Let's say Marvel and DC were to merge universes.

[Admiral2]

Uni-Versal Comics

^^^
This is awesome.

^Dr. Duid was an awesome leader of the Avengers and would have led the team to victory easily...ok maybe not. With the exception of the Detroit years(and even then the Martian Manhunter was calling the shots) leadership of the JL has always been pretty solid.

"Solid" is not the same as tactically sound. This is a battle we're talking about.

My thinking is that the JLA's advantages are all negated if Captain America is leading the Avengers and Anybody but Batman is running the JLA. Why? Because other JLA leaders tend to be self-righteous do-gooders who tend to think of battles in terms of boxing matches: match everybody in terms of weight classes. Supes vs. Hulk, Manhunter vs. Vision, Ms. Marvel vs Wonder Woman, etc. (In fact, that's usually how everybody in real life thinks too, hence the conventional wisdom, since JLA has more heavyweights.) Captain America's idea of a battle, however, was shaped by leading special forces in WW2, so he knows you don't win a battle by matching strength for strength. You win it by applying your strengths against your enemies weaknesses. As long as he leads the Avengers and the upright super-citizen of the week is leading the JLA, the Avengers have more than a fair shot of coming out on top.

All that changes if Batman is leading the JLA, because Batman thinks the same way Cap does. He has to to protect an entire city from murderous clowns, crocodile men, juiced-up luchadores and chicks that control plants with nothing but a bunch of teens and pre-teens as back-up. If it's Cap's team vs. Bats's team, Cap might as well just turn over his shield and say, "So, how many channels does the Watchtower get?"

 

[Davros]

Only if Howard were served for Thanksgiving dinner at Wayne Manor.

What, no love for the master of Quack Fu?

 

[Admiral2]

Only if Howard were served for Thanksgiving dinner at Wayne Manor.

What, no love for the master of Quack Fu?

Does it have to be love? Can we like him a bunch?

 

[Icemizer]

Uni-Versal Comics Amazing Moments

 

[Admiral2]

^^^
For the win!

 

[USS Kongo]

^ The made-up covers are really cool!

Sean

 

[Nerys Myk]

That's just silly. "Bragging rights"? Sheesh. I see no reason why both teams can't co-exist as sometime allies with a friendly rivalry.

Try telling that to a city with more than one team in a pro sport. I defy you to tell a Mets fan that getting bragging rights over the Yankees would be silly.

Look, I'm talking about an item on my merger wish list. You want all the teams to sit around a fire and sing Cumbaya? Fine.

I prefer Marvel over DC. I like the Avengers more than the Justice League. If the Big Squeeze happens and suddenly the universes collide I want my favorite superteam to be the top dog team. If that comes only after a "friendly" ass-kicking of the other superteam, so much the better, because seeing the battle would be FUN!

.

Sorry, but I've little patience for the fanboyish tendency to treat super heroes and hero teams/groups like a sports team. These are superheroes not professional athletes. Other than the occasional miss-understanding or mind control, they should be fighting super-villains not each other. They should be saving the world not looking bragging rights over who's tougher. Now, the JLA vs the Master of Evil or the Avengers vs the Injustice Gang would be fun.

This thread made me reread JLA/Avengers. The chapter where they co-exist and have an annual get together was fun. There was smack talk ( mostly Hawkeye and GA) and some rivalry and it was fun. And earlier there was some fights through misunderstanding and manipulation. Also fun. But in the end both teams acted like professionals out to save their universes not a bunch of fanboys looking for bragging rights.

I'm big fan of the Avengers and the JLA. They were among the first comics I began to collect as a kid. ( along with Captain America). I was probably more of a Marvel guy back then, but still didn't see the story value of the two team fighting each other in some sort of Super hero Super Bowl.

Oh, I'm from the Bay Area, so I know a thing or two about local sports rivalry, (Niners and Giants Raiders and A's )

 

[Icemizer]

Sort of an odd grouping of Avengers here but what can you do.

Have to agree with Nerys, these guys are pros and wouldnt come to blows just for giggles or anything. They would no doubt work together as quickly as possible. And if they were always on one Earth from the start there would be no fighting at all.

 

[Anwar]

Since the assholishness of the Marvel Civilian populace is too much a part of it to do away with, how would the DC heroes deal with being as feared and mistrusted by the normal populace as the Marvels are? Even Superman is being given this lately.

 

[Christopher]

Since the assholishness of the Marvel Civilian populace is too much a part of it to do away with, how would the DC heroes deal with being as feared and mistrusted by the normal populace as the Marvels are? Even Superman is being given this lately.

I think that's too broad a generalization. Heroes like the Fantastic Four have never been feared and mistrusted. It's generally more the outcast types, like mutants or the Hulk. Spidey's mainly hated because of one man's multimedia smear campaign against him. I guess the events of Civil War did create some broader mistrust, but that's passed now, I think.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Since the assholishness of the Marvel Civilian populace is too much a part of it to do away with, how would the DC heroes deal with being as feared and mistrusted by the normal populace as the Marvels are? Even Superman is being given this lately.

I think that's too broad a generalization. Heroes like the Fantastic Four have never been feared and mistrusted. It's generally more the outcast types, like mutants or the Hulk. Spidey's mainly hated because of one man's multimedia smear campaign against him. I guess the events of Civil War did create some broader mistrust, but that's passed now, I think.

Very true. If you can't trust Captain America, who can you trust?

Hey, life on the DCU Earth wasn't always a picnic for superheroes, either.

 

[Icemizer]

I guess an important question to ask is when did the universes merge, at the beginning of time itself or more recently?
This would help to answer the question of the population and their fear/love of the heroes.

 

[Satyrquaze]

I wonder how we could reconcile the powers of the Quantum-Bands with those of the Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Let alone Quasar's job description 'Protector of the Universe' with that of the Green Lanterns.

 

[Icemizer]

^That ones easy, after the Guardians failure with the Manhunters , Eon created the Quantum bands. Even after the formation of the Lanterns these bands were still in use. While the Guardians frown on the "Protector of the Universe" title, they laugh at Eon for beliveing one man can protect the whole universe.

 

[Satyrquaze]

^Given the Guardians track record versus Eon's I'm not sure they should be laughing. Not that the Guardians laughter wouldn't be a story unto itself.

 

[Christopher]

It's a big universe. The idea that a mere 3600 space cops could protect it all is laughable. Logically, anyone seeking to protect the universe would welcome any help they could get.

 

[Satyrquaze]

^These days there's supposed to be around 7200, no idea what the actual number would be. But, your point is still valid.

 

[Icemizer]

Yes but we all know just how arrogant the Guardians are. Even the Living Tribunal finds them amusing.

 

[Admiral2]

Sorry, but I've little patience for the fanboyish tendency to treat super heroes and hero teams/groups like a sports team.

I wasn't asking for your agreement or permission. Like I said, It's an item from my wishlist. If you wanna keep on writing three-paragraph dissertations in response to a scenario that will never happen outside of a fanfic - most likely written by me - that's your business, but my tendencies are mine.

These are superheroes not professional athletes.

No, they're all just built like professional athletes, and are as competitive as professional athletes, and get more of a workout during a major super battle than most professional athletes can imagine getting.

Other than the occasional miss-understanding or mind control, they should be fighting super-villains not each other.

You've described in one sentence the most trite, overused concept in superhero comics. Good guys forced to fight break the control and turn on the bad guys. It's been done, Ad nauseum.

They should be saving the world not looking bragging rights over who's tougher. Now, the JLA vs the Master of Evil or the Avengers vs the Injustice Gang would be fun.

Nope, just more triteness.

This thread made me reread JLA/Avengers. The chapter where they co-exist and have an annual get together was fun. There was smack talk ( mostly Hawkeye and GA) and some rivalry and it was fun. And earlier there was some fights through misunderstanding and manipulation. Also fun.

Wanna know what was more fun? Hawkeye calling the Justice League "Squadron Supreme wannabes." Four Avengers ganging up to pound Superman to avenge Thor. Batman ignoring his own non-interference edict to take out Punisher. That shit was fun!

But in the end both teams acted like professionals out to save their universes not a bunch of fanboys looking for bragging rights.

And back to the triteness. But okay, I'll bite. How about if the successful merger of the universes required one team to defeat the other, not in a powerful object scavenger hunt but in a full-contact brawl?

Nah, probably not enough Cumbaya for someone as sophisticated as yourself...

I'm big fan of the Avengers and the JLA. They were among the first comics I began to collect as a kid. ( along with Captain America). I was probably more of a Marvel guy back then, but still didn't see the story value of the two team fighting each other in some sort of Super hero Super Bowl.

And I again, I wasn't asking you to. Just leave that up to us fanboys.

 

[Nerys Myk]

And I'm neither giving nor denying permission for you to indulge in your wish list. I'm just giving you my opinion as to why its silly. Its called a conversation and or a debate. Sort of why this place exists.

For me ( and this is just my opinion) there has to be a logical reason for two heroes or teams to get in brawl. it can't just be for bragging rights or to mark their territory. These aren't street gangs. They're people dedicated to doing the right thing and helping people. That's why they put on the masks, capes and tights. Give a story reason that fits the characters then I'll happily read a knock down between the JLA and the Avengers.

Being built like pro athletes doesn't mean they are pro athletes or competitive in the same way. First, pro athletes are real people not fictional characters being written by people who may have never played sports at any level. Two, their builds depend on who draws them not how they workout. Three what they do in a day is fantasy and not comparable to athletes who's lack of alien physiology, hi tech weapons and genetic mutations should be obvious.

Mindless brawling without a good story and solid characterization is about as trite as it gets.