History EarlyBirdCameo / ComicBooks

* ''ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'': [[Characters/HawkeyeKateBishop Kate Bishop]]'s new costume from ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' Vol. 2 made a surprise appearance in Creator/MattFraction's ''ComicBook/{{Hawkeye|2012}}'' before its proper debut. This is only notable since ''Hawkeye'' generally runs on the NotWearingTights and CivvieSpandex tropes, with Kate and Clint rarely, if ever, actually wearing any costumes.

* ''Franchise/Transformers}}'': The Protectobots, Aerialbots, Stunticons, and Combaticons in the {{Creator/Marvel|Comics}} ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Transformers Generation 1]]'' comic first appeared in Buster Witwiky's dream in a UK {{filler}} story before their proper debut in the US comic.

!!Franchise/DCComics

* In the ''ComicBook/New52'', Arthur Light initially appears as an A.R.G.U.S. scientist in ''Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}'', and doesn't acquire his Dr. Light powers until the Trinity War crossover that kicks off ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013''.
* ComicBook/JohnConstantine's first appearance, officially ''ComicBook/SwampThing'' #37, unofficially ''Swamp Thing'' #25.
* This happened to the new Aqualad in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' - the version for the animated series was created first, but his comic-book counterpart first appeared in June 2010. The series premiered January 2011.
* [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon]] had a similar story.
* In the ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' graphic novels, Sparrow Redhouse makes a brief cameo in a season one issue, about two years before her proper debut in the "Rebellion" story arc (which also [[RetCon retconned]] an unnamed, masked extra from the TV series as being her).
* The Hourman and Superman of the Justice Legion A appeared during the "Rock of Ages" storyline in ''ComicBook/JLA1997'' -- long before the events of ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion''.

!!Franchise/MarvelComics

* The ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendsForever'' series likes sneaking in characters who haven't appeared on the show yet. For example, Starlight Glimmer, the later BigBad of Season 5, first appeared as a background pony in [[https://twitter.com/AgnesGarbowska/status/574353953116172288 a single panel of issue 14]].
* A couple examples from ''ComicBook/{{Saga}}'' show that Creator/BrianKVaughan does his plotting far in advance.

* Arthur is properly introduced in ''ComicBook/TheTick'' in issue four, but is visible flying around in background shots before then.
* The Protectobots, Aerialbots, Stunticons, and Combaticons in the {{Creator/Marvel|Comics}} ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Transformers Generation 1]]'' comic first appeared in Buster Witwiky's dream in a UK {{filler}} story before their proper debut in the US comic.
* [[spoiler:The White Violin, aka Vanya]] appears near Hargreeves's rushed-up funeral on the cover of ''ComicBook/TheUmbrellaAcademy'''s second issue. [[CoversAlwaysLie She's not present in the actual scene, though]].
* Creator/MarkMillar says that the SupermanSubstitute from ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'' is the Utopian from ''ComicBook/JupitersLegacy''.

** Marvel really seems to love doing this with video games. They debuted the new ComicBook/SpiderWoman costume in the ''Spider-Man Unlimited'' mobile game before officially bringing it into the comics. A few months later, they confirmed that Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099's new costumes from ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' will be showing up there before officially debuting it in the comics.

* In the ''ComicBook/New52'', Arthur Light initially appears as an A.R.G.U.S. scientist in ''Franchise/{{Justice League|OfAmerica}}'', and doesn't acquire his Dr. Light powers until the Trinity War crossover that kicks off ''Comicbook/ForeverEvil2013''.

* [[ComicBook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool Gwenpool]] first appeared on the cover of ''Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars'' #2.

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2014'' [[Characters/MarvelComicsKamalaKhan Kamala Khan]], the [[AffirmativeActionLegacy newest]] ComicBook/MsMarvel, made a brief cameo in the final issue of ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}'' before making her proper debut a few months later.

* Thane, the son of ComicBook/{{Thanos}}, made a cameo in his [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Inhuman]] form in the ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' game before making a proper debut in ''Comicbook/{{Infinity}}''.
* Marvel really seems to love doing this with video games. They debuted the new ComicBook/SpiderWoman costume in the ''Spider-Man Unlimited'' mobile game before officially bringing it into the comics. A few months later, they confirmed that Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099's new costumes from ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' will be showing up there before officially debuting it in the comics.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan''
*** One of the scientists working for Norman Osbourne in the first arc is Otto Octavius. He will be important later on, but now, he's just a scientist among all the others.

** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates''

* ComicBook/KateBishop's new costume from ''ComicBook/YoungAvengers'' Vol. 2 made a surprise appearance in Creator/MattFraction's ''ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'' before its proper debut. This is only notable since ''Hawkeye'' generally runs on the NotWearingTights and CivvieSpandex tropes, with Kate and Clint rarely, if ever, actually wearing any costumes.
* [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan]], the [[AffirmativeActionLegacy newest]] ComicBook/MsMarvel, made a brief cameo in the final issue of ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]]'' before making her proper debut a few months later.

* ComicBook/MsMarvel
** [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan]], the [[AffirmativeActionLegacy newest]] ComicBook/MsMarvel, made a brief cameo in the final issue of ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]]'' before making her proper debut a few months later.

* [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan]], the [[AffirmativeActionLegacy newest]] ComicBook/MsMarvel, made a brief cameo in the final issue of ''[[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]]'' before making her proper debut a few months later.

* The Sam Alexander version of Comicbook/{{Nova}} and the Ava Ayala version of ComicBook/WhiteTiger made their debuts this way as well. They were both created for ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'', but Ava debuted much earlier in ''Comicbook/AvengersAcademy'', while Sam showed up first as an [[WholeCostumeReference alternate skin]] in ''Ultimate VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' (albeit still with Rich's standard-issue golden helmet rather than a black one) before making a proper appearance in ''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen''.

* The Hourman and Superman of the Justice Legion A appeared during the "Rock of Ages" storyline in ''''ComicBook/JLA1997'' -- long before the events of ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion''.

* The Hourman and Superman of the Justice Legion A appeared during the "Rock of Ages" storyline in ''ComicBook/1997'' -- long before the events of ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion''.

* The Protectobots, Aerialbots, Stunticons, and Combaticons in the {{Creator/Marvel|Comics}} ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformers Transformers Generation 1]]'' comic first appeared in Buster Witwiky's dream in a UK {{filler}} story before their proper debut in the US comic.