4 Marvel Universe Continuity Gags We Actually Want to See

[Korskarn]

I think there was actually a well-regarded episode of the animated Justice League show with the same "evil alternate Justice League tries to build a utopia and alternate Batman is against it" plot. It was called [i/]A Better World[/i], if I remember correctly.

Any relation?

That's the Crime Syndicate of America, they're a DC property basically ripping off the Star Trek Nemesis universe (or vice-versa).

Similar idea, but being in different "universes" they don't interact a lot. The Squadron is owned by Marvel, they're expies designed to mock the DC properties rather than being a 'what if' show.

Naw - you're thinking of the DC Earth-2 (later Earth-3) universe where all the usual superheroes are villains (Superman=Ultraman, Batman=Owlman etc.) and Alexander Luthor is the world's only hero.

Riddler was referring to the DCAU Justice League cartoon where the alternate universe had the same characters, but who became the Justice Lords when Flash was killed - causing Superman to snap, kill (President) Lex Luthor in retaliation, and for the Lords to perform a coup d'etat and institute a totalitarian state (the twist came when it was the Justice Lord's Batman, who is traditionally the one who treads the closest line between justice/totalitarianism, who defected to assist the Justice League).

 

[VoidWanderer]

Can we add a Number 5?

Where an ambulance driver picks up Mjolnir and hands it to Thor...

I've seen afew references to this, yet am unable to find a comic panel or anything.

Any idea where this reference was published?

I'm not sure, but I think they're referring to the buy being Donald Blake, Thor's human identity of the mainstream Marvel universe. At least, I assume that's the idea...

OT: Stan Lee is the Watcher? I'd pay to see that!

I figure if it was Donald it would be mentioned somewhere easy to find. But even a random civilian doing it would be cool.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

The Squadron were perennial "event" enemies/allies for The Avengers in the 70s, but in September of 1985 (yes -- a full year before Alan Moore's thematically-similar Watchmen) then Marvel EiC Mark Grunewald used them as the subject of a 12-issue maxiseries in which The Squadron decide to stop drawing the line at crimefighting and use their superpowers to turn their world into a Utopia -- even if not everyone living there is in favor of the idea. Nighthawk is against it, and when things inevitably go south he ends up leading a revolt against his former teammates. A second reimagining, J. Michael Straczynski's Supreme Power, took the DC-parody angle in an even darker direction.

That's literally the plot to Injustice: Gods Among Us. Superman tries to turn the world into a utopia, batman doesn't like it. How dreadfully lazy.

 

[Makabriel]

Listen close, kids? What's that sound? It's Mistake Round-Up Time!

From (years), writer Walt Simonson had completely redefined the title with an epic, mythology-tinged run that had made Thor more popular than he'd ever been-

Presumably, Bob meant to replace (years) with 1983-1987, when Simonson ran the Thor line. Literally all I had to do was Google his name and that was in the Wikipedia summary offered beside the search results, which makes me think this was just a placeholder that no one remembered to fix.

What's that folks? Reading comprehension time?

Read the first sentence and then the second.

"Believe it or not, there was a ****(brief)**** moment in the 80s when Thor was the talk of the comics world. From ****(years)****, writer Walt Simonson had completely redefined the title with an epic,"

Granted, the phrasing needs some work, but I think that's what he was trying to do.

 

[V4Viewtiful]

What about US-ACE and his Space truck? He could be on Marvel Earth and Marvel cosmic in bars driving on the streets or going through space.

 

[DSP_Zulu]

Bob wrote:

I'm fully expecting Cap wielding Mjolnir to be a "moment" in whatever Chris Evans' last Avengers movie turns out to be ("last Avenger standing," hammer in one hand shield in the other, ready to fight to the end against impossible odds...) but what'd be fun would be to introduce his ability to do so as a moment of levity. Like... if The Avengers all take off for a mission and Steve, without even thinking, politely picks up Mjolnir to hand it off to a departing Thor ("Hey pal, don't forget your...") only to suddenly realize everyone including The Asgardian are staring at him, dumbstruck, wondering how the hell he just did that.

I'd have to say the best cinematic moment for this to have happened has already passed. It should have happened in the first Avengers, early on when Cap interrupts Iron Man and Thor fighting. When Thor does his jump-and-smash thing and rebounds off of Cap's shield, and Cap looks at Thor as he's lying there, with Mjolnir lying nearby, and Cap says something like "Are we done?".

He SHOULD have walked over, picked up the hammer, and offered it to Thor handle-first, while reciting that line. THAT would have been the best moment for it. Because, at that point, Cap would have had literally -no idea- that there could possibly be any big deal to picking it up, and would have no reason to believe that it wasn't just a hammer, and the dumbfounded look on Thor's face would have dovetailed perfectly with Cap's "OK pal, we done now?" casual throwaway line.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Listen close, kids? What's that sound? It's Mistake Round-Up Time!

From (years), writer Walt Simonson had completely redefined the title with an epic, mythology-tinged run that had made Thor more popular than he'd ever been-

Presumably, Bob meant to replace (years) with 1983-1987, when Simonson ran the Thor line. Literally all I had to do was Google his name and that was in the Wikipedia summary offered beside the search results, which makes me think this was just a placeholder that no one remembered to fix.

What's that folks? Reading comprehension time?

Read the first sentence and then the second.

"Believe it or not, there was a ****(brief)**** moment in the 80s when Thor was the talk of the comics world. From ****(years)****, writer Walt Simonson had completely redefined the title with an epic,"

Granted, the phrasing needs some work, but I think that's what he was trying to do.

The phrasing needs work because what is published is obviously incomplete. It is entirely correct to say, "Believe it or not, there was a (brief) moment in the 80's when Thor was the talk of the comics world," because the brackets are indicating that the period was brief.

On the other hand, "From (years), writer Walt Simonson had completely redefined the title..." is not appropriate. If it had said, "For (years)," that would be one thing (although the brackets would be incorrect). The word "from" delineates a period of time, one that Bob didn't specify in his piece, which is why the sentence is incomplete- if he put in the correct dates, it would become complete.. I don't understand how adding some asterisks around "(years)" suddenly makes the sentence grammatically correct. What exactly do you think he was trying to do?

 

[Ragsnstitches]

The Squadron were perennial "event" enemies/allies for The Avengers in the 70s, but in September of 1985 (yes -- a full year before Alan Moore's thematically-similar Watchmen) then Marvel EiC Mark Grunewald used them as the subject of a 12-issue maxiseries in which The Squadron decide to stop drawing the line at crimefighting and use their superpowers to turn their world into a Utopia -- even if not everyone living there is in favor of the idea. Nighthawk is against it, and when things inevitably go south he ends up leading a revolt against his former teammates. A second reimagining, J. Michael Straczynski's Supreme Power, took the DC-parody angle in an even darker direction.

Wait... that sounds like the alternate earths story in Injustice: Gods Among Us. Even down to Batman (nighthawk) being the only one to reject the change in operations. (Well there were others too, like Green Arrow, but they don't have analogues in The Squadron)

My knowledge is limited and I dare not assume anything in comics is original anymore, but did a DC licensed game take a plot device from a Marvel spoof of DC?

Captcha: Curry Flavor.

Oh right, Amphibians real name being a play on Aquamans was genius. Kingsley Rice! Hilarious.

EDIT:

I'm not sure about the light hearted approach to Cap picking up Mjolnir, but a dramatic sequence where the most potent of the heroes fail to meet the villain head on, or they are beaten down and at the mercy of the villain... that would be a powerful moment if done right, I totally agree.

 

[JCAll]

I can't help but think that the Squadron Supreme would start a lawsuit (one that would probably go nowhere, but a lawsuit), and spark a childish in move reply from DC. Just not sure if going back to childish pokes at other studios movies would be funny or sad. Though I gotta say I am a fan of the New Avengers series Hickman is writing and its Great Society (seemingly more of a direct analog to the Justice League) because of its highlighting the difference in how they operate vs. The Illuminati. Interesting in concept, but also cool to see Hulk vs. Pseudo-Superman. Plus, Doctor Strange is actually doing something again!

Don't see what kind of lawsuit it could cause, DC has had just as many jabs at Marvel as Marvel had at DC. Ususally involving Mister Mxyzptlk. If we gathered all the knock-off together, we could have the best VS Capcom fighter ever.

It would almost certainly cause DC to throw in their own childish take that back towards Marve, but that wouldn't really be a bad thing. DC movies could use a little levity.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

I've always liked the fan theory that all the Stan Lees are the scouts of a Skrull Invasion.

 

[softclocks]

JMS' Squadron Supreme was great. Shame the series never got the finish.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I like the Cap lifting the hammer unintentionally idea. It would fit better with how everything is going, and how sincere and heartfelt the characters are. Him doing it intentionally would be Cap presuming and realizing that he's worthy of the hammer.

But that said, I still want Beta Ray Bill.

 

[Slash2x]

I also am excited about Vincent D'Onofrio as the Kingpin. Well they did have to recast the Kingpin anyway, with that whole thing of Michael Clarke Duncan passing away R.I.P. big guy.

 

[Trek1701a]

Hyperion has been used on the animated Avengers Assemble on XD.

I think the idea that Captain America just up and lifts Mjolinir, not so much inadvertently, but like it is no big thing, would be fun.

 

[Winnosh]

I'd still like to see that rare moment when Hulk becomes angry enough, his strength is enough to overcome the Worthiness enchantment.

Doesn't work you cannot pick up the hammer with raw strength. You'd be able to pick up the weight of the planet before you could pick up the hammer and Hulk's never shown that level of strength even World War Hulk

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Doesn't work you cannot pick up the hammer with raw strength. You'd be able to pick up the weight of the planet before you could pick up the hammer and Hulk's never shown that level of strength even World War Hulk

Hulk did in Ultimate Avengers. Even managed to throw it.

 

[DeimosMasque]

Ultimate Avengers is based on the Ultimate Universe where Thor's hammer doesn't have the same enchantment on it as the 616 version does. And while aesthetics from the MCU are more inspired by the Ultimate Universe the mythos is is much closer to 616

 

[Pat Hulse]

Sadly, I'm pretty sure that Uatu the Watcher is tied up in the Fantastic Four movie rights. I guess they could pull the gag in the next Fantastic Four movie, but given how they're aiming to establish a new continuity that supposedly also ties in with the soft-rebooted X-Men continuity, I doubt they'll be interested in throwing in something like that.