I Think Marvel and DC Comics Already Told Us the Plans For Their Next Big Crossover Event

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It may be months away, but the secret to Marvel and DC Comics’ upcoming crossover has already been revealed. It’s been decades since the Big Two clashed in an official crossover, but the two titans are about to collide and everyone is wondering how.

DC and Marvel Comics have a history of interacting with one another all the way back to the ’70s when Superman first encountered Spider-Man. For decades, fans got numerous team-ups up until the early 2000s when they stopped with JLA/Avengers. However, the Marvel and DC Universes are set to cross over once more, and a surprising character may have already told us how.

Doctor Manhattan Confirmed the Secret Crisis Years Ago

DC and Marvel are Already Setting Up Their Biggest Event Yet

Fans got a lot of exciting announcements at this year’s ComicsPRO, and in addition to sneak peeks at upcoming storylines and new series, Marvel and DC Comics’ respective Editors-in-Chief, C.B. Cebulski and Marie Javins, whipped fans into a frenzy by discussing an upcoming crossover between the two publishers. Details were kept to a minimum, but it was revealed that fans would see two one-shots later this year, one published by DC Comics, the other by Marvel Comics. Despite the details, fans were ecstatic at the news.

Speculation has run rampant since the announcement, with everyone wondering what the two one-shots would feature. So far, there are no rumors of who will be involved. No creative teams, no characters, there’s not even a timeline to give fans an idea of when this crossover will actually happen. But it hasn’t stopped fans from theorizing how the crossover will go. Some readers have even gone back to previous publications to see if there are any Easter eggs they may have missed that could potentially hint at what Marvel and DC’s future holds.

Interestingly enough, one moment that’s received a lot of attention comes from Doomsday Clock #12 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. After confronting Superman, Doctor Manhattan alters the timeline once more, placing history back as it was and observing the fallout. Manhattan peers into the shifting history of the DC Universe and notes how it always revolves around Superman. Manhattan eventually sees a great event set for July 10th, 2030 known as the “Secret Crisis”. Manhattan sees the Man of Steel in a battle against Thor and sees “a green behemoth stronger than even Doomsday” die protecting Superman.

Unpacking the History of Marvel and DC’s Shared Crossovers

DC and Marvel’s Heroes Have Met and Fought Quite a Bit

While Doctor Manhattan’s visions might sound like a revelation, Superman and the rest of the DC Universe have encountered Marvel’s heroes several times in the past. As mentioned earlier, Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man was the very first time a Marvel and DC character interacted with one another. But that was a non-canonical story that operated off the idea that both Peter Parker and Clark Kent lived in the same world and just never met nor heard of one another. This wasn’t exactly uncommon for crossovers as it allowed the story to get right into the action.

But fans actually got a more authentic, universe-colliding crossover with DC vs. Marvel/Marvel vs. DC. This series had both universes represented by cosmic entities known as the Brothers, who finally became aware of one another and proceeded to fight, sending selected champions to fight one another (with the winners determined by fan votes, no less!). This particular crossover was well-loved, not only for its creative battles, but for creating the Amalgam Universe, a merged world that temporarily combined figures from Marvel and DC’s universes to create new characters.

But the peek of Marvel and DC’s crossovers was JLA/Avengers, a similar grand story that pitted the two iconic teams against one another in a cosmic game masterminded by Krona and Grandmaster. The story was less of a wish fulfillment to see characters fight and more of a true collaborative effort that celebrated the best aspects of both universes. Unfortunately, it was the last time the two publishers officially crossed over with one another. Both Marvel and DC did do crossovers with other franchises and properties, but fans who wanted to see more like JLA/Avengers were out of luck.

Could Marvel and DC Comics Actually Be Building To “Secret Crisis”?

With Five Years to Go and Two One-Shots on the Horizon, It’s not Impossible

Doomsday Clock #12 came out in early 2020 and at the time, it sounded like wishful thinking. Not to mention, this issue was written by Geoff Johns, who is no longer with DC Comics and is currently running his own line, Ghost Machine, with Image Comics. Plus, the issue makes a few other predictions, and there’s no real indication that any of them are happening (namely a crisis-level event known as “Time Masters” set for this July). But there are five years left until 2030, and that’s a lot of time to plan a big DC/Marvel event.

So is “Secret Crisis” happening or not? If one had asked this before ComicsPro, the answer most people would probably give was ‘No’. Marvel and DC Comics haven’t collaborated on a story in over 20 years and the longer time went on, the less likely a new crossover seemed. But the fact that Javins and Cebulski openly confirmed that two books are in the works really changes the game. Granted, these one-shots could just be that, one-off stories with no greater plan. But it could also be the first steps towards building the greatest event in either company’s history.

A name like “Secret Crisis” carries a lot of weight and would be a big deal for both Marvel and DC. Two one-shots might not seem like a lot right now, but they could certainly plant the seeds of a bigger story down the line. If “Secret Crisis” is going to be a reality, it’s better that Marvel and DC take their time and not rush this. With five years to go until Doomsday Clock’s prophesied date, it’s not crazy to think that DC and Marvel are using these one-shots to get fans hyped for an honest-to-goodness “Secret Crisis”.

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