History Main / CrossThrough

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneration original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''WesternAnimation/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'').

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneration original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WesternAnimation/WingCommanderAcademy'').

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneration original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WesternAnimation/WingCommander Academy'').

** ''Millenium Falcon'' is one of these, following the ''Falcon'''s history through the Clone Wars up to Han's ownership of it. And it works well.

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneration original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''Series/WingCommander Academy'').

* CartoonNetwork ran an event called "Cartoon Network Invaded", which involved cheese-craving aliens from the moon that turn into werewolves. No, seriously! The shows involved were ''FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends, EdEddNEddy, MyGymPartnersAMonkey, CampLazlo'' and ''TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', with a few cameos from uninvolved Cartoon Network shows thrown in for good measure. The crossover ended with the aliens concluding that the earthlings were smarter than they thought and proceed to suck out the intellegence of their five abducted characters. Unfortunately for them, they turn out to be [[RalphWiggum five of the dumbest characters from each of the shows]] (Cheese, Ed, Slips Python, Skip the dung beetle, and Fred Fredburger). All five of these shows have alternate endings that server their connections to the crossover event. For example, instead of the brain-sucking scene described above, the Billy and Mandy episode ended with a CrossoverPunchline with ''CodenameKidsNextDoor''.

* DisneyChannel did one of this in regards to their {{SitCom}}s the main characters of ''CoryInTheHouse'', ''TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody'', and ''HannahMontana'' saw a wishing star on the sky and made a wish (which came true and the episodes is a BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor plot).

** ''Millenium Falcon'' is one of these, following the ''Falcon'''s history through the Clone Wars up to Hal's ownership of it. And it works well.

** ''MilleniumFalcon'' is one of these. And it works well.
* [[NickFury SHIELD Agent]] [[CanonForeigner Phil Coulson]] seems to be working his way through the MarvelCinematicUniverse one film at a time as the HeroOfAnotherStory.

* GrantMorrison's ''SevenSoldiers'' was this; with seven heroes all individually fighting the same threat.

** A run of several comic strips in ''DoctorWhoMagazine'' featured the companions of various Doctors being kidnapped by the Threshold, who became the BigBad of the strip for a while. This led to a CrisisCrossover of sorts which symbolically ended that cycle of the ''DoctorWhoMagazine'' comics.
** In a particularly odd example, the Eighth Doctor's {{Big Finish|Doctor Who}} audio companion Charley has since become the ''Sixth'' Doctor's companion, making her character arc a CrossThrough. BigFinish has also done this with a new villain race called the Viryans, who have not appeared in any other media.
** The ''DoctorWho'' main universe gets in a much shorter variant with TheTeaser for "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E12ThePandoricaOpens The Pandorica Opens]]", where a VincentVanGogh painting depicting a most disturbing prophecy is ferried down the timeline through France, 1890 ("[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E10VincentAndTheDoctor Vincent and the Doctor]]"), the WorldWarII Cabinet Rooms, 1941 ("[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E03VictoryOfTheDaleks Victory of the Daleks]]") and the immortal [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E02TheBeastBelow Liz Ten]]'s art gallery, 5145, before being delivered to the Doctor in 102 AD (the setting of the episode proper) via time travel.

The trope's name was coined by comic writer [[http://farawaypress.com/Home/tabid/58/Entry%20ID/132/Default.aspx John Jackson Miller]] for ''StarWars: Vector'', which is an example of this.

* ''DisneyAdventures'' once serialized a five-issue story called "TheLegendOfTheChaosGod" (no relation to ''{{Warhammer 40000}}''), involving an ArtifactOfDoom containing a SealedEvilInACan; the comics cycled through more or less the entire Disney Afternoon lineup, starting in ''TaleSpin'' and continuing decades down the timeline in ''ChipAndDaleRescueRangers'', ''GoofTroop'' ''DuckTales'', and finally ''DarkwingDuck'' (which, despite all being in the modern day, never crossed each other), [[spoiler: where the unsealed evil [[HoistByHisOwnPetard is blasted by his own magic bolts reflected off a satellite dish]] and is safely re-sealed; as it turns out, the legendary hero who sealed the self-proclaimed "Chaos God" away in the first place fought him with a mirrored shield]].

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneration original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WingCommander Academy'').

Examples:

* One of the latest ''StarTrek'' games, ''StarTrek: Legacy'' does this.
** There were several series of ''StarTrek'' books that did the same thing, with the crews of the [[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries original series]], [[StarTrekTheNextGeneration TNG]], [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]] and [[StarTrekVoyager Voyager]] all facing the same villains.
*** ''Invasion'' was the first, with the Furies making their first strike in 2267 (TOS), returning in 2369 (TNG), the enemy that originally drove them out of the Alpha Quadrant returning in 2371 ([=DS9=]), and their final defeat occuring in the Delta Quadrant the same year (Voyager).

*** ''The Captain's Table'', a bar from another dimension that [[GoodGuyBar only admits captains]]. Originally six novels, with Kirk and Sulu, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, [[StarTrekNewFrontier Calhoun]], and Pike; a later book, ''Tales from the Captain's Table'', turned this to short story format with more captains (including Riker of the Titan, Picard in his ''Stargazer'' days, Chakotay of the ''Voyager'' post-ending, Klag of the ''Gorkon'' (a decade after the exchange program with Riker), Colonel Kira of ''DS9'' (whose Bajoran military rank is a ''Captain'' equivalent), Captain Archer, Demora Sulu 40 years after Generations, Captain David Gold of the ''Starfleet Corps of Engineers'' e-Book series, and Shelby a decade after "Best of Both Worlds" (and from the ''New Frontier'' timeline)).
*** ''Double Helix'', in which the "villain" was a virulent disease, featured a mix 'n' match approach, with characters not necessarily appearing in the time period most associated with them: 2364 (''Next Gen'' Season 1); 2366 (''Next Gen'' Season 3/''[=DS9=]'' during the Occupation); 2369 (very old Spock and [=McCoy=]); 2371 (the Maquis: Tom Riker prior to ''[=DS9=]'' Season 3/future ''Voyager'' characters); 2375 (Movie-era ''Next Gen''/''[[StarTrekNewFrontier New Frontier]]''); and 2350 ({{Prequel}}: ''Stargazer'' [Picard's first command]/Ensign Tuvok).

** In a particularly odd example, the Eighth Doctor's BigFinish audio companion Charley has since become the ''Sixth'' Doctor's companion, making her character arc a CrossThrough. BigFinish has also done this with a new villain race called the Viryans, who have not appeared in any other media.

* ''StarWars: Vector'' is a Cross Through whose plot starts in ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' (the year 3,963 [[YearZero Before the Battle of Yavin]] [[ANewHope [the original film]]]), then cycles through ''Dark Times'' (19-18 BBY), ''Rebellion'' (1-2 ABY), and ends in ''Legacy'' (137 ABY).

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an [[OriginalGeneartion original character]], the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King makes only a cameo as a shadow at the end, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WingCommander Academy'').

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an original character, the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe in search of a powerful MacGuffin. The specific episodes he appears in are, in chronological order, "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game), "Resurrection" (''MortalKombatDefendersOfTheRealm'', focusing solely on the [=MacGuffin=]; the Warrior King only makes a cameo as a shadow, leaving many ''MortalKombat'' fans unaware of the crossthrough baffled) and "Recreation" (''WingCommander Academy'').

* IDW's comic book event ''Infestation'', in which an attempt by IDW's own ''Covert Vampiric Operations'' to contain an interdimensional breach of {{hive mind}}ed zombies from the ''Zombies vs. Robots'' universe goes awry, allowing the zombies to infest IDW's ''TransformersGeneration1'' universe, the StarTrekExpandedUniverse, ''GIJoe'' and ''{{Ghostbusters}}'', attempting to bolster their strength by assimilating the four worlds' technologies. Also qualifies as a CrisisCrossover for ''some'' of the series involved, with the ''Transformers'' segment leading right into the "Heart of Darkness" miniseries, itself a lead-up to the "Chaos" StoryArc, and ''CVO'' seeing a major StatusQuo change at the end.

** BBC Books PastDoctorAdventures had a StoryArc in which the companions of various Doctors were seemingly killed in TimeyWimeyBall situations. This tied into the "Sabbath" arc in the Eighth Doctor Adventures. One of these [=PDAs=], ''Wolfsbane'', also featured the Eighth Doctor during the [=EDAs=]' "amnesia" arc.

* IDW's comic book event ''Infestation'', in which an attempt by IDW's own ''Covert Vampiric Operations'' to contain an interdimensional breach of {{hive mind}}ed zombies from the ''Zombies vs. Robots'' universe goes awry, allowing the zombies to infest IDW's ''TransformersGeneration1'' universe, the StarTrekExpandedUniverse, ''GIJoe'' and ''{{Ghostbusters}}'', attempting to bolster their strength by assimilating the four worlds' technologies. Also qualifies as a CrisisCrossover as the ''Transformers'' portion sees the return of Galvatron to IDW G1, which will be continued in the "Heart of Darkness" miniseries.

** BBC Books Past Doctor Adventures had a StoryArc in which the companions of various Doctors were seemingly killed in TimeyWimeyBall situations. This tied into the "Sabbath" arc in the Eighth Doctor Adventures. One of these [=PDAs=], ''Wolfsbane'', also featured the Eighth Doctor during the [=EDAs=]' "amnesia" arc.

* When the USANetwork was carrying Saturday morning cartoons, they had one day devoted to a storyline centered around an original character, the Warrior King, wandering around each show's universe. The specific episodes he appears in are "Resurrection" (''MortalKombat: Defenders of the Realm''), "Recreation" (''WingCommander Academy''), "The Warrior King" (''Series/StreetFighter''), and "Endgame" (''TheSavageDragon'', the only series out of the four to be based on a comic book series rather than a video game.).

* IDW's comic book miniseries Infestation, in which zombies cross through [[StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Star Trek]], {{Transformers}}, {{Ghostbusters}}, and GIJoe.

** ''Blood Harvest'', a [[VirginNewAdventures New Adventures]] novel where the Seventh Doctor fights vampires in 1930s Chicago and on Gallifrey, led into the very first Missing Adventure, ''Goth Opera'' by PaulCornell, which had the Fifth Doctor fighting vampires in 1990s Manchester, as a fairly obvious ploy to get new readers interested in the Missing Adventures books. (A short comic in a ''Doctor Who Annual'' by PaulCornell also led into ''Goth Opera''.)

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* ''TheFallOfTheMutants'' storyline in the X-Men comics in the mid-80's. The three titles involved don't directly cross into each other (The NewMutants were the only ones who even knew what the other two teams were up to). Instead, the books are a crossover in the thematic sense of loss and rebuilding: the {{X-Men}}'s deaths and resurrection, Angel from {{X-Factor}} becoming Archangel, the New Mutants losing one of their own and becoming full superheroes, and the subsequent formation of {{Excalibur}}.

* A two-part episode of''JusticeLeague'' had Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern chasing a MadScientist through time and joining forces first with the Heroes of the Old West, and later with [[BatmanBeyond Future Batman]], [[StaticShock Old Static]], and Warhawk (the son of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl).

** ''Blood Harvest'', a New Adventures novel where the Seventh Doctor fights vampires in 1930s Chicago and on Gallifrey, led into the very first Missing Adventure, ''Goth Opera'' by PaulCornell, which had the Fifth Doctor fighting vampires in 1990s Manchester, as a fairly obvious ploy to get new readers interested in the Missing Adventures books. (A short comic in a ''Doctor Who Annual'' by PaulCornell also led into ''Goth Opera''.)

** ''Blood Harvest'', a New Adventures novel where the Seventh Doctor fights vampires in 1930s Chicago and on Gallifrey, led into the very first Missing Adventure, ''Goth Opera'' by Paul Cornell, which had the Fifth Doctor fighting vampires in 1990s Manchester, as a fairly obvious ploy to get new readers interested in the Missing Adventures books. (A short comic in a ''Doctor Who Annual'' by Paul Cornell also led into ''Goth Opera''.)