Warning: contains spoilers for Superman #15!

DC has just teased what could possibly be comics’ most epic event: The Crisis Gauntlet–but does it mean a new crossover with Marvel? It has been over 20 years since Marvel and DC last joined forces for intercompany crossovers. Now, there has been a resurgence of interest in a new crossover, and in Superman #15, fans get the clearest signal yet that a new team up is on the horizon.

Superman #15 is written by Joshua Williamson and drawn by Rafa Sandoval. Superman’s fight against Brainiac and his family has entered its final phase, with the Man of Steel standing triumphant. As Brainiac concedes defeat by slowly going offline, he recounts the many wonders of the universe he has seen. Brainiac lists off objects such as “the Source Door” or “the Millionth World.” Finally, he mentions something called…the Crisis Gauntlet.

No explanation is given as to what this entailed, but it is clearly a mashup of DCs’ Crisis on Infinite Earths and Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet.

Marvel and DC Collaborating Used to be a Pipe Dream…Until It Wasn’t

The First Marvel and DC Crossover Was…the Wizard of Oz?

Marvel and DC have been the dominant forces in the American comics scene for many years. Their characters are known worldwide thanks to numerous live-action and animated adaptations, as well as scores of merchandise. Both publishers would take friendly barbs at each other in letter pages and columns. Fans of each universe would debate passionately among themselves who would win in hypothetical matchups, and for years they would remain just that: speculation. However, in the mid-1970s, the two publishers would team up to release a treasury-sized adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, showing that collaboration was not off the table.

Finally, in 1976, history was made as Marvel and DC released Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man. Also released as a treasury-sized edition, the book saw Lex Luthor team up with Doctor Octopus. Interestingly enough, neither hero crossed a dimensional barrier: they simply existed on the same Earth. Five years later, a sequel was released, as was another intercompany crossover: Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk. This crossover, written by Len Wein and drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, featured a team up between the Joker and the Shaper of Worlds.

The 1980s Should Have Been a Golden Age for Marvel and DC Crossovers

Editorial Squabbling Led to the Cancelation of Great Stories

Now the stage was set for even more crossovers. The two publishers planned an epic Justice League/Avengers meeting. The book, which was to be written by Gerry Conway and drawn by George Perez, would have pitted the two teams against Kang the Conqueror and the Lord of Time. However, thanks to editorial issues, what should have been a slam dunk was canceled. A new version of JLA/Avengers, this one written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Perez, was released in 2003.

The fallout from the cancellation of Justice League/Avengers also had a detrimental effect on the sequel to another Marvel/DC collaboration: Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans. The first installment, released in 1982, was written by X-Men scribe Chris Claremont and drawn by Walt Simonson. Both Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans were the most popular books of their day, and bringing them together seemed like a no-brainer. The book was a massive success, and a sequel, by Marv Wolfman and Perez, was planned. However, thanks to editorials at both publishers having a falling out, the project was scrapped.

Marvel and DC Resumed Crossing Over in the 1990s

A Low Point in Comics’ History Led to More Marvel and DC Crossovers

It would be over a decade before Marvel and DC would cross paths again. In 1994, at the height of the speculator’s boom, the two companies buried the hatchet again to release two books featuring a crossover between the Punisher and Batman. The first, Lake of Fire, saw the Punisher team up with the Azrael-version of Batman, while the second, titled Deadly Knights and published a few months later, brought Frank and Bruce Wayne together. A quick succession of crossovers, including one where Darkseid met Galactus, soon followed. A new era of cooperation had begun.

While it may be tempting to ascribe this period of good feelings to simply pleasing the fans, it is important to remember this was a low point in the history of the medium. Speculators, brought into the field by books such as The Death of Superman, had caused a temporary, but huge, bump in sales in the early part of the decade. By the time the first Marvel/DC crossovers began to appear, sales had begun to bottom out. This downturn in the market had a nearly catastrophic effect, as publishers, distributors and stores went out of business.

Marvel vs. DC Was More Than a Crossover—It Was History

Amalgam Comics Gave the World Some Inspired Mash-Ups

Marvel and DC felt the brunt of this downturn, and something needed to be done–and quickly. Thus, in 1995, decades of fan speculation would come to a seeming end as Marvel vs. DC hit shelves. The four-issue miniseries pitted the biggest icons of each universe at the time against each other. Superman took on the Hulk, Shazam fought Thor and Wonder Woman tangled with Storm, among others. Fans were able to vote on the outcome of each match, which led to some controversial decisions, such as Wolverine defeating Lobo.

Mid-way through Marvel vs DC, the two publishers unveiled Amalgam Comics. This fake “company” published titles that were mash-ups of Marvel and DC characters, created when the two universes were forcibly joined together. For instance, Wolverine and Batman combined to form Dark Claw, while Superman and Captain America were mashed-up together to create the Super Soldier. While undeniably cool, the Amalgam Universe was unstable, and would not last. Eventually, the Spectre and the Living Tribunal pull the universes apart.

By the 2000s, Marvel and DC Ceased Their Crossovers

The Two Publishers Have Dropped “Hints” At Another Crossover

The two companies would publish several more crossovers, including a second wave of Amalgam titles, throughout the late 1990s. While they failed to recapture the excitement of the first crossovers, they were still successful. In 2000, the companies released Batman/Daredevil, which was followed by the long-gestating JLA/Avengers in 2003. Changing trends in the market, as well as changes in editorial, led to relations between the two atrophying. By the mid-2000s, a sort of animosity existed between the two publishers that all but ruled out future collaborations.

A sea change may be on the way for the two publishers, however, as new hints of a crossover between Marvel and DC have emerged. During 2018’s Doomsday Clock, by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Doctor Manhattan recounts an event called “Secret Crisis,” in which Superman fought Thor and met the Hulk as well. Later, during the events of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Infinite Earths are restored. In Dark Crisis: Big Bang, Barry Allen mentions an “Earth-1996,” full of “amalgamated” heroes. A clear reference to Marvel vs. DC’s publication year, it would seem the Amalgam universe lives again.

The Original Marvel vs. DC Will Soon Be Returning to Print

There is Still Demand for Another Marvel and DC Crossover

There are no plans at the moment to revive the Amalgam Universe, nor are there plans for a new Marvel and DC crossover. However, the publishers recently announced that the intercompany crossovers of old will be returning to print in a new omnibus edition, featuring a new cover by Jim Lee. The fact that Marvel and DC agreed to republish the material at all is a cause for celebration. The comic Cold War of the 2000s between Marvel and DC has seemingly thawed, perhaps opening the door for future crossovers.

And while there may be no concrete plans for a crossover again, the Superman creative team of Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval are not letting it go. The Crisis Gauntlet mashes up two of comics’ biggest events. By not showing this epic showdown, Marvel and DC are cheating fans of what could be the greatest story in comics’ history. Even if the two companies do not go any further with Crisis Gauntlet, it shows the vast potential still inherent in a crossover between the two giants.

Superman #15 is on sale now from DC Comics!