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** ''The New Teen Titans'' Annual #2 introduces us to ComicBook/{{Vigilante}}, who got his own comic book the following month.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue ''Teen Titans'' filler arc that saw the Titans team up with ComicBook/HawkAndDove to battle Kestrel. According to Liefeld, the arc was testing the waters for a ''Titans East'' spin-off series that never got made.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue ''Teen Titans'' filler arc that saw the Titans team up with ComicBook/HawkAndDove to battle Kestrel. According to Liefeld, the arc was testing the waters for a ''Titans East'' spin-off series that never got made.
to:
** ''The New Teen Titans'' ''ComicBook/NewTeenTitans'' Annual #2 introduces us to ComicBook/{{Vigilante}}, who got his own comic book the following month.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue''Teen Titans'' ''ComicBook/TeenTitans2003'' filler arc that saw the Titans team up with ComicBook/HawkAndDove to battle Kestrel. According to Liefeld, the arc was testing the waters for a ''Titans East'' spin-off series that never got made.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue
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* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' during the "ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance" crossover in Marvel Comics showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #536 and #537 were used to set the stage for Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''Thor'' relaunch. The plot had the FF trying to prevent [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] from claiming the deceased Thor's hammer, which was revealed to have landed near Broxton, Oklahoma after the events of [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]].
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #536 and #537 were used to set the stage for Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''Thor'' relaunch. The plot had the FF trying to prevent [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] from claiming the deceased Thor's hammer, which was revealed to have landed near Broxton, Oklahoma after the events of [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]].
to:
* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'':
** ''ComicBook/Thor1966'' #411, set during the "ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance"crossover in Marvel Comics crossover, showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' ** ''ComicBook/FantasticFour1998'' #536 and #537 were used to set the stage for Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''Thor'' relaunch. The plot had the FF trying to prevent [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] from claiming the deceased Thor's hammer, which was revealed to have landed near Broxton, Oklahoma after the events of [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]].
** ''ComicBook/Thor1966'' #411, set during the "ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance"
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* The back half of ''ComicBook/TheChildrensCrusadeVertigo'' gives prominence to Timothy Hunter to serve as a reintroduction to the character prior to John Ney Reiber's run on ''ComicBook/TheBooksOfMagic''.
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** Creator/DCComics occasionally tried out the ''idea'' of a character before going forward with "the real thing." DC's first DistaffCounterpart characters to Superman ([[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] temporarily getting powers and operating as "Superwoman" and ComicBook/{{Superboy}} [[GenderBender turning into a girl]] and operating as "Claire Kent, Super-Sister") were probably not tryouts so much as one-shot story ideas. But 1958's ''ComicBook/Superman1939'' #123: "The Girl of Steel" was clearly a dry run for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}. In that story, [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] uses a magic totem to wish for a "Super-Girl" who would be a companion and helpmate for Superman. It doesn't work out all that well, and Jimmy ends up wishing the girl out of existence at her own request. Reaction was positive enough that DC introduced Kara Zor-El, the real Supergirl, shortly after in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959''.
** The last arc of ''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' was a storyline where Linda Danvers met the original '59 Supergirl. This storyline ended exactly one year before DC decided to reintroduce a new version of Kara Zor-El.
** ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Nick Spencer's AbortedArc would've seen Kara teaming up with Characters/{{Robin|DamianWayne}} (Damian Wayne), ComicBook/{{Static}}, Characters/{{Batgirl}} (Stephanie Brown), ComicBook/BlueBeetle (Jaime Reyes), Miss Martian and Impulse (Irey West). According to Spencer, the plan was to use the storyline as a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' relaunch starring those characters, but he ended up being replaced on the book before his first issue was released.
** The last arc of ''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' was a storyline where Linda Danvers met the original '59 Supergirl. This storyline ended exactly one year before DC decided to reintroduce a new version of Kara Zor-El.
** ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Nick Spencer's AbortedArc would've seen Kara teaming up with Characters/{{Robin|DamianWayne}} (Damian Wayne), ComicBook/{{Static}}, Characters/{{Batgirl}} (Stephanie Brown), ComicBook/BlueBeetle (Jaime Reyes), Miss Martian and Impulse (Irey West). According to Spencer, the plan was to use the storyline as a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' relaunch starring those characters, but he ended up being replaced on the book before his first issue was released.
to:
** Creator/DCComics occasionally tried out the ''idea'' of a character before going forward with "the real thing." DC's first DistaffCounterpart characters to Superman ([[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] temporarily getting powers and operating as "Superwoman" and ComicBook/{{Superboy}} [[GenderBender turning into a girl]] and operating as "Claire Kent, Super-Sister") were probably not tryouts so much as one-shot story ideas. But 1958's ''ComicBook/Superman1939'' ''ComicBook/{{Superman|1939}}'' #123: "The Girl of Steel" was clearly a dry run for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}. In that story, [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] uses a magic totem to wish for a "Super-Girl" who would be a companion and helpmate for Superman. It doesn't work out all that well, and Jimmy ends up wishing the girl out of existence at her own request. Reaction was positive enough that DC introduced Kara Zor-El, the real Supergirl, shortly after in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959''.
''ComicBook/{{The Supergirl from Krypton|1959}}''.
** The last arc of''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' the 1996 ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl|1996}}'' series was a storyline where Linda Danvers met the original '59 Supergirl. This storyline ended exactly one year before DC decided to reintroduce a new version of Kara Zor-El.
**''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl|2005}}'' (2005): Nick Spencer's AbortedArc would've seen Kara teaming up with Characters/{{Robin|DamianWayne}} (Damian Wayne), ComicBook/{{Static}}, Characters/{{Batgirl}} (Stephanie Brown), ComicBook/BlueBeetle (Jaime Reyes), Miss Martian and Impulse (Irey West). According to Spencer, the plan was to use the storyline as a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' relaunch starring those characters, but he ended up being replaced on the book before his first issue was released.
** The last arc of
**
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** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #86 was meant to set up the short-lived ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'' solo series that appeared in ''Amazing Adventures''.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #92 featured a guest appearance from [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] of the X-Men. The story was apparently testing the waters for an Iceman/Doctor Strange split-book that had been planned, but the series never materialized.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #92 featured a guest appearance from [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] of the X-Men. The story was apparently testing the waters for an Iceman/Doctor Strange split-book that had been planned, but the series never materialized.
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** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' ''ComicBook/{{The Amazing Spider|Man1963}}-Man'' (1963): Issue #86 was meant to set up the short-lived ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'' solo series that appeared in ''Amazing Adventures''.
**''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' (1963): Issue #92 featured a guest appearance from [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] of the X-Men. The story was apparently testing the waters for an Iceman/Doctor Strange split-book that had been planned, but the series never materialized.
**
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* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' has several arcs that serve as preludes for new series.
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* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' ''ComicBook/{{JLA|1997}}'' has several arcs that serve as preludes for new series.
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** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's ''ComicBook/Aquaman2003'' relaunch.
to:
** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's ''ComicBook/Aquaman2003'' ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman|2003}}'' relaunch.
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* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TitansRebirth Titans]]'' book that launched not long after (although this technically doesn't count since the ''Titans'' book was preceded by the maxi-series ''ComicBook/TitansHunt2015''.)
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* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' ComicBook/New52 ''ComicBook/{{Justice League|2011}}'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TitansRebirth Titans]]'' ''ComicBook/{{Titans|Rebirth}}'' book that launched not long after (although this technically doesn't count since the ''Titans'' book was preceded by the maxi-series ''ComicBook/TitansHunt2015''.)''ComicBook/{{Titans Hunt|2015}}'').
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** The last issue of the second volume, based on ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', focuses entirely on the [[SpinOffspring next generation of heroes]] who were born from the survivors of the original war when it ended with them trapped in Battleworld. It introduces a whole team, shows off their relationships and personalities, and even ends on a clear SequelHook where they return to Earth to fight the Sentinels that have now taken it over. Unlike either of the above two, though, it's never been revisited.
to:
** The last issue of the second volume, based on ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', the original ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|1984}}'', focuses entirely on the [[SpinOffspring next generation of heroes]] who were born from the survivors of the original war when it ended with them trapped in Battleworld. It introduces a whole team, shows off their relationships and personalities, and even ends on a clear SequelHook where they return to Earth to fight the Sentinels that have now taken it over. Unlike either of the above two, though, it's never been revisited.
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* There was a phase of ''ComicBook/BraveAndTheBold'', after its historical fiction era but before the TeamUpSeries one, where it did this for team books. Notable teams introduced during this period were the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the original, army book version of the Suicide Squad. The former two got their own books, the Squad wasn't so lucky, at least not until their more famous {{retool}}.
to:
* There was a phase of ''ComicBook/BraveAndTheBold'', ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'', after its historical fiction era but before the TeamUpSeries one, where it did this for team books. Notable teams introduced during this period were the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the original, army book version of the Suicide Squad. The former two got their own books, the Squad wasn't so lucky, at least not until their more famous {{retool}}.
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* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacter mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacter mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
to:
* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' 2023 ''ComicBook/{{Titans|2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacter mash-ups of the DC and Marvelcharacters]].characters]].
----
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacter mash-ups of the DC and Marvel
----
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* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]]'' book that launched not long after.
to:
* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans ''[[ComicBook/TitansRebirth Titans]]'' book that launched not long after.after (although this technically doesn't count since the ''Titans'' book was preceded by the maxi-series ''ComicBook/TitansHunt2015''.)
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** The last arc of ''ComicBook/Supergirl1996'' was a storyline where Linda Danvers met the original '59 Supergirl. This storyline ended exactly one year before DC decided to reintroduce a new version of Kara Zor-El.
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* Creator/MarvelComics, at the start of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], had what are now called "tryouts". For instance, one [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]] story features a ComicBook/CaptainAmerica impostor and asks the readers if they wanted to bring back the real Captain America. On the other hand, the [[FanDumb fevered imagination of fans]] (and/or the greed of comic book speculators) has been prone to see tryouts in Marvel's pre-superhero era even when links between the precursor and later characters are tenuous at best (e.g., a '50s monster character who happens to be called "Hulk" and was renamed Xemnu the Titan once ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk showed up to avoid confusion).
to:
* Creator/MarvelComics, at the start of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], had what are now called "tryouts". For instance, one [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]] story features a ComicBook/CaptainAmerica impostor and asks the readers if they wanted to bring back the real Captain America. On the other hand, the [[FanDumb fevered imagination of fans]] (and/or the greed of comic book speculators) has been prone to see tryouts in Marvel's pre-superhero era even when links between the precursor and later characters are tenuous at best (e.g., a '50s monster character who happens to be called "Hulk" and was renamed Xemnu the Titan once ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk showed up to avoid confusion).
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** Some of this was due to the introduction of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode. MoralGuardians convinced comic publishers to ban horror-related subjects like vampires, ghouls, and the undead, and those titles floundered for awhile, eventually throwing out different subjects and characters to see what would stick. This was easy enough to do, as many of them were [[AnthologyComic anthology comics]] with 3-4 stories per issue. ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'' started telling the story of [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]], and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner Hulk]] (after his one-shot series was canceled) started to guest star in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish''. In ''ComicBook/TalesOfSuspense'', the stories introducing ComicBook/IronMan and reintroducing ComicBook/CaptainAmerica spawned their own titles.
to:
** Some of this was due to the introduction of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode.MediaNotes/TheComicsCode. MoralGuardians convinced comic publishers to ban horror-related subjects like vampires, ghouls, and the undead, and those titles floundered for awhile, eventually throwing out different subjects and characters to see what would stick. This was easy enough to do, as many of them were [[AnthologyComic anthology comics]] with 3-4 stories per issue. ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'' started telling the story of [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]], and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner Hulk]] (after his one-shot series was canceled) started to guest star in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish''. In ''ComicBook/TalesOfSuspense'', the stories introducing ComicBook/IronMan and reintroducing ComicBook/CaptainAmerica spawned their own titles.
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* [[Creator/ChristopherPriestComics Christopher Priest]] has admitted he only added the Korean heroine Mystek to the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League Task Force]]'' during his run to set her up for her own mini-series. [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun When plans for the mini-series were axed, Priest quickly killed her off.]]
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* [[Creator/ChristopherPriestComics Christopher Priest]] Creator/{{Christopher Priest|Comics}} has admitted he only added the Korean heroine Mystek to the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League Task Force]]'' during his run to set her up for her own mini-series. [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun When plans for the mini-series were axed, Priest quickly killed her off.]]
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* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' during the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover in Marvel Comics showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
to:
* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' during the "Acts of Vengeance" "ComicBook/ActsOfVengeance" crossover in Marvel Comics showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
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* The "Bloodlines" Creator/DCComics crossover of the early 90s is basically one massive series of Poorly Disguised Pilots, with that year's "annual" issue for each ongoing series showcasing the origin of a new superhero. Although a few of these "New Blood" characters were later featured in mini-series or ongoing series, the only one that managed any kind of success was Creator/GarthEnnis's ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'', which spun out of ''[[ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} The Demon]]''.
to:
* ''ComicBook/{{Bloodlines|DCComics}}'': The "Bloodlines" early 90s Creator/DCComics crossover of the early 90s event is basically one massive series of Poorly Disguised Pilots, with that year's "annual" issue for each ongoing series showcasing the origin of a new superhero. Although a few of these "New Blood" characters were later featured in mini-series or ongoing series, the only one that managed any kind of success was Creator/GarthEnnis's ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'', which spun out of ''[[ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} The Demon]]''.
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** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's 2003 ''Aquaman'' relaunch.
to:
** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's 2003 ''Aquaman'' ''ComicBook/Aquaman2003'' relaunch.
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Updating link
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* The final arc of ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' features a team-up between Spidey (Miles), Characters/{{Cloak and Dagger|MarvelComics}}, [[Characters/SpiderWomanTitleCharacter Spider-Woman]], and Bombshell. This same group appears in the ''[[ComicBook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]: Ultimate Spider-Man'' mini-series before being spun-off in their own book as the ''All-New [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimates]]''.
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* The final arc of ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' features a team-up between Spidey (Miles), Characters/{{Cloak and Dagger|MarvelComics}}, [[Characters/SpiderWomanTitleCharacter Spider-Woman]], Characters/SpiderWoman, and Bombshell. This same group appears in the ''[[ComicBook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]: Ultimate Spider-Man'' mini-series before being spun-off in their own book as the ''All-New [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimates]]''.
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* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacters mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
to:
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacters [[CompositeCharacter mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
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* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.
to:
* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.Bludhaven.
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacters mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
* The miniseries ''ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC'' serves as the starting point to ''ComicBook/AmalgamUniverse'' by ending with the DC and Marvel Universes merging to create a new universe inhabited by [[CompositeCharacters mash-ups of the DC and Marvel characters]].
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Updating link
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* Following the end of Creator/JamesTynionIV's tenure as the writer of ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'', Bryan Edward Hill was hired to write a short {{Filler}} arc before the start James Robinson's run. The arc saw Batman bring ComicBook/BlackLightning to Gotham in order to help train Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, with the group later encountering [[Characters/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Katana]] as the story progressed. Unsurprisingly, it was eventually announced that the storyline would lead into a new volume of ''[[ComicBook/TheOutsiders Batman and the Outsiders]]'', with Hill as the writer.
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* Following the end of Creator/JamesTynionIV's tenure as the writer of ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'', Bryan Edward Hill was hired to write a short {{Filler}} arc before the start James Robinson's run. The arc saw Batman bring ComicBook/BlackLightning to Gotham in order to help train Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, with the group later encountering [[Characters/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Katana]] ComicBook/{{Katana}} as the story progressed. Unsurprisingly, it was eventually announced that the storyline would lead into a new volume of ''[[ComicBook/TheOutsiders ''[[ComicBook/TheOutsidersDCComics Batman and the Outsiders]]'', with Hill as the writer.
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* Creator/JackKirby famously begin planting the seeds for his upcoming ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Fourth World]]'' family of titles in the pages of ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen''. This included the first appearance of [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]], who would go on to be the BigBad of the ''Fourth World'' books.
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* Creator/JackKirby famously begin planting the seeds for his upcoming ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Fourth World]]'' family of titles in the pages of ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen''. This included the first appearance of [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]], Darkseid]] in issue 134, who would go on to be the BigBad of the ''Fourth World'' books.
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* DC's ComicBook/{{Showcase}} anthology series, which famously did this for ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/GreenLantern's silver age incarnations, has [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot its own page]].
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* DC's ComicBook/{{Showcase}} anthology series, which famously did this for ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/GreenLantern's silver age incarnations, has [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot/{{Showcase}} its own page]].
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* In ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'', Jack goes to Hollywood and makes a trilogy of LOTR-ish films about himself. He eventually gets caught and exiled from Fabletown, leading into the ''Jack of Fables'' series.
* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' had this happen at least twice: First when DC acquired Quality Comics' characters and lumped them all together as the new team, the ComicBook/{{Freedom Fighters|DCComics}}, and then when Earth-S, the home of [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], was introduced. Both appeared as guest stars in the yearly Justice League/Justice Society crossovers; both got their own titles afterwards. A test run for Captain Marvel had already been done with the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute "Captain Thunder" in the pages of Superman, but the Big Red Cheese was still ultimately deemed too silly to be in the main DC earth.
* The first three issues of the ReTool of ''Adventures of the Fly'', called ''Fly-Man'', is basically this for the original version of the Mighty Crusaders.
* Lampooned in ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' #38.
--> '''Deadpool:''' "Bob, Agent of Hydra". One would almost think we were forcing you down our readers' throats as some kind of possible limited series pitch or something.
* The "Bloodlines" Creator/DCComics crossover of the early 90s is basically one massive series of Poorly Disguised Pilots, with that year's "annual" issue for each ongoing series showcasing the origin of a new superhero. Although a few of these "New Blood" characters were later featured in mini-series or ongoing series, the only one that managed any kind of success was Creator/GarthEnnis's ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'', which spun out of ''[[ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} The Demon]]''.
* Creator/MarvelComics tried a similar tactic with their 1993 annuals, which each introduced a new character. Of the 27 new characters created, the only one who really caught on was Legacy, who fronted his own series for a while as the new ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}.
* DC tried this again in 2000 with their ''Planet DC'' event, where, once again, a bunch of annuals introducing new characters were launched. The only new heroes who saw any real use were Nemesis (introduced in the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica JSA]]'' annual) and Bushido (introduced in the ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]]'' annual), and even those two ended up being killed off.
* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' during the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover in Marvel Comics showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #536 and #537 were used to set the stage for Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''Thor'' relaunch. The plot had the FF trying to prevent [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] from claiming the deceased Thor's hammer, which was revealed to have landed near Broxton, Oklahoma after the events of [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]].
* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Season 9 introduces Billy, a teenage gay male Slayer-wannabe in his own story ''Billy the Vampire Slayer''. However, Billy has only made a few reappearances since then and is forgotten about in season 10.
* Heroic Publishing occasionally uses its ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' title in this manner. Likewise, ''Heroic Spotlight''.
* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' #7 guest-starred [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] and ended with him returning to Atlantis to quash a coup led by Warlord Krang, directly setting up the ''Sub-Mariner'' feature that began running in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish'' several months later.
* Creator/MarvelComics, at the start of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], had what are now called "tryouts". For instance, one [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]] story features a ComicBook/CaptainAmerica impostor and asks the readers if they wanted to bring back the real Captain America. On the other hand, the [[FanDumb fevered imagination of fans]] (and/or the greed of comic book speculators) has been prone to see tryouts in Marvel's pre-superhero era even when links between the precursor and later characters are tenuous at best (e.g., a '50s monster character who happens to be called "Hulk" and was renamed Xemnu the Titan once ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk showed up to avoid confusion).
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** Creator/DCComics occasionally tried out the ''idea'' of a character before going forward with "the real thing." DC's first DistaffCounterpart characters to Superman ([[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] temporarily getting powers and operating as "Superwoman" and ComicBook/{{Superboy}} [[GenderBender turning into a girl]] and operating as "Claire Kent, Super-Sister") were probably not tryouts so much as one-shot story ideas. But 1958's ''ComicBook/Superman1939'' #123: "The Girl of Steel" was clearly a dry run for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}. In that story, [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] uses a magic totem to wish for a "Super-Girl" who would be a companion and helpmate for Superman. It doesn't work out all that well, and Jimmy ends up wishing the girl out of existence at her own request. Reaction was positive enough that DC introduced Kara Zor-El, the real Supergirl, shortly after in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959''.
** ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Nick Spencer's AbortedArc would've seen Kara teaming up with Characters/{{Robin|DamianWayne}} (Damian Wayne), ComicBook/{{Static}}, Characters/{{Batgirl}} (Stephanie Brown), ComicBook/BlueBeetle (Jaime Reyes), Miss Martian and Impulse (Irey West). According to Spencer, the plan was to use the storyline as a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' relaunch starring those characters, but he ended up being replaced on the book before his first issue was released.
** ''ComicBook/DCComicsPresents'' #47 "ComicBook/FromEterniaWithDeath" introduced the world of Eternia from the ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse''. About sixh months later, "ComicBook/FateIsTheKiller" was published as a backup story in sixteen titles published by DC Comics, being followed by the first ''Masters of the Universe'' comic series later that year, and then by the ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' original cartoon.
* Both Marvel and DC often launched features from titles that had no "regular" star. Those features would then, if popular enough, get their own titles:
** ComicBook/SpiderMan is perhaps the most famous case. He first appeared as the cover character of the fifteenth issue of ''Amazing Fantasy'', an anthology series that was being canceled, despite an editor's note promising that ''Amazing Fantasy'' would be continued in a new format with a Spider-Man story every month. That promise would be fulfilled by a new title, ''The Amazing Spider-Man''.
** Marvel would revive ''Amazing Fantasy'' in the 2000s as, essentially, an entire series of potential pilots: [[Characters/MarvelComicsSpiders Anya Corazón]] got her own book shortly afterwards called Araña: Heart of the Spider. She would later become the sidekick of Ms. Marvel ([[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]]) before being retooled as the new Spider-Girl. More successful than her is probably [[Characters/IncredibleHulkSupportingCharacters Amadeus Cho]], who co-starred in ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules'' and eventually became the ComicBook/TotallyAwesomeHulk and then renamed himself to Brawn. Only a few other characters, such as Dr. Monica Rappaccini, Death's Head 3.0, Monstro, and Vampire by Night, ever showed up anywhere after the series, and even then mostly in supporting roles.
* Speaking of Creator/GregPak's ''ComicBook/TotallyAwesomeHulk'' run, one arc had Amadeus team up with a group of fellow Asian and Asian-American superheroes like ComicBook/ShangChi, [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Ms. Marvel]], Characters/{{Silk|MarvelComics}} and Jimmy Woo. Several of these characters later reunited during ''ComicBook/WarOfTheRealms'' as the new ''ComicBook/AgentsOfAtlas'', with Pak returning to write their book.
* DC's ComicBook/{{Showcase}} anthology series, which famously did this for ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/GreenLantern's silver age incarnations, has [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot its own page]].
* DC tried to get a second try-out book off the ground in the mid-70s, partially as a replacement to the by-then-canceled ''Showcase''. It's called ''First Issue Special'', and it started because publisher Carmine Infantino realized first issues sell better and wanted a series where ''every'' issue was the first (seriously). Incidentally, this means that each premise was only afforded one issue, whereas most often in ''Showcase'' a feature would headline for two or three issues. It only ran for 12 issues, and it only launched one comic, ''Warlord''. ''Warlord'' ended up running about ''ten times'' as long as ''First Issue Special'' did -- from 1976 to 1988. About half of the other issues feature established characters like the Creeper or Dr. Fate; the non-Warlord characters created for ''First Issue Special'' mostly disappeared after their headlining ish, though the Green Team received a quickly-canceled revival in 2013.
* For various convoluted reasons, Marvel was limited to printing a certain number of titles in the '60s. When no longer under that restriction, Marvel launched several of its own ''Showcase''-style titles, such as ''Marvel Spotlight'', which launched features such as ''ComicBook/WerewolfByNight'', ''ComicBook/GhostRider'', and ''ComicBook/SpiderWoman''.
** Some of this was due to the introduction of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode. MoralGuardians convinced comic publishers to ban horror-related subjects like vampires, ghouls, and the undead, and those titles floundered for awhile, eventually throwing out different subjects and characters to see what would stick. This was easy enough to do, as many of them were [[AnthologyComic anthology comics]] with 3-4 stories per issue. ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'' started telling the story of [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]], and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner Hulk]] (after his one-shot series was canceled) started to guest star in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish''. In ''ComicBook/TalesOfSuspense'', the stories introducing ComicBook/IronMan and reintroducing ComicBook/CaptainAmerica spawned their own titles.
** Earlier, in the late 1960s, Marvel did it with ''Marvel Super-Heroes'', a larger-than-normal comic whose lead feature launched such stars as ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/KaZar, and the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, with classic 1940s and 50s stories backing it up!
*** The Guardians of the Galaxy got this treatment ''twice''. First they were introduced in Marvel Super Heroes in the late '60s, and nothing came of it. A few years later they made guest appearances in ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'' and ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'' before they got their own book as the stars of ''Marvel Presents''.
** Likewise, ComicBook/DoctorStrange debuted in ''Strange Tales'', a former horror anthology series that had been turned into a split book featuring various characters like the Human Torch. The feature became so popular that the series was eventually retitled ''Doctor Strange'' with issue #169. Another feature, ''ComicBook/NickFury: Agent of ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}'' (which had {{ReTool}}ed Fury from a [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WW2-era soldier]] to a Film/JamesBond-esque UsefulNotes/ColdWar super spy), was also spun off into its own book.
* Creator/ArchieComics tried to salvage their failing 1960s superhero line by using "Mighty Comics" as their "Showcase", featuring such heroes as The Web, The Shield, The Black Hood, and Steel Sterling. It wound up killing the line for about 15 years.
* One StoryArc in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' is this for "Excelsior", a support group for former teen heroes that ended up getting sent to chase the main characters. It was eventually launched as ''ComicBook/TheLoners'', after it turned out that the trademark on "Excelsior" belonged to Creator/StanLee, who had put out a book about his experiences in comics by that title.
* Creator/JackKirby famously begin planting the seeds for his upcoming ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Fourth World]]'' family of titles in the pages of ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen''. This included the first appearance of [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]], who would go on to be the BigBad of the ''Fourth World'' books.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** During the nineties, Spider-Man meets during a battle with ComicBook/{{Hydra}} a superhero named "Shoc", obviously meant to appear in his own series. It's also pretty obvious who his SecretIdentity was. Fortunately, he was quickly forgotten.
** Speedball first appeared in a ''Spider-Man Annual'' that depicted him on the cover, soaring over both Spidey and [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]]. The annual shoehorned Speedball into the main story and featured a solo back-up tale. This led to a short-lived solo series, ''ComicBook/SpeedballTheMaskedMarvel''. Despite this, the character has been around for about 30 years, was a prominent member of ComicBook/NewWarriors, and played a large role in ''ComicBook/{{Civil War|2006}}''.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #86 was meant to set up the short-lived ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'' solo series that appeared in ''Amazing Adventures''.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #92 featured a guest appearance from [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] of the X-Men. The story was apparently testing the waters for an Iceman/Doctor Strange split-book that had been planned, but the series never materialized.
* Issue 99 of Gerard Jones's ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' run is clearly an attempt to drum up support for a series about the altered children who took over the issue, the Strangebrood. This didn't pan out, and the Strangebrood never showed up again anywhere.
* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' has several arcs that serve as preludes for new series.
** The "Crisis Times Five!" arc from Creator/GrantMorrison's run ended with several former members of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica deciding that it might be time to put the team back together and mentor the newest generation of heroes, leading into James Robinson and David Goyer's ''JSA'' relaunch.
** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's 2003 ''Aquaman'' relaunch.
** Creator/KurtBusiek introduced the ComicBook/PowerCompany in the 61st issue before quickly spinning them off in their own series.
** The "Tenth Circle" storyline by Creator/JohnByrne and Creator/ChrisClaremont served to set up John Byrne's ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' relaunch, establishing revamped versions of the team's original roster of the Chief, Elasti-Girl, Robotman and Negative Man as well as adding Justice League member Faith and new characters Grunt, Nudge and Vortex as additional recruits for the team.
* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]]'' book that launched not long after.
* In 2005, the anthology series ''ComicBook/StarWarsTales'' featured two stories taking place in the ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' era. One is issue sized while the other lasts only six pages. Two months after the release of the issue featuring the first story, a ''ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' comic series was announced. It was likely that both ideas were created around the same time, however.
* The notorious 'ComicBook/ThePunisher Goes Black' story arc in 1992 that guest-starred Characters/LukeCage served as a pilot for the 1990s Cage series.
* ''ComicBook/XFactor'', the reunion of the original 5 Silver Age ComicBook/XMen members, was set up by events that occurred in several other Marvel titles at the time:
** A crossover of sorts between ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' #263 and ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #286 revealed that [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean Grey]], who had seemingly died at the end of ''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'', was actually alive in a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay.
** ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' #201 saw [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]] leave the X-Men after losing a duel for leadership of the team to [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]].
** The final issue of ''[[ComicBook/TheDefenders New Defenders]]'' ended with most of the team being killed off, with former X-Men members [[Characters/MarvelComicsAngel Angel]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBeast Beast]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] left as the only survivors.
** The ''ComicBook/{{Dazzler}}'' series ended with the title character seeking a new beginning, with Beast recommending that she join the new team he was putting together.
** All (or most) of these plot points led to Cyclops, Jean, Angel, Beast and Iceman reuniting and forming a new team, X-Factor. Despite the tease, [[AbortedArc Dazzler did not end up as part of this new series]], as the initial plan to have her be the fifth member of X-Factor was abandoned when editorial decided to resurrect Jean.
* Speaking of ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'', they also got their start this way. Prior to the launch of the series, the three future core members of the Defenders (ComicBook/DoctorStrange, [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner The Incredible Hulk]] and [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]]) teamed up in a crossover that ran between their solo books, followed by a second crossover where Namor partnered with the Hulk and the Characters/SilverSurfer in his own series. The final stretch of the original ''New Defenders'' series also featured two prominent guest appearances from a pair of husband and wife private detectives known as Cutlass and Typhoon, who were seemingly being teased for a potential spin-off that never went anywhere.
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsFrankCastle The Punisher]] himself has his own pilot in the pages of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' (man, Spidey is popping up a lot).
* Another famous case is [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]]. He first popped up in an issue of ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk''. The creators wanted to use him in other titles but didn't have a clear idea what they wanted to do with the character. They ended up tossing him onto the ComicBook/XMen, in large part because he had been identified as Canadian and they wanted "international" characters for the new team.
* ComicBook/PatsyWalker was resurrected in a storyline that ran across the 2000 annuals for ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' and ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', before receiving a SpinOff ''ComicBook/{{Hellcat}}'' limited series. The mini-series was even advertised at the end of the ''Avengers'' annual.
* Chuck Austen's final few issues of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' serve as a springboard for the ''[[ComicBook/TheInvadersMarvelComics New Invaders]]''. This is a particularly egregious example, as the finished product reads like an Invaders story that just happens to guest star a few of the Avengers.
* ''Avengers World'' had an ''ComicBook/{{AXIS}}'' tie-in that ran in issues #16-17, where, after undergoing a temporary CharacterAlignment change, [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] formed his own team of heroes to stop the evil Characters/ScarletWitch. The story ended with the heroic Doom using the Witch's power to resurrect [[Characters/AntManHeroes Cassie Lang]], a plot point that had very little to do with the story at hand, but existed to set up the new ''ComicBook/AstonishingAntMan'' series that launched soon after, and under the same writer to boot.
* The ''ComicBook/FearItself: The Home Front'' mini-series had a 3-part story featuring [[Characters/MarvelComicsLauraKinney X-23]], [[Characters/IncredibleHulkSupportingCharacters Amadeus Cho]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsSpiders Spider-Girl]] and the new Power Man and Thunderstrike. The story was clearly meant to build momentum for a new teen superhero team featuring the characters, but it never got off the ground.
* This wasn't even the first time this happened to Amadeus Cho. During the ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'' crossover, the main ''Incredible Hulk'' series did an arc about an eclectic team of heroes that consisted of Amadeus, Hercules, Angel, Namora and the Carmilla Black version of Scorpion. The characters were meant to be spun-off in a new team book called ''The Renegades'', but the pitch ended up being turned down by Marvel. However, the arc ''did'' successfully springboard another series: ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules''.
* The second and third issues of the original ''ComicBook/YoungbloodImageComics'' series give one of the flip-sides to ''ComicBook/{{Shadowhawk}}'' and Supreme, respectively. The fourth issue features a prelude to ''ComicBook/{{Pitt}}'', but without the flip-book format.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Near the end of its run, ''ComicBook/{{The Transformers|Marvel}}'' gave heavy focus to the super hero team, the Neo Knights, even giving them their own spotlight issue and having them play a fairly large role in defeating Unicron in the final issue. It would later be revealed that the Neo Knights were Simon Furman's attempt to become one of Marvel's main writers, with Furman admitting in the last issue's letters page that he believed that the ''Transformers'' were finished as a franchise and that trying to get a Neo Knights spinoff was his new focus.
** The plot for ''ComicBook/TransformersGeneration2'' is kicked off in a {{Crossover}} with ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'', which had an earlier crossover with the Marvel ''Transformers'' comic, but otherwise ignored the other comic.
** ''ComicBook/TransformersVsVisionaries'' was likely one for the WesternAnimation/{{Visionaries}}. Hasbro and IDW revived a short lived and long forgotten '80s property to prominently debut in their [[ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse shared comic universe]] through a crossover with the Transformers. What's more, the crossover came right as said universe was preparing to be discontinued and IDW made it's plot required reading for the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron final event comic]]. It's almost certain that IDW was testing the waters to see if a ''Visionaries'' standalone comic was viable.
* The final issues of the ''ComicBook/SupermanGrounded'' storyline were intended by writer Chris Roberson as (among other things) a backdoor pilot for a "Supermen of America" series.
* [[Creator/ChristopherPriestComics Christopher Priest]] has admitted he only added the Korean heroine Mystek to the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League Task Force]]'' during his run to set her up for her own mini-series. [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun When plans for the mini-series were axed, Priest quickly killed her off.]]
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'':
** ''The New Teen Titans'' Annual #2 introduces us to ComicBook/{{Vigilante}}, who got his own comic book the following month.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue ''Teen Titans'' filler arc that saw the Titans team up with ComicBook/HawkAndDove to battle Kestrel. According to Liefeld, the arc was testing the waters for a ''Titans East'' spin-off series that never got made.
** Creator/GeoffJohns' run had a two-part crossover with ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' titled "Superboy and the Legion", which entailed the two teams battling the Fatal Five Hundred (an AllianceOfAlternates consisting of the Legion's enemies the Fatal Five and 99 alternate counterparts thereof) and served as the beginning of the Threeboot era of the Legion run by Creator/MarkWaid, with the Threeboot continuity being created by a CosmicRetcon resulting from the energies unleashed by destroying every Persuader's Atomic Axe.
** The second-to-last ''Teen Titans'' storyline by Felicia Henderson was meant to be a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/{{Static}}'' comic book series. The DC relaunch delayed the series, and by the time it launched a year later, it had been retooled to the point that it literally abandoned every bit of set-up introduced in the ''Teen Titans'' arc, and had a new writer as well.
* There was a phase of ''ComicBook/BraveAndTheBold'', after its historical fiction era but before the TeamUpSeries one, where it did this for team books. Notable teams introduced during this period were the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the original, army book version of the Suicide Squad. The former two got their own books, the Squad wasn't so lucky, at least not until their more famous {{retool}}.
* The ComicBook/BlueBeetle and ComicBook/{{Hardware|1993}} team-up in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' includes an extremely obvious set-up for a new ''Hardware'' solo series.
* USMarshal J.D. Hart features prominently in issues 42-44 of the original series of ''ComicBook/JonahHex'', essentially acting as a co-star to Jonah in those issues. Hart was going to be spun off into his own book, unofficially titled ''Dakota'', but that book never eventuated and Hart eventually returned as a supporting character in ''Jonah Hex''.
* ''ComicBook/WhatIf'':
** The ninth issue of the original series was probably intended to be this for a series starring the various heroes from Marvel's 1950s comics. Which did happen, albeit 30 years later, with ''ComicBook/AgentsOfAtlas''.
** A much later issue of ''What If'' is the basis for the entire ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2'' universe and ''ComicBook/SpiderGirl''.
** The last issue of the second volume, based on ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', focuses entirely on the [[SpinOffspring next generation of heroes]] who were born from the survivors of the original war when it ended with them trapped in Battleworld. It introduces a whole team, shows off their relationships and personalities, and even ends on a clear SequelHook where they return to Earth to fight the Sentinels that have now taken it over. Unlike either of the above two, though, it's never been revisited.
* ''ComicBook/{{Nova}}'' has a story arc where Sam meets Justice and Speedball, two of the washed-up former members of the New Warriors. Around the same time, ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan Team-Up'' features an arc where Otto encounters a new heroine named Sun Girl. The characters involved later meet and team up for the ComicBook/MarvelNOW relaunch of ''ComicBook/NewWarriors''.
* ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' #358 (August 1998) is a spotlight issue for the OddCouple of Bishop and Deathbird, established earlier, with them gaining a new ally and getting involved in a struggle against another version of TheEmpire in space. The issue is often commented on, in retrospect, as seeming to serve as a pilot or sales pitch for a SpaceOpera series or storyline, but if so the plans never materialized.
* The crossover between ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' and Creator/ImageComics serves as a pilot episode for writer Ken Penders' incredibly short-lived, creator-owned ''ComicBook/TheLostOnes'' series.
* ''ComicBook/{{Secret War|2004}}'' featured a team-up between many of the characters who would go on form the core cast of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', and also set up several plot threads for that series.
* The final arc of ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' features a team-up between Spidey (Miles), Characters/{{Cloak and Dagger|MarvelComics}}, [[Characters/SpiderWomanTitleCharacter Spider-Woman]], and Bombshell. This same group appears in the ''[[ComicBook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]: Ultimate Spider-Man'' mini-series before being spun-off in their own book as the ''All-New [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimates]]''.
* Early 00's CrisisCrossover Maximum Security is clearly an attempted launching pad for a few concepts, including a cosmic Avengers team and former stand-in Captain America US Agent. Agent did get his own series, but it was short lived.
* The first arc of ''Avengers Assemble'' was set-up for a new ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' series. It brought the Guardians out of ComicBookLimbo, teased the mystery of how Star-Lord and [[Characters/MarvelComicsThanos Thanos]] had escaped the [[ComicBook/TheThanosImperative Cancerverse]], and ended with the Badoon vowing vengeance on the Earth.
* ''Avengers'' #684 (part of ''ComicBook/AvengersNoSurrender'') was a lead-in to ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''.
* Whether intended as one or not, the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' three-parter that introduces [[Characters/MarvelComicsGalactus Galactus]] serves as a backdoor pilot for the ''ComicBook/SilverSurfer''. The same run also introduced ComicBook/BlackPanther and ComicBook/TheInhumans, who would later receive their own titles.
* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': Another Ibáñez character, Tete Cohete, is introduced in a ''Mortadelo'' comic of the same name.
* Following the end of Creator/JamesTynionIV's tenure as the writer of ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'', Bryan Edward Hill was hired to write a short {{Filler}} arc before the start James Robinson's run. The arc saw Batman bring ComicBook/BlackLightning to Gotham in order to help train Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, with the group later encountering [[Characters/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Katana]] as the story progressed. Unsurprisingly, it was eventually announced that the storyline would lead into a new volume of ''[[ComicBook/TheOutsiders Batman and the Outsiders]]'', with Hill as the writer.
* The ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'' series had an arc that focused on the cast of ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' prior to the events of the first game. By Ian Flynn's account, it was an attempt to gauge interest for a comic focused on X. Unfortunately, ''Mega Man'' itself was starting to slip in sales by that point, which made the prospect of a series focused on his less iconic counterpart a bit of a crapshoot.
* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.
* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' had this happen at least twice: First when DC acquired Quality Comics' characters and lumped them all together as the new team, the ComicBook/{{Freedom Fighters|DCComics}}, and then when Earth-S, the home of [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]], was introduced. Both appeared as guest stars in the yearly Justice League/Justice Society crossovers; both got their own titles afterwards. A test run for Captain Marvel had already been done with the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute "Captain Thunder" in the pages of Superman, but the Big Red Cheese was still ultimately deemed too silly to be in the main DC earth.
* The first three issues of the ReTool of ''Adventures of the Fly'', called ''Fly-Man'', is basically this for the original version of the Mighty Crusaders.
* Lampooned in ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' #38.
--> '''Deadpool:''' "Bob, Agent of Hydra". One would almost think we were forcing you down our readers' throats as some kind of possible limited series pitch or something.
* The "Bloodlines" Creator/DCComics crossover of the early 90s is basically one massive series of Poorly Disguised Pilots, with that year's "annual" issue for each ongoing series showcasing the origin of a new superhero. Although a few of these "New Blood" characters were later featured in mini-series or ongoing series, the only one that managed any kind of success was Creator/GarthEnnis's ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}'', which spun out of ''[[ComicBook/{{Etrigan}} The Demon]]''.
* Creator/MarvelComics tried a similar tactic with their 1993 annuals, which each introduced a new character. Of the 27 new characters created, the only one who really caught on was Legacy, who fronted his own series for a while as the new ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}.
* DC tried this again in 2000 with their ''Planet DC'' event, where, once again, a bunch of annuals introducing new characters were launched. The only new heroes who saw any real use were Nemesis (introduced in the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica JSA]]'' annual) and Bushido (introduced in the ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]]'' annual), and even those two ended up being killed off.
* Likewise, an issue of ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' during the "Acts of Vengeance" crossover in Marvel Comics showcases the ComicBook/NewWarriors, who received their own book months later.
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #536 and #537 were used to set the stage for Creator/JMichaelStraczynski's ''Thor'' relaunch. The plot had the FF trying to prevent [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] from claiming the deceased Thor's hammer, which was revealed to have landed near Broxton, Oklahoma after the events of [[{{Gotterdammerung}} Ragnarok]].
* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Season 9 introduces Billy, a teenage gay male Slayer-wannabe in his own story ''Billy the Vampire Slayer''. However, Billy has only made a few reappearances since then and is forgotten about in season 10.
* Heroic Publishing occasionally uses its ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' title in this manner. Likewise, ''Heroic Spotlight''.
* ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' #7 guest-starred [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]] and ended with him returning to Atlantis to quash a coup led by Warlord Krang, directly setting up the ''Sub-Mariner'' feature that began running in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish'' several months later.
* Creator/MarvelComics, at the start of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]], had what are now called "tryouts". For instance, one [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Human Torch]] story features a ComicBook/CaptainAmerica impostor and asks the readers if they wanted to bring back the real Captain America. On the other hand, the [[FanDumb fevered imagination of fans]] (and/or the greed of comic book speculators) has been prone to see tryouts in Marvel's pre-superhero era even when links between the precursor and later characters are tenuous at best (e.g., a '50s monster character who happens to be called "Hulk" and was renamed Xemnu the Titan once ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk showed up to avoid confusion).
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** Creator/DCComics occasionally tried out the ''idea'' of a character before going forward with "the real thing." DC's first DistaffCounterpart characters to Superman ([[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]] temporarily getting powers and operating as "Superwoman" and ComicBook/{{Superboy}} [[GenderBender turning into a girl]] and operating as "Claire Kent, Super-Sister") were probably not tryouts so much as one-shot story ideas. But 1958's ''ComicBook/Superman1939'' #123: "The Girl of Steel" was clearly a dry run for ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}. In that story, [[Characters/SupermanJimmyOlsen Jimmy Olsen]] uses a magic totem to wish for a "Super-Girl" who would be a companion and helpmate for Superman. It doesn't work out all that well, and Jimmy ends up wishing the girl out of existence at her own request. Reaction was positive enough that DC introduced Kara Zor-El, the real Supergirl, shortly after in ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton1959''.
** ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'': Nick Spencer's AbortedArc would've seen Kara teaming up with Characters/{{Robin|DamianWayne}} (Damian Wayne), ComicBook/{{Static}}, Characters/{{Batgirl}} (Stephanie Brown), ComicBook/BlueBeetle (Jaime Reyes), Miss Martian and Impulse (Irey West). According to Spencer, the plan was to use the storyline as a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' relaunch starring those characters, but he ended up being replaced on the book before his first issue was released.
** ''ComicBook/DCComicsPresents'' #47 "ComicBook/FromEterniaWithDeath" introduced the world of Eternia from the ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse''. About sixh months later, "ComicBook/FateIsTheKiller" was published as a backup story in sixteen titles published by DC Comics, being followed by the first ''Masters of the Universe'' comic series later that year, and then by the ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' original cartoon.
* Both Marvel and DC often launched features from titles that had no "regular" star. Those features would then, if popular enough, get their own titles:
** ComicBook/SpiderMan is perhaps the most famous case. He first appeared as the cover character of the fifteenth issue of ''Amazing Fantasy'', an anthology series that was being canceled, despite an editor's note promising that ''Amazing Fantasy'' would be continued in a new format with a Spider-Man story every month. That promise would be fulfilled by a new title, ''The Amazing Spider-Man''.
** Marvel would revive ''Amazing Fantasy'' in the 2000s as, essentially, an entire series of potential pilots: [[Characters/MarvelComicsSpiders Anya Corazón]] got her own book shortly afterwards called Araña: Heart of the Spider. She would later become the sidekick of Ms. Marvel ([[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]]) before being retooled as the new Spider-Girl. More successful than her is probably [[Characters/IncredibleHulkSupportingCharacters Amadeus Cho]], who co-starred in ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules'' and eventually became the ComicBook/TotallyAwesomeHulk and then renamed himself to Brawn. Only a few other characters, such as Dr. Monica Rappaccini, Death's Head 3.0, Monstro, and Vampire by Night, ever showed up anywhere after the series, and even then mostly in supporting roles.
* Speaking of Creator/GregPak's ''ComicBook/TotallyAwesomeHulk'' run, one arc had Amadeus team up with a group of fellow Asian and Asian-American superheroes like ComicBook/ShangChi, [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Ms. Marvel]], Characters/{{Silk|MarvelComics}} and Jimmy Woo. Several of these characters later reunited during ''ComicBook/WarOfTheRealms'' as the new ''ComicBook/AgentsOfAtlas'', with Pak returning to write their book.
* DC's ComicBook/{{Showcase}} anthology series, which famously did this for ComicBook/TheFlash and ComicBook/GreenLantern's silver age incarnations, has [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot its own page]].
* DC tried to get a second try-out book off the ground in the mid-70s, partially as a replacement to the by-then-canceled ''Showcase''. It's called ''First Issue Special'', and it started because publisher Carmine Infantino realized first issues sell better and wanted a series where ''every'' issue was the first (seriously). Incidentally, this means that each premise was only afforded one issue, whereas most often in ''Showcase'' a feature would headline for two or three issues. It only ran for 12 issues, and it only launched one comic, ''Warlord''. ''Warlord'' ended up running about ''ten times'' as long as ''First Issue Special'' did -- from 1976 to 1988. About half of the other issues feature established characters like the Creeper or Dr. Fate; the non-Warlord characters created for ''First Issue Special'' mostly disappeared after their headlining ish, though the Green Team received a quickly-canceled revival in 2013.
* For various convoluted reasons, Marvel was limited to printing a certain number of titles in the '60s. When no longer under that restriction, Marvel launched several of its own ''Showcase''-style titles, such as ''Marvel Spotlight'', which launched features such as ''ComicBook/WerewolfByNight'', ''ComicBook/GhostRider'', and ''ComicBook/SpiderWoman''.
** Some of this was due to the introduction of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode. MoralGuardians convinced comic publishers to ban horror-related subjects like vampires, ghouls, and the undead, and those titles floundered for awhile, eventually throwing out different subjects and characters to see what would stick. This was easy enough to do, as many of them were [[AnthologyComic anthology comics]] with 3-4 stories per issue. ''ComicBook/JourneyIntoMystery'' started telling the story of [[Characters/MarvelComicsThorOdinson Thor]], and the [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner Hulk]] (after his one-shot series was canceled) started to guest star in ''ComicBook/TalesToAstonish''. In ''ComicBook/TalesOfSuspense'', the stories introducing ComicBook/IronMan and reintroducing ComicBook/CaptainAmerica spawned their own titles.
** Earlier, in the late 1960s, Marvel did it with ''Marvel Super-Heroes'', a larger-than-normal comic whose lead feature launched such stars as ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, ComicBook/KaZar, and the ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, with classic 1940s and 50s stories backing it up!
*** The Guardians of the Galaxy got this treatment ''twice''. First they were introduced in Marvel Super Heroes in the late '60s, and nothing came of it. A few years later they made guest appearances in ''ComicBook/MarvelTwoInOne'' and ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'' before they got their own book as the stars of ''Marvel Presents''.
** Likewise, ComicBook/DoctorStrange debuted in ''Strange Tales'', a former horror anthology series that had been turned into a split book featuring various characters like the Human Torch. The feature became so popular that the series was eventually retitled ''Doctor Strange'' with issue #169. Another feature, ''ComicBook/NickFury: Agent of ComicBook/{{SHIELD}}'' (which had {{ReTool}}ed Fury from a [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII WW2-era soldier]] to a Film/JamesBond-esque UsefulNotes/ColdWar super spy), was also spun off into its own book.
* Creator/ArchieComics tried to salvage their failing 1960s superhero line by using "Mighty Comics" as their "Showcase", featuring such heroes as The Web, The Shield, The Black Hood, and Steel Sterling. It wound up killing the line for about 15 years.
* One StoryArc in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' is this for "Excelsior", a support group for former teen heroes that ended up getting sent to chase the main characters. It was eventually launched as ''ComicBook/TheLoners'', after it turned out that the trademark on "Excelsior" belonged to Creator/StanLee, who had put out a book about his experiences in comics by that title.
* Creator/JackKirby famously begin planting the seeds for his upcoming ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Fourth World]]'' family of titles in the pages of ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen''. This included the first appearance of [[Characters/NewGodsDarkseid Darkseid]], who would go on to be the BigBad of the ''Fourth World'' books.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
** During the nineties, Spider-Man meets during a battle with ComicBook/{{Hydra}} a superhero named "Shoc", obviously meant to appear in his own series. It's also pretty obvious who his SecretIdentity was. Fortunately, he was quickly forgotten.
** Speedball first appeared in a ''Spider-Man Annual'' that depicted him on the cover, soaring over both Spidey and [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]]. The annual shoehorned Speedball into the main story and featured a solo back-up tale. This led to a short-lived solo series, ''ComicBook/SpeedballTheMaskedMarvel''. Despite this, the character has been around for about 30 years, was a prominent member of ComicBook/NewWarriors, and played a large role in ''ComicBook/{{Civil War|2006}}''.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #86 was meant to set up the short-lived ''ComicBook/BlackWidow'' solo series that appeared in ''Amazing Adventures''.
** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963'' #92 featured a guest appearance from [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] of the X-Men. The story was apparently testing the waters for an Iceman/Doctor Strange split-book that had been planned, but the series never materialized.
* Issue 99 of Gerard Jones's ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' run is clearly an attempt to drum up support for a series about the altered children who took over the issue, the Strangebrood. This didn't pan out, and the Strangebrood never showed up again anywhere.
* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' has several arcs that serve as preludes for new series.
** The "Crisis Times Five!" arc from Creator/GrantMorrison's run ended with several former members of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica deciding that it might be time to put the team back together and mentor the newest generation of heroes, leading into James Robinson and David Goyer's ''JSA'' relaunch.
** The "Obsidian Age" arc ended with Aquaman resigning from the team and being put on trial for sinking Atlantis, leading directly into Rick Veitch's 2003 ''Aquaman'' relaunch.
** Creator/KurtBusiek introduced the ComicBook/PowerCompany in the 61st issue before quickly spinning them off in their own series.
** The "Tenth Circle" storyline by Creator/JohnByrne and Creator/ChrisClaremont served to set up John Byrne's ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' relaunch, establishing revamped versions of the team's original roster of the Chief, Elasti-Girl, Robotman and Negative Man as well as adding Justice League member Faith and new characters Grunt, Nudge and Vortex as additional recruits for the team.
* The penultimate issue of the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ''Justice League'' series was a [[WholeEpisodeFlashback Whole Issue Flashback]] detailing Characters/{{Robin}}'s first encounter with the League. The story served as a lead-in to the ComicBook/DCRebirth ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans Titans]]'' book that launched not long after.
* In 2005, the anthology series ''ComicBook/StarWarsTales'' featured two stories taking place in the ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' era. One is issue sized while the other lasts only six pages. Two months after the release of the issue featuring the first story, a ''ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' comic series was announced. It was likely that both ideas were created around the same time, however.
* The notorious 'ComicBook/ThePunisher Goes Black' story arc in 1992 that guest-starred Characters/LukeCage served as a pilot for the 1990s Cage series.
* ''ComicBook/XFactor'', the reunion of the original 5 Silver Age ComicBook/XMen members, was set up by events that occurred in several other Marvel titles at the time:
** A crossover of sorts between ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' #263 and ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' #286 revealed that [[Characters/MarvelComicsJeanGrey Jean Grey]], who had seemingly died at the end of ''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga'', was actually alive in a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay.
** ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' #201 saw [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]] leave the X-Men after losing a duel for leadership of the team to [[Characters/MarvelComicsStorm Storm]].
** The final issue of ''[[ComicBook/TheDefenders New Defenders]]'' ended with most of the team being killed off, with former X-Men members [[Characters/MarvelComicsAngel Angel]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBeast Beast]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsIceman Iceman]] left as the only survivors.
** The ''ComicBook/{{Dazzler}}'' series ended with the title character seeking a new beginning, with Beast recommending that she join the new team he was putting together.
** All (or most) of these plot points led to Cyclops, Jean, Angel, Beast and Iceman reuniting and forming a new team, X-Factor. Despite the tease, [[AbortedArc Dazzler did not end up as part of this new series]], as the initial plan to have her be the fifth member of X-Factor was abandoned when editorial decided to resurrect Jean.
* Speaking of ''ComicBook/TheDefenders'', they also got their start this way. Prior to the launch of the series, the three future core members of the Defenders (ComicBook/DoctorStrange, [[Characters/MarvelComicsBruceBanner The Incredible Hulk]] and [[ComicBook/SubMariner Namor]]) teamed up in a crossover that ran between their solo books, followed by a second crossover where Namor partnered with the Hulk and the Characters/SilverSurfer in his own series. The final stretch of the original ''New Defenders'' series also featured two prominent guest appearances from a pair of husband and wife private detectives known as Cutlass and Typhoon, who were seemingly being teased for a potential spin-off that never went anywhere.
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsFrankCastle The Punisher]] himself has his own pilot in the pages of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' (man, Spidey is popping up a lot).
* Another famous case is [[Characters/MarvelComicsLogan Wolverine]]. He first popped up in an issue of ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk''. The creators wanted to use him in other titles but didn't have a clear idea what they wanted to do with the character. They ended up tossing him onto the ComicBook/XMen, in large part because he had been identified as Canadian and they wanted "international" characters for the new team.
* ComicBook/PatsyWalker was resurrected in a storyline that ran across the 2000 annuals for ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' and ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', before receiving a SpinOff ''ComicBook/{{Hellcat}}'' limited series. The mini-series was even advertised at the end of the ''Avengers'' annual.
* Chuck Austen's final few issues of ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' serve as a springboard for the ''[[ComicBook/TheInvadersMarvelComics New Invaders]]''. This is a particularly egregious example, as the finished product reads like an Invaders story that just happens to guest star a few of the Avengers.
* ''Avengers World'' had an ''ComicBook/{{AXIS}}'' tie-in that ran in issues #16-17, where, after undergoing a temporary CharacterAlignment change, [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] formed his own team of heroes to stop the evil Characters/ScarletWitch. The story ended with the heroic Doom using the Witch's power to resurrect [[Characters/AntManHeroes Cassie Lang]], a plot point that had very little to do with the story at hand, but existed to set up the new ''ComicBook/AstonishingAntMan'' series that launched soon after, and under the same writer to boot.
* The ''ComicBook/FearItself: The Home Front'' mini-series had a 3-part story featuring [[Characters/MarvelComicsLauraKinney X-23]], [[Characters/IncredibleHulkSupportingCharacters Amadeus Cho]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsSpiders Spider-Girl]] and the new Power Man and Thunderstrike. The story was clearly meant to build momentum for a new teen superhero team featuring the characters, but it never got off the ground.
* This wasn't even the first time this happened to Amadeus Cho. During the ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'' crossover, the main ''Incredible Hulk'' series did an arc about an eclectic team of heroes that consisted of Amadeus, Hercules, Angel, Namora and the Carmilla Black version of Scorpion. The characters were meant to be spun-off in a new team book called ''The Renegades'', but the pitch ended up being turned down by Marvel. However, the arc ''did'' successfully springboard another series: ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHercules''.
* The second and third issues of the original ''ComicBook/YoungbloodImageComics'' series give one of the flip-sides to ''ComicBook/{{Shadowhawk}}'' and Supreme, respectively. The fourth issue features a prelude to ''ComicBook/{{Pitt}}'', but without the flip-book format.
* ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'':
** Near the end of its run, ''ComicBook/{{The Transformers|Marvel}}'' gave heavy focus to the super hero team, the Neo Knights, even giving them their own spotlight issue and having them play a fairly large role in defeating Unicron in the final issue. It would later be revealed that the Neo Knights were Simon Furman's attempt to become one of Marvel's main writers, with Furman admitting in the last issue's letters page that he believed that the ''Transformers'' were finished as a franchise and that trying to get a Neo Knights spinoff was his new focus.
** The plot for ''ComicBook/TransformersGeneration2'' is kicked off in a {{Crossover}} with ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'', which had an earlier crossover with the Marvel ''Transformers'' comic, but otherwise ignored the other comic.
** ''ComicBook/TransformersVsVisionaries'' was likely one for the WesternAnimation/{{Visionaries}}. Hasbro and IDW revived a short lived and long forgotten '80s property to prominently debut in their [[ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse shared comic universe]] through a crossover with the Transformers. What's more, the crossover came right as said universe was preparing to be discontinued and IDW made it's plot required reading for the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron final event comic]]. It's almost certain that IDW was testing the waters to see if a ''Visionaries'' standalone comic was viable.
* The final issues of the ''ComicBook/SupermanGrounded'' storyline were intended by writer Chris Roberson as (among other things) a backdoor pilot for a "Supermen of America" series.
* [[Creator/ChristopherPriestComics Christopher Priest]] has admitted he only added the Korean heroine Mystek to the ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica Justice League Task Force]]'' during his run to set her up for her own mini-series. [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun When plans for the mini-series were axed, Priest quickly killed her off.]]
* ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'':
** ''The New Teen Titans'' Annual #2 introduces us to ComicBook/{{Vigilante}}, who got his own comic book the following month.
** Creator/GailSimone and Creator/RobLiefeld had collaborated on a two-issue ''Teen Titans'' filler arc that saw the Titans team up with ComicBook/HawkAndDove to battle Kestrel. According to Liefeld, the arc was testing the waters for a ''Titans East'' spin-off series that never got made.
** Creator/GeoffJohns' run had a two-part crossover with ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' titled "Superboy and the Legion", which entailed the two teams battling the Fatal Five Hundred (an AllianceOfAlternates consisting of the Legion's enemies the Fatal Five and 99 alternate counterparts thereof) and served as the beginning of the Threeboot era of the Legion run by Creator/MarkWaid, with the Threeboot continuity being created by a CosmicRetcon resulting from the energies unleashed by destroying every Persuader's Atomic Axe.
** The second-to-last ''Teen Titans'' storyline by Felicia Henderson was meant to be a backdoor pilot for a new ''ComicBook/{{Static}}'' comic book series. The DC relaunch delayed the series, and by the time it launched a year later, it had been retooled to the point that it literally abandoned every bit of set-up introduced in the ''Teen Titans'' arc, and had a new writer as well.
* There was a phase of ''ComicBook/BraveAndTheBold'', after its historical fiction era but before the TeamUpSeries one, where it did this for team books. Notable teams introduced during this period were the Justice League, the Teen Titans, and the original, army book version of the Suicide Squad. The former two got their own books, the Squad wasn't so lucky, at least not until their more famous {{retool}}.
* The ComicBook/BlueBeetle and ComicBook/{{Hardware|1993}} team-up in ''ComicBook/TheBraveAndTheBold'' includes an extremely obvious set-up for a new ''Hardware'' solo series.
* USMarshal J.D. Hart features prominently in issues 42-44 of the original series of ''ComicBook/JonahHex'', essentially acting as a co-star to Jonah in those issues. Hart was going to be spun off into his own book, unofficially titled ''Dakota'', but that book never eventuated and Hart eventually returned as a supporting character in ''Jonah Hex''.
* ''ComicBook/WhatIf'':
** The ninth issue of the original series was probably intended to be this for a series starring the various heroes from Marvel's 1950s comics. Which did happen, albeit 30 years later, with ''ComicBook/AgentsOfAtlas''.
** A much later issue of ''What If'' is the basis for the entire ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2'' universe and ''ComicBook/SpiderGirl''.
** The last issue of the second volume, based on ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', focuses entirely on the [[SpinOffspring next generation of heroes]] who were born from the survivors of the original war when it ended with them trapped in Battleworld. It introduces a whole team, shows off their relationships and personalities, and even ends on a clear SequelHook where they return to Earth to fight the Sentinels that have now taken it over. Unlike either of the above two, though, it's never been revisited.
* ''ComicBook/{{Nova}}'' has a story arc where Sam meets Justice and Speedball, two of the washed-up former members of the New Warriors. Around the same time, ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan Team-Up'' features an arc where Otto encounters a new heroine named Sun Girl. The characters involved later meet and team up for the ComicBook/MarvelNOW relaunch of ''ComicBook/NewWarriors''.
* ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'' #358 (August 1998) is a spotlight issue for the OddCouple of Bishop and Deathbird, established earlier, with them gaining a new ally and getting involved in a struggle against another version of TheEmpire in space. The issue is often commented on, in retrospect, as seeming to serve as a pilot or sales pitch for a SpaceOpera series or storyline, but if so the plans never materialized.
* The crossover between ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' and Creator/ImageComics serves as a pilot episode for writer Ken Penders' incredibly short-lived, creator-owned ''ComicBook/TheLostOnes'' series.
* ''ComicBook/{{Secret War|2004}}'' featured a team-up between many of the characters who would go on form the core cast of ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'', and also set up several plot threads for that series.
* The final arc of ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' features a team-up between Spidey (Miles), Characters/{{Cloak and Dagger|MarvelComics}}, [[Characters/SpiderWomanTitleCharacter Spider-Woman]], and Bombshell. This same group appears in the ''[[ComicBook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand Cataclysm]]: Ultimate Spider-Man'' mini-series before being spun-off in their own book as the ''All-New [[ComicBook/TheUltimates Ultimates]]''.
* Early 00's CrisisCrossover Maximum Security is clearly an attempted launching pad for a few concepts, including a cosmic Avengers team and former stand-in Captain America US Agent. Agent did get his own series, but it was short lived.
* The first arc of ''Avengers Assemble'' was set-up for a new ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' series. It brought the Guardians out of ComicBookLimbo, teased the mystery of how Star-Lord and [[Characters/MarvelComicsThanos Thanos]] had escaped the [[ComicBook/TheThanosImperative Cancerverse]], and ended with the Badoon vowing vengeance on the Earth.
* ''Avengers'' #684 (part of ''ComicBook/AvengersNoSurrender'') was a lead-in to ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk''.
* Whether intended as one or not, the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' three-parter that introduces [[Characters/MarvelComicsGalactus Galactus]] serves as a backdoor pilot for the ''ComicBook/SilverSurfer''. The same run also introduced ComicBook/BlackPanther and ComicBook/TheInhumans, who would later receive their own titles.
* ''ComicBook/MortadeloYFilemon'': Another Ibáñez character, Tete Cohete, is introduced in a ''Mortadelo'' comic of the same name.
* Following the end of Creator/JamesTynionIV's tenure as the writer of ''[[ComicBook/DetectiveComicsRebirth Detective Comics]]'', Bryan Edward Hill was hired to write a short {{Filler}} arc before the start James Robinson's run. The arc saw Batman bring ComicBook/BlackLightning to Gotham in order to help train Cassandra Cain and Duke Thomas, with the group later encountering [[Characters/BatmanAndTheOutsiders Katana]] as the story progressed. Unsurprisingly, it was eventually announced that the storyline would lead into a new volume of ''[[ComicBook/TheOutsiders Batman and the Outsiders]]'', with Hill as the writer.
* The ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'' series had an arc that focused on the cast of ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' prior to the events of the first game. By Ian Flynn's account, it was an attempt to gauge interest for a comic focused on X. Unfortunately, ''Mega Man'' itself was starting to slip in sales by that point, which made the prospect of a series focused on his less iconic counterpart a bit of a crapshoot.
* Issue #100 of ''ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier'' set up the ''ComicBook/{{Titans 2023}}'' series for the ''ComicBook/DawnOfDC'' initiative, pulling together the team and creating a new Titans Tower in Bludhaven.
