1st place goes to Derek J Anderson #13 Capt. America & Sgt. Rock. WW II/Drac's Castle.

Prize: Illo of them searching for the hidden cache of arcane artifacts in Drac's castle (Drac. no doubt, lurking somewhere about to????? dum, de, dummmmmmmm!)

2nd Place goes to Mike Frigon #25 "Doublecross".

Prize: sketch of Catwoman, Black Widow and Dr. Doom

Boobie Prize Winner: without question goes to Joe Zierman #9 "When Nature Calls"

Prize: Aquaman and Subbie drawn on a roll of toilet paper! (Gene will come up with something)

1. After retiring to a castle, in the mountains(for dramatic effect) Dracula, has grown more powerful, and has turned entire villages into vampires. This is a bit too much a job for Blade to handle on his own (+/ - his team of Van Halsing etc.), so he contacts the Bureau for paranormal research and defense, and teams up with Hellboy. So, this is what the main plot is: Blade and Hellboy, teaming up, to fight Dracula, and his army of vampires.

by: Anders

2. Night Comes to Bleeker Street

When the Man-Bat escapes from Arkham Asylum, it leaves a trail of corpses across the Northeast to New York City.

Batman grimly follows, always one step behind, only to discover that the Man-Bat is under the control of Dracula, Lord of the Undead. Between them, Batman is battered, torn, nearly beatyen, and escapes to regroup and call upon the one man who can possibly help defeat the hellish pair.

Bloodied and bruised, he arrives at the door of Doctor Stephen Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts....

Batman and Doctor Strange in: "Night Comes to Bleeker Street"

by: Jonathan Andrew Sheen

3. 'Factored In'

Synopsis: After years of avoiding her mutant heritage and conflicting emotions, Lorna Dane finally owned her mutant heritage and joined the mutant team X-Factor with her boyfriend Havok, brother of X-man Cyclops. The last time she saw Havok, he was blown to bits in an explosion there was no body. In her mind, no body means no proof. But... in an age where the X-men's leader, Dr. Charles Xavier, has admitted to he and his team being mutants, they have their hands full. Still, she's determined to find him. And she'll go to whatever lengths necessary to do that - even if it means seeking out the World's Greatest Detective in Gotham City. Yet, where an X-man goes, trouble is bound to follow: the Dark Knight is monitoring the actions of a highly organized hate group whose genocidal actions aren't limited to mutantkind... and they have hired mercenaries to capture the green-haired mistress of magnetism and use her as a blueprint to make super soldiers, immune to mutant powers! Batman cannot risk involving a cadre of other heroes, as too much attention will drive the group underground, leaving Batman to seek them out all over again. He's determined to ferret out the group and bring them to justice, but how can Batman and Polaris alone stop this group, and stay alive in the process?!

by: Chris Littell

4. The Brave and the Bold Presents: The Black

Canary and... The Black Widow!

Title: 'Horrorscope'

The team-up you've wanted to see for years! The Birds of Prey follow their stars, as Oracle sends the Black Canary to investigate Marvel's Crime Cartel, the Zodiac! Word comes to Oracle that the Zodiac is in the process of recruiting a new Virgo, and the Canary applies undercover. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. catches wind of the same event, and dispatches the Widow to infiltrate the Zodiac also... as Virgo! Of course, the 2 brilliant fighters end up being the 2 finalists vying for the title of Virgo! Which one wins... and what happens to the loser?!

by: Chris Littell

5. The Brave and the Bold Presents: Daredevil and Omen!

Title: 'Insight'

Pretty, young girls are disappearing in the city, and when one of them turns out to be an intern in the UN's Paranormal Affairs Division, Daredevil has no choice but to get involved. Luckily, the victim in question is Omen, the mysterious Teen Titan whose precognitive abilities warned her of the crimes. She took on the internship in order to provide Daredevil with the clues he needs to rescue the victims and apprehend the villain. However, what neither of them predict... the villain is paranormal, and his use of the girls has repercussions beyond NYC itself! Can the Man Without Fear and the Titian Titan stop them in time?!

by: Chris Littell

6. Howard the Duck must team up with the Legion of Superpets to stop Kraven the Hunter from disrupting the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show!

by: Sean Conlon

7. Time is running out for Batman after being bitten by a mutated radioactive bat . Nearly unconscious and left for dead in the dark alleys of Gotham, the Dark Knight is discovered by another whose life was changed forever under similar circumstances - The Amazing Spider- Man!. Together, with their combined scientific skills, can our heroes reach the Batcave in time to find a cure? Or is it curtains for the Caped Crusader?!

Find out, in , "Madness at the Hands of the Hatter!"

by: Joe Zierman

8. It's double trouble for the Master of the Mystic Arts: the nocturnal legions of the nefarious Nightmare have descended upon New York, while in the astral realm, the very soul of Clea hangs in the balance at the mercy of the Dread Dormammu! To save Clea, Dr. Stephen Strange must be separated from his physical shell, leaving The Ancient One to find a supernatural solution to the city's surreal uncertainty! One shall answer the call - Boston Brand - Deadman!

Read, "Fate...In the hands of a Deadman!"

by: Joe Zierman

9. Phew! The Plumbers Union of New Jersey, controlled by a mysterious adversary known only as "#2", have gone on STRIKE plummetting the people into potty peril! Beneath the cities, bottomfeeders are dying by the thousands as sewers are quickly drying up. Can the combined efforts of Aquaman and the Sub-Mariner flush out these petulant potty pirates before the supply of clothespins and mason jars run out??

Join us, for "When Nature Calls!"

Guaranteed not to be a stinker! Don't miss it (as my wife says)!

by: Joe Zierman

10. BATMAN MEETS DRACULA: DANCE IN THE DARK

It’s 1939 and this is the golden age Batman, back when he fought monsters and vampires and used a gun. He’s just defeated Dr. Hugo Strange (the guy who turned people into monsters) and discovers evidence that Strange had been receiving money for his work from overseas. The trial leads to Germany and scientists experimenting on humans, trying to create a new kind of soldier. This evil Dr. Strange was conducting field tests for them when Batman stopped him. Batman has half torn apart the lab, freed the prisoners and is punching one of the scientists across the room whenDracula shows up and beats the heck out of him. Batman shoots his gun. Dracula turns to mist then crushes the gun. Batman tries to fight him and is tossed about, until finally Dracula towers over him, his hand coiled around his skull ready to crush it. Now, this story is all told from one of Dracula’s journals. News of Batman’s battle and defeat of Dr. Strange had reached Dracula through his agents and that in part is why he is here. Dracula has nebulous plans at this point. He knows that tensions in his part of the world are high and is as yet uncertain how to take advantage of it, an unfamiliar feeling that he would never admit having. Despite his air of confidence the technological age troubles Dracula. He is still an old-world thinker but knows that he must learn fast to survive. In this atmosphere he has taken the unusual tact of manipulating or spying on various ventures to test out the physical and psychological malleability of man. This is one of them. How Batman survives is unimportant. What is important is the dynamic battle in the German lab: soldiers burst in, then are tossed aside by Dracula while he prepares to kill this garishly garbed nuisance. Dracula has no real interest in Batman (for example, it’s obvious from his agents’ reports that he knows Bruce Wayne is Batman) but he does note that after the ensuing chaos and bloodshed the soldiers caused, Batman seemed to become disgusted and threw away his gun. This story would also deal with certain moral questions such as the difference between Dracula’s consideration of man as cattle and food, versus the Nazi’s anti-semitism. I think in the end the distinction would be that Dracula hates certain people such as the Turks only because they were enemies, and, he thinks of all humans as being inferior because he is Dracula [and a tad arrogant]. Still, there could be interesting parallels, with Dracula abandoning his involvement with the Germans’ project because it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. This event would also lead to Dracula becoming more of an isolationist for a while. The master of horror had become so disgusted that he had lost interest in controlling humanity, a desire that did not resurface for years. Dracula writes in his journal, “I realized that controlling humans is one thing, but experimenting on them was beneath me.”

I chose these guys because it just seemed like the coolest possible team-up, although it’s closer to an encounter since they don’t really work together. I chose the GA Batman because I thought a meeting with Dracula would only fit in back in the early years when Batman met all kinds of weird characters. He was just a more primal character and science/technology were less a factor so Dracula fits better as well.

by: Greg Huneryager

11. SUPERMAN & HOWARD THE DUCK: “THE ABSORBING KIND”

Superman and the Parasite are fighting in the Fortress of Solitude, or rather the Parasite is trying to fight Superman. He has some of his power but not enough to catch him. Superman is moving out of the way at the last minute and the Parasite is tripping over things, losing his balance, again and again. It’s obvious Superman is just having fun; the Parasite is no threat to him. An emergency signal goes off and Superman becomes very serious. The Parasite sneaks up on him and jumps, Superman moves aside and flips the switch on the Phantom Zone projector, then turns it off after the Parasite is sucked into the zone. Superman flies off and saves the day. Time passes and forgotten in the Fortress the projector seems to be straining, as if a great deal of pressure is being put upon it. Moisture is seen along the seams, like sweat. Inside the Phantom Zone something is going on. The inhabitants are becoming weak, having their energy [and yes, they are only mental here] sapped out of them. One day the projector shakes wildly, swells until it’s about to burst then shoots off a ray of purple energy that transform the interior of the fortress. As Superman walks down the purple corridors tube-like protuberances that are along the walls become agitated and move around, ‘reaching’ towards him as he passes. He finds the Phantom Zone prisoners reduced to the size of a first grader with these ‘things’ attached to their backs. “What’s going on here?’ “That’s what I would like to know,” Howard says as he walks around a corner. Despite Howard’s acerbic remarks about the décor and that Superman reminds him of a silly comic book he read as a child they make no headway on figuring out what’s up until a weird amalgam creature shows up. It is composed of the god of the Phantom Zone and a Kryptonian priest which lived there and Mr. Mxyzptlk. This occurred in the last issue of DC Comics Presents written by Gerber wrote right before Crisis, it was a sequel to The Phantom Zone mini. Gerber went for broke with the silver age elements since they were being excised from continuity when John Byrne relaunched Superman. All of that stuff is back now and that’s part of the point. The Mr. Mxyzptlk /God remembers that ‘the old was destroyed…because!’ Now, MG is not a ghost yet he knows that both he and the Phantom Zone ceased to exist for a while. He speculates that there is some force in the universe that destroys things then regurgitates them as something new. MG is from a different Phantom Zone than Superman is familiar with so these dead things must survive in some form but why has he been revived now? Superman’s been pulling the leeches off the Phantom Zoners while contributing to this conversation. One of the tendrils snakes under his uniform. Then Lois walks up form behind him and berates him for never introducing her to his friends. Superman is dizzy, disoriented and she grabs his arm and helps him to the ground. MG yells, “Don’t trust the reporter.” just as she holds her hand out to Howard and shakes it forcibly before he can even react. As she says, “Lois Lane. Are you up for an interview…” Howard falls to the ground weak and Lois starts laughing as she turns into the Parasite. “And all your strength is now mine!!!!” MG postulates that the Parasite’s journey to the Phantom Zone must have affected him differently (while Howard writhes on the floor telling MG to shut up and help him) : “Instead of becoming a phantom he began absorbing the zone itself, albeit in a barely conscious form, his mind destroyed by the journey. But one zone wasn’t enough and he chewed through the barriers keeping out the antiquated ideas. The onslaught was too much and some of the excess bled out ( into the solid zone?). He was then reborn by contact with Superman, a familiar mind.” This would be said in one really big word balloon if this was an actual comic book. Howard says, ‘that’s interesting but tips on avoiding “Absorbing, Jr.” would be more helpful.’ The Parasite reaches out to choke Howard and then freezes. He starts talking to himself about how ‘there’s no point, Superman will somehow defeat me and I’ll be worse off…Man, I can’t win….,’ in a manner that’s cynical and somehow familiar. Howard is pleased, mentions that he is incredibly happy but weak. MG--“Oh, that’s because he absorbed your strength.” H--”My negativity is my strength?” MG--”Apparently, but it’s too much for the Parasite to deal with.” H--”The power of a god and he doesn’t believe there’s anything worth doing.” And then they turn around to see a panorama of excised, forgotten realities. Superman is reviving as MG says that he will fade away soon but Howard is still a real entity and will return to his own reality. He appreciates Howard’s disdain for the humans (“They are rather backwards. --- And silly,” adds the Mr. Mxyzptlk half of MG.) and offers to give him his greatest desire, although it’ll fade away with MG. “Perhaps, a time when anything seemed possible.” Imagery from late in Howard the Duck’s original run appears before them. Linda, the girl with the horrible lisp that always introduces herself as ‘Winda,’ and Paul Same, the artist, pop into the scene then start talking to the Parasite and Superman. The Parasite has degenerated to babbling and changed his appearance again to Lois Lane’s except he’s all purple and still has his face (but the matching dress and purse and hat are cute). And he’s taking notes. We kept expecting Linda/Winda to say “Wois Wane” but she keeps finding ways to not say it. She does remarks on what an honor it is to meet such an illustrious and alliterative an author [suitably distorted by her lisp.]. Paul is talking to Superman about the design of his costume while Howard tells MG that, no, he’s happy enough watching this. “Maybe I am better off when I have something to flail against.” He does recommend that MG do something nice for humanity before fading away, especially after all of that stupid stuff the Mxyzptlk half of him did in the comic books. The Parasite grabs Howard and sobs, “Mommy, I need you.” MG zaps him, says that the Parasite has reverted to his most primal form. He then explains that in Howard’s and Superman’s realities radiation can cause radical transformations occasionally, rather than just illness or death, and this is evidence of some creative force within the universes, however erratic and redundant, but the form of that change is determined by the person’s persona. Howard says, “So that’s why, even when he was disembodied in the zone, he was a leech?” As that quote suggests Howard’s back to normal. His returned ‘critical eye’ is ubdued somewhat as a “wave of love and concernfor your fellow beings” passes into him, a gift from MG and shared by all humanity. A few minutes later MG fades away. He has never existed (again!) and Howard’s home and life sucks. But, when it’s quiet he can remember what it feels like to care for everyone and it almost seems like it could work out. I thought Superman and Howard would be an interesting mix. They’re both orphaned from their home, the only one of their kind [more or less] but they seem to have opposite viewpoints of the world. I thought up the scene with the Parasite touching Superman and Howard first so I knew he was in it and I thought it would be cool if the connection would be Steve Gerber’s Phantom Zone stories. After that it just happened.

by: Greg Huneryager

12. Dracula & Demon:

In 1800s Transylvania, a good man summons and revives Morgan Le Fey to destroy the evil Count Dracula. Jason Blood (and Etrigan The Demon) arrive to attempt to put a stop to this plan. Money shots would include Dracula batttling Etrigan, Dracula learning the hard way about Jason’s corrupt bloodstream, and Dracula and Etrigan teaming to combat Morgan Le Fey and her minions. A story about how evil destroys all it touches, and using evil to combat evil will leave you and those you loved consumed by it’s touch.

by: Trevor Giberson

13. In the darkest hours of WW2, Captain America and Sgt. Rock team up to prevent Hitler's forces from discovering a hidden cache of arcane artifacts. The only catch? They're stored in Castle Dracula, and no one knows whose side HE's on!

Rationale: I've always loved Gene's work on War Comics, and his version of Sgt. Rock would be something to see . . . add to that Captain America and Dracula, and I think it would be a match made in heaven!

by: Derek J Anderson

14. In the style of the great studio musicals, Howard the Duck joins forces with The Demon, (not to mention Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra!) in the wacky, screwball musical entitled, "Singing through the Pain!"

Rationale: Gene's always done a great job with comedy, and his work on Howard is one of my favorites. Add to the mix DC's rhyming demon Etrigan, a road trip, some classic movie stars, and I think we could have a magical musical!

by: Derek J Anderson

15. When Bruce Wayne is framed for murder, it's up to Matt Murdock (and his alter-ego Daredevil!) and Nathaniel Dusk to prove he's innocent. Unfortunately for them, he's been framed by none other than The Red Skull, and he's out to stop their investigation by any means possible!

Rationale: Playing to Gene's strengths as a Noir artist, I think this would be another dream project . . . Gotham City, Nathaniel Dusk, and Daredevil? I'm in heaven!

by: Derek J Anderson

16. First page splash : Dracula, paniked, enters Doctor Strange sanctuary (Doc Strange with his hood, the DS 180 version), chased by the Spectre. "Time is around ToD 66. Ol' Fang is now human, with no special power, hanging around in New York. Suddenly, a green and white supernatural creature (The Original DC Spectre) appears and claims for his soul. Drac escape the creature and decide to ask his former foe Doc Strange for protection. But when it arrives in Greenwich village, the Spectre had found him (here takes place the gorgeous splash). Before Strange could do a move, the Spectre disapears into limbo with his victim. Following the mystic emanation of the Spectre, Doc Strange follow them and find them on a weird Planet. Dracula his about to be destroy by the Spectre when Doctor Strange attacks. Both of the two fighters think that the other one is an evil creature (note of the writer : Doc Strange vs the Spectre is a battle I dreamed to see for years !!! Great splashes !). At the end of the battle, the Spectre is about to kill Doc Strange when he is attacked by the powerless Dracula, who try to save Doc Strange. the Spectre is amazed to see his former prey trying to defend Strange in such a hopeless situation. He stopped his attack, but too late and Drac is badly injured... and then the Spectre is attaked himself by Nightmare, who was under the conspiration. Nightmare, who has access to many dimensions (including DC universe), planned to force the Spectre to destroy Doc Strange, using Drac as a decoy. As he understand that is plan failed because of Drac intervention, he attack the Spectre to try to destroy Strange by himself. Alas for him, the Spectre and Strange teamed together and chase him. Then, they returned to Drac, who's almost dead. The Spectre tells Strange that Drac can't go back to his reality : when a soul is taken away by the Spectre, there is no way back. The only way to save him is to take him to the Spectre universe. The Spectre go away whith Drac, as Strange went back to his universe.

Epilogue : A man in a dark mansion think about his strange destiny. Once he was a vampire, the master of them all, now he is a simple human. Well, maybe a little more than human : from his passage through limbo, he gained some powers. And he decided to use them to help other human. A way to pay for his sins. A redemption. In this universe, he is only known as... the Baron. His business is to deal with night forces. And he knows what he's talking about."

by: Philippe Benoist

17. The Batman & Doctor Strange in:

Title: As Time Goes Bye!

Once upon a time in Strange Tales #127, Doc was given a new cloak of levitation and a more wondrous amulet! The old artifacts went into storage at the Himalayan home of the Ancient One, until they're stolen by a thief from a future where magic and high-tech are co-mingled; and magic itself is finite, divided between all practitioners. The thief plans on using the cloak/amulet as focusing devices, giving him more power than the rest on his world but surreptitiously; running the world from the shadows thus no opposition. The theft itself is amusing, as he uses 20th century burglar tools it's protected against mystic weapons only. Once the thief leaves for the future, the alarm finally goes off. Doc, being more than pooped, is awash in the Mists of Morpheus; he gets the alert too late. Using the Orb of Agamotto, he finds the thief and knows where and *when* he's fled to. He also realizes that the thief knows how to use the devices as foci and why he can't use his as such. The reason for that is, used as a focusing device in tandem, these objects will open all dimensional doorways simultaneously sending the entire multiverse into complete oblivion. That oblivion will feed back thru time to the beginning of time all that is, was and will be gone as if neverhaving been.

Doc must go after his artifacts. When he gets there, heÕll be relatively powerless. He needs a really good, no, the world's greatest detective. A quick scan with the Orb, and voila! Earth-1 and the Batman origin and all. Doc (astrally) appears in the Batcave, and explains situation to Bats. Based on his experiences with Boston (Deadman) Brand, he agrees to go with Doc. Using the spell from Strange Tales 124, the two travel thru time/dimensions via mystic candles (that once extinguished, leave you stranded). Doc also adopts his (DS 166) masked look so as to further their anonyminity. (He neednÕtve bothered; compared to the residents of this Earth, they're downright mundane.). Batman starts using standard Batman-style investigation; questioning bartenders, floozies, winos, junkies, thugsÉwith the usual fights, while Doc carefully uses the amulet (only) to try and pick up vibes from the other artifacts. Doc comes up bupkiss; Bats finds out known history stops at the beginning of the 20th century. On a hunch of BMs, they go into a holo-shop and inquire as to off-beat sales. The clerk, after commenting on the accuracy of the duos costumes, tells em he just sold a rare copy of The Chronicles of Magic. He shows em his copy, and in it, Doc's origin and receiving the new equipment. The same guy bought a geophysical map of the 20th century Himalayas. Paid for it all with a jeweled dagger. A rudimentary spell of contagion upon the dagger enables the pair to trace it to the thiefs lair. A force field (hybrid tech-magic) surrounds the place; Bats shorts it out with little effort. Thief has enlarged the amulet to over 7ft high (like DS did to visit Eternity in the Ditko-era). Doc tries to engage thief in magical battle as distraction from activating the amulet. It's like a stand-off in a marshmallow tossing fight. It is, however distracting; enough that Batman, figuring there's nothing to lose, torches the old cape. This really distracts the thief, enabling Doc to take him down with an old-fashioned right to the jaw. The multiverse is saved. Unfortunately, the candles (remember them?) went OUT. Now what?? asks the Batman. Doc's really not sure. On a whim, he goes back to the holo-shop and reads a bit more of The Chronicles, and finds that by using his amulet as a beam, they can go thru the portal sized old amulet (still not using the cape(s) and triggering the earths-shattering-ka-boom until inside the amulet) and follow the last of the candles essence back to Doc's time/earth. Doc then brings BM back home (where it's morning), asking if there's anything he can do to repay him. BM politely declines, saying he'll just call it a night and get some sleep. Doc makes sure it's a good sleep; he relieves Bruce from revisiting his parents deaths, for this sleep at least. Doc too, calls it a night but only after checking on all the other artifacts in his keep.

by: John Ford

18. Batman and the Green Goblin in "The Chase"

Wayne Enterprises has invented a new computer chip that is the first step in "wetware", human/cyber Interface. The user when implanted with the chip can control various machines,computers, etc by thought alone. Wayne has it, Norman Osborn wants it. Wayne won't sell so Osborn decides to just take it. Unfortunately for Gobby standing between him and the chip is Batman. While Bats and the Goblin duke it out, the Catwoman, (hired by Kingpin) swipes it. Catwoman hands it off to Elektra (hired by Lex Luthor for a non-lethal job). Elektra doesn't get far because the Joker wondering what the fuss is grabs it himself.) And the chase is on. The Goblin catches up to the Joker but the chip gets away with Deathstroke the Terminator. The chip keeps changing hands from in a madcap chase with Bats and the Goblin one step behind. (You can pick some of your own chip hunters, any character you want.) It all comes to a head in Metropolis and it's every man for himslef when Bats and Gobby corner Lex Luthor and the Kingpin and everyone else who held the chip for a minute or two. (At least the ones Batman didn't lock up first.)

by: Ken Boechler

19. Doctor Strange/Doctor Fate in "Conclave"

Periodically, the Vishanti hold a conclave of practitioners of the mystic arts from across the Multiverse. The Conclave is by Invite only and the participants are abducted and brought to the Conclave. At the center of the conclave is "The Contest", a round-robin battle to discern the True Sorceror Supreme. The "prize" is guardianship of the Jewel of Eternity, a bauble of immense power made up of a fragment of Eternity. The Vishanti believe only the greatest sorceror of the Multiverse should be charged with looking after the thing. (In the DC Universe it is called the Jewel of Eternity, in the Marvel Universe it's a cosmic cube). Guardianship is transferred only when the previous guardian is killed. Doctor Strange and Doctor Fate are "selected" to attend as well as Zatanna,Merlin,Baron Mordo, John Constantine and others. Not invited but crashing the party are Felix Faust and Doctor Doom. The Phantom Stranger, Uatu the watcher, and the Spectre are along for the ride as observers. Come aboard for wall to wall sorcerous action as the greatest mages of the Multiverse duke it out. (Just for fun various other literary mages such as Gandalf and Elric can appear un-named with the mass of mages.) “Out of the darkness of future’s past, the Magician longs to see.... One chants out between two worlds, FIRE! Walk With Me!”

by: Ken Boechler

20. Under the cover of night, she's a seemingly unstoppable jewel thief. Robbed, of his sight but endowed with unnatural hypersenses he can see into the dark places where others only fear to look. Now the hopes of New York's diamond merchants rest squarely on his shoulders as only one man can protect them.

Coming Soon: Catwoman/Daredevil: Night Moves

by: Adam J Gilbert

21. Natural born enemies bound by a common thread. When the peace of a community is threatened by unknown forces they rise up as one to protect those who are unprepared for such an onslaught.

Be here in 30 for Black Cat/Black Canary: Shrouded by Night.

by: Adam J Gilbert

22. Trapped in a world he never made, his presidential candidacy hopes dashed, he was lost and alone in New York. When mobsters slew his family, Frank Castle swore vengeance in a one-man war on crime. One man and one duck.

Don't miss: "The Punisher Wauuggh! Journal"

by: Adam J Gilbert

23. "Don’t joke with the Doom!": Batman and Daredevil.

The UN has organized a big conference on biotechnologies in New York City. Both Bruce Wayne and Matt Murdock are supposed to deliver a speech. (We can imagine the two meeting up at a break during the conference). In the afternoon, a scientist from Latveria is scheduled to appear. This scientist opens his notebook and introduces the audience to a speech held by Dr. Doom himself. Dr. Doom leaves the audience astonished when he declares that he has begun to clone big men from present and past time in order to give birth to a super-race that will be able to solve all the present and future world’s problems and plagues. On that selfsame night, Matt Murdock and Bruce Wayne (now in their alter-egos disguise) meet (with great surprise!) on the wall surrounding Latveria embassy in lower Manhattan (maybe or maybe not DD recognizes Batman heart-beat). They enter the embassy and then go in different directions. As foreseeable, DD falls in a trap. He is now in big gymnasium where he is confronted with an enraged Dr. Octopus (this would allow the dean to draw a lot of DD elegant evolutions). Of course, DD defeats what now is revealed to be a faked dr. Octopus (one of the famous dr. Doom’s robots). In the meanwhile Batman has come into a dark dungeon where is forced to fight with a bogus Joker (another dr. Doom’s robot), whom he succeds to defeat only with great difficulties. After the fights, our heroes begin to look for a way out of their traps. After a while, they meet together just in front of a door that would seem to lead to the main room of the embassy. They decide to break open the door, certain to come to a final showdown with Doom. But, instead, they are confronted with a plethora of policemen and reporters and a triumphant Victor, who begins to deliver a veehement speech against the superheroes and their disinterest in the plagues of the humanity. He reveals that his message at the conference was simply a provocation, whose goal was to unveil the distorted use of technology by the Powers That Be and the real aims of the "so-called superheroes". DD and Batman, assailed by a storm of hungry journalists, are finally taken out of the embassy by the policemen. The story ends with Batman and DD sitting on the magical roofs of Manhattan and talking sadly about the power of the tyrants’ demagogy.

by: Paolo Costa

24. My second story is more similar to a ‘noir’or a ‘thriller’ tale. Its title could sound something as: "Save the children!". Main characters: Batman and Daredevil (of course!).Children are disappearing all over the USA. We begin with two different settings. 1) New York City: while investigating on the lost children, DD stumbles upon the skeleton of a child. All the evidence points towards an appartment in the West Side. There DD meets his old nemesis: Bullseye. After a long and hard battle, DD and Bullseye are completely exhausted. Surprisingly enough, Bullseye denies to have anything to do with the lost children. Since he’s able to read his heart-beat, DD knows he’s sincere. The mystery deepens.Gotham City. Similarly, Batman discovers the skeleton of a lost child (after analyzing it in his personal laboratory, he’ s sure it is the skeleton of a missing child named Eugene (sic!). All the evidence seems to run against Catwoman. But after a hard confrontation, Batman convinces himself that she’s innocent. He, then, comes back to the laboratory, re-tries the test and finds out something strange: there is something unnatural in the stuff the supposed child’s bones are made of. While the DNA is absolutely identical to the child’s known DNA, the bones are in fact an artificial compose. Bruce Wayne passes the information to the media. After getting the news, DD moves to Gotham City. Working together, DD and Batman discover a big building nearby the city where they’re certain to find something of interest. To their great surprise, the building hides behind its walls an enormous nursery where the Joker has taken all the children, whom he is entertaining with his unending games and jokes. It was, therefore, he who has kidnapped the children, cloned their DNA and carefully abandoned some false skeletons in different cities over the USA in order to convince the world that they’re dead and push the police to suspect of someone else. After a hard fight, of course, DD and Batman defeat the Joker and set the children free.

by: Paolo Costa

25. Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow.

Catwoman & The Black Widow vs Dr. Doom in "DOUBLECROSS."

I've always been hooked on Gene's take on the Widow. The deadly beauty...the grace and power. The tragic flaw in her own mind, that she's cursed and will never live up to her own standards. So, with her as a base, I tried to think of who would be an interesting foil for her. And then a villain that would present a challenge of wits, not just of physical force. And it all came together...

Recently, some rather old, but otherwise unremarkable, gems were discovered. They were purchased for a reasonable price by a reputable jewel dealer by electronic payment, and the dealer was to pick them up...and that simply should have been the end of it. However, when Catwoman is retained under rather mysterious circumstances to steal the jewels, something is certainly out of the ordinary. She heists the jewels without a hitch, delivers them to the fence, gets paid handsomely...and that simply should have been the end of it. Until she's picked up by S.H.I.E.L.D. She is then told that those gems ~may~ have once belonged to a pirate named Blackbeard. And if that was the case, those same jewels ~may~ have once belonged to Merlin, the Mage of Camelot, and have properties that, with the proper knowledge, could be a base of mystical power that the world hasn't seen since the Middle Ages. And if all that was true, then a certain metal clad dictator of a certain Balkan country has been waiting for those jewels for a very long time. Catwoman is made an offer she literally can't refuse. Steal the gems back or become lost in a very private, very small cell, for a very long time. Her back-up, control, and incentive is someone very familiar with that part of the world, Natasha Romanoff, The Black Widow. Catwoman & The Black Widow vs Dr. Doom in "DOUBLECROSS."

by: Mike Frigon

26. I found it difficult to let the Widow theme go...sue me. I did a little research and found a team-up that, apparently, everyone has been clamoring for. The only question then, was to find a plausible plot. I think I found it...

Recently, archeologists discovered something that they couldn't make head or tail of. It was a small box of equipment that appeared to be alien, however, the scientists were able to determine that the equipment was somehow used in the field of communication. As long as it wasn't going so kill them, most people didn't pay much attention, but a few people recognized this find for what it is. What they had stumbled onto was a long-forgotten cache of communications equipment left by the Kree. The significance of alien technology in our world could be a boon or devastating, depending on who's got the technology and what they can do with it. S.H.I.E.L.D. assigns The Black Widow to secure the location and all of its equipment by any means necessary. Barbara Gordon, Oracle, is also interested. If the technology can be made compatable to our telecommunications networks, the alien technology could be a master key to any and all electronic communications, compromising her network. Oracle sends Black Canary. It's a race and a struggle between The Black Widow & Black Canary to see who gets to keep, "The Black Box."

by: Mike Frigon

27. I just had to do a little something a little fun. I realize that I'm using 3 characters to team-up, but this idea could be modified to include only 2. It's just that I can see the interaction between these three guys being hysterical. I always drooled over the classic Hulk/Thing battles, but how could we make this more interesting... In a plan somewhere between Rube Goldberg and Wile E. Coyote, The Mad Thinker once again proves his monicker to be completely accurate. As always, his goal is to destroy the Fantastic Four, plunder the Baxter Building for all its scientific secrets, and rule the world ("BWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAAAAA...."). But how? All of his best laid, most logical plans have always failed. Suddenly, the answer is clear. If logic alone is not enough, then chaos must succeed. But not complete chaos, just enough to allow him to succeed in the overall logical framework of his plan. GENIUS! Random violence destroys the existing order, allowing him, The Mad Thinker, to supplant his own scheme in its place. And what can be more geared toward random violence and chaos than using The Hulk. Ah...but The Hulk is not enough...he has been used before with failure to the overall plan. Some other force of confusion is needed. "EUREKA!" Thus, we find Ben Grimm alone at the Baxter Building indulging in some channel surfing. This rather tranquil state is rather rudely and abruptly interrupted by a transport beam delivering a rather irked Hulk to the front door of the Baxter Building. After knocking at the door, and taking the foyer with it, Ben decides that direct action is needed. He proceeds to calm down Hulk by allowing Hulk to beat him up a lot, when The Thinker's ace arrives on the scene. The Thinker has convinced Bizarro that everyone in the area is in danger from this fight (not completely a lie) and that Bizarro should occupy Hulk and the Thing while The Thinker runs into the Baxter Building to get some gizmo to subdue the combatants. "It am brilliant!" A rather hysterical fight and debate ensue between these three until Ben, realizing Bizarro's condition, utilizes a little reverse psychology and agrees with Bizarro that the plan is masterful, thus dooming the plan to failure. Hulk vs Thing vs Bizarro in, "The Bigger They Are...The Dumber They Get."

by: Mike Frigon

28. Spectre/Raven: Clean Slate

In a abandoned, Philadelphia row-house, the neighborhood drug addicts lay around all day, getting high. A woman shoots up too much heroin; the overdose begins to kill her. Her soul screams, and the scream is heard by Raven (formerly of the Teen Titans), who rushes to the woman's aid. Farther away, sitting in his temple/home, the Spectre, the Spirit of Redemption, also hears the cry and responds. He arrives at the tenement to find Raven already cradling the unconscious woman like a child. Watching her work, he sees Raven shriek in pain as she heals the woman's body and soul, absorbing the woman's psychic and physical injuries. The woman remains unconscious, and Raven looks as though she might have taken on too much; her soul is being ripped apart. The Spectre moves in, cradling Raven just as she did the woman, using the strength of his own soul to supplement hers. With the Spectre's added strength, Raven awakens, and sees her savior. Looking into each other's eyes, they see the pain that other suffers constantly: she due to her demonic origin, he from his psychotic breakdown. The reach out and try to heal one another, rising up into space. Their souls intertwine and they bond far more intimately than any two souls ever have on Earth. For a time, they lose themselves in the embrace of the other. They realize though, that their scars run too deep-- that Raven cannot heal the Spectre, nor can he offer her the redemption she seeks. They know that they must find their salvation on their own, not have it provided by another. Affectionately they separate, and return to the row-house to check on the woman. There, they find the woman still laying, unconscious. The Spectre offers to watch over the woman, and Raven says her goodbyes to both. The woman wakes, and is stricken with fear upon seeing the Spectre. She reveals that she has met the Spectre before, and that he killed her brother in a courtroom a few years ago as punishment for a drunk driving accident (Spectre 59) . It was the sight of her brother's murder at the hands of the Spectre that started her getting high. The Spectre takes the woman into his cloak and shows her that he is not THAT Spectre-- that while that was the Spirit of Vengeance, he is the Spirit of REDEMPTION, there to assure the woman that she has a second chance at life. In a final parting word, he tells the woman that someone special to him nearly lost their immortal soul saving her, and tells her that if she fails to make good of this second chance, she WILL see the Spirit of Vengeance again, in him.

by: Christopher Murrin

29. "The Promised Land"

By April 1941, Axis troops had already invaded Egypt, established a regime in Iraq, and were planning on attacking Syria and Lebanon. But why? President Roosevelt had officials ask this question to numerous experts in different fields, including the staff of the archaeology department at Barnett College, Dean Marcus Brody and Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones. The agents asked why the Axis would be venturing so far south, rather than trying to invade Britain. Indy, no military strategist, can't figure it out; Brody suggests that the Nazis have nowhere else to go, "It's not like they can part the English Channel." This statement makes Indy sit bolt upright and ask, "But what if they could?". He realizes that the Axis forces are slowly surrounding the area of eastern Egypt and Palestine, the area in which Moses once led his people toward the Promised Land. There, they could be searching for the Staff of Moses, through which God funneled the belief of the Israelites, creating the power to part the Red Sea. Indy realizes that the Iraq/Syria maneuver is a distraction, allowing the Nazis to search in eastern Egypt and Jordan for the likely site of Moses' burial. With the staff and the will of the Nazi army, Hitler could part the English Channel, and launch a Blitzkrieg right into southern England. Indy volunteers to use the few clues he has as to the location of Moses Tomb to stop the Nazis. The agents provide Indy with the name of an American contact in western Egypt, a man whose skills can get them safely across the country, who can watch Indy's back throughout the mission, and who can help kick some Nazi butt on the way. The contact's name: Steve Rogers! Can Captain America and Indiana Jones defeat Hitler's minions? Will they find the Staff of Moses? You'll see in "The Promised Land featuring Indiana Jones and Captain America!"

by: Christopher Murrin

30. In Africa, Trull, the alien life-force that crash landed to earth years ago (Tales To Astonish 21), has finally gained enough strength to occupy a new, mechanical host. It occupies an office computer, only to find, through the magic of the internet, that it now has power over all the computerized equipment to which it is connected! Halfway across the world, Tony Stark shows a prospective new employee, Ray Palmer, around his laboratory at Stark Enterprises. Palmer is, needless to say, impressed with the Iron Man technology on display throughout the lab, and is eager to get to work on Stark's projects. Suddenly, the many suits of Iron Man armor charging their batteries around the laboratory come to life, infused by the life-force of Trull. The suits of armor attack!!! With only the one suit of armor on his body, how will Tony Stark possibly be able to defeat this army of Iron Men? How? With some help from the inside--the help of The Atom!!! It's an epic battle as Iron Man and The Atom team up to battle the nefarious Trull in "Live, Streaming Evil."

by: Christopher Murrin

31. It's 1941, and the clouds of war are darkening across the world. In America, Nazi sympathizers are doing all they can to keep America complacent and out of the war. Their latest nefarious scheme is to take over a Hollywood movie studio and send out subliminal post-hypnotic suggestions in every thrilling reel of the popular "Pearl Street, Girl Detective!" serial. All seems to be going their way until two real master detectives, The Batman and The Shadow, team up to bust apart the film set and send the villains into: The Twilight Reeling!

by: Glen Gold

32. MORBUIS, THE LIVING VAMPIRE and.....VAMPIRELLA!

“It’s an unusually quite night in the city.The familiar hustle and bustle seems to have graciously stepped aside for the oncoming full moon. Ask any policeman or hospital employee and they will concure,....it’s simply the calm before the storm. The full moon triggers the tides, not only in the great oceans of the world, but the tides of emotions in all of us. Some fear the full moon while others rejoice in its arrival. Madmen dance in anticipation, violent crimes escalate, domestic disturbances reach a frenzied pitch, and some cower in fear of what the full moon may bring this cycle.” “Tonight is a night for both hunter and hunted, but the city is quite this night. The hunters hunger and the hunted are few and far between. Muggers and pickpockets will go home empty-handed this evening. The prostitutes spend the hours loitering. The occassional “John” has his pick of the litter and the power to bargain this eve. The hunters of the city feed on the innocence of others. The misfortune of one is the gain of another. The city is a dark and dirty place for strangers. It is a sadistic world where lost sould feed off the very lives of one another.” “There are other hunters as well. Tonight, this night of the full moon, finds two like creatures about to stalk the same prey. Two hunters, unknown to each other yet with so much in common, travel two paths down a dark alley towards their unsuspecting prey. Two paths towards a common goal are about to lead to a chance meeting of these two hunters,these two.....VAMPIRES!” SO THERE’S THE SETUP for my idea of a team-up. The characters? MORBUIS, THE LIVING VAMPIRE and.....VAMPIRELLA!

Why? It would be a natural! Morbuis is a very modern vampire born of science, and Vampirella is just, well, modern! I can’t imagine anyone rendering such a scene any better than Gene. We’ve all seen what a fantastic rendition Gene has of Black Widow,...can you just imagine Vampi? And what about Morbius? I’ve always liked Morbius, but once again, with Gene adding his touch of shadows to this great secondary character,.....I can’t even imagine!

by: Ken Allan Huggins

33. Sherlock Holmes and Jonah Hex

Synopsis: When the Old West's greatest bounty hunter accepts a commission to track a murderer back to his home town, he didn't anticipate that home town would be on another continent - in foggy London town! But that's just where Jonah Hex has to travel to capture criminal mastermind Professor James Moriarty! But Moriarty is no fool, and he knows he's being followed, so he takes two precautions. The first is to employ Hex's old nemesis, El Papagayo to run interference, the second is to blaze a false trail that will have Hex chased by the greatest manhunter in England - Sherlock Holmes!

Reason Characters Picked: Who wouldn't love to see the great detective battle/ meet his contemporary of the west! Two manhunters of completely different moral codes and styles.

by: Christopher Sequeira

34. Dracula versus the Hound of the Baskervilles.

Synopsis: Dracula's planned relocation to the new world failed in 1897, when Abraham Van Helsing and his accomplices drove the Count back to Transylvania, where they thought they destroyed him. But they were wrong, dead, wrong. Now, three years later, the Count has returned, and chosen the quiet English countryside of Devon to base his operations. He's even managed to ingratiate himself into a wealthy baronet's household, the house of the Baskerville family. But the Count is about to find out that his bloody predations aren't the thing the Baskervilles will fear most - no, they have their own family monster, a ghostly hellhound - the Hound of the Baskervilles!

Reason Characters Picked: Another no-brainer - this is a match made in Hell, and if anyone could do it justice, Mr Colan could!

by: Christopher Sequeira

35. Hodiah Twist and The Copperhead

Synopsis: In the 1940's two crime-fighters who had made headlines a decade earlier turn their attention to a new and terrible mystery. Eccentric sleuth Hodiah Twist and vigilante The Copperhead join forces to track down the fiends responsible for leaving a trail of bloodless corpses, corpses whose features have been turned into scarlet death-masks! Will they catch the Red Skull? Or will the Skull and his accomplice, a living vampire named Baron Blood, be more than the detectives can handle?

Reason Characters Picked: Two Colan-illustrated Marvel obscurities, Twist and the Copperhead have been faves of mine for years, thanks to Gene's memorable portrayal of them. The Skull's a perfect foil for them, as is other Marvel baddie, Baron Blood.

by: Christopher Sequeira

36. Worf versus Predator

There have been alot of crossovers with the Predator comic character (Aliens vs Predator-Batman vs Predator) I have all ways wanted to see a crossover book with the Predator and the Star Trek character Worf. The idea is Worf a skilled Klingon hunter is put in the position of being the hunted.

Worf is in rout to Qo'noS to take part in a bat'leth competition but unknown him and his fellow comrades they are being followed, upon his arrival with Data and Geordi in tow. Worf enters the contest and after the first round of competition several of the Klingon contestants are brutally murdered, later during the ensuing investigation Worf himself is attacked and narrowly avoids being killed by an unseen foe. The hunter becomes the hunted. When Worf finds himself the prey of the galaxy greatest hunter, the Predator.

by: James Hunt

37. When Asgard slowly begins to crumble before the legendary gods' eyes, Odin commands Thor to discover the cause behind the Eternal Realm's demise and rectify it. Thor uses all of his mighty powers to track down the culprit but to no avail. Desperate, he seeks out another legend whose own home was destroyed by unknown forces: Superman. Together, they find themselves battling Loki and Braniac in a last-minute attempt to spare Asgard from Krypton's fiery fate. Superman and Thor doth battle the forces of evil in... the Asgard Imperative!

by: Name witheld

38. Reports have been coming in from all over Metropolis about men in strange yellow suits robbing armored cars, banks, and jewelers. Boy reporter, Jimmy Olsen (friend to Superman) sees these strange-suited men taking their newly acquired loot into a tunnel under the Daily Planet Building. Unfortunately, his best pal Superman is on a mission on another planet, so his special signal watch (zee zee zee!) is useless. Jimmy must get to the bottom of this mystery himself! Following the men into the tunnel, Jimmy finds a coat room where he, too, dons the yellow suit. He continues deep into the Earth where he sees the other yellow-suited men gathered. He joins them just in time for an address from the "head" of this strange operation. . . MODOK! Can Jimmy and his pals, the Newsboy Legion, defeat MODOK and AIM before their sinister plan is set in motion? Will Superman return in time to help? Will MODOK bleed Metropolis' finances dry in pursuit of his goal of total world domination?

Find out in Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen (and the Newsboy Legion) in: MODOK sets his AIM on Metropolis!

by: Robert Newsome

39. DRACULA and SHERLOCK HOLMES

Setting : London in the late 19th Century

Amidst the fog and gothic shadows of London streets in the late 1800s someone is killing the city's prostitutes . These streetwalkers provide a prime food supply for the Lord of The Undead who is enraged by their disappearance . Dracula begins to hunt their killer and discovers Sherlock Holmes is also on the trail . Holmes initially believes Dracula is the prostitutes killer but once they become uneasy allies they realize that their true quarry is ... Jack The Ripper !!

Why Did I Chose These Team Ups ?

Shamelessly inspired by Gene`s Jack The Ripper commission . I was intrigued by that beautiful piece and all its unanswered mysteries and possibilities . I'm fascinated by the idea that Dracula is a bloodthirsty supernatural being yet a somehow noble one . In Jack the Ripper he has a nemesis who is somehow more mysterious , unknown and chillingly senseless . Sherlock Holmes provides the human antidote for this accumulation of evil .

by: Michael Baulderstone

40. HOWARD THE DUCK and RED SONJA

Setting : part in the present day , part in the Hyborian Age

At his new job at the Cleveland city dump Howard finds a rusty old sword which he takes home as a present to Bev . They don't realize that it once belonged to Red Sonja and had been cursed during a duel to the death with the wizard Amon Troth .The moment Bev touches it she and Howard are whisked back in time where Bev is transformed into the fearless Red Sonja with Howard the Barbarian as her reluctant side kick . Whilst battling dragons and pirates in the deep past Howard and Bev must find a way back to the present where Amon Troth is now causing havoc...

Why Did I Chose These Team Ups ?

Because I just desperately want to see Gene drawing Howard again !!Always loved the cover to Howard #1 where Bev had a striking resemblance to Red Sonja and Howard looked slightly uncomfortable wielding a sword .

by: Michael Baulderstone

41. CAPTAIN MARVEL and THE SWORDSMAN

Setting : The Realm of Death

Thanos and Kang The Conqueror have teamed up with a plan to turn time backwards thus eradicating the human race . With all earths living heroes frozen in time it is left to dead heroes to save the day . Captain Marvel was Thanos` greatest foe and the Swordsman died whilst fighting Kang so these two unite in the land of death to save humankind . First they must journey to visit Death herself and request permission to leave her realm and once more venture amongst the living . After that the battle to save time truly begins...

Why Did I Chose These Team Ups ?

I always loved Gene`s rendition of Mar-vell , the white haired and green suited version , in the early issues of Captain Marvel . Gene also did a great Swordsman cover for The Avengers . I also admire the integrity of Marv and The Swordsman both staying dead in a Marvel Universe where resurrection is more of the norm . Therefore the only way to get a glimpse of these beloved heroes is in a setting of the afterlife. I think Gene could provide some amazing scenes on the quest to Deaths castle and I like the contrast between the cosmic and human powers of the two characters .

by: Michael Baulderstone

42. The Fantastic Four join the Warlord of Mars in "Five Against the Fifth!"

John Carter tangled with Morgors before. The fabled "Skeleton Men of Jupiter" were dangerous enough on their own world, but now they've come to invade Mars! Can John Carter defend his adopted home against the hordes of aliens? The situation looks bleak until an unusually-designed spaceship crashes. But how can its four sole inhabitants help turn the tide of battle in John Carter's favor? With the help of some Cosmic Ray-induced super powers, it should make things considerably easier!

by: Sean Kleefeld

43. "Dr. Who/Dr. Strange: Persistence of Memory."

Time is an illusion. Having mastery of both would give one the ability to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. So, when The Master and Dormammu team up, it requires the talents of both of their sworn enemies to defeat them. The Doctor and Stephen Strange find themselves as in an unusual alliance of science and magic in

by: Sean Kleefeld

44. BATMAN/IRON MAN: "To Save a Superman!"

Superman lies comatose in the JLA's infirmary, dying of a mysterious ailment. The Atom has determined that the cause is artificial: Superman has been infected with nanites -- microscopic robots -- made of KRYPTONITE! Lex Luthor has struck again! The hyper-intelligent, germ-sized robots are running amuck within the the Man of Steel, and Bruce Wayne knows that only one man on earth has the engineering genius to stop them. Tony Stark quickly realizes that the only way to combat the nanites is through "Nano-Telepresence" -- microscopic, robot versions of his Iron Man armor, mentally controlled by Tony through a cerebro-like helmet. But the risks are great -- the destruction of _any_ of these microscopic Iron Men will leave Tony a mindless, gibbering husk. But Luthor realizes it as well, and sends the Joker to give Tony Stark the last laugh of his life, while his kryptonite nanobots battle to kill his virus-sized avatars! Can anyone save Tony Stark in time for Stark to save the Man of Tomorrow? Only the JLA's Dark Knight, as he puts his life on the line to protect Stark's body, as Stark's miniature selves tax all his concentration in a battle royale that he dare not lose, for the life of Superman -- and his own sanity!

by: Jonathan Andrew Sheen

46. My story is a team-up between two of my personal favorites, Batman & Daredevil, inspired by Marvel & DC's Amalgam universe. Frank Miller once made the comment that Batman was always more concerned about the criminal, whereas Daredevil focused on the victim. But they are remarkably similar characters otherwise, almost a yin/yang view of the costumed vigilante.

Our tale begins in the seedier sections of a New York City, in the dark alleyways always frequented by society's lowlifes and naive innocents. A young woman of Middle Eastern descent, carrying a bundle, leaves a Turkish restaurant through the back alley. She is stunningly beautiful, and carries herself with dignity and conidence--perhaps too much confidence will be her downfall. A clique of young White men notice her. They are well-dressed, almost "preppy," and smell of Daddy's money. They finish their beers and begin following her, commenting "She's the one I told you about . . ." and "She can dance on my belly anytime!" At first, they try to be suave, but when she begins to walk faster, then run, they get mad and begin the chase in earnest. The girl rounds a blind alley and comes face to face with a dead-end, a three-walled chasm. She drops her dinner and dance bag, and pounds desperately on a boarded-over door. The three young men approach her slowly, menacingly, and one begins to unbuckle his belt. "You're gonna find out what 'American-made' really means, lady . . ." The Arab woman screams.

Suddenly, there is a swoosh of black through the alleyway, and a "thwok!" As the batarang temporarily renders the would-be rapist incapacitated, buried as it is in his crotch, the other two bolt. A red staff ricochets off the alleyway walls and strikes a second punk square in the back of the head, dropping him like the proverbial bag of spuds. The third boy makes a mad dash for anywhere-else-but-here.

Four feet drop to the pavement, two in black leather, two in red. Batman and Daredevil stand back-to-back. "What are you doing here?" they seem to say with their expressions. In a flash, Batman is in pursuit of the third assailant, and Daredvil tends to the shaken but unharmed girl. Within minutes, Batman returns, dragging the third boy behind him by the foot. "Thanks for the assist!" Batman and Daredvil say, in unison. A brief conversation about Batman following drug dealers from Gotham to New York follows, and the conversation continues as the two make their way to the roof-tops and canyons of the Big Apple.

Tracking the drug runners to an abandoned warehouse (in the always-abandoned warehouse district), Batman and Daredevil are surprised to find both Scarecrow and Mesmero in a bidding war with some Hispanic "businessmen." The dialogue reveals that the drug being carried is a mind-altering substance called "Tabula rasa," which can reset your brain temporarily, or, in high doses, wipe clean your mind.

Bats and DD drop onto the scene and begin mopping up. There's gunfire, fists flying, and a few explosions as chemicals become incendiary devices. The supervillains grab the drugs and attempt to flee. But their passage to safety is blocked by Batman. They turn to face Daredevil behind them. Desperate, they unleash the drug in its gaseous form. Batman (of course) quickly dons a gas mask from his utility belt, but Daredevil is unprepared. Batman moves to his aide, and they begin swapping the mask (as divers do in the buddy system). Outside, they collapse in a pile, one across the other. Time and space swirl as the gas creeps into their minds. In a dream sequence, a teen-aged boy watches his boxer father are gunned-down, and reels as a bullet strikes him in the forehead. Time marches on, and the now-blind boy is adopted by a millionaire and his wife. He continues to train as a boxer, studying under an Asian major domo. Then, he sees himself in law school, and graduating with honors. His first big case he convicts the King Penguin, but he pays the ultimate price as his adopted parents are blown-up in their limosine right in front of him. Struck by debris, he finds a newfound "gift" in the form of radar vision. Donning a bizarre red and black costume, he becomes the Devil Bat, scourge of the underworld. He battles villains in an endless succession of conflicts, bad guys like Deadeye, Widow Cat, and Laughingstock. He sees his girlfriend murdered, and his identity exposed as he is tried for the crime. He screams "NO!" and . . The heroes stir in the alley, Batman first, then Daredevil. They help each other to their feet. They stare at each other with quizzical expressions. "Are you alright?" Batman asks. "No bats in the belfrey," DD replies. "What about you?" "My eyes are burning, but I'll be fine." They turn to mop up their mess, but find Mesmero and Scarecrow drooling on each other in a corner. "Looks like the drug didn't work like they thought," Batman says. "Looks like," Daredvil replies.

As the two part, thanking each other with a handshake, Batman asks "Have you ever considered change of wardrobe?" Daredevil smiles. "I'm not the best at coordinating accessories; that's why I stick to basic red," DD replies. Then he asks "Can you see me in a cape?" Batman is already scaling the walls via a batrope. "Not exactly."

by: Steven Bates

47. Sgt.Fury & Sgt.Rock

The Rock & The Fury or Battle Cries!!

My story starts out where there's a tremous explosion!All of sudden Sgt.Fury & Sgt.Rock meet their in trenchs together side by side with their men the Hohling commando's & Rock's men.As they look over the ridge these see Baron Zemo strapping a unconscious Capt.A & Bucky to that ill fated jet.Before they can get there in time their fighting Nazis wall to wall.Only to arrive too late while the jet takes off. Of course this tends to really piss off Sgt.Fury as well as Sgt.Rock.Where they then find out Barron Zemo has another V-rocket/jet atomic missle ready to launch.In a diiferent site they storm off battling various german characters.Zemo, Masreman,etc & of course one of Rock's nemisis.After succeeding the stopping of the launch.They discover the many super weapons the Nazi's have invented.Which will Ironically help build S.H.E.I.L.D. one day!At this time there's another massive explosion.Each Sgt. ends up back in his own time line.At the end we see the Watcher & Dr.Fate reveal they caused the time line change to help the allies of WWII just enough to make events more even.

by: Mike Mikulovsky

48. Howard the Duck/Destroyer Duck/Rubberduck: “Birds of a Feather!”

Even after almost being poached by the Duck Deity (Howard the Duck b&w #9), the Back Talon still believes the source to true power to rule New Orleans, or at least the Bayou, is through ducks. After meeting Howard the Duck in that earlier conflict, the Black Talon now believe that in order to gain the influence of the Duck Diety, he needs to control the minds of ducks with more power than mere Earth ducks. One of the members of his Voodoo Cult is a former member of S.O.O.F.I., who was present when Howard and his friend, Winda Wester, were being held at the mansion of Dr. Reicht. Reicht attempted to have Winda open up portals to other dimensions through her unique abilities. Black Talon believes that through Winda, he can snatch ducks form other worlds and, by using the hypno-disk he has stolen from the Ringmaster, mindwash the ducks into calling on the Duck Deity to serve him. His Voodoo Cultists snatch Howard and Winda and bring them down to the Bayou. Holding a gun to Howard’s head, the Black Talon forces Winda to open the way to other worlds. The ducks that he snatches from other worlds is impressive: Destroyer Duck (Eclipse), Donald, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Scrooge McDuck (Disney), Daffy, Plucky (Warner Bros), Yakky Doodle (Hanna-Barbera), Baby Huey (Famous Studios/Paramount/Harvey), and from the Zoo Crew, Rubberduck (D.C.). Can this unusual collection of ducks, lead by Destroyer, Howard, Rubberduck, and Daffy (who assumes his role as Duck Dodgers), avoid being brainwashed into tricking the Duck Deity into granting the Black Talon and his Voodoo Cultist and Zuvembies power that they would use to take over New Orleans? Bullets, bombs, anvils, pies, and numerious Acme products are sure to be used in this battle between ducks and destruction.

by: Hans Heidler

49. The Premise is WWII(Captain America meets WonderWoman)

Ok I'll story begins with Cap& Bucky on their ill-fated flight.The Plane Blows Cap's blowin clear.But from here the story changes drastically.Instead of being frozen in a block of ice.Cap/Steve Rogers washes up on Paradise Island.(Instead of Steve Trevor).Where he's nursed back to health by Diana Prince.Once he's back to health he & WonderWoman.Return to find out the USA has been invaded.By a team of super nazis.Warrior Woman,Masterman,Capt.Nazi,Baron Zemo,Baron Blood led by the Red Skull.With a atomic bomb in their grasp from the Manhattan Project.In order to stop them. Cap & Dianna start their own super team combining the Invaders/Jsa.Where there's a all out war!Where some heroes & villians get killed.Years later we learn Steve Rogers & Diana have married and had a family.With their Children Bucky,Steve,Nick.

by: Mike Mikulovsky

50. Capt.Marvel(Shazam) vs Thor then team-up to battle Dracula.

There's reports of woman & children being found drained of blood.Both in Fawcett city & in New York City.As Billy Batson changes into Capt.Marvel.Don Blake/James Olson? is changing into Thor for some unknown reason the universe's keep merging in and out.Cap shows up just as Jane Foster or a woman is about to be bitten by a certain blood sucker.As Cap starts to battle Dracula,& rescues the woman/Jane? Thor shows up.But instead of attacking Dracula.He attacks Cap.Because he's under the influence of (The Corruptor from Nova#4.) Controlling his mind.So he's not himself.After a awesome battle Cap actually subdews Thor.By getting his Hammer away from him. yelling Shazam leaping out of the way causing Thor to transform back into his alter-ego.Where they talk & team up.Going after both Dracula & The Corruptor.With a little help from Shazam the Wizard & Dr.Strange.Only to learn the merging of the universe's is being caused by the Corruptor's use of the stolen Eye of Agamoto.Cap goes after Drac & Thor the Corruptor.Where they both destroy the villians.Cap by magic lighting & Sunlight & Thor causes the Corruptor to change back.In prisoning him in the Eye of Agamoto.Shazam the Wizard & Dr.Strange keep out of the battle to keep from damaging the two universe's any more than they already have.Not to screw with time lines /Universes.

by: Mike Mikulovsky

51. Denny Colt has been dead for many years -- or has he? As the Spirit, Colt has been hiding in his own crypt at Wildwood Cemetery, venturing out at night to solve crimes the police could never puzzle through. But now, his very existence is threatened when Dracula comes to town, aiming to make Wildwood Cemetery his own.

by: Glen Gold

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