The Boys is known for its violent, satirical take-downs of classic Marvel and DC Comics characters, but one actual crossover took the ultraviolence to a whole new level. Fans will be shocked to learn what the Female did to Wonder Woman during their altercation, or the shocking tactic Mother’s Milk chose to deal with Wolverine’s healing factor, which pushed the bounds of what was acceptable even in The Boys universe.
The “crossover” isn’t much of a story, and none of the Marvel and DC characters are named specifically, but it does come from the original Boys creative team of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Created for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Liberty Comics fundraising issue, the story runs a scant four pages, but still manages to be one of the most shocking Boys comics ever.
The story opens with Hughie addressing the audience directly, threatening to unleash his teammates on the fans’ favorite comic book heroes, including Wonder Woman and Wolverine, if they don’t donate to the CBLDF.
The Boys’ Unofficial Crossover Lets The Female Loose On Wonder Woman
When Hughie’s pleas go unanswered, the Female is set loose on Wonder Woman, proceeding to slice the Amazon’s face off. Following that, Hughie ups the amount owed, while Mother’s Milk is shown standing over a man with a very distinctive hairstyle, tied to a chair doused with gasoline. M.M. attempts to catch the flame in his lighter, and the accompanying sound effect suggests that this is none other than Wolverine. Although both characters are never named, the brief story still acts as the only crossover of its own kind, unofficial though it may be.
The CBLDF was formed in 1986 to help comic book shop owners and creators with legal expenses. The 2008 Liberty Comics was the first comic put out by the organization as a fundraising initiative. Released by Image Comics, more CBLDF annuals have been released in subsequent years, with names such as Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, Mike Mignola and more contributing stories for free to benefit. Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s contribution to the 2008 anthology is notable not just as an unofficial Boys/DC/Marvel crossover, but is only available in both the original comic and a later collection of previous annuals.
Mother’s Milk Tests Out Wolverine’s Healing Factor
This exclusive status makes The Boys story appearing in the 2008 Liberty annual something of a rarity. Given that it has never been collected in any of The Boys trade paperbacks from Dynamite, this makes this story by the original Ennis and Robertson team even more special, even before the special “guest stars” are taken into account. Whatever the case, it is a good thing the worlds of The Boys, Marvel and DC have yet to officially crossover, as otherwise things could get quite messy in a hurry.
