Throwback Thursday: Marvel And DC’s First Crossover Was ‘The Wizard Of Oz’
DC and Marvel Comics both sport an incredible assortment of characters, many of which have ascended beyond their pages to become staples of pop culture. Heroes such as Superman and Spider-Man have entertained countless readers as members of their respective universes, but the itch to see the two imprints crossover still continues to be an occasion fans clamor for. This precedent was set back in 1975 when Marvel and DC finally came together to present their first official collaboration: …The Wizard of Oz?
While the wonderful land of Oz is hardly anything to scoff at, it’s definitely not the collision of comic book worlds fans would have expected. The crossover instead materialized in effort to bring the beloved 1939 musical to the page, a thrilling prospect in the years before the film debuted on VHS or DVD. DC would initialize plans for this incarnation, but they wouldn’t be alone. Marvel coincidentally had their own version of Oz in the works as well, alternatively based on author L. Frank Baum’s original story.
Oddly enough, neither team were the wiser about each other’s separate journey down the Yellow Brick Road, that is until Marvel editor Stan (freakin’) Lee ultimately stumbled upon the connection. Rather than continue efforts as dueling publications, Lee and DC’s Carmine Infantino made the decision to combine their projects for a super-sized team-up for the ages. With these new plans in place, November 1975 would see the release of MGM’s Marvelous Wizard of Oz #1, marking the first intercompany crossover between Marvel and DC.
This wouldn’t be the last time the two comic giants would assemble for the greater good, with many more collaborations becoming a reality over the next few decades. This run of crossovers notably kicked off in 1976 with the unprecedented first meeting of DC’s Superman and Marvel’s Spider-Man, and only proceeded to go bigger from there. Subsequent bouts saw further unthinkable team-ups such as Batman and Daredevil, X-Men and Teen Titans, and even The Avengers and Justice League of America.
What do you think? Are you fascinated with how a coincidence led to such a huge collaboration? Which DC/Marvel crossover is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! Also, be on the lookout for the next Throwback Thursday where we’ll highlight yet another piece of trivia from gaming past. For entries from previous weeks, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
