Top 10 Weirdest Comic Book Crossovers
For this list, we're looking at the strangest comics crossovers between characters and franchises that really shouldn't go together. We're keeping characters who have already been established as being in the same universe off our list since it's significantly weirder when there's no precedent.
We’ve heard of strange bedfellows, but this is well beyond strange. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Weirdest Comic Book Crossovers.
For this list, we’re looking at the strangest comics crossovers between characters and franchises that really shouldn’t go together. We’re keeping characters who have already been established as being in the same universe off our list since it’s significantly weirder when there’s no precedent.
#10: “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2016)
The heroes on the half-shell and the Dark Knight share a few things in common, but it’s still profoundly surreal to see the two cultural icons finally meet in this 2015 crossover. The action begins when the villainous Krang transports the Turtles, as well as Shredder and some Foot Clan Ninja, to an alternate dimension. They emerge in Gotham City, forcing the Turtles to team up with the Caped Crusader for one strange adventure. As bizarre as this one may sound, it actually turns out to be a really fun ride, full of fun details that are sure to put a smile on the faces of Batman and Turtles fans alike.
#9: “Darkman VS. Army of Darkness” (2006)
If you’re wondering why Bruce Campbell’s chainsaw-handed Ash is hanging out with the star of the 1990 superhero movie “Darkman”, let us fill you in. Both Ash and the “Evil Dead” series and the “Darkman” franchise were both created by filmmaker Sam Raimi. Campbell even had a cameo in the first “Darkman” movie. That’s honestly as good a reason as any for the slayer of Deadites to team up with the bandaged vigilante for a fun adventure aimed squarely at cult movie fans. Naturally, the plot involves the dreaded Necronomicon unleashing a demonic plague yet again, this time after being found and read by Darkman’s love interest, Julie.
#8: “Superman & the Masters of the Universe” (1982)
In the early 1980s, Mattel’s “Masters of the Universe” franchise was the hottest thing around, with ten-year-old boys all across North America holding whatever sword-shaped object they could find aloft and declaring that they, too, had the power. For a special one-shot comic, the Man of Steel got to meet the Master of Eternia after being pulled into the “He-Man” universe. Given that magic is one of Superman’s biggest weaknesses, it’s no wonder he had to team up with He-Man to get out of Eternia with his “S” intact. Of course in true crossover fashion, He-Man and Superman spend as much time fighting each other as they do Skeletor.
#7: “Attack on Avengers” (2015)
The hugely successful “Attack on Titan” anime and manga franchise is set in a world beset by giant, people-eating monsters called Titans, forcing the humans to hide behind walls and develop weapons to kill the near-immortal monsters. In this all-too-brief crossover, the Titans emerge in the Marvel Universe for a scrap against the Avengers. Unfortunately, fans won’t get to see any of their favorite characters like Eren or Mikasa hanging out with the Avengers and the rest of the Marvel crowd, and the comic is really too short to get much out of the crossover besides action. But despite these flaws, it’s a fun and weird little ride.
#6: “Superman & Bugs Bunny” (2000)
Given that they’re all the intellectual property of the mighty Time Warner company, it’s no surprise that the characters from Looney Tunes have met the DC Comics superheroes once or twice. In one story, Superman’s old enemy Mr Mxyzptlk causes the worlds of DC and Looney Tunes to collide, which causes about as much havoc as you’d expect. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the time Elmer Fudd hunted down Bruce Wayne, which wins a whole ton of points for playing its bonkers premise absurdly straight, weaving a dark tale of obsession and violence out of something that should be a lighthearted joke.
#5: “Mars Attacks Image” (1996)
When the aliens from the “Mars Attacks” franchise come to invade the world of Image comics, they get considerably more than they bargained for. After all, the Image universe is home to Spawn, The Savage Dragon, Gen 13 and a whole slew of other formidable super-powered characters. Given that the Martians were previously taken down by a retired boxer, Tom Jones and an impressively terrible Country and Western song, they clearly don’t stand a chance this time around. Given that they’ve also tried to invade the world of “Judge Dredd,” the Martians either really like a challenge, or they’re simply gluttons for punishment.
#4: “Justice League/Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers” (2017)
For comics fans who also happen to be 90s kids, there’s an almost indescribable glee to be had at the sight of Superman, Batman and the rest of the Justice League meeting the Power Rangers. After an accident with the teleporter, the original Mighty Morphin team find themselves in the DC Universe and teaming up with the Justice League to take down Rita and Lord Zedd. The six-issue miniseries pulls out all the stops to make sure that this titanic team-up is everything that fans could want it to be, a historic meeting between two groups of heroes who would normally be worlds apart.
#3: “Godzilla vs Charles Barkley” (1993)
Yep, you read that right. Way back in 1992, a Nike commercial saw NBA super star Charles Barkley square off against none other than Godzilla for an impromptu basketball match. The commercial was enough of a hit that it was adapted into a comic book, which does a valiant effort of turning a 30-second TV commercial into an actual narrative. It’s all about as weird as it sounds, and the sight of a colossal Charles Barkley smack-talking and soundly defeating Godzilla in a pickup game is definitely worth the price of admission if you can track down a copy. We’re still trying to figure out where Godzilla got those giant sneakers.
#2: “Spider-Man/Saturday Night Live” (1978)
After years of swinging down the streets of Manhattan, the Wall-Crawler has become a New York City cultural institution, so it’s no wonder he’s crossed paths with the Not Ready for Primetime Players, another NYC favorite. This strange mashup sees the villain known as The Silver Samurai attack the “Saturday Night Live” set during a taping after a mysterious ring is accidentally delivered to John Belushi. Thankfully, Peter and Mary Jane just so happen to be attending the taping, allowing Spidey to help the Players out of this very unexpected interruption.
Before we reveal our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions.
“Eminem/The Punisher” (2009)
“Joker/The Mask” (2000)
“Superman vs. Muhammad Ali” (1978)
#1: “The Punisher Meets Archie” (1994)
The wholesome adventures of Archie and the violent delights of The Punisher are pretty far apart, but these two seemingly incompatible franchises collide in this 1994 one-issue crossover after Frank Castle tracks a crime lord to Riverdale. The redheaded mob boss just so happens to be a dead ringer for Archie Andrews, leading to misunderstandings and near-fatal mishaps for the Riverdale gang. Just to hammer the juxtaposition home, the comic features art from two pencillers: John Buscema and Stan Goldberg, meaning that Archie and The Punisher are each rendered in completely different art styles. And if you think it doesn’t get any weirder, The Predator also paid a visit to Riverdale too!
