Marvel/DC - The Trade

[Aaron Wilder]

Here's a what-if I was thinking about today:

If you ran either Marvel or DC and could do a one for one trade of characters (like a sports franchise), who would you trade for and who would you give up to get them if the trade had to be relatively even and benficial to both sides? Would you put your newly acquired character in their own book, stick them or a team, or switch them from hero to villain or vice versa to fit in another book? If you traded for a female would you put them into a relationship with someone in your current continuity? How would you introduce them into the universe while keeping their backstory but not being able to use the other company's character names in their background?

[Khuth]

The thing is that some of the characters in the DC universe playoff their locales in a certain way like how Gotham and Metropolis has been tailored to Bats and Supes respectively. Since their cities are characters in of themselves that play of the particular hero I think I would trade Wolverine for Batman.

Batman could work in the New York setting pretty well, and I think there would be enough underworld goodness for him to play around with in the Marvel New york.

As for Wolvering he's a pretty marketable and popular character but he's so overexposed that I think the change would do him good and Marvel can go and exploit Batman.

I think you can easily translate Batman's origins into the Marvel world and have his parents murdered in New York and he could live the high life there with places in the Hamptons and such. He'd also get used as part of the Justice League and can come and go as he please.

[The Scribe]

That's a tough one.

I'd like to see the two merge instead.

At least have another Amalgam series.

I'd like to see Green Lanterns in Marvel. ;)

[pi0trov]

I think Captain America would work well in the DC Universe. You could easily make him part of the old guard - have him be a "forgotten" JSAer who is found frozen and wakes up now. Besides, he's the only major Marvel character that had a sidekick, and that's really a DC thing; maybe he was in the wrong universe all along. :)

As far as who would be a comparable trade...

Batman would work. It'd be nice to see him without his "support structure" of friends and contacts, starting over in a new environment with new enemies.

But I'd probably go with Martian Manhunter. He's not really tied to the DC universe in the same way as most of the big guns are, and he's used to working in a group dynamic, so I could see him joining up with the Avengers easily enough.

[Aaron Wilder]

That's a tough one.

I'd like to see the two merge instead.

At least have another Amalgam series.

I'd like to see Green Lanterns in Marvel. ;)

I think Marvel should have a Nova Corps or Phoenix Force book that would be like GL, where different parts of the universe would have different champions. Jean Grey would be sort of the Hal Jordan of the Phoenix Force, and Marvel would just have to show someone else getting the power (like a guy Phoenix or Kid Phoenix).


Merging the two universes in a huge event and just letting the ancillary (movies, toys, video games) side of the companies remain separate would probably work. There are a million stories yet to be told, and a crossover wouldn't even scratch the surface.

There would have to be a lot of retcon, like merging SHIELD and Checkmate and the Suicide Squad together. Nick Fury would head it up, but Amanda Waller would be his boss and the Unknown Soldier would be his right hand man. Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider and Blade fit in with the Constantine/Spectre/Dr. Fate crowd (would probably do a Midnight Sons book with them as a supernatural JLA). Spiderman and the Flash would operate in the same town, and probably Batman and Daredevil in the same one too (interchangeable rogues). I'd love to see Bats take on the Kingpin, and the storyline would definitely work. I'd stick the FF in Metropolis, because FF villains like Galactus, Dr. Doom and the Super-Skrull seem like good villains for Supes. Hulk and Namor would go back to being villains, and maybe the Inhumans too with them being right by the JLA watchtower. Punisher may either go to the Suicide Squad (and Wolvie too) or be a Batman villain.

The only big problem is that you've got the Avengers, the X-Men, JLA, Teen Titans, Runaways, and so on. Runaways would probably still work as is, but the Avengers would have to go to the west coast with JLA on the east. Titans would be on the West, and Outsiders would be on the east, with Arana on one team. No idea what to do with the X-Men. Mutants aren't really a big deal in the DCU, so a lot of the bang would be missing there.

JLA: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, GL, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Catwoman and a resurrected Ted Kord.

Avengers: Cap, Thor, Black Panther, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Hank Pym, Ray Palmer, Wasp, and Nova

X-Men: maybe open Xavier's in Wayne Manor and change the bat signal to a huge X. Who knows.

[Aaron Wilder]

The thing is that some of the characters in the DC universe playoff their locales in a certain way like how Gotham and Metropolis has been tailored to Bats and Supes respectively. Since their cities are characters in of themselves that play of the particular hero I think I would trade Wolverine for Batman.


Wolvie vs Deathstroke or Doomsday would sell out the ass. Or a Wolvie led Suicide Squad. Batman would be cool, but it would be hard to interact him with the other Marvel guys. He'd definitely be in the Illuminati group with Reed Richards, Xavier, and Tony Stark.

[Aaron Wilder]

I think Captain America would work well in the DC Universe. You could easily make him part of the old guard - have him be a "forgotten" JSAer who is found frozen and wakes up now. Besides, he's the only major Marvel character that had a sidekick, and that's really a DC thing; maybe he was in the wrong universe all along. :)

But I'd probably go with Martian Manhunter. He's not really tied to the DC universe in the same way as most of the big guns are, and he's used to working in a group dynamic, so I could see him joining up with the Avengers easily enough.

Brilliant. Cap could even be a Freedom Fighter with Uncle Sam calling shots like Nick Fury. Martian Manhunter would be the ultime anti-skrull spy.

[The Scribe]

I think Marvel should have a Nova Corps or Phoenix Force book that would be like GL, where different parts of the universe would have different champions. Jean Grey would be sort of the Hal Jordan of the Phoenix Force, and Marvel would just have to show someone else getting the power (like a guy Phoenix or Kid Phoenix).

I'd like to see a Nova Corps.


Merging the two universes in a huge event and just letting the ancillary (movies, toys, video games) side of the companies remain separate would probably work. There are a million stories yet to be told, and a crossover wouldn't even scratch the surface.

I'd stick the FF in Metropolis, because FF villains like Galactus, Dr. Doom and the Super-Skrull seem like good villains for Supes. Hulk and Namor would go back to being villains, and maybe the Inhumans too with them being right by the JLA watchtower. Punisher may either go to the Suicide Squad (and Wolvie too) or be a Batman villain.

Superman vs Galactus is a huge topic, or was, in verses forums.
Digital Webbing needs one.

I don't want to see Hulk, Namor, or the Inhumans as peramnent villains.


The only big problem is that you've got the Avengers, the X-Men, JLA, Teen Titans, Runaways, and so on. Runaways would probably still work as is, but the Avengers would have to go to the west coast with JLA on the east. Titans would be on the West, and Outsiders would be on the east, with Arana on one team. No idea what to do with the X-Men. Mutants aren't really a big deal in the DCU, so a lot of the bang would be missing there.

JLA: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, GL, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Catwoman and a resurrected Ted Kord.

Avengers: Cap, Thor, Black Panther, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Hank Pym, Ray Palmer, Wasp, and Nova

X-Men: maybe open Xavier's in Wayne Manor and change the bat signal to a huge X. Who knows.

The Teen Titans need to be called The Titans, I'm tired of the term "teen."

I would like to see Martian Manhunter on the Avengers.

They could still use the bat signal, and keep the X-Men separate.

[Biofungus]

I'd trade Myztlptlyk for the Impossible Man :whistlin:

[Raven]

Batman would rule the Marvel Universe, he is smarter than most of the characters and meaner than all of them.

In exchange, I'd give DC Spider-Man. The stories would be fantastic.

[Buckyrig]

I'd trade Myztlptlyk for the Impossible Man :whistlin:

Dammit! :man:

Although that joke was used in the Superman books waaaay back when Clark first proposed. :)

[The Scribe]

Batman would rule the Marvel Universe, he is smarter than most of the characters and meaner than all of them.

In exchange, I'd give DC Spider-Man. The stories would be fantastic.

Wha!? :blink:

Batman could beat everyone? Since you said he would "rule" the Marvel universe.

Batman's main villain is the Joker, he has tried to outsmart him for what 30+ years?

What happens when Batman meets Magneto? One dead bat. :har: ;)

[Raven]

We're talking about a guy who is almost as smart as Tony Stark with the same amount of money, combined with the gritty attitude of Wolverine and the moral fiber of Captain America. He'd be a perfect fit, like Moon Knights more successful big brother.
:)

[RavenBlakk]

First, the premise was to run one of the Big Two like a sports franchise and trade with the other. So... a sports franchise never gives up its "franchise players." In DC that is... obviously... Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. For Marvel, that describes Spiderman, The Hulk, and Wolverine (possibly one of the most recognizeable superheros today).

For the sake of argument, I'll be the GM of DC. To get a "player," you have to give a player of equal value, or several players whose aggregate worth equals the one player you want. Since Spidey, The Hulk, and Wolverine are untouchable, and since I already have "players" like the Big Trinity, I have to find a unique character that will add "punch" (pun intended) to my DC lineup. I don't want a character like Gladiator or Hercules, because they're just Supes in a different universe (and with a lot less style). I don't want She Hulk, Ms. Marvel, or Rogue because they're, essentially, Wonder Woman (again with less style). And I don't want Black Panther, The Punisher, or Iron Man because they're pale comparisons to The Batman. Nor do I want to give up unique characters like The Flash or Green Arrow, whose Marvel counterparts, Quicksilver and Hawkeye, aren't remotely eqivalent.

So... I'll go after Electra, the White Queen, and Magneto, two versatile, utility players and a big hitter. My lineup gets two hot female characters, both with an edgy, moral flexibility that DC definitely needs. (So those are my trades for "need.") In the White Queen, DC also gets a talented telepath that I believe the entire universe lacks. I also get a quality, marquee hitter in Magneto who brings big lumber to my lineup, improves the "team" immediately, and puts butts in the seats (or eyes to the page, if you will).

In return, I'd give up Supergirl (with Powergirl, who is the same but with more style, I don't really lose anything, and I get rid of deadweight), The Huntress (and Marvel gets a Batman-like character that they desperately need, but also a hot character to replace one they lost), Speedy (a throw-in chip who was always a waste of panel space), Lex Luthor (Supes' storylines really need some fresher blood), The Spectre (a character I don't think has an equal in the Marvel 'verse), and Brainiac (who I never really liked anyway). Basically, I'm giving up some valuable players to equal the value received, as well as dump some "bad contracts," free up some "roster space," and give my team a "new look."