Marvel-DC Merged Universe Community Project...

de-age him back to a teenager... thats workable. I think having him get bit by the spider near the end of his Sophomore year at High School (lets say he just turned 16 or 17...) could have a huge amount of possibilities. He spends a good part of the rest of his sophomore year and the summer following to figure out how to use his powers...etc.

As for joining the Teen Titans... that seems workable as well. However, for the most part, Spider-man is a solitary hero. if he does join the TT, then he probably be a member held in reserve.

At least, that is my take on it.

Okay... but that's close to how he was as the start of the Marvel Universe too. Are we going to have him gain his powers at the beginning of the modern era, like in the regular Marvel U? Because, if so , then he'd still be an adult nowadays, and would likely have graduated the Titans by then. As for being a 'Solidarity Hero', obviously, you're not taking his Avengers membership into account. Personally though, I've never really cared for Spidey being an Avenger, so I could take or leave that

Moving back into the possibilities of a shared universe for a second, I had another thought:

In my mind, Superman and Professor Xavier would have a very strong working relationship and even a professional friendship. They'd likely meet for lunch a few times a year and speak together at events for human, metahuman, and mutant peace. The two have similar ideals, and goals, so it makes sense that they would get along swimmingly. Superman would also respect Xavier as one of the few people who could easily stop him if he went rogue.

The rest of the X-Men would see Superman either with indifference, resentment, or flat out hostility. I would largely see Wolverine as indifferent; Superman seems legit to him, but he's been disappointed before. I think some characters, like Rogue and Beast, would secretly resent Superman, who has everything, and didn't get sidelined in looks or the ability to interact with others.

Storm, Jean, Kitty, Nightcrawler, Archangel, and Colossus would probably really like him.

But then, I would see Cyclops, Gambit, Cable, and Emma as openly hostile to Superman for various reasons. Mostly because they don't like some prissy alien Jesus going around and acting like a moral authority on superhuman relations. Cyclops would argue that Superman's presence is making things worse for mutants, because he gets the "Will Smith" treatment. (People defy their own prejudice by saying, "I wouldn't be a bigot if every mutant was like Superman".)

And here's where I'd like to do something controversial: Lois Lane (at least in early stories) would be an example of what Cyclops is talking about.

Starting out, I would make Lois Lane anti-mutant. As a self-made woman, growing up in a military family, to me it would make sense that she would have a deep-seeded resentment of people born with superpowers. She would see Superman as an "exception that proves the rule".

Let me use a sample conversation with Clark:

• Clark: I don't understand, Lois. You don't like mutants, but you like Superman...
• Lois: Correction, Smallville. I never said I don't like mutants. I said they're...problematic.
• Clark: Explain the difference, please.
• Lois: Say, the Winter Olympics are next year, right?
• Clark: Um, I guess. But, you're changing the subj—
• Lois: You think any mutants are going to be in it?
• Clark: What? Well...probably not. That's against the rules, isn't it?
• Lois: Maybe. But who's going to know? Maybe there'll be a guy who can slow time just a fraction in the downhill skiing. That'll give him fantastic reflexes.
• Clark: Well, there's ways of detecting—
• Lois: Exactly. That's exactly my point, Smallville. We want people tested before they enter the Olympics, because want things to be fair. Because we want to measure what humans can do. But mutants change all that. Mutants, for the most part, look like us, and they're born like us. They don't come from space, or from the future, or from some obscure island. They aren't visitors from another time and place.
• Clark: That means they're just people, Lois. Like us. And most of them are heroes; doing their best to help.
• Lois: No, Smallville. If a soldier rushes into the line of fire to save a comrade, he's in just as much danger of being shot. That's a hero. I have more respect for someone like that than someone that was born with the power to turn their flesh to steel.
• Clark: But Superman...
• Lois: Was at least up front about it. Superman volunteered his services to the betterment of mankind. He doesn't hide, and he doesn't pretend to be somethign he isn't.
• Clark: ...I see.

technically, Superman's not a mutant.

I like that idea.

Hey King Zeal, I find myself REALLY liking your ideas regarding Superman's relationships with others. They are well thought out and look like they can add a whole new depth to his character and to the world.

[[quoteblock]]technically, Superman's not a mutant.[[quoteblock]]

Ah, but does Lois KNOW for sure that he is not a mutant? As far as I can tell, Superman is a human being or a mutant with incredible powers...and he's not hiding. He came out into the open and is using those powers for the benefit of fellow man being. Other mutants are disguising themselves, trying to blend in. In her mind, he basically IS a mutant.

Unless he comes right out and tells everyone that he is an alien, everyone will probably just assume that he is some kind of Mutant... or something.

Which brings up another point... for all the average citizens know, ALL superheroes with powers ARE mutants! What effect would that have on the world?

It would probably lead to or help standardize a general distrust of super heroes in general...

edited 24th Oct '13 11:24:29 AM by Durzan

In my scenario, the world at large knows he's an alien. Lois knows he's not a mutant. That's why he's an "exception" to her.

However, I imagine that people have a hard time telling the different types of superheroes apart the same way they try to lump all middle eastern and Asian people together. For example, the Miss America backlash.

Kinda like how some people think Spider-Man is a mutant.

Speaking of Spider-Man, I do think that he should start as a loner. Working with a team gives him legitimacy. That's not a bad thing, but not something Spider-Man should start with.

Expanding on Zeal's idea about Superman's relationship to the mutants, might I suggest that he's somewhat popular among the freaky-looking-but-powerless mutants due to regularly standing up for them and saving them from mobs. Since he looks normal, they might consider him to be a norm, but a good one. (Naturally, there would also be a group of powerless mutants who sympathise with Magneto, and they would probably see Superman as an agent of The Man due to him also saving norms from attacks by mutants gangs).

Speaking of Magneto, the reason I would give for Superman standing aside and letting the X-Men handle Magneto (aside from the go-to response of "He was off-planet") would be an agreement between himself and Xavier that mutants need as much good publicity as possible. Letting Superman, a popular non-mutant superhuman, fight mutant problems would basically be telling the world, "See? Mutants really ARE useless! Go Superman!"

An interesting idea, and one fans of both universes have probably spent some of time thinking about.

What about the Greek pantheon? Being a fan of both versions of Ares, it would be a shame to have to cut one or merge them together.

So, I assume all the made up countries will be in, like Wakanda, Kahndaq, etc. Is Skataris going to be included (possibly below Subterrana)?

Another interesting thing is the "cosmic aspect", apart from all the planets and alien races, there's also the Green Lantern Corps and Nova Corps being similar in concept.

And I hope we're sticking with the pre-52 JSA at least.

I would also argue that Xavier should be fairly obsessed with secrecry. As a telepath, there are no secrets from him. He knows everything. That's a lot of power, and it would lead to him wanting to keep as much information to himself as he can. He would instill this same obsession with secrecy in the X-Men. But over time, as other mutants become more and more public, the X-Men would start wanting to join those mutants, creating tension between them and Xavier.

Speaking of Xavier and secrecy, it would be interesting to know who the "Illuminati" of this universe would contain.

edited 24th Oct '13 1:20:06 PM by supergod

I was kinda thinking of kinda just using our own versions of the heroes, based off of collective data from various eras including the modern versions, but that is my opinion. That would allow for a little more flexibility and creativity in terms of deciding what power level characters like Superman should be at. EX: Do we go pre-crisis kind of power or post-crisis? Do we give concrete definitions for their limits, or do we leave it deliberately vague so as to give us the potential to pull stuff out of thin air in a pinch.

edited 24th Oct '13 1:33:36 PM by Durzan

To be honest, I've had quite enough of Asshole Xavier.

Well, I mentioned pre-52 JSA, because they don't exist in the main post-52 universe.

edited 24th Oct '13 1:35:28 PM by supergod

Probably a few villians as well as a few Well-Intentioned Extremists.

edited 24th Oct '13 1:38:58 PM by Durzan

...I see?

The pre-nu52 JSA were basically the DCU's first Superhero teams, operating as far back as the early days of WWII. However, the nu52 wiped out that version of the team altogether, instead replacing with a JSA that operates in a different dimension then the main the DCU. (Earth-2.) The pre-Crisis DC had this too, except that that JSA was still the old WWII team. This JSA only started operating a couple of years ago.

Agreed.

Someone brought up the Nova Corps and the Green Lanterns. I know more about the Green Lanterns than Nova, but the two groups share roughly similar goals, right? But we can't just fold one of them into the other. What's the solution here?

Also, what are you guys' thoughts on some rogues gallery transplants? Like giving the Lizard to, say, Bwana Beast (and yes, I'm just using him as an example) or the Penguin to Daredevil. Who would be good candidates for that, if anyone?

... Lex Luthor could be a good Iron Man villain.

Indeed; Lexadiah Stan— uh, ahem; I mean, Lex Luthor would indeed be a good fit to Iron Man's gallery.

(Seriously though, Obadiah Stane was practically Post-Crisis Lex before Post-Crisis Lex. All we would really need to do is replace Stane with Lex, make sure Lex doesn't die like Stane did, and viola!)

edited 24th Oct '13 3:33:45 PM by kkhohoho

Oooooh.... That does have some possibilities...

@King Zeal

...Sorry, but I don't think Beast would feel that way. Sure, Beast had angst over his new furry form at first, but it wasn't long before he got over it; he ended up being just fine with his brand new few form, and even reveled in it, at least when on the Avengers. Sure, he had insecurities about it again very occasionally, but for the most part, has accepted who he is is, and probably wouldn't really resent Superman for that.

It's kind of a tiresome trope, really. 'Inhuman-looking freak that should be lonely and depressed, but in reality, is mostly fine with his freakish appearance.' And it's not just mutants, either; look at the Thing. I think the originally behind this type of character was to try and the offset the amount of characters in fiction who did suffer heavy angst from their inhuman bodies or faces, but it's been used so many times by now that you almost wished there were more inhuman-looking characters with a lot of angst.

edited 24th Oct '13 5:53:05 PM by kkhohoho