Worlds Collide (comics)

Summary

"Worlds Collide" is an intercompany crossover event presented in July 1994 in the Milestone Comics titles and the Superman-related titles published by DC Comics. A one-shot comic title of the same name was written by Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez Jr. and Robert Washington.

"Worlds Collide"
Worlds Collide #1 (July 1994) art by Mark D. Bright.
PublisherDC Comics;
Publication dateJuly – August 1994
Genre
Title(s)
Blood Syndicate #16–17
Hardware #17–18
Icon #15–16
Static #14
Steel #6–7
Superboy vol. 3, #6–7
Superman: The Man of Steel #35–36
Worlds Collide #1
Main character(s)(DC Comics):
Superman
Superboy (Kon-El)
Steel (John Henry Irons)
(Milestone Comics):
Icon
Rocket
Static
Hardware
Blood Syndicate
Creative team
Writer(s)Dwayne McDuffie
Ivan Velez Jr.
Robert Washington
Penciller(s)John Paul Leon
Chris Batista
Tom Grummett
Mark D. Bright
Denys Cowan
Chrisscross
Inker(s)Rober Quijano
Bobby Rae
Art Nichols
Romeo Tanghal
Prentice Rollins
Colorist(s)Noelle Giddings
Andrew Burrell
Micheline Hess
Jason Scott Jones

Publication history edit

In the summer of 1994, DC Comics and Milestone Media published an intercompany crossover called Worlds Collide. It featured a meeting between Metropolis-based superheroes from the DC Universe and Dakota-based superheroes from the Dakotaverse. Unlike many intercompany crossovers, it was intended to be part of the regular continuity and took place in the monthly issues of the involved series.

The situation was somewhat complicated by the fact that in the Dakotaverse, DC superheroes such as Superman were known as fictional characters from comic books. Although the crossover initially had no lasting consequences in DC continuity (DC's Zero Hour event cancelled out everything before), it was remembered by Milestone's superheroes.

Plot edit

A postal worker named Fred Bentson unwittingly becomes a portal between two worlds and two cities. A living link between Dakota, home city of the Milestone heroes, and Metropolis, home of Superman. Eventually Bentson loses control of his powers and transforms into Rift, a cosmic being capable of manipulating and reconfiguring matter on a subatomic scale. The heroes of the two universes come together to stop him and seal the dangerous crack in reality between their worlds.

Revised continuity edit

In 2008, the continuity of the Milestone characters was modified. Dakota City and the Dakotaverse characters were placed within the mainstream DC universe. Static encounters the Terror Titans, which leads to his eventual membership with their heroic counterparts, the Teen Titans. The Shadow Cabinet—along with Hardware, Icon and Rocket—clashes with the Justice League of America. It is revealed that Icon and Superman are acquainted and have tremendous respect for each other. Additionally, it becomes apparent that the Cooperative (from which Icon hails) is known to the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, but is exempt from their jurisdiction.

Eventually, the being known as Dharma explains the origin of the revised continuity to Icon and Superman. Following the death of Darkseid (as chronicled in Final Crisis), the space-time continuum was torn asunder, threatening the existence of both the Dakotaverse and the mainstream DC universe. Dharma was able to use energies that he harnessed from Rift (upon that being's defeat) to merge the two universes, creating an entirely new continuity. Only Dharma, Icon and Superman are aware that Dakota and its inhabitants ever existed in a parallel universe.[1]

Bibliography edit

  • Part 1Superman: The Man of Steel #35
  • Part 2Hardware #17
  • Part 3Superboy #6
  • Part 4Icon #15
  • Part 5Steel #6
  • Part 6Blood Syndicate #16
  • Part 7Worlds Collide #1
  • Part 8Superboy #7
  • Part 9Hardware #18
  • Part 10Superman: The Man of Steel #36
  • Part 11Icon #16
  • Part 12Steel #7
  • Part 13Blood Syndicate #17
  • Part 14Static #14

References edit

  1. ^ Justice League of America (vol. 2) #34 (August 2009)

External links edit

  • Milestone Title Index