Who Started the First Superhero Crossover: Timely or DC?

Ronny · **Joined:** Apr 16, 2009 1:51 AM **Posts:** 59

First of all, I'm primarily a Silver Age Marvel zombie. My knowledge of Golden Age key events is somewhat limited. Please enlighten us: Did Timely do the first superhero crossover (example: Original Human Torch meeting & battling Namor, the Submariner), or did DC do it first (example: Batman & Robin meeting Superman)?

Please state specific titles & issues that the FIRST superhero crossover took place to support your claims.

BTW, what issue of MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS (if it is MMC) did the Original Human Torch meet & fight Namor, the Submariner?

oxbladder · **Joined:** Apr 25, 2007 2:21 AM **Posts:** 1480

If I am not mistaken it was Marvel Mystery #9. Great book and I wish I still owned it.

Golden Age Kid · **Joined:** Oct 21, 2008 9:47 PM **Posts:** 188

It;s actually #8 but the story was concluded in #9. I highly doubt any DC superhero were meeting eachother that early.

Mr. Zipper · **Joined:** Apr 25, 2007 2:21 AM **Posts:** 6017

Golden Age Kid wrote:

It;s actually #8 but the story was concluded in #9. I highly doubt any DC superhero were meeting eachother that early.

I think you are correct. While Supes and Batman "met" on the cover to World's Finest from the very beginning, they never actually appeared in a story together until much later. Can't recall the issue off the top of my head...

Ronny · **Joined:** Apr 16, 2009 1:51 AM **Posts:** 59

Golden Age Kid wrote:

It;s actually #8 but the story was concluded in #9. I highly doubt any DC superhero were meeting eachother that early.

I just read on Overstreet that this encounter between Torch & Namor ended in issue #10, making this historic encounter a 3 part story.

Just spoke to Dave from Dave's All-American Comics & Terry's Comics & he told me that MARVE MYSTERY COMICS #9 is one of those rare books.

Jeffrey Shanks · **Joined:** Nov 02, 2007 12:12 PM **Posts:** 1585

The first Batman-Superman teamup was actually pretty late - Superman 76 in 1952. They did appear in the same story earlier in an issue of All-Star Comics. I would guess that the first DC crossover was probably All-Star 3 in Winter 1940.

The Torch-Subby crossover in MMC 8-10 was summer 1940.

Fenris · **Joined:** Feb 26, 2009 1:05 PM **Posts:** 37

Shameless post. :cheers:

John Paul · **Posted:** Sep 18, 2009 10:17 PM

Actually MLJ (Archie) preceded both Timely and DC! While not nearly as lengthy as the Marvel Comics crossover, in the May 1940 issues of Pep(#4) and Top Notch(#5), The Shield and The Wizard had cameos in each other's books.

John Paul · **Posted:** Sep 18, 2009 10:37 PM

Also, the house ad in the April issues featuring the common threat they all face makes it pretty clear that The Shield, The Wizard, The Midshipman and The West Pointer all exist in one cohesive universe

Publications

Informative

Historical

Who Started the First Superhero Crossover: Timely or DC?

Who is online