Immortus/Kang the Conqueror. Don't know for sure, though.

Was going to say the same thing but it started off with Doom and Rama Tut in FF annual #2 which was published in September of 1964. But that got more and more involved with Immortus and Kang as you mentioned. When did the Flash thing occur??




Then this was a little later in Avengers #25 (January 1966)




.....And there still trying to figure that one out. If Rama Tut is Kang then would that make Kang Doom also?



I have to check out Avengers Forever.,..I remember reading in that one that Immortus just considers it all inconsequential.

[Chris0013]

I think the answer might be Kitty Pryde and the X-Men in Days of Future Past. Future Kitty was sent into her younger self's body. Remember, in the silver age, Marvel had one singular universe, but DC had Earth-One and Earth-Two... which is why it only took a few years before Barry met Jay (it would've been considerably longer before anyone met a doppelganger - Barry certainly didn't meet a doppelganger of himself that early). Did Marvel even do multiverse stuff before the 1980s, except for What If which I'm pretty sure never involved anyone meeting a counterpart of themselves?

Kitty did not meet Kate...Kate took over Kitty's body. They did not meet as they did not interact with each other.

[Digifiend]

was the idea of Barry and Jay meeting the whole springboard for earth 2? I thought Jay was in mothballs prior to that story.

Yeah, Flash of Two Worlds was the story that triggered the return of the Justice Society. After Barry met Jay, the JLA and JSA soon met too, and would have annual team-ups, which lasted until the Crisis.

[Riv86672]

Sure it did. The timeline of the original GOTG was an alternate reality from 616. Even the original Squadron Supreme were from an alternate reality.

^^^oh yeah, nice!
I believe their Kilraven/War of The Worlds stories were in that same category.

Now as for meeting alternate versions of themselves...I would state that Flash was NOT the first to do it, where Barry Allen and Jay Garrick are most definitely not the same people. I might go with Superman and/or Batman in one of the old JSA/JLA teamups.

It’s a fine point, but imo it holds up. Different ppl, different origins, born in and lived in different eras, but both characters were the Flash.



A modern version of that would be something like this...



...both those Supermen are obviously different ppl, but they’re both still Superman, so each is meeting an alternate reality version of himself.

[DigiCom]

There's actually a Wonder Woman story where she meets an alternate universe version of herself that predates "Flash of Two Worlds":

There was an article about it here at CBR just a couple weeks ago:

https://www.cbr.com/the-flash-wasnt-...re-multiverse/

[Riv86672]

There's actually a Wonder Woman story where she meets an alternate universe version of herself that predates "Flash of Two Worlds":

There was an article about it here at CBR just a couple weeks ago:

https://www.cbr.com/the-flash-wasnt-...re-multiverse/

That’s a wonderful catch!

[Phoenixx9]

There's actually a Wonder Woman story where she meets an alternate universe version of herself that predates "Flash of Two Worlds":

There was an article about it here at CBR just a couple weeks ago:

https://www.cbr.com/the-flash-wasnt-...re-multiverse/

Great catch!

While I did read that article when it came out, I was getting it mixed up with another WW story where Diana meets her evil WW version (looking like WW in costume, just with an evil smirk) which came out in the late 1960's.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Justice met his Guardians of the Galaxy future alternate self Major Vance Astrovik in 1975, which predates Days of Future Past.

[K7P5V]

It might have been most of the FF members: Reed, Ben and/or Johnny, from the 1970's. I know there are stories where the FF---Ben fo example, meets his other reality version of himself (more lumpy?) and at least one other where Johnny meets himself---this time as Guuard, an alternate reality Johnny who is a cosmic hockey player! Later, Reed meets his alt universe doppleganger in the form of RR of Counter-Earth (but not alt reality) the Brute.

Rocky Grimm meeting lumpy Grimm is an all-time favorite, both the original & the sequel are definite classics...

In 1981, we had the X-men Days of Future Past where 2013 Earth-811 character Kate Pryde was exchanged for present day 1981 Earth-616 Kitty Pryde. In that story, we, the fans, met E-616 grown Franklin Richards. Rachel Summers was introduced, but there is no alt reality Rachel (at least not at that time).

I remember future Franklin met & interacted with 616 Franklin in...

Days of Future Present

[Riv86672]

Justice met his Guardians of the Galaxy future alternate self Major Vance Astrovik in 1975, which predates Days of Future Past.

^^^thats a good one. I’d forgotten all about the Vance conundrum!

[center]Rocky Grimm meeting lumpy Grimm is an all-time favorite, both the original & the sequel are definite classics...

When it was mentioned earlier I knew it happened too far into Marvel’s history to be a contender, but yeah, Ben meeting Ben is one of the best examples of meeting your alternate self stories. A real classic!

[AnthonyO'Brien]

There's also the alternate reality versions of Excalibur in the late eighties

[Milk Tray Man]

There's the alternate Captain Britain Psylocke kills in the early 80s