The Incredible Hulk and Marvel's The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Blog
Continuing in my daily updates, the next one in the queue is this post. However, I am currently writing a chronology titled "Marvels of the TVCU" for the upcoming TELEVISION CROSSOVER UNIVERSE: WORLDS AND MYTHOLOGY VOLUME I. That chronology will incorporate this post and expand upon it. So for that reason, this post will not be updated again until that book is released by Super Entertainment, tentatively due out at the end of this year.
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Note that if the Hulk series is in, that means the Thor and Daredevil of the TV Movies are in, rather than the comic versions. I am going to include Thor and Daredevil in my timeline since from a TVCU viewpoint, those two are spin-offs of the Hulk. Otherwise I'd never have any other opportunity to discuss their timeline, since those TV Movies are their only on-screen TVCU appearances.
I've also decided to include the Avengers in this blog. The Avengers is one of the greatest crossover movies, and it would be a shame to exclude it. Since it came out, I've applied many varying theories for placement of the Avengers, which I've hinted at in various blogs. Finally, I've decided to place it in the TVCU2, which is for all intents and purposes the same universe as the TVCU, but where the timeline diverged at some point. Once I've posted this updated blog, there's a strong chance I'll change my mind and amend this in a future update. After all, look at how many variations of my Superman blog there have been.
I've also removed Dennis Power's elements, simply because it goes against my "It happened as we view it" approach. However, I am still a fan of Power's work, and highly recommend it. I've also removed any element that doesn't have a comic book or film connection. This is only to be true to the intent of my blog. It doesn't necessarily negate any comic story, but I'm choosing to ignore them from my canon.
This post is updated to include elements from the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia, published by 18thWall Productions. For the purposes of this post, the Television Crossover Universe and Horror Universe are synonymous. Also, this blog post needs to be updated to include the rest of the MCU after Avengers. I also need to address a possible relationship to Once Upon a Time. Those updates will wait for another day.
25,000 B.C.--SHE-HULK # 5--She-Hulk finds herself herself being tossed through time and space by Doctor Bong. She ends up in Bedrock.
1279 B.C.--HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS--Hercules meets Thor.
1890s--PARADISE--Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson appear. Since they are played by the same actors, and those original shows were aired in the 1960s, and this series aired in the 1980s, and since the bulk of those old westerns were taking place in the 1870s, I'm making an assumption this series takes place in the 1890s. Incidentally, this may be the Paradise, CA that later becomes known as Paradise City, "where the grass is green and the girls are pretty", and where "CAPTAIN AMERICA" is torn apart in the 1980s. (In the Wronskiverse, an alternate reality of my creation, this connection is indeed correct, but for the TVCU, I can only speculate.) For more on Paradise, CA, go here. If indeed there was a 1980s Captain America in Paradise City, it would likely be a government sponsored replacement Cap, since Rogers is still frozen in the ice.
1940s--CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER--This is the TVCU canon version of Steve Rogers. The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline. This film has a crossover tie to Indiana Jones, my basis for bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the TVCU. All other Captain Americas between 1945 and 2008 are replacement heroes sponsored by the government. Nick Fury plays a minor role in Captain America: The First Avenger, where he greets a newly-awakened Steve Rogers and invites him to join the Avengers. Tony Stark's father is a major character in Captain America and gets a name-drop in Thor.
1942--ESSENTIAL SGT FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS VOLUME 1--From James Bojaciuk: The very first issue opens with a two-page spread of everyone in Nick Fury's squad, all accompanied by a paragraph description of each Howler. Dino Manelli's intro is worth sharing: "You might have seen him in the movies, under another name; for this handsome swashbuckler gave up a promising career as an actor in order to repay the country he loves for all it has given him!" The "another name" bit confirms that Dino Manelli *is* Dean Martin.
1957--INCREDIBLE HULK--TV Movie origin. Placed back here to coincide with the date of the original Hulk's transformation. Scientist David Banner having lost his wife who was crushed by a car is frustrated he couldn't lift it. He experiments with Gamma radiation in order to try to tap the inner potential of the body, but instead is forever stuck becoming the Hulk whenever his heart rate increases (due to anger, stress, ect.) He seeks to find a cure. However, he is thought to be a murderer and is tracked by an investigative journalist. Banner goes under aliases as he travels from town to town during his hunt for a cure and his attempt to avoid the reporter.
Summer 1972--3 DEV ADAM (3 MIGHTY MEN AKA CAPTAIN AMERICA AND SANTO VS. SPIDER-MAN--El Santo teams with Captain America in Istanbul against a villain using the name of Spider-Man. Note that I don't believe this to be Steve Rogers, who was in suspended animation from the 1940s until the 21st century. However, borrowing from the comics, I imagine that there were several government sponsored replacement Captain Americas over the decades.
January 1976--KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER CHRONICLES “WHAT EVERY COIN HAS” (SHORT STORY BY C.J. HENDERSON)
1977--THE INCREDIBLE HULK: DEATH IN THE FAMILY (AKA RETURN OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK)--David begins a regular pattern of stopping during his quest for a cure to interfere in the lives of others.
1978 to 1982--THE INCREDIBLE HULK--Banner keeps looking for a cure, avoiding notice, interfering in the lives of others, and then smashing things.
1978 to 1982--THE INCREDIBLE HULK (COMIC STRIP)--More adventures of the Hulk. The Hulk in this strip is the Hulk from the TV series, not from the comics, so fits into TVCU continuity.
1984--TRANSFORMERS # 3--I had previously stated elsewhere that Spider-Man had probably never returned from the Secret Wars, but then James pointed out that an older Spidey was still operating in more modern times, and here is more proof that he returned with the suit that would be Venom. One of the Transformers would later appear in Secret Wars II, but I do not consider major Marvel crossovers as TVCU canon. However, I do believe that Secret Wars II may be yet another part of the Crisis. Nick Fury also appeared in the original Marvel Transformers comic series.
December 1985--AMAZING STORIES--"Remote Control Man"--The Hulk is briefly pulled into Earth-Prime by a man with a magic remote control.
June 1987--ACTION FORCE # 17--"Meditations in Red"--Action Force is a special branch of G.I. Joe. In this issue, Quick Kick is remembering his mentor, SHANG CHI, MASTER OF KUNG FU. Shang Chi is also the son of FU MANCHU. Also mentioned are ELEKTRA, IRON FIST, and Batroc the Leaper. Batroc, as a villain, does not bring in every story he's been featured in. Iron Fist (and Power Man) are part of the TVCU. Elektra's TVCU life must have gone a bit differently, since the TVCU DAREDEVIL made his debut in 1979 rather than the 1960s. He is depicted in the TV Movie TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
1988--THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS--For two years, the Hulk has not surfaced. Banner has a girlfriend, and has created a machine almost ready to cure him. But then things go awry when Banner is contacted by an old friend, Dr. Donald Blake. Blake has amazing news. He has found a Hammer that summons the Norse god Thor. A bad guy steals the curing machine and the girlfriend, so Thor and Hulk must save the day, but they also fight each other and smash the machine. Thus Banner is out a cure.
1989--THE TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--After an incident on a subway, Banner is wrongfully accused of attacking a woman. In fact, he was trying to save her from attackers, when Hulk smashed. Blind attorney Matt Murdock offers to represent Banner for free. Murdock has an understanding of who Banner is, and hopes Banner will help him take down Wilson Fiske, the Kingpin of Crime (and an old nemesis of Spider-Man.) It turns out that though blind, Murdock has sonar from the acid that blinded him. (This acid is also called the ooze, by some turtles that were also mutated by the same stuff immediately after.) Murdock had been operating for about a decade as Daredevil, considered an urban legend by most. The two work together to take down the Kingpin and Banner gets off on his charges. (Since all of Daredevil's appearances in Crossovers occur after this, this is a pretty convenient first appearance. Even if his career began a little earlier, it still helps with the age issues of the later crossovers.)
September 1990--ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES (ANIMATED SERIES)
1990--THE DEATH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--Yup, he dies while trying to help out a good spy forced to do bad things. He falls out of a plane. However, since the network planned on making more movies (but sadly Bixby died), and since Win lists Hulk crossovers after this, I will agree that the Hulk's regenerative abilities helped the two-in-one hero survive.
1995--THE REVENGE OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--The Hulk and Banner are revealed to have survived the events of five years ago. And somehow the process has added intelligence to the Hulk, allowing him to talk now.
1999--SPIDER-MAN: THE GATHERING OF THE SINISTER SIX (NOVEL)
June 1999--GEN13: NETHERWAR (NOVEL BY JEFF MARIOTTE AND CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN)
December 2004--TOTALLY SPIES!--"The Incredible Bulk"--Clover, Sam, and Mandy, teens working for the government as agents, have an encounter with the Hulk.
2005--SON OF THE MASK--Ivan Ronald Schablotski recently brought this to my attention: Hypothetical question: what of Loki? There is the version of Loki in the awful SON OF THE MASK movie, which never the less connects to the first movie and its cartoon spin-off (which in turn connects to Ace Ventura and ALIENS) and there isthe version in the THOR movie, which is clearly a reboot reality. Loki also made an appearence in an early TMNT comic, and the TMNT became aware of their own extradimensional dopplegangers in the recent movie where comicbook version, 90s cartoon version, and 2K version all teamed up. In theory, everyone has a Loki...
August 2005--STARGATE SG-1--"Ex Deus Machina"--When explaining a meeting of high-level military suppliers & bankers, Daniel Jackson refers to one of the men as working for the "Stark" consortium.
2007--THE KINGDOM--Colonel al-Ghazi says the Hulk was the reason he became a cop, calling it "the Green Beast"
2008—Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
The “Evil League of Evil Leaders,” or the mafia godfathers over much of the TVCU’s supervillain community, includes a man who claims to be the true Thomas Jefferson. This is argued against by his super-strength and immortality, but considering Jefferson’s prior (half-completed) deal with the devil, anything is possible. However, it is important to note that elements of the true events were greatly exaggerated.
The singing everyone suffers from, however, is probably another reality-altering appearance of the singing demon from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More, With Feeling.”
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is in the TVCU based on reused weapon and costume props from Firefly; as all of the reused props are in the possession of Dr. Horrible, we may assume he time traveled to the future and stole a number of small items. Firefly is in the TVCU via a number of crossovers with the Halo franchise, which in turn has a large amount of crossovers linking it to the TVCU via the Aliens and Predator series, Iron Man, and Mass Effect.
Mass Effect in turn has crossover links to Army of Darkness, Dracula, The Princess Bride, the Cthulhu Mythos, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, A Clockwork Orange, and Stark Trek (among others). All of the crossovers within Firefly, Halo, and Mass Effect will be covered in a future blog.
2008--IRON MAN--In the TVCU, Tony Stark was born in the 1960s (like the actor who plays him) and became Iron Man in 2008. The comic book version of Tony Stark exists in a divergent timeline. Captain America's shield can be seen on the table behind Tony Stark in Iron Man (screen cap here
). Agent Coulson is a minor character in Iron Man, and Nick Fury has a cameo, where he name-drops "The Avengers Initiative", in The Stinger.
2008--IRON MAN 2--This film takes place just a short time after the first film. Black Widow debuts in this film. This is Natasha Romanoff The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline. The Stinger in Iron Man 2 shows a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent finding Thor's hammer. Iron Man 2 includes news footage of events from The Incredible Hulk. Captain America's shield plays a much bigger role in Iron Man 2. Both Fury and Coulson play more significant roles in Iron Man 2, where Fury reveals Howard Stark's S.H.I.E.L.D. connection and Coulson gives Tony Stark Captain America's shield. Black Widow also plays a key role in Iron Man 2. It is Coulson that finds Mjolnir at the end of Iron Man 2, and contacts Fury about it.
2008--INCREDIBLE HULK--This Hulk is Bruce Banner. The one concept I still carry over from Dennis Power is that David and Bruce are cousins. The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline, but this film is in the TVCU, even the Hulk battle in the city. The events of this film happen concurrently with the events of Iron Man 2 and Thor. Tony Stark appears in The Stinger in The Incredible Hulk (the 2008 one) to comment on those events. Captain America's shield appears in an alternate opening sequence to The Incredible Hulk (see here).
2008--THOR--Thor is the same Thor from previous entries here. He does not remember his previous encounter with the other Hulk, nor having bonded with Dr. Donald Blake, who coincidentally he takes the identity of in this film, as his Jane Foster dated Blake once. Note that I place all the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" series to take place in 2008, so the tale for how Thor lost his hammer and it ended up the next year in Warehouse 13 can still be speculated at this time. Coulson plays a major role in Thor, and Nick Fury has a brief cameo. Hawkeye first appears. His comic book counterpart, like Thor, exists in a divergent timeline.
2008--MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS--This takes place very shortly after the last three films and the prologue to CAPTAIN AMERICA. Borrowing from the comics, we can assume that this Nick Fury is actually the son of the other Nick Fury from the comics, who has crossovers with James Bond, Dean Martin, and more. The Avengers Initiative must be a revival of the 1970s/1980s Super Powers Team (aka the Super Friends or the Justice League of America). In fact, in one of the previews for Iron Man 3, Stark's assistant refers to the Avengers as the Super Friends, cementing this concept. It should be noted that I'm placing this in the TVCU, even though there's a huge alien invasion going on in New York City. Let's face it. Alien invasions seem to happen all the time on Earth, and they are often dismissed. Obviously, we can assume that huge Statue of Liberty memory eraser used by the Men in Black is involved. Even "the man" interviewed at the end of the film was not a "true believer" of super-heroes in New York City. And if this solution still bothers you, then simply disregard for your own personal crossover reality. (Future films, timeline unknown, in the series are planned, which are Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers 2, and Ant-Man. In November 2010, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada outlined his plan to expand the MCU into comic books. He explained, "[F]or the uninitiated, the MCU [comics] are going to be stories set within movie continuity. [They are] not necessarily direct adaptations of the movies, but maybe something that happened off screen and was mentioned in the movie, and we'll tell that story. ... [T]he folks that are involved in the movies on the West Coast will be involved in these stories. It won't be like one of our comic book writers saw the movie and has an idea for a story. No, these stories are originating at the very top. [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin Feige is involved with these and in some cases maybe the writers of the movies would be involved in ... generating these ideas and then either just giving them to some of our writers or maybe some of these guys writing them themselves." In August 2011, Marvel announced a series of direct-to-video short films called Marvel One-Shots. The first short film, The Consultant, is included with the Thor Blu-ray release, which was released on September 13, 2011. A second, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, was released on the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray on October 25, 2011. Both films star Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, offering up two self-contained stories about the day in the life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. A third film titled Item 47 was released with The Avengers Blu-ray on September 25, 2012. In December 2010, it was reported that Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is developing a series originally for ABC titled AKA Jessica Jones, based on the comic book series Alias created by Brian Michael Bendis. In November 2011, Rosenberg stated that the TV show would center on Jessica Jones and would have principal parts for Luke Cage and Carol Danvers. She also confirmed that the TV series would absolutely take place in the larger "cinematic" Marvel Universe and Tony Stark and Stark Industries are in the current pilot script but admitted, "As we go along things will alter in terms of what is made available to us, but we're definitely in that universe. We are in no way denying that that universe exists. And as much as I can I'm going to pull everything in from there that I can use". In May 2012, ABC president Paul Lee stated the network has passed on the series. In July 2012 it was reported that Marvel's TV division had again entered into discussions with ABC to do a show set in the MCU, and in August ABC ordered a pilot for a show called S.H.I.E.L.D., to be written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, and directed by Joss Whedon. Clark Gregg is cast to reprise his role from the films as Phil Coulson in the series.
Summer 2008--PHINEAS AND FERB: MISSION MARVEL--The upcoming Disney/Marvel crossover Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel features the Marvel heroes Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Thor, the Marvel villans Whiplash, MODOK, Red Skull, and Venom, and characters from Phineas and Ferb, where the storyline involves Phineas and Ferb trying to restore power to the Marvel heroes, whose powers were taken away by Doofenshmirtz.
2009--WAREHOUSE 13--Season Two; Episode Two: "Mild Mannered"
During an establishing shot in the Warehouse, Thor's Hammer, the Penguin's
Umbrella, Green Arrow's bow, and Wonder Woman's magic lasso can be seen.
Since this episode was entirely based around the idea of superheroes in the real
world, the identification of the artifacts is assured. This is not an issue for the Penguin or Green Arrow, technology changes and surely older versions of their signature gadgets would end up in the warehouse; but we must ask ourselves, how did Thor’s Hammer and Wonder Woman’s lasso arrive here?
This episode also features Rasputin's prayer robe, an artifact that allows the
wearer to come back to life after his/her death. This may explain how Rasputin
survived his battle with The Shadow, to assist the Nazis in raising demons.
September 2009--SUPERNATURAL--"Free to Be You and Me"--A hunter refers to the Hulk when he talks about Sam's demon powers.
October 2009--VENTURE BROS.--"Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel"--The Argentinian surgeon tells Brock that ever since Iron Man, everybody wants a robot heart.
November 2009--SUPERNATURAL--"Changing Channels"--A trickster demon turns a local into a replica of the Hulk. Though they refer to the show, it's likely that this was the show based upon Jack McGee's reports about the real Hulk.
2011--OCCASIONAL COMICS DISORDER--"Muppets Thor"--Thor meets the Muppets. Read the story here.
March 2013--SIMPSONS--Nick Fury (Junior) appears in the Simpsons.
The So-Called Near Future--SHE-HULK # 5--Doctor Bong sends She-Hulk to the future of an alternate reality of Doctor Who, where she encounters Robo-Cop.
22nd Century--PROJECT: A-KO--Salvatore Cucinotta
This one may be known already, but it's one of my favorites. The movie series "Project A-Ko" was one of the first anime films to see stateside release in the wake of "Akira". And it's silly. So very silly. In the film and its sequels, the main characters are revealed to have crossover heritage with some western comic book characters. The title girl, A-Ko (Eiko) is revealed at the end of the first movie to be the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman (he's reading the daily pl(e)net with the word "Superm-" and "Mad Scie-" on the cover; her face is modeled after Lynda Carter and the daughter wears power-limiting bracers), and her rival B-Ko (Biko) is revealed to be the daughter of Iron Man (visual design and penchant for power armor). There's a dozen other references, but none really make a proper crossover besides them. The movie is a bizarre comedy, but for anime fans like me, it was one of the first ones we got--so it has a special place in our hearts.
ALTERNATE REALITIES:
BONGO ANOMALY: The Hulk has appeared twice on THE SIMPSONS. This Hulk is likely not the TVCU Hulk, but rather his Looniverse counterpart.
MARVEL UNIVERSE (EARTH-616)--Noted because apparently Guiding Light is part of the same reality as the Avengers comic!!!
MARVEL MULTIVERSE: The Marvel Multiverse contains many alternate realities with counterparts to Marvel characters. Hulk counterparts exist in HULK (1966 animated series), SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, FANTASTIC FOUR (1990s animated series), IRON MAN (animated series), THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1990s animated series), ULTIMATE AVENGERS I AND II, FANTASTIC FOUR (2006 animated series), THE HULK AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (feature films), NEXT AVENGERS: HEROES OF TOMORROW, WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, HULK VS., IRON MAN: ARMORED ADVENTURES, PLANET HULK, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, THE AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW, AND THE AVENGERS. Additionally, Thor has appeared in MIGHTY THOR, THE MARVEL SUPERHEROES, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, THOR: TALES OF ASGARD, ALMIGHTY THOR, AND THOR. Daredevil also appeared in SPIDER-MAN (1990s animated series), Daredevil (feature film), ELEKTRA (THE HAND AND THE DEVIL), and PUNISHER '79 - 82.
MEMEMULTIVERSE--
NOT ANOTHER SPOOF MOVIE UNIVERSE--Yeah, that's what I'm calling. This is the reality of those recent movies that spoof whatever pop culture things are relevant at the moment. This includes DISASTER MOVIE, which features this universe's counterpart of the Hulk.
ROBOT CHICKEN UNIVERSE--There have been three appearances so far of the Hulk in this reality.
This doesn't work either, but it's fun nonetheless.
And before signing off, I just want to throw in that our blog was mentioned on io9.com. Whoo hoo!!! People are reading.
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Note that if the Hulk series is in, that means the Thor and Daredevil of the TV Movies are in, rather than the comic versions. I am going to include Thor and Daredevil in my timeline since from a TVCU viewpoint, those two are spin-offs of the Hulk. Otherwise I'd never have any other opportunity to discuss their timeline, since those TV Movies are their only on-screen TVCU appearances.
I've also decided to include the Avengers in this blog. The Avengers is one of the greatest crossover movies, and it would be a shame to exclude it. Since it came out, I've applied many varying theories for placement of the Avengers, which I've hinted at in various blogs. Finally, I've decided to place it in the TVCU2, which is for all intents and purposes the same universe as the TVCU, but where the timeline diverged at some point. Once I've posted this updated blog, there's a strong chance I'll change my mind and amend this in a future update. After all, look at how many variations of my Superman blog there have been.
I've also removed Dennis Power's elements, simply because it goes against my "It happened as we view it" approach. However, I am still a fan of Power's work, and highly recommend it. I've also removed any element that doesn't have a comic book or film connection. This is only to be true to the intent of my blog. It doesn't necessarily negate any comic story, but I'm choosing to ignore them from my canon.
This post is updated to include elements from the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia, published by 18thWall Productions. For the purposes of this post, the Television Crossover Universe and Horror Universe are synonymous. Also, this blog post needs to be updated to include the rest of the MCU after Avengers. I also need to address a possible relationship to Once Upon a Time. Those updates will wait for another day.
25,000 B.C.--SHE-HULK # 5--She-Hulk finds herself herself being tossed through time and space by Doctor Bong. She ends up in Bedrock.
1279 B.C.--HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS--Hercules meets Thor.
1890s--PARADISE--Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson appear. Since they are played by the same actors, and those original shows were aired in the 1960s, and this series aired in the 1980s, and since the bulk of those old westerns were taking place in the 1870s, I'm making an assumption this series takes place in the 1890s. Incidentally, this may be the Paradise, CA that later becomes known as Paradise City, "where the grass is green and the girls are pretty", and where "CAPTAIN AMERICA" is torn apart in the 1980s. (In the Wronskiverse, an alternate reality of my creation, this connection is indeed correct, but for the TVCU, I can only speculate.) For more on Paradise, CA, go here. If indeed there was a 1980s Captain America in Paradise City, it would likely be a government sponsored replacement Cap, since Rogers is still frozen in the ice.
1940s--CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER--This is the TVCU canon version of Steve Rogers. The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline. This film has a crossover tie to Indiana Jones, my basis for bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the TVCU. All other Captain Americas between 1945 and 2008 are replacement heroes sponsored by the government. Nick Fury plays a minor role in Captain America: The First Avenger, where he greets a newly-awakened Steve Rogers and invites him to join the Avengers. Tony Stark's father is a major character in Captain America and gets a name-drop in Thor.
MAN MADE MONSTER (FILM)
Release Date: 1941 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Man Made Monster
The Story: A man finds he has a higher than normal tolerance to electricity. This gets him a gig as a side show freak, but two scientists wish to study him, and he agrees. But of course one scientist is evil and wants to rule the world, and so plans to create an army of electrically controlled zombie soldiers, with the lead as the prototype.
Notes: Like most Universal horror, this film is brought in via Jeff Rovin’s novel Return of the Wolf Man. This film has been “non-cross” referenced in The Owl and the Pussycat, The Incredible Hulk, and The Angry Video Game Nerd.
THE INVADERS # 31 “HEIL FRANKENSTEIN” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: August 1978 (Setting is June 1942)
Series: Invaders
Horror Crosses: The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel Comics)
Non-Horror Crosses: Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch (Golden Age)
The Story: The Invaders journey to Castle Frankenstein in Switzerland to stop Doctor Basil Frankenstein from creating an army of Nazi Frankenstein monsters.
Notes: This cross is labeled as such above because it’s part of the Marvel Frankenstein canon. This brings in the Invaders, and it’s members Captain America, Sub-Mariner, and the first Human Torch. This doesn’t bring in all of the Marvel Universe, but it does mean that at least the golden age stories featuring those heroes, as well as post golden age stories retroactively set in that era, are in the Horror Universe.
1942--ESSENTIAL SGT FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS VOLUME 1--From James Bojaciuk: The very first issue opens with a two-page spread of everyone in Nick Fury's squad, all accompanied by a paragraph description of each Howler. Dino Manelli's intro is worth sharing: "You might have seen him in the movies, under another name; for this handsome swashbuckler gave up a promising career as an actor in order to repay the country he loves for all it has given him!" The "another name" bit confirms that Dino Manelli *is* Dean Martin.
CRYPT OF CTHULHU # 106 “IN THE DEVIL’S GARDEN” (STORY BY JOSEPH S. PULVER SR.)
Release Date: 2000 (Setting is 1940s)
Series: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos
Non-Horror Crosses: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos; The Boys From Brazil
The Story: Herbert West gets hired by the Nazis, and serves them throughout the war.
Notes: This is the original Herbert West, from Lovecraft’s Herbert West - Reanimator, as opposed to some of the later adaptations. In the story, West meets Baron von Strucker, who is a villain from Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos # 5, January 1964. This was a war comic, set during World War II. This story would bring in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, and most of the comics series. It does not bring in other Marvel characters or series, nor does it even necessarily bring in the later stories set in contemporary times featuring Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD. This story also references the events from The Boys From Brazil as having happened, bringing that also into the Horror Universe.
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS # 77 - 79 “RUMANIAN RUMBLE” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: May - June 1991 (Setting is June 1942)
Series: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
Horror Crosses: Dracula (Marvel)
The Story: Nick Fury must work with Dracula against a mutual enemy.
Notes: This is the same Fury who will later be director of SHIELD. This is the Marvel Comics version of Dracula from Tomb of Dracula. He is likely not the real Dracula but another soul clone.
THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES! (ANIMATED SERIES)
SEASON 0 EPISODE 14 “MEET CAPTAIN AMERICA”
Release Date: October 5, 2010 (Setting is World War II)
Horror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos
The Story: The origin of Captain America is retold, modified to fit into the canon of this new animated series.
Notes: The Red Skull, Zemo, and Strucker use the Necronomicon to open a portal to Asgard. And speaking of series on Disney that cross with Lovecraft, in an episode of Phineas and Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a copy of the Necronomicon on his bookcase. I saw this episode a few years ago and cannot recall the episode. Since it’s such a minor cross, I chose not to devote hours to watching every episode again until I found it. Nevertheless, the cross is still there and valid, and it brings Phineas and Ferb into the Horror Multiverse. Because of the problem of animated characters not aging, I must assume it‘s not in the main timeline but in a divergent one or some pocket dimension.
1957--INCREDIBLE HULK--TV Movie origin. Placed back here to coincide with the date of the original Hulk's transformation. Scientist David Banner having lost his wife who was crushed by a car is frustrated he couldn't lift it. He experiments with Gamma radiation in order to try to tap the inner potential of the body, but instead is forever stuck becoming the Hulk whenever his heart rate increases (due to anger, stress, ect.) He seeks to find a cure. However, he is thought to be a murderer and is tracked by an investigative journalist. Banner goes under aliases as he travels from town to town during his hunt for a cure and his attempt to avoid the reporter.
ATOMIC ROBO/NEOZOIC # 1 “THE KING OF ALL BOMBS” (RED 5 COMICS)
Release Date: May 1, 2008 (Set in 1961)
Series: Atomic Robo
Horror Crosses: Hellboy (comics)
Non-Horror Crosses: Captain America
The Story: Atomic Robo must stop a Soviet mad scientist from blowing up the world.
Notes: Atomic Robo has a painting of Hellboy and Captain America’s shield.
SILVER SURFER # 7 “THE HEIR OF FRANKENSTEIN” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: August 1969 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Silver Surfer
Horror Crosses: The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel Comics)
The Story: One of the Frankenstein family creates a duplicate of the Silver Surfer.
Notes: This cross between the Marvel Frankenstein canon and the Silver Surfer brings the Silver Surfer into the Horror Universe. Though the Silver Surfer first appeared in the pages of Fantastic Four, the origin given in this series by Jack Kirby is told differently without the FF, and so that is the origin for the Horror Universe. We should keep in mind that this doesn’t pull in the entirety of the Marvel Universe, and likely only the stories of the 1930s through the mid 1980s are valid for inclusion, because though Marvel operates in comic book time, the Horror Universe operates in real time, and eventually, these superheroes would show the effects of aging. Bringing in the Silver Surfer does not bring in Spider-Man. Or Captain America. And likewise Spider-Man would only bring in Spider-Man. Cap would only bring in Cap. Also, cartoons are not treated like comics. For one, Scooby cartoons don't really care about continuity from series to series. Comic book companies (despite our complaining) actually do try to keep track of canon, and make it clear when it's a separate canon. If they do a reboot, then that is a separate series. For instance, the different versions of Superman are considered separately. But back to the Silver Surfer, any original character that appears first in the Silver Surfer series are in, considered part of the Silver Surfer canon. Every appearance of the Silver Surfer and its spin-offs that has a horror cross in this guide is canon. Any Silver Surfer story that has no crosses, or has guest appearances of one of its spin-off characters is canon, but only for the first 25 years. Then, no. Any appearance of the Silver Surfer or spin-offs teaming with another comic character are in only if the other character has been brought in by a horror cross. Otherwise, it doesn't count.
Summer 1972--3 DEV ADAM (3 MIGHTY MEN AKA CAPTAIN AMERICA AND SANTO VS. SPIDER-MAN--El Santo teams with Captain America in Istanbul against a villain using the name of Spider-Man. Note that I don't believe this to be Steve Rogers, who was in suspended animation from the 1940s until the 21st century. However, borrowing from the comics, I imagine that there were several government sponsored replacement Captain Americas over the decades.
THE OCCULT FILES OF DOCTOR SPEKTOR # 18 “MASQUE MACABRE” (GOLD KEY
COMICS)
Release Date: December 1975 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor
Horror Crosses: Donald F. Glut’s interconnected works; Dracula (novel); Frankenstein (Donald F. Glut); Count Wulfstein; The Lurker; Purple Zombie; Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde (novel); Simbar; Phantom Stranger; Deadman; Dr. 13 (See Notes)
Non-Horror Crosses: Batman; Justice League of America; Avengers (Marvel); Freedom Fighters; Thor (Marvel); Defenders; Beast; Thunderbunny; Animal Man; Generation X (See Notes)
The Story: Spektor is in Rutland, Vermont for the annual Masque Macabre Halloween parade when the Dark Gods bring several statues to life.
Notes: The Statues brought to life are Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Count Wulfstein, the Lurker, the Purple Zombie, Mr. Hyde, Simbar, and Ra-Ka-Tep. Though these are all statues brought to life, most are characters met Spektor already, so the presumption is that the others are also in the same reality as Spektor. This parade is a real annual event, but it appears often in comics. It’s considered one of the first intercompany crossovers because multiple comic book companies use it as a setting. This was an intentional attempt by comics writers to get past legalities and present that all the comics co-exist in the same reality. Because of writer’s intent, I’m inclined to allow the crossovers, even though I really hate to make the Horror Universe into a superhero universe. The compromise is to say that the above crosses are all in, but superheroes in the Horror Universe were more or less not as public as in their main comic book universes, and their careers only lasted from the 1960s to the mid 1980s at most. It was a weird quirky phenomenon in the Horror Universe and most people today have no recollection that super-heroes ever existed.
January 1976--KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER CHRONICLES “WHAT EVERY COIN HAS” (SHORT STORY BY C.J. HENDERSON)
Release Date: 2005 (See Notes for Setting)
Series: Kolchak the Night Stalker
Horror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Evil Dead; The Salem Horror
Non-Horror Crosses: Incredible Hulk (TV)
The Story: Marvin Richards is the host of a show called Challenge of the Unknown, and wishes for Kolchak to be on the show. Richards uses the Necronomicon to summon the demon called Nyogtha
Notes: This is another in the recent series of Kolchak stories that seem to be set in the 1970s time period of the show and also in the modern 21st century. Even though this story has references to Oprah Winfrey, it also seems to be contemporary to the events of other shows like the Incredible Hulk. I could place this in some time delayed alternate timeline, but I prefer my Kolchak in his original setting. But I’ll let each reader decide for themselves. This book features the Necronomicon, which comes from Lovecraft’s mythos. Richards mentions that the book has other names. He references the real life fake Necronomicon of George Hays and Fred Pelton’s Sussex Manuscript, which makes the implication that those fake versions are very real versions of the Necronomicon in the Horror Universe (which is kind of cool, because I have the George Hays Necronomicon on my bookshelf). He also states another name for the book is the Necronomicon ex Mortis, which is the version of the book from the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness series, featuring the semi-heroic Ashley Williams. So that brings that series into the Horror Universe. The summoned demon Nyogtha comes from the book The Salem Horror, which is also brought in via Tales of the Shadowmen. Richards makes a reference to wishing he had hired that reporter who had been chasing the big green monster instead for the show. That’s McGee, from the 1970s television series The Incredible Hulk. There’s plenty of room for both versions (comics and TV) of the Hulk in the Horror Universe. The comic features Bruce Banner (technically Dr. Robert David Bruce Banner) while the show features Dr. David Banner. They both become green monsters called the Hulk, but the level of their powers and size are different. The origins behind becoming the Hulk and their struggles after are also very different. So both could be in independently. I had considered making the Hulk a horror cross. After all, he is a monster. The original four issue Hulk comic was much more of horror themed book as well, but once he resurfaced in the Avengers, his storyline followed a much more typical super-hero theme. And the show of course is considered a super-hero show for that reason, though it’s more in line with the wandering stranger shows of that era where someone goes from town to town, usually trying to hide and keep out of trouble, but ending up getting involved in the lives of people in the town in trouble and coming to their rescue. Marvin Richards has also appeared in other Henderson stories, All that Glitters and A Forty Share in Innsmouth, but he’s not so much a series lead as a recurring character used by the author in whatever theme he’s covering, in this case Lovecraft.
THE OCCULT FILES OF DOCTOR SPEKTOR # 14 “THE NIGHT LAKOTA DIED” (GOLD KEY COMICS)
Release Date: June 1975 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor
Horror Crosses: Donald F. Glut’s Interconnected Works
Non-Horror Crosses: Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom; Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
The Story: Karena, agent of the Dark Gods, once again attacks Spektor, this time by controlling the super-hero Dr. Solar.
Notes: The Dark Gods are from Glut’s series of stories. Doctor Solar was another Gold Key character, whose series had ended. This was a way to give him an ending. This story brings in Dr. Solar, but not the later revival series Solar, Man of the Atom from Valient. Solar says that he works for the government now, for a man named Nick. This is meant to be Nick Fury, which is confirmed in Doctor Spektor # 23. Nick Fury’s World War II era stories were brought in previously, and this story brings in his silver age adventures. As with all Marvel heroes, we must not use Nick to bring in other Marvel characters. We might wish to apply the reasoning that Marvel uses in that Nick had taken “the Infinity Formula” to maintain his youthfulness.
MARVEL TEAM-UP # 36 - 37 “ONCE UPON A TIME, IN A CASTLE…” / “SNOW DEATH! CHAPTER ONE MADHOUSE!” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: August - September 1975 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Spider-Man; The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel); Man-Wolf
Horror Crosses: Tomb of Dracula
Non-Horror Crosses: Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD
The Story: A mad scientist captures the Frankenstein Monster and Spider-Man in his attempt to create an army of monsters.
Notes: Man-Wolf is a Spider-Man villain who like Morbius got his own spin-off series. Marvel’s Dracula appears in a flashback. Nick Fury appears in a cameo. SHIELD is heavily involved in this story.
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN # 101 - 102 “THEN CAME THE MONSTER!” / “THE DAUGHTER OF CREATION!” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: August - September 1976 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Iron Man
Horror Crosses: The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel)
The Story: Iron Man comes to the assistance of the Frankenstein Monster at Castle Frankenstein to save a modern day Frankenstein family member.
Notes: This brings in Iron Man, but his adventures likely ended in the mid 1980s. This is the Marvel version of the Frankenstein monster. Whether he is the original from Mary Shelley’s novel or a later creation is debateable.
GOLD KEY SPOTLIGHT # 8 “A LION IN THE STREETS” (GOLD KEY COMICS)
Release Date: August 1977 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor
Horror Crosses: Simbar
The Story: Simbar seeks Spektor’s aid when his mate is kidnapped.
Notes: This was the final Spektor story. Glut had planned a crossover story that involved Spektor teaming up with Simbar, the Owl, Dr. Solar, and the Purple Zombie. Perhaps that would have led to a Gold Key super-team like the Justice League or Avengers. The story would have been a final battle against the Dark Gods. Another story would have shown his origin, including his training under Sherlock Holmes. Also, he would have been granted immortality, which would have been useful should the series have been as long lived as some comic book series.
1978 to 1982--THE INCREDIBLE HULK--Banner keeps looking for a cure, avoiding notice, interfering in the lives of others, and then smashing things.
1978 to 1982--THE INCREDIBLE HULK (COMIC STRIP)--More adventures of the Hulk. The Hulk in this strip is the Hulk from the TV series, not from the comics, so fits into TVCU continuity.
MARVEL TEAM-UP # 111 - 112 “OF SPIDERS AND SERPENTS” / “A KING COMES RIDING” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: November - December 1981 (Contemporary Setting and circa 18,000 - 20,000 B.C.)
Series: Spider-Man; Devil-Slayer; Kull
Horror Crosses: Doctor Strange
Non-Horror Crosses: Defenders; Sub-Mariner; Hulk
The Story: Spider-Man rescues the Defenders from the Serpent Men. In the process, Spider-Man is poisoned, and the only cure can be found in the ancient past. Doctor Strange sends Spider-Man to the past where he meets Kull and gains his cure.
Notes: Two parter. The first featured Spider-Man and the Devil Salyer. Part two featured Spider-Man and Kull. Kull’s past has been firmly established to exist in the Horror Universe mainly due to Robert E. Howard’s tendency to include links to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos in his sword and sorcery stories. In the Horror Universe, I believe Spider-Man and other Marvel heroes did operate for a short time of about 25 years, from the 1960s to the mid 1980s. The Defenders team in this story is Doctor Strange, Sub-Mariner, Hulk, Devil-Slayer, Gargoyle, and Valkyrie. Doctor Strange has several crosses, most notably with Tomb of Dracula. The Sub-Mariner has crosses in both the golden age and the silver age. The Hulk here is the comics version, as opposed to the television series that was brought in via a reference in a Kolchak story. Since the comics version is Bruce and the television version is David, they could still both exist in the Horror Universe. The Devil-Slayer had his own series, which was a horror/super-hero type series. Gargoyle and Valkyrie are both original characters from the Defenders series.
MARVEL TEAM-UP ANNUAL # 5 “SERPENT RISING” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: 1982 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Spider-Man; Fantastic Four; X-Men; Doctor Strange; Quasar
Non-Horror Crosses: Conan the Barbarian; Kull
The Story: Spider-Man, the Thing, Scarlet Witch, Dr. Strange, and Quasar team-up against the Serpent Cult.
Notes: In the Horror Universe, the Marvel Comics heroes operated from the 1960s until the mid 1980s. They were less publicly known than their Marvel Universe counterparts. After all, this is a world where people regularly deny the existence of the abnormal, whether it be a town overrun with vampires or zombies, a slasher who keeps coming back from the dead to kill all the teenagers, alien invasions, or giant monsters. The Thing was a member of the Fantastic Four. The Scarlet Witch was an X-Men foe before becoming a hero. Quasar is a spin-off character first debuting in Captain America. In this story, Strange tells Spider-Man about the history of the Serpent Men, including during the times of Conan and Kull. He also refers to their existence in alternate realities, confirming that the Horror Universe is part of a larger Horror Multiverse!
1984--TRANSFORMERS # 3--I had previously stated elsewhere that Spider-Man had probably never returned from the Secret Wars, but then James pointed out that an older Spidey was still operating in more modern times, and here is more proof that he returned with the suit that would be Venom. One of the Transformers would later appear in Secret Wars II, but I do not consider major Marvel crossovers as TVCU canon. However, I do believe that Secret Wars II may be yet another part of the Crisis. Nick Fury also appeared in the original Marvel Transformers comic series.
December 1985--AMAZING STORIES--"Remote Control Man"--The Hulk is briefly pulled into Earth-Prime by a man with a magic remote control.
June 1987--ACTION FORCE # 17--"Meditations in Red"--Action Force is a special branch of G.I. Joe. In this issue, Quick Kick is remembering his mentor, SHANG CHI, MASTER OF KUNG FU. Shang Chi is also the son of FU MANCHU. Also mentioned are ELEKTRA, IRON FIST, and Batroc the Leaper. Batroc, as a villain, does not bring in every story he's been featured in. Iron Fist (and Power Man) are part of the TVCU. Elektra's TVCU life must have gone a bit differently, since the TVCU DAREDEVIL made his debut in 1979 rather than the 1960s. He is depicted in the TV Movie TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK.
1988--THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS--For two years, the Hulk has not surfaced. Banner has a girlfriend, and has created a machine almost ready to cure him. But then things go awry when Banner is contacted by an old friend, Dr. Donald Blake. Blake has amazing news. He has found a Hammer that summons the Norse god Thor. A bad guy steals the curing machine and the girlfriend, so Thor and Hulk must save the day, but they also fight each other and smash the machine. Thus Banner is out a cure.
1989--THE TRIAL OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--After an incident on a subway, Banner is wrongfully accused of attacking a woman. In fact, he was trying to save her from attackers, when Hulk smashed. Blind attorney Matt Murdock offers to represent Banner for free. Murdock has an understanding of who Banner is, and hopes Banner will help him take down Wilson Fiske, the Kingpin of Crime (and an old nemesis of Spider-Man.) It turns out that though blind, Murdock has sonar from the acid that blinded him. (This acid is also called the ooze, by some turtles that were also mutated by the same stuff immediately after.) Murdock had been operating for about a decade as Daredevil, considered an urban legend by most. The two work together to take down the Kingpin and Banner gets off on his charges. (Since all of Daredevil's appearances in Crossovers occur after this, this is a pretty convenient first appearance. Even if his career began a little earlier, it still helps with the age issues of the later crossovers.)
September 1990--ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES (ANIMATED SERIES)
SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 “TOMATOES FROM THE BLACK LAGOON”
Release Date: September 22, 1990 (Contemporary Setting)
Horror Crosses: Creature from the Black Lagoon
Non-Horror Crosses: Hulk (Comic)
The Story: This week’s adventure takes the heroes (and villains) to the Black Lagoon, and there is an encounter with the Hulk at the airport.
Notes: This cross with Creature from the Black Lagoon brings the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes films and cartoon into the Horror Universe. It also brings the comic book version of the Hulk in. The TV version is brought in via a crossover with Kolchak.
1990--THE DEATH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--Yup, he dies while trying to help out a good spy forced to do bad things. He falls out of a plane. However, since the network planned on making more movies (but sadly Bixby died), and since Win lists Hulk crossovers after this, I will agree that the Hulk's regenerative abilities helped the two-in-one hero survive.
DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE # 173 “PARTY ANIMALS” (MARVEL UK)
Release Date: May 15, 1991 (Setting is era of the Seventh Doctor and companions Ace and Ria, as well as the Fourth and Sixth Doctors, but otherwise indeterminate; there is also a future incarnation of the Doctor who has not yet debuted officially)
Series: Doctor Who
Horror Crosses: Doctor Strange
Non-Horror Crosses: Captain Britain; The Simpsons; Sapphire & Steel; Star Trek: The Next Generation; Axel Pressbutton; Hulk (Comic); Fantastic Four; Timespirits; Dan Dare; Avengers (Television Series); Rocket Raccoon; X-Factor; X-Men; Sub-Mariner; Thor (Comics); Spider-Man; Conan the Barbarian; Death’s Head
The Story: The Doctor and his companions attend a birthday party on a planet within a time vortex.
Notes: The future Doctor was visually based on the actor who played the Doctor in radio dramas. A later story would show the Eighth Doctor regenerate into this future Doctor, only to have been an illusion. Since this party does occur within a time vortex, we can assume each of the crossover characters came from the time period they originate from.
DOCTOR STRANGE, SORCERER SUPREME # 37 “FRANKENSURFER” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: January 1992 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Doctor Strange
Horror Crosses: The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel); Tomb of Dracula
Non-Horror Crosses: Silver Surfer; Fantastic Four; Solomon Kane; Invaders; Captain America; Sub-Mariner; Human Torch (golden age); Iron Man
The Story: Doctor Strange battles a duplicate of the Silver Surfer created by a Frankenstein years earlier.
Notes: In the story, Doctor Strange summarized the history of Marvel’s version of Frankenstein, including all the crossovers previous mentioned in this reference book.
1995--THE REVENGE OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK--The Hulk and Banner are revealed to have survived the events of five years ago. And somehow the process has added intelligence to the Hulk, allowing him to talk now.
GENERATION X GEN 13 # 1 “HARVEST OF EVIL!” (MARVEL COMICS AND IMAGE COMICS)
Release Date: February 1998 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Generation X; Gen 13
Horror Crosses: Frankenstein (Universal)
Non-Horror Crosses: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
The Story: Doctor Pretorius lures both teams of teen heroes to a secluded castle in Mexico under false pretenses of a vacation for the obvious nefarious purposes.
Notes: This is the second meeting between Generation X and Gen 13. The first is not a horror cross so it’s not listed. This cross brings both teams into the Horror Universe, but they are the Horror Universe counterparts and so this doesn’t bring in the entirety of the Marvel and Wildstorm Universes. The character Mr. Lynch seems to be an aged Nick Fury. Dr. Pretorius is from Bride of Frankenstein..
SPIDER-MAN/X-MEN: TIME’S ARROW (TRILOGY BY TOM DEFALCO)
Release Date: July 1 - September 1, 1998 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Spider-Man; X-Men
Horror Crosses: Godzilla
Non-Horror Crosses: Avengers; The Shadow; Doc Savage
The Story: Kang the Conquorer’s latest scheme threatens the multiverse.
Notes: This story takes place in the Marvel Universe, but at one point, alternate realities are shown, including those of the Shadow, Godzilla, and Doc Savage. Thanks to Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies, we know that indeed the Marvel Universe and Horror Universe are part of the same multiverse.
1999--SPIDER-MAN: THE GATHERING OF THE SINISTER SIX (NOVEL)
Release Date: March 1, 1999 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Spider-Man
Horror Crosses: Scooby-Doo! (revival film series)
Non-Horror Crosses: Invaders; Captain America; Human Torch (golden age); Sub-Mariner; Casablanca; Hulk; Jackie Chan Adventures; Terry and the Pirates; Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal; Fargo; Trading Places/Coming to America; The Great Race; North by Northwest; Indiana Jones; Marathon Man; Smilin’ Jack; Iron Man; Sherlock Holmes; Die Hard; Fu Manchu; James Bond; Superman (modern age); Law & Order; Ellery Queen; Batman (Burton/Schumacher film series): Usual Suspects; Carmen Sandiego; Unbreakable; Maltese Falcon; NYPD Blue
The Story: A new Sinister Six is formed.
Notes: Because of the appearance of the Mystery, Inc team, and not as 40-somethings, this must be the team from the newer animated films that started with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. This film series continues with all the previous animated series as canon. In Zombie Island, the gang are all adults, post college. Velma has a Master’s degree. The team had split up and in Zombie Island are reunited. So the “kids” here are now in the mid-20s, in a time period that is contemporary with release dates based on pop culture and technology. In the Horror Universe, the “kids” should be in their 40s. Furthermore, based on evidence from Looney Tunes: Back in Action, it’s likely the revival films are fictional in the Horror Universe, being fictional films about Mystery, Inc. However, Mystery Incorporated (in a divergent timeline) has an appearance of the Hex Girls, a fictional band that originated in revival series film Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost. Based on the crossover rules I am using, that would place the revival film series if not in the Horror Universe main timeline, at least in a divergent timeline. And indeed, it must be placed in a divergent timeline. Thus,Spider-Man: Gathering of the Sinister Six should be placed in that divergent timeline.
Release Date: 1999 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Gen13
Horror Crosses: Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos
Non-Horror Crosses: Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos
The Story: The team deals with an open Hellmouth in Vegas.
Notes: This cross bings more super-heroes into the Horror Universe, but with connections to Buffy (a Hellmouth) and Lovecraft (an appearance of the De Vermis Mysteriis), I have no choice. Crossoverist James Bojaciuk has pointed out to me that the team leader John Lynch is meant to be an aged Nick Fury. Interestingly, in the A-Team film (which is not in the Horror Universe), Lynch is a typical false identity used by CIA agents.
X-MEN: THE CHAOS ENGINE TRILOGY (TRILOGY BY STEVEN A. ROMAN)
Release Date: July 1, 2000 - 2003 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: X-Men
Horror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Stephen King Universe; Blackstone Chronicles
Non-Horror Crosses: Fantastic Four; Captain America
The Story: The X-Men return from an other-dimensional adventure to find that Doctor Doom had obtained the Cosmic Cube and altered reality to make him ruler of the world.
Notes: Arkham, Massachusetts, Blackstone, New Hampshire and Castle Rock, Maine are shown to be towns on the Earth of the Marvel Universe. That is further evidence that the Marvel Multiverse and Horror Multiverse are connected. Many Marvel characters also exist in the Horror Universe. However, time seems to operate differently in the two realities. In the Horror Universe, time operates like in the real world, but the Marvel Universe operates in “comic book time” where characters do age, but very slowly, and even though whatever the time of publication seems to be is the setting date as well, the characters are constantly thinking that they are not as old as they should be. For example, in 1964, the year the X-Men formed, the X-Men would think it’s 1964. But by the late 70s they would say they formed about 10 - 12 years ago, and in the 1990s, they would say it was 10 - 12 years ago, and today, they would say it was 10 - 12 years ago.
December 2004--TOTALLY SPIES!--"The Incredible Bulk"--Clover, Sam, and Mandy, teens working for the government as agents, have an encounter with the Hulk.
PSYCHOPOMP HALLOWE’EN SPECIAL “REDUX OF THE LIVING DEAD” (SHORT STORY BY KEVIN T. HEIM)
Release Date: October 26, 2012 (Setting is May 2005)
Series: Frankenstein (Kevin Heim); Return of the Living Dead
Horror Crosses: Lost Boys; Body Snatchers; Kitty Norville
Non-Horror Crosses: Frasier; G.I. Joe
The Story: A Frankenstein Monster is living in Santa Mira, California, living a nice life when he finds himself fighting a zombie outbreak.
Notes: Author Kevin Heim has informed me that this monster is intentionally ambiguous as to whether it’s the original or any of the others created by Victor or another of his family. He had originally thought of his monster being the Steve Niles version, but found them not compatible, and was inspired by the image of the monster’s appearance with Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, particularly with the monster riding the motorcycle. The zombies are turned by Trioxin from the Return of the Living Dead series. More specifically, there are cyborg zombies from Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis. The Monster finds himself aided by the Frog brothers from the Lost Boys. The setting is Santa Mira. Santa Mira first appeared in Body Snatchers. See my entry for that story to see a list of the many other appearances of Santa Mira. The Monster listens to talk radio hosted by Kitty Norville. Kitty comes from a series by Carrie Vaughn. That series exists in a world where the supernatural is publically known. It must be a divergent timeline. This must be her main Horror Universe timeline counterpart. The Monster also listens to a show hosted by psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane, who is a character from the television series Frasier. The Monster rides a Silver Mirage motorcycle, which comes from the G.I. Joe toy line.
2005--SON OF THE MASK--Ivan Ronald Schablotski recently brought this to my attention: Hypothetical question: what of Loki? There is the version of Loki in the awful SON OF THE MASK movie, which never the less connects to the first movie and its cartoon spin-off (which in turn connects to Ace Ventura and ALIENS) and there isthe version in the THOR movie, which is clearly a reboot reality. Loki also made an appearence in an early TMNT comic, and the TMNT became aware of their own extradimensional dopplegangers in the recent movie where comicbook version, 90s cartoon version, and 2K version all teamed up. In theory, everyone has a Loki...
August 2005--STARGATE SG-1--"Ex Deus Machina"--When explaining a meeting of high-level military suppliers & bankers, Daniel Jackson refers to one of the men as working for the "Stark" consortium.
UNHOLY UNION (TOP COW AND MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: July 2007 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: The Darkness; Ghost Rider; Hulk; Witchblade; Doctor Strange
Non-Horror Crosses: Cyberforce; Daredevil
The Story: The Darkness’ alter ego is on trial, but also must face the judgement of the Ghost Rider. And that’s just the beginning.
Notes: Darkness and Witchblade have had crosses with Aliens, Predators, and Vampirella, confirming their place in the Horror Universe. This story brings in Marvel’s Ghost Rider to the Horror Universe. Hulk and Doctor Strange have had numerous appearances mentioned elsewhere in this guide. This cross also brings in Cyberforce and Daredevil.
2007--THE KINGDOM--Colonel al-Ghazi says the Hulk was the reason he became a cop, calling it "the Green Beast"
2008—Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
The “Evil League of Evil Leaders,” or the mafia godfathers over much of the TVCU’s supervillain community, includes a man who claims to be the true Thomas Jefferson. This is argued against by his super-strength and immortality, but considering Jefferson’s prior (half-completed) deal with the devil, anything is possible. However, it is important to note that elements of the true events were greatly exaggerated.
The singing everyone suffers from, however, is probably another reality-altering appearance of the singing demon from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More, With Feeling.”
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is in the TVCU based on reused weapon and costume props from Firefly; as all of the reused props are in the possession of Dr. Horrible, we may assume he time traveled to the future and stole a number of small items. Firefly is in the TVCU via a number of crossovers with the Halo franchise, which in turn has a large amount of crossovers linking it to the TVCU via the Aliens and Predator series, Iron Man, and Mass Effect.
Mass Effect in turn has crossover links to Army of Darkness, Dracula, The Princess Bride, the Cthulhu Mythos, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, A Clockwork Orange, and Stark Trek (among others). All of the crossovers within Firefly, Halo, and Mass Effect will be covered in a future blog.
2008--IRON MAN--In the TVCU, Tony Stark was born in the 1960s (like the actor who plays him) and became Iron Man in 2008. The comic book version of Tony Stark exists in a divergent timeline. Captain America's shield can be seen on the table behind Tony Stark in Iron Man (screen cap here
). Agent Coulson is a minor character in Iron Man, and Nick Fury has a cameo, where he name-drops "The Avengers Initiative", in The Stinger.2008--IRON MAN 2--This film takes place just a short time after the first film. Black Widow debuts in this film. This is Natasha Romanoff The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline. The Stinger in Iron Man 2 shows a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent finding Thor's hammer. Iron Man 2 includes news footage of events from The Incredible Hulk. Captain America's shield plays a much bigger role in Iron Man 2. Both Fury and Coulson play more significant roles in Iron Man 2, where Fury reveals Howard Stark's S.H.I.E.L.D. connection and Coulson gives Tony Stark Captain America's shield. Black Widow also plays a key role in Iron Man 2. It is Coulson that finds Mjolnir at the end of Iron Man 2, and contacts Fury about it.
2008--INCREDIBLE HULK--This Hulk is Bruce Banner. The one concept I still carry over from Dennis Power is that David and Bruce are cousins. The comic book version exists in a divergent timeline, but this film is in the TVCU, even the Hulk battle in the city. The events of this film happen concurrently with the events of Iron Man 2 and Thor. Tony Stark appears in The Stinger in The Incredible Hulk (the 2008 one) to comment on those events. Captain America's shield appears in an alternate opening sequence to The Incredible Hulk (see here
).2008--THOR--Thor is the same Thor from previous entries here. He does not remember his previous encounter with the other Hulk, nor having bonded with Dr. Donald Blake, who coincidentally he takes the identity of in this film, as his Jane Foster dated Blake once. Note that I place all the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" series to take place in 2008, so the tale for how Thor lost his hammer and it ended up the next year in Warehouse 13 can still be speculated at this time. Coulson plays a major role in Thor, and Nick Fury has a brief cameo. Hawkeye first appears. His comic book counterpart, like Thor, exists in a divergent timeline.
2008--MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS--This takes place very shortly after the last three films and the prologue to CAPTAIN AMERICA. Borrowing from the comics, we can assume that this Nick Fury is actually the son of the other Nick Fury from the comics, who has crossovers with James Bond, Dean Martin, and more. The Avengers Initiative must be a revival of the 1970s/1980s Super Powers Team (aka the Super Friends or the Justice League of America). In fact, in one of the previews for Iron Man 3, Stark's assistant refers to the Avengers as the Super Friends, cementing this concept. It should be noted that I'm placing this in the TVCU, even though there's a huge alien invasion going on in New York City. Let's face it. Alien invasions seem to happen all the time on Earth, and they are often dismissed. Obviously, we can assume that huge Statue of Liberty memory eraser used by the Men in Black is involved. Even "the man" interviewed at the end of the film was not a "true believer" of super-heroes in New York City. And if this solution still bothers you, then simply disregard for your own personal crossover reality. (Future films, timeline unknown, in the series are planned, which are Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers 2, and Ant-Man. In November 2010, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Joe Quesada outlined his plan to expand the MCU into comic books. He explained, "[F]or the uninitiated, the MCU [comics] are going to be stories set within movie continuity. [They are] not necessarily direct adaptations of the movies, but maybe something that happened off screen and was mentioned in the movie, and we'll tell that story. ... [T]he folks that are involved in the movies on the West Coast will be involved in these stories. It won't be like one of our comic book writers saw the movie and has an idea for a story. No, these stories are originating at the very top. [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin Feige is involved with these and in some cases maybe the writers of the movies would be involved in ... generating these ideas and then either just giving them to some of our writers or maybe some of these guys writing them themselves." In August 2011, Marvel announced a series of direct-to-video short films called Marvel One-Shots. The first short film, The Consultant, is included with the Thor Blu-ray release, which was released on September 13, 2011. A second, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer, was released on the Captain America: The First Avenger Blu-ray on October 25, 2011. Both films star Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, offering up two self-contained stories about the day in the life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. A third film titled Item 47 was released with The Avengers Blu-ray on September 25, 2012. In December 2010, it was reported that Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg is developing a series originally for ABC titled AKA Jessica Jones, based on the comic book series Alias created by Brian Michael Bendis. In November 2011, Rosenberg stated that the TV show would center on Jessica Jones and would have principal parts for Luke Cage and Carol Danvers. She also confirmed that the TV series would absolutely take place in the larger "cinematic" Marvel Universe and Tony Stark and Stark Industries are in the current pilot script but admitted, "As we go along things will alter in terms of what is made available to us, but we're definitely in that universe. We are in no way denying that that universe exists. And as much as I can I'm going to pull everything in from there that I can use". In May 2012, ABC president Paul Lee stated the network has passed on the series. In July 2012 it was reported that Marvel's TV division had again entered into discussions with ABC to do a show set in the MCU, and in August ABC ordered a pilot for a show called S.H.I.E.L.D., to be written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, and Maurissa Tancharoen, and directed by Joss Whedon. Clark Gregg is cast to reprise his role from the films as Phil Coulson in the series.
Summer 2008--PHINEAS AND FERB: MISSION MARVEL--The upcoming Disney/Marvel crossover Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel features the Marvel heroes Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, and Thor, the Marvel villans Whiplash, MODOK, Red Skull, and Venom, and characters from Phineas and Ferb, where the storyline involves Phineas and Ferb trying to restore power to the Marvel heroes, whose powers were taken away by Doofenshmirtz.
MONSTER-SIZE HULK # 1 “IT’S ALIVE! ALIVE!!!!” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: October 15, 2008 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Hulk (comics)
Horror Crosses: The Frankenstein Monster (Marvel)
The Story: Bruce Banner is rescued from the Hulkbusters by Victoria Frankenstein. Victoria is the great-granddaughter of Victor and though 73 years old, has found a way to extend her life, thus only appearing to be in her 20s. Victoria convinces Dr. Banner that she needs his scientific knowledge. She has the Monster who is dying, and she wants to save his life by stopping his deterioration. However, she reveals her true intentions when she subdues Banner and transfers some of his blood into the monster. When Banner awakes, he immediately transforms into the Hulk and fights the Monster. The Monster has absorbed some of the Hulk’s strength and other properties, while the Hulk is weaker. The Hulkbusters show up and attack both monsters, causing the two to work together, and eventually becoming friends.
Notes: This is the Marvel version of the Monster, called Adam. Adam may not be the original monster from the novel, but still may have been another creation of Victor. At the start of the story, Banner had been unaware that the story of Frankenstein was based on truth. Victoria responds that most writers are uninspired and base their stories on true events. This supports the Horror Universe concept. Incidentally, since the Horror Universe doesn’t use comic book time and the characters age normally, Banner himself should be in his 70s as well at this point. Clearly the Hulk’s own regenerative properties must slow down Banner’s aging. In fact, any appearances of any super-hero from the “silver age” at this point probably also likely involves slowed aging due to their meta-genes or mutations.
MONSTER-SIZE HULK # 1 “HULK BY NIGHT” (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: October 15, 2008 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Hulk (comics)
Horror Crosses: Werewolf by Night
The Story: As often happens, Banner awakes in the middle of nowhere half dressed. He’s found by Jack Russell, who offers him a meal and an opportunity. He wants to pay Banner (who needs money to get home) to simply lock him up for the night in a cage. Banner agrees, but as Russell begins to turn into a werewolf (by night), Banner is too close to the cage and is scratched. This causes him to Hulk out, and the Hulk wants to smash puny dog man who scratch Hulk. The fight leads back into the woods and near the road, where passersby pull up to see what’s happening. The werewolf tries to eat their children, but the Hulk saves the family. In the morning, Banner again awakes half dressed in the woods, but with a newspaper, a note, and some cash in front of him. The paper lays out what happened, and the note is from Jack, thanking Banner from preventing Jack from having another “bad night”.
Notes: Despite being bitten and scratched, it doesn’t seem that we’ll see a werewolf Hulk. His regenerative abilities must have destroyed the Lycanthropic virus before it could have any effect.
MONSTER-SIZE HULK # 1 “BLOOD COUNT” (SHORT STORY BY PETER DAVID)
Release Date: October 15, 2008 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Hulk (comics)
Horror Crosses: Tomb of Dracula
The Story: The villagers are storming Castle Dracula (with machine guns and flamethrowers) when the Hulk interrupts and assumes that the shouts of “monster” are directed at him. After the Hulk chases away the villagers, Dracula sees an opportunity. After failing to use his vampiric mind control on the Hulk, whose will power was stronger than the count expected, he instead offers the Hulk his gratitude and a place to rest for the night. The next day, Dr. Bruce Banner awakes in yet another strange place with vague memories. However, his instincts tell him to leave immediately. While attempting to sneak out, he encounters one of Dracula’s brides, who offers him a meal. His hunger beats his instincts and in the kitchen Banner meets the Count. The Count again fails to mind control Banner. As Banner tries to leave, Dracula informs the scientist that he is a prisoner. The Bride pins him and finds her hunger overwhelms her, and she starts to feed on Banner, until Dracula grabs her and throws her against the wall. Banner of course changes into the Hulk but having consumed Banner’s blood, the bride also “hulks out”. No longer under Dracula’s thrall either, the Bride tries to kill Dracula, while the Hulk stays back and watches. Dracula manages to stake the Bride, who has the Hulk’s strength but not his invulnerability. Then Dracula and the Hulk go at it. .The Hulk destroys Castle Dracula and leaves, stating “stupid castle”. Dracula learns that storming villagers aren’t so bad. 
Notes: Banner mentions that it feels like he’s in a Universal monster movie, and later says that the Count sounds like the vampire puppet from Sesame Street. It would seem that Banner, like most of the population of the Horror Universe, think of these monsters as only existing in fiction, just as we do in the real world. It’s interesting that both the Hulk and Banner were impervious to Dracula’s mind control. The bride too was no longer controlled once in Hulk form. This is the Marvel version of Dracula. Some would say he is the original version from the novel, and in fact, he believes to be so in this story. On the wall of the castle, there are several pictures of Dracula from different eras, and the Hulk points out that they are all the same person, who is the person he is talking to. Thus, the Dracula of this story looks like Vlad the Impaler. This seems like pretty good evidence. However, remember that when the real Dracula slumbers, he has soul clones to carry out his plans. Some of those soul clones even believe themselves to be Vlad the Impaler. And several vampire stories have depicted the shape shifting abilities of these creatures. And finally, the castle was destroyed. I’m sure it will be rebuilt, but not too quickly. I propose that this is not Vlad the Impaler’s castle but one of the alternate castles that are permanent residence for the soul clone. Plenty of stories have depicted that Draculas have castles all over the world.
2009--WAREHOUSE 13--Season Two; Episode Two: "Mild Mannered"
During an establishing shot in the Warehouse, Thor's Hammer, the Penguin's
Umbrella, Green Arrow's bow, and Wonder Woman's magic lasso can be seen.
Since this episode was entirely based around the idea of superheroes in the real
world, the identification of the artifacts is assured. This is not an issue for the Penguin or Green Arrow, technology changes and surely older versions of their signature gadgets would end up in the warehouse; but we must ask ourselves, how did Thor’s Hammer and Wonder Woman’s lasso arrive here?
This episode also features Rasputin's prayer robe, an artifact that allows the
wearer to come back to life after his/her death. This may explain how Rasputin
survived his battle with The Shadow, to assist the Nazis in raising demons.
September 2009--SUPERNATURAL--"Free to Be You and Me"--A hunter refers to the Hulk when he talks about Sam's demon powers.
October 2009--VENTURE BROS.--"Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel"--The Argentinian surgeon tells Brock that ever since Iron Man, everybody wants a robot heart.
November 2009--SUPERNATURAL--"Changing Channels"--A trickster demon turns a local into a replica of the Hulk. Though they refer to the show, it's likely that this was the show based upon Jack McGee's reports about the real Hulk.
THE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES! (ANIMATED SERIES)
Release Date: September 22, 2010 - November 11, 2012 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes! (animated)
The Story: Earth’s greatest heroes form a team to combat the greatest menaces.
Notes: This series takes place on an alternate Earth within the Marvel Multiverse, which, as demonstrated elsewhere in this reference guide, is also the Horror Multiverse. This was a short lived series that, after cancellation, was immediately followed by another Avengers cartoon on the same network that was not in the same canon. In fact, there have been so many version of the Avengers that Mad even did a sketch parodying the multiple versions.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UNCANNY (NOVEL BY SIMON R. GREEN)
Release Date: December 28, 2010 (Contemporary Setting, about a month after Just Another Judgement Day)
Series: Nightside
Horror Crosses: Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde; War of the Worlds (novel); Twin Peaks; The Monkey’s Paw; Carnacki Ghost Finder; Ghost Finders; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Non-Horror Crosses: Deathstalker; Allan Quatermain; Shadows Fall; Secret Histories; Solomon Kane; Indiana Jones; The Mysterious Wu Fang; the Continental Op; The Coming Race; Captain America; Spider-Man
The Story: John Taylor is hired to escort an elf through the Nightside.
Notes: At a drug den, two users of the Hyde formula are fighting for sport. Previous Nightside stories have established the Hyde formula to now be a street drug, and other stories that take place in the Horror Universe outside the Nightside have also established this. Jacqueline Jekyll appears again. She has appeared or has been mentioned in previous Nightside stories. Another drug is Martian Red Weed (from War of the Worlds). This drug has been seen in other Nightside stories. There is some dialogue in the story that suggests that the Nightside exists in the same reality as Twin Peaks. There is “A Hand of Glory”, similar to The Monkey’s Paw. Another character mentions the Carnacki Institute, which is from Green’s Ghost Finders series, a spin-off of the Carnacki Ghost Finder stories. The Collector has stuffed giant albino penguins (as in Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness). He also has a grandfather clock with a cobweb covered skeleton inside, just as the one in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This story brings the Rocky Horror Picture Show into the Horror Universe. Likely, the musical demon known by some as Mr. Sweet, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More With Feeling”, must have been behind the scenes of those events. At the drug den, there is a street drug called Blood. This is a drug from the futuristic Deathwalker series also by Green. Another drug is taduku, which was used by Allan Quatermain. The elf’s destination is Shadows Fall. There are several references to Green’s Secret Histories. Green is one of the great crossover writers who likes to remind us that all of his series are in the same shared reality. Salvation Kane is mentioned again, clearly a pseudonym for Solomon Kane. Larry Oblivion states that he wants to be the Nightside’s Indiana Jones. Though this sounds like a pop culture reference, considering all the crossovers in the Nightside series, I’m assuming it to be a reference to a real person. There is a gambling den run by Wu Fang, once a famous villain of the pulps. This story features the family of Dash Oblivion, better known as the pulp hero called the Continental Op. He is said to have fought villains like Wu Fang, Vril Inc. (a reference to the Coming Race), and the Nazi Skull (likely meaning the Red Skull, foe of Captain America). The Collector mentions having regrown his leg much in the same way as Spider-Man’s foe, the Lizard. By now, I shouldn’t have to explain how comic book super-heroes work in the Horror Universe, but if you’re still not clear, go back to the first page and start over.
FEAR ITSELF: FEARSOME FOUR # 1 - 4 (MARVEL COMICS)
Release Date: June 8 - September 21, 2011 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: She-Hulk; Howard the Duck; Avengers; Frankenstein Monster (Marvel)
Horror Crosses: Man-Thing; Ghost Rider (What If?); Frankenstein (novel); Doctor Strange (What If?)
Non-Horror Crosses: Iron Man; Captain America; What If?; Wolverine (What If?); Hulk (What If?); Spider-Man (What If?); Fantastic Four; Daredevil (What If?); MIcronauts
The Story: She-Hulk, Howard, NIghthawk, the Frankenstein Monster, and Man-Thing team up to fight Psycho-Man, who has reality warping powers.
Notes: This is part of a larger Marvel crossover event called Fear Itself, but the larger crossover is irrelevant to this story. The Fearsome Four is a one time name used for this temporary team. The Frankenstein Monster of this story is the Marvel version of the character. The Psycho Man pulls characters from other realities to the main timeline (aka the Horror Universe for our purposes). The Frankenstein Monster may be the original Monster or at least may be another creation created by Victor. Other Marvel characters show up during the story. Others appear in flashback. The Horror Universe concept regarding Marvel super-heroes is that they mostly retired in the mid-1980s and only come out of retirement in dire emergencies. The general public is not fully aware of the existence and activities of super-heroes.
2011--OCCASIONAL COMICS DISORDER--"Muppets Thor"--Thor meets the Muppets. Read the story here.
March 2013--SIMPSONS--Nick Fury (Junior) appears in the Simpsons.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (FILM)
Release Date: August 1, 2014 (Contemporary Setting)
Series: Guardians of the Galaxy (MCU)
Horror Crosses: Slither
Non-Horror Crosses: Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Story: An Earth boy is abducted by aliens and raised to be an interplanetary thief. He finds himself joining with other criminals to save the universe.
Notes: This film is based on characters from Marvel Comics and is part of the interconnected films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU takes place in an alternate universe within the Marvel Multiverse, and it’s been established that the Marvel Multiverse and Horror Multiverse are likely the same. Within the Collector’s collection in the film is one of the slugs from Slither.
The So-Called Near Future--SHE-HULK # 5--Doctor Bong sends She-Hulk to the future of an alternate reality of Doctor Who, where she encounters Robo-Cop.
22nd Century--PROJECT: A-KO--Salvatore Cucinotta
This one may be known already, but it's one of my favorites. The movie series "Project A-Ko" was one of the first anime films to see stateside release in the wake of "Akira". And it's silly. So very silly. In the film and its sequels, the main characters are revealed to have crossover heritage with some western comic book characters. The title girl, A-Ko (Eiko) is revealed at the end of the first movie to be the daughter of Superman and Wonder Woman (he's reading the daily pl(e)net with the word "Superm-" and "Mad Scie-" on the cover; her face is modeled after Lynda Carter and the daughter wears power-limiting bracers), and her rival B-Ko (Biko) is revealed to be the daughter of Iron Man (visual design and penchant for power armor). There's a dozen other references, but none really make a proper crossover besides them. The movie is a bizarre comedy, but for anime fans like me, it was one of the first ones we got--so it has a special place in our hearts.
ALTERNATE REALITIES:
BONGO ANOMALY: The Hulk has appeared twice on THE SIMPSONS. This Hulk is likely not the TVCU Hulk, but rather his Looniverse counterpart.
MARVEL UNIVERSE (EARTH-616)--Noted because apparently Guiding Light is part of the same reality as the Avengers comic!!!
MARVEL MULTIVERSE: The Marvel Multiverse contains many alternate realities with counterparts to Marvel characters. Hulk counterparts exist in HULK (1966 animated series), SPIDER-MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS, FANTASTIC FOUR (1990s animated series), IRON MAN (animated series), THE INCREDIBLE HULK (1990s animated series), ULTIMATE AVENGERS I AND II, FANTASTIC FOUR (2006 animated series), THE HULK AND THE INCREDIBLE HULK (feature films), NEXT AVENGERS: HEROES OF TOMORROW, WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN, HULK VS., IRON MAN: ARMORED ADVENTURES, PLANET HULK, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, THE AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW, AND THE AVENGERS. Additionally, Thor has appeared in MIGHTY THOR, THE MARVEL SUPERHEROES, CAPTAIN AMERICA, THOR, THOR: TALES OF ASGARD, ALMIGHTY THOR, AND THOR. Daredevil also appeared in SPIDER-MAN (1990s animated series), Daredevil (feature film), ELEKTRA (THE HAND AND THE DEVIL), and PUNISHER '79 - 82.
MEMEMULTIVERSE--
NOT ANOTHER SPOOF MOVIE UNIVERSE--Yeah, that's what I'm calling. This is the reality of those recent movies that spoof whatever pop culture things are relevant at the moment. This includes DISASTER MOVIE, which features this universe's counterpart of the Hulk.
ROBOT CHICKEN UNIVERSE--There have been three appearances so far of the Hulk in this reality.
This doesn't work either, but it's fun nonetheless.
And before signing off, I just want to throw in that our blog was mentioned on io9.com. Whoo hoo!!! People are reading.
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