At last, we're getting an official Disney characters/Marvel Comics crossover, and who's taking part may be a surprise!
Way back in 2009 (which feels much longer ago), Disney made a huge move by buying Marvel Comics. The iconic company has seen a lot of ups and downs over the years while also having some partnerships with Disney.
There were jokes at the time (and some serious worries) that would lead to Disney characters basically becoming part of the Marvel Universe. That never quite happened, with Disney's biggest influence being helping get the MCU started and using Marvel characters at Disney parks.
Marvel has published several comics using Disney properties like Star Wars and the Pixar library. There have also been some tongue-in-cheek "What If" one-shots that imagine Disney characters as Marvel heroes and a truly wild Donald Duck/Wolverine crossover.
Well, at last, we're getting a full-on crossover between a Disney property and a Marvel Comic, and it may be a surprising one!
What is the latest Disney-Marvel crossover?
Set to debut this October, Fantastic Four/Gargoyles comes from Marvel, Disney, and Dynamite Entertainment. This one-shot special is written by Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman with artist George Kambadais and letterer Jeff Eckleberry, who had worked on Dynamite's Gargoyles series.
The one-shot comes with multiple covers, including one by iconic Marvel artist Mark Bagley and Gargoyles artist Amanda Conner. A special tease for the special will come in this May's Gargoyles: Demona #0, part of the annual Free Comic Book Day event.
As for the plot, it looks like a classic idea of the Gargoyles invited to tour the Baxter Building, the home of the Fantastic Four. As regular in these specials, it's also a team-up of villains as the Gargoyle's old foe, Coldsteel, pairs up with the FF's arch-nemesis, the alien Annihilus, and the teams have to work to stop them.
"Key members of the Manhattan Clan, including Goliath, Elisa Maza, Brooklyn, Katana and Nashville have been invited on a tour of one of the most impressive and technologically advanced buildings in their adopted home of New York City — the Baxter Building. Everything goes awry when a fearsome cast of foes from both mythos cross paths, including Coldsteel, the Gargoyle aka Yuri Topolov, and the deadly Annihilus. Fans will get to enjoy Franklin and Valeria bonding with Gnash, at least until everything gets out of control. Then both families — including Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Thing, the Human Torch, Broadway and Angela — will have to team up, split into teams, and save the day across Manhattan, the Negative Zone, and beyond."
It's a wild teaming as well as an unusual mix of heroes.
Using the Fantastic Four for this crossover is a no-brainer. They were the very first Marvel heroes, and of course, the new Fantastic Four: First Steps movie is going to boost them even more. This one-shot uses the regular Marvel continuity FF, not the MCU versions, and will no doubt have allusions to the film.
The Gargoyles are more of a surprise. One would think that if anyone in Disney would pair with the FF, it's The Incredibles, which was always obviously influenced by the comic. Yet the Gargoyles might surprisingly work too.
For those who don't know, Gargoyles premiered in 1994 and soon established itself as one of the best Disney animated series ever. The title characters are creatures who turn to stone by day. A magical spell causes them to awaken in modern-day New York City, where they use their abilities to protect others.
While the cartoon aired for only three years, it amassed a massive cult following that's grown over the decades. That includes a recent comic book series from Marvel/Dynamite that continues their adventures.
The property has always been about the clan as a family, with Goliath the "father" figure, and the others, his kids. He tries to protect and learn from their mistakes. In that regard, they are a good link to the FF.
There's also the fun dynamic of the Gargoyles, supernatural creatures from the 10th century, matched with the futuristic high-tech FF. We can also get a great bit where the Thing, for once, feels totally comfortable with these "monsters."
There's no exact date or price yet for the one-shot, but this could be the start of some new Marvel-Disney crossovers and pave the way for some fantastic team-ups.
Gargoyles streaming on Disney+.