Who Watches the Watchers - Forum for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe & Similar Works » Strange visitor from another canon

Loki · 1/19/2020 3:03 am

The thread on Omniversal Kevin Bacon got me thinking: It might be nice to have some threads tracking interdimensional (read: cross company) crossovers. And this is the first of such. Everyone should feel free to contribute both sightings and new threads, but the first thread of each should be used to maintain an index of the appearances and maintained by whoever has editing powers (I'm assuming the thread starter and/or moderators). I'm thinking of splitting the threads thusly (but feel free to suggest additional ones or amendments):
Easter egg cameos - just somewhere in the background, not explicitly acknowledged.
Proper cameos - not a full on crossover or heavily involved in the story, but not hidden unacknowledged in the background. Usually done with the permission of the copyright holder if the character is not public domain.
Guest appearance - full on participant in the story.
You seem strangely familiar - Major player in the story, but since use of given character would breach copyright, some cosmetic changes have been made to avoid this. As TV and films based on real life events might say "Only the names have been changed to protect the guilty." Sometimes such characters only make a single appearance; on other occasions they end up making many (c.f. Squadron Supreme); in the latter instance, the only issues to mention would be the first time the character appears.

Loki · 1/19/2020 3:13 am

Garfield and Spider-Man in the Legion of Super-Heroes.

For the landmark 300th issue of the original LoSH run, a two page spread was included depicting the team's roll-call of past and present members:

Interestingly, as well as putting a number of DC staffers in the background (Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen, Larry Mahlstedt, John Costanza, Carl Gafford, and Karen Berger), and Batman (top left), a DC hero not normally associated with the Legion, there are also a couple of unexpected visitors to the 30th century.

Am I the only one who hopes to one day see the unpublished story where Spidey and Garfield end up joining the Legion?

Last edited by Loki (1/19/2020 8:31 am)

Loki · 1/19/2020 3:27 am

Fred Basset meets Dazzler.

In Uncanny X-Men I#217, Dazzler wanders around the Scottish town of Ullapool, and briefly draws the interest of a dog being taken for a walk.

That dog is Fred Basset, star of a long running eponymous British newspaper strip.

Loki · 1/19/2020 3:38 am

Harry Potter, Gandalf and Tonto are members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Howling Commandos.

In Nick Fury's Howling Commandos I#6, S.H.I.E.L.D. scrambles all the assembled wizards and other magical beings it has gathered to fight the threat of Merlin's supernatural army. Among the agency's forces were some individuals whose identification caused some speculation on various online sites, such as the men at either end of this image:

and the silhouetted boy seen running along behind the bearded wizard previously seen above, right:

However, there's no need for speculation, since the artist has confirmed who he considers them to be - Tonto, Gandalf and Harry Potter!

Loki · 1/21/2020 3:26 pm

X-Men I#125 features a number of interesting cameos in the crowd scene at Lilandra's State Ball.
If you look in front of Picard, you'll see an alien with two snake-like heads. That's a Pierson's Puppeteer from Larry Niven's Known Space stories (and this is not the only time artist John Byrne has popped them into an alien crowd scene).

Directly above the Puppeteer is DC's Phantom Stranger. And over by the hand of the orange alien chatting to Lilandra you can see Popeye, who isn't one of John Byrne's additions; instead inker Terry Austin snuck him into the scene.

And while it's not a cameo, this seems a pertinent place to put this:

Loki · 1/22/2020 7:17 am

Harrier Comics' Redfox I#2 (1986) features a number of cameos in a sequence where the titular hero visits a tavern.
Playing cards in a corner is Cerebus the Aardvark.

Comments made by an unseen patron suggest said patron might well be Han Solo.

Grimjack and Conan are by the bar.
while a Dalek takes in the atmosphere of the establishment.

And when a brawl breaks out, Obelix (from Asterix) believes someone may have called him fat (one of his personal peeves), while another patron's cry for assistance suggests the presence of Dick Dastardly and Muttley.

Last edited by Loki (1/22/2020 7:18 am)

vanhornluke · 1/27/2020 3:45 pm

I'm not sure if this qualifies as an easter egg or a proper cameo, but in Dark Shadows #34, Barnabus Collins travels through a portal, and we see Agamotto and Silver Dagger as they were depicted in Dr. Strange's title. There's also a brief appearance of Clea. http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/2011/07/doctor-strange-dark-shadows-crossover.html I'm hoping a future handbook entry for any of those characters acknowledges this crossover, even if only obliquely.

Loki · 1/27/2020 4:19 pm

vanhornluke wrote:
I'm not sure if this qualifies as an easter egg or a proper cameo, but in Dark Shadows #34, Barnabus Collins travels through a portal, and we see Agamotto and Silver Dagger as they were depicted in Dr. Strange's title. There's also a brief appearance of Clea. http://martinohearn.blogspot.com/2011/07/doctor-strange-dark-shadows-crossover.html I'm hoping a future handbook entry for any of those characters acknowledges this crossover, even if only obliquely.

Since Agamotto's name is actually mentioned (albeit in terms of the Eye and Orb, not identifying the caterpillar present to be him), I think we can count this as a proper, if unauthorized, cameo. In terms of mentions in any future entries, I doubt it would turn up in Clea's, though simply because she has too much history to cover and her appearance here is so brief that for her it's too minor an incident to make the cut; since Agamotto has less history to cover, it might conceivably get mentioned in passing, depending on how much space the entry had to play with. We're certainly aware of the encounter - see Agamotto's Appendix entry.

Andy E. Nystrom · 1/28/2020 5:11 pm

Peter Parker can briefly be seen in Crisis Infinite Earths #5, when Earth-1 Lois meets Earth-2 Superman.

Loki · 1/29/2020 3:00 am

Andy E. Nystrom wrote:
Peter Parker can briefly be seen in Crisis Infinite Earths #5, when Earth-1 Lois meets Earth-2 Superman.

Yep.

Loki · 1/29/2020 3:07 am

Meanwhile, in DC's Tales of the Unexpected#6, Clark Kent shares a subway train with Peter Parker, Logan and Matt Murdock.

Loki · 1/29/2020 3:09 am

And there's DC's Peter again in Batman #609.

Loki · 1/29/2020 3:10 am

And Peter with Phil Urich in Stormwatch #1.

Loki · 1/29/2020 3:20 am

In Superman: The Animated Series, the originally aired version of Apokolips Now Part 2 included Marvel characters at Dan Turpin's funeral, paying tribute to the recently deceased Jack Kirby. Subsequent airings and the DVDs had the scene edited to remove them, but the original can still be found on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL8fzJRe7jU
I recognise Reed and Sue Richards, Johnny Storm and Nick Fury, and the bowler hatted man next to Johnny may be Dum Dum Dugan. I'm sure there are others.

Lonewolf36 · 1/29/2020 3:54 pm

DCs Starman makes a cameo in Quasar #14 (1990) as one of the Stranger's prisoners.

Death of the New Gods #2 (2007) Kid Kosmos is seen on a screen as one of the missing New Gods.

Loki · 1/30/2020 5:03 pm

I've mentioned a few official/authorized cameos for RPG-related comics Nodwick and Order of the Stick over in the official cameos thread. However, it's worth mentioning here that there were also a few unofficial cameos too.

For Order of the Stick, there are a few familiar faces in one strip:

but even more impressive, in Nodwick #31 we have:

There's a couple I don't recognize, but of those I do, we have:
top row, second from right is Harry Potter
top row right is Queen Bavmorda from Willow
second row left if the Kurgan from Highlander
second row, second from left is Frodo Baggins from LotR
second row, second from right is Xena, Warrior Princess
second row right is the French mocking knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail
third row, left, is Roy from Order of the Stick
third row, second from left is the Sorceress from He-Man
third row, second from right is Medieval Spawn
third row right is Cerebus the Aardvark
bottom row left is Glinda the Good Witch of Oz
bottom row, second left is Merlin from the movie Excalibur
bottom row, second right is Dirk Daring from the arcade game Dragon's Lair.

Andy E. Nystrom · 1/30/2020 6:49 pm

Going through Millennium Index #1-2:
Borderline Easter egg: David Bowie and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear on movie posters in Infinity, Inc. #46.
Secret Origins #43 apparently contains an off-panel nod to Adam West and Burt Ward in the Batman TV series.
Booster Gold #25 has Jane Fonda on a videotape

Andy E. Nystrom · 2/03/2020 1:48 pm

Going through The Official Teen Titans Index series:
New Teen Titans #33 ET appears on a movie screen
Tales of the Teen Titans #48 Mr. Popnecker (based on Herbie) is mentioned but not seen.

Loki · 2/08/2020 4:19 am

In the second issue of the British weekly Tornado, would-be superhero Captain Klep is advised he needs to register by some familiar looking individuals...

Starting from the left, that's Klep standing next to Captain America, Plastic Man and Spider-Man; next panel we've got Flash, Green Lantern and Spider-Man; final panel we have (I think) MLJ's Black Hood

(an interesting choice since usually these kind of cameos restrict themselves to Marvel and DC types), what looks like Batman again (a bit weird given his presence in the second panel, but logic isn't a big part of this humour strip), and maybe Matt Murdock emerging (given the dark glasses and cane).

At the Department of Heroes and Social Security Klep has to undergo an evaluation, and we meet a few more heroes:

Namor in the pool, Superman flying blindfold, Plastic Man (again) flat on the ground, not sure who (if anyone specific) is crashing into the ground, and I can't place the guy going through the wall, but I'm sure he's someone I should recognise.

Finally he gets assigned a secret identity, and we see:

the Hulk bottom right, Clark Kent (?) exiting, and the Shadow, Thor and Black Hood in the queue ahead of Klep.

Loki · 2/08/2020 4:25 am

In 2000 A.D. #24, a human breaks into Tharg's Command Centre, and is captured by Robot Archie, late of Lion Comic (hence the kid's comment). This marks Archie's earliest appearance in 2000 A.D. afaik, and the first crossover between 2000 A.D. characters and other IPC/Fleetway individuals (barring Dan Dare, who had a strip but not yet crossed over iirc). Archie is identified, so his is a proper cameo, and I'd put this mention in that thread if it wasn't for the kid then mentioning which comics he normally reads:

He reads "Wonder Comics" starring characters such as "the incredible Bulk" (seriously, only one letter changed, green and the same descriptor - sailing close to the wind on that one!), and clear analogues of Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor and Iron Man.

Edit: Oh yeah, and on the final page of the story, the kid responds to something Tharg has stated with " 'Nuff said." I doubt we could get clearer proof of what company Wonder Comics is really meant to be.

Last edited by Loki (2/08/2020 5:18 am)

Loki · 2/08/2020 5:11 am

2000 A.D. Prog 80, and Dan Dare visits a hall of spaceships that look strangely familiar:

Top left, the Enterprise from Star Trek; below it is a Biog living spaceship from an earlier installment of the Dan Dare strip:

Above the Biog ship, and hidden behind the Enterprise's launch bay is a tiny ship

which appears to be a Martian shapeship from the 1953 War of the Worlds (the only time they flew rather than using Tripods):

Below the Biog ship is Dare's own ship, the Anastasia, and below that (stretching across the width of the panel) is an Eagle Transporter from Space 1999

and below the Eagle /bottom left there's what I think is the TARDIS

and an X-Wing from Star Wars.
Moving to bottom right we've got the robot Maria from Metropolis (and yes, obviously she's not a spaceship, breaking the pattern somewhat)

In front of her face is Thunderbird 3 from Thunderbirds:

Next to her outstretched hand appears to be Fireball XL5

Nestled top middle between the Enterprise and Fireball, we have the Wings Over The World airship from the 1936 movie Things to Come:

Finally there are some tiny ships I've not been able to identify yet - maybe they are generic, but given none of the others were, I suspect not:

Later the same issue we see what seems to be the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon:

and the final panel has our heroes take refuge in Darth Vader's Tie-Fighter:
Both of these last two make return appearances in the next issue.

There's also this ship:

and that distinctive V shaped patterning rings a bell, but I can't place it.

Loki · 2/08/2020 7:18 am

A couple of amusing ones from Dork Tower:

Last edited by Loki (2/09/2020 9:00 am)

Loki · 12/28/2022 4:57 am

A new one from the latest issue of 2000 AD, Prog 2312. In a tribute story remembering writer Alan Grant, Judge Dredd goes to arrest "hardcore troublemaker Alvin Gaunt" who has drawn Dredd's ire because of his spreading subversive messages via comics. Gaunt is visually identical to Grant, and has illustrations of various characters Grant created adorning the walls of his home, plus copies of comics Grant wrote. That provides the first of the cameo appearances, as Dredd picks up copies of some familiar looking titles:

The first of these gets a touch meta when you remember that Dredd has met Lobo, and now he's holding a comic the character appears in.

But that's not the real meat of this story's cameos. Gaunt makes a run for it, and Dredd pursues, but it turns out Gaunt has a familiar looking friend willing to step in and help him escape: