What If? #999: Which DC Characters Would You Like Marvel to Acquire?

[Laufeyson]

LOL! One of the best inter-company cameo appearances in the history of comic books...

I know right. Only surpassed by that Superman cameo in Thor where Clark Kent bumped into Thor.

[K7P5V]

I know right. Only surpassed by that Superman cameo in Thor where Clark Kent bumped into Thor.

Of course! Who could ever forget that...

[Riv86672]

This always cracks me up...

[JudicatorPrime]

Of course! Who could ever forget that...

Superman? Naw, that was Clark Dent, Harvey Kent's second cousin once removed. Oh and don't mind Lois Kane. She's always in a hurry.

[BlackClaw]

Vixen along with all of Milestone. Especially the latter since I’d love to see Static team up with Miles.

[Anthony W]

I find it amusing that people keep asking for Kyle Rayner when Wendell Vaughn has the exact same power set and is every bit as interesting as Kyle. Wally West can be brought over because Marvel has always been weak when it comes to speedsters.

[JudicatorPrime]

I find it amusing that people keep asking for Kyle Rayner when Wendell Vaughn has the exact same power set and is every bit as interesting as Kyle. Wally West can be brought over because Marvel has always been weak when it comes to speedsters.

I pretty much nixed Superman and the Green Lanterns in the opening post, but still, it's fun to read everyone's thoughts on the matter. I also agree that Marvel wouldn't buy a character, if a similarly successful analogue was already available, as is the case with Quasar. The Quantum band wielding Protectors of the Universe could be what the GL Corps is, if Marvel really wanted to expand on that. I suppose they could do the exact same thing with the Starbrands. Unfortunately, I don't think Marvel or its base has much of an appetite for that sort of thing.

[Anthony W]

I pretty much nixed Superman and the Green Lanterns in the opening post, but still, it's fun to read everyone's thoughts on the matter. I also agree that Marvel wouldn't buy a character, if a similarly successful analogue was already available, as is the case with Quasar. The Quantum band wielding Protectors of the Universe could be what the GL Corps is, if Marvel really wanted to expand on that. I suppose they could do the exact same thing with the Starbrands. Unfortunately, I don't think Marvel or its base has much of an appetite for that sort of thing.

I think it does, but if Marvel took the Nova Corps seriously then the Guardians Of The Galaxy couldn't be treated as the most important thing in space. Luckily, there is only one Quasar, which is all you need because the quantum bands are so powerful.

[Agent Z]

It's not a matter of "respect" it's the fact that the Marvel Universe and the DC Universe are fundamentally different. Since the beginning the Marvel method has been about creating "heroes with feet of clay". Their all their characters were created with some plaw in mind along with their merits and powers. Back in the day this was a sharp contrast with other superhero characters, expecially DC's.

Given this philosphy having Superman in the Marvel univers logically leads to the characters' flaws being magnified by his infinite power and turining into something really dangeorus because in the Marvel Universe the idea that "power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely" is pretty much always true. While the DC Superman (who is a thinly veiled allegory for God) is always ready to forgive and forget humanity's sins and mistakes in the Marvel Universe such character sooner or later always gives up on humanity and acts to reign it in. That's why "Superman like characters" in the Marvel Universe work as antagonists and don't work as heroes in the sense they work for DC (a company that has tried for years to change Superman, because writing a comic about God has a very limited subsect of possible entertaining stories tied to it)

The only difference between DC and Marvel heroes is the latter generally don't have secret identities. When people claim DC heroes aren't flawed they are usually describing an outdated take on the Big 7. It ignores characters like Guy Gardner, John Constantine, Wally West, Helena Bertinelli, Jason Todd and various members of the Suicide Squad.

[Photon Torme]

Yes, Wally West would be a great choice to send to Marvel if only it were possible. I didn’t think of that untill I saw someone’s post yesterday. Definitely pair him with hiis old buddy Kyle Rayner and have them be multiverse castaways who get swept up in to Athens Marvel Universe. No better choice for this than these 2. However, If you did it with Jay and Kilowog, that would be fun too. They hadn’t been buddies previouslly, but he bonding could be a fun part of the story.

[XPac]

I find it amusing that people keep asking for Kyle Rayner when Wendell Vaughn has the exact same power set and is every bit as interesting as Kyle. Wally West can be brought over because Marvel has always been weak when it comes to speedsters.

I don't think the point is that marvel would benefit from getting Kyle (as they already have Wendel for the reasons you're citing), so much as Kyle might benefit from being in marvel since there's no Hal there to steal his Thunder. Wendel would be no threat to Kyle, as marvel seems intent on having Wendel give up his powers and name to any random woman he happens to come across.

[Shinglepants]

Outside of a few Elseworld and New 52 runs, I really haven’t read much DC. That said, I’d like to see some of their more supernatural characters in the MU.

Seeing the likes of Zatanna mixing it up with Strange, Doom, Mephisto and such would be cool.

If she’s unavailable I’d take Constantine, Swamp Thing or Animal Man. Or Raven, but only the Teen Titans GO version haha.

[Haquim]

That's what the original Sentry mini series was about. How the perfect hero couldn't work at Marvel because he'd have to have flaws that were just a big.

Precisely so.

For the record I detested the retroactive insert in the MU (something Bendis also did with Jessica Jones in order to give her relevance... classic Bendis being Bendis but he wasn't alone with this trick).

The only difference between DC and Marvel heroes is the latter generally don't have secret identities. When people claim DC heroes aren't flawed they are usually describing an outdated take on the Big 7. It ignores characters like Guy Gardner, John Constantine, Wally West, Helena Bertinelli, Jason Todd and various members of the Suicide Squad.

Yes, it took it some time but DC tried to update its character concepts. They also did this with Batman (whose "marvelization" is by far the most successfull of the DC bunch, although he's usually written as being too godlike... if superman is supposed to be omnipotent Batman is omniscent and his plot armor is by far the best of all comics) and Superman (much less successfully) but to their core these characters are still archetypes and revert to that status every time DC feels the need to stress out their "importance".

To sum it up: Over the years DC tried to change the way its most popular characters worked but did it with mixed results and to their core they are still the same because DC (and many of their fans) think of that as a strength, not as a flaw and they are (partially) right.

EDIT: Marvel characters having no secret identities is a pretty recent trend and I blame Bendis for it (I blame Bendis or alternatively Loeb for much that went wrong with Marvel in the last 15 years...)

[Crossfist]

I don't know why but I get the feeling Cyborg fits better in the Marvel Universe.

[Immortal Hulk]

Captain Marvel in his true/original form. Not the stupid watered down "Shazam".