History WolverinePublicity / TheDCU

* Before Batman, Franchise/{{Superman}} used to be the standard go-to character for gratuituous publicity in DC comics titles until around the late [[The80s 80's]]-early [[The90s 90's]]. He still occasionally appears as a guest to push up sales, especially when he always turns up in a flagging new series starring an untested character (of course, given Superman's speed he could actually pull this off if he wanted to).
** At one point Superman had four monthly comics -- ''Superman'', ''ComicBook/ActionComics'', ''Superman: The Man of Steel'', and ''Adventures of Superman''. After ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' storyline, these were each headlined by a different 'replacement Superman' for a time[[note]]This list doesn't even take into account the rather obscure fifth title ''Superman: Man of Tomorrow'', published around the same era and appearing only on the last Wednesday of months with ''five'' Wednesdays in them.[[/note]]
** As of October 2014, Superman is the lead in ''Superman'', ''Action Comics'', one of two leads in ''Batman/Superman'', ''World's Finest'', and ''Superman/Wonder Woman'', and a member of the main cast in ''Justice League''.
** In 1976, DC Comics released a special oversized comic titled ''Superman Salutes the Bicentennial'', in honor of the United States' 200th birthday. The book itself was actually reprints of DC's colonial-era hero ComicBook/{{Tomahawk}}, with Superman appearing on the cover and first two pages only.
** As DC's most popular character in the 1950s and 60s, Superman had the most books out of anyone at DC: ''Superman'', ''ComicBook/ActionComics'', one-half of ''World's Finest Comics'', ''ComicBook/AdventureComics'' (as ComicBook/{{Superboy}}), ''Superboy'', prominent appearances in ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen'' and ''ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane'', and regularly seen in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica''.
** Supes acknowledges this trope in Creator/SergioAragones' ''Fanboy'' where he says they usually stick him in the first issue of a new series to boost the sales.
** And to top it off, it wasn't always to promote DCU comics, such as the famous Superman[=/=][[Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]] crossover that predated the cartoon by a year.
* In the 90's, after his creation and ''ComicBook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime'', Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner was somewhat guilty of this, too. He had his own title, adventures with the Nightwing-less Titans incarnation, joined the JLA, had cross-overs with Superboy, Franchise/TheFlash, Connor!Green Arrow, ''still'' had his own monthly, made an appearance or two in ''ComicBook/{{Wonder Woman|1987}}'' during the period Donna Troy had just lost her ex-husband and son, and basically showed up in a lot of titles. More of an inversion, though, since he was also establishing himself as a hero in his own right and had to run across these other heroes at ''some'' point; his guest appearances weren't about using him to hype other characters, they were using the other characters to hype ''him''.

* The ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' relaunch got rid of many of the smaller, more experimental DC books in favor of an increased focus on franchises that are either already popular, or are connected to the Series/{{Arrowverse}} or Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. More specifically, ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' was renamed ''ComicBook/BatgirlAndTheBirdsOfPrey'' after the recent burst of popularity ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} enjoyed in ''ComicBook/Batgirl2011''.
* The Jaime Reyes ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'' (see above under "Batman") actually got this a lot, with ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} and ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger showing up for a few pages and getting a picture on the cover of various issues. Though VindicatedByHistory, the series was never a huge seller when it was running, so this might well have been an attempt to promote it. It was never ''too'' JustForFun/{{egregious}}, though, and is even kind of entertaining in the way that it makes Jaime seem like a WeirdnessMagnet.

* While already an iconic character, the success of her solo movie led to DC marketing Franchise/WonderWoman as a much bigger deal, with the revised 5G timeline flat-out retconning her into having been the first superhero to emerge during the Golden Age. This extends to reprinted material as well, such as a paperback collection of the 90s ''[[ComicBook/JusticeLeagueInternational Justice League America]]'' series being marketed as ''Wonder Woman and the Justice League America''.
* There was a period of several years where DC was pushing ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' as their next major franchise, complete with several titles and major crossover events like ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'' and ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', as well as a [[WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries Saturday morning cartoon]], numerous guest appearances and a Ride/SixFlags ride. The DC Universe Classics action figure line from Creator/{{Mattel}} even had an entire Green Lantern wave ''and'' one based around ''Blackest Night''. This pretty much all went away after the ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' live-action movie, which was meant to fully cement the character as one of DC's A-listers, turned out to be a BoxOfficeBomb. Since then, the franchise has never quite managed to recapture that brief burst of popularity it had when Creator/GeoffJohns was still writing it.
* Combining the above example with the Batman folder, as 2011 saw the release of the ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' movie and the following year would see the release of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', the first issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011'' (released later the same year as the former) sees the first team-up be GL and Batman.

* Creator/{{Wildstorm}} also tried to pull this off with [[ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm Grifter, Zealot]] and, later, [[ComicBook/TheAuthority Midnighter]], by having them make as many guest appearances as possible. Grifter and Midnighter actually starred in ''two'' miniseries just about them teaming up! Generally the best way to tell if a comic was in trouble was by how prominently Grifter appeared on the cover. When Wildstorm was still an Image imprint, Grifter and Zealot shared the spotlight with ComicBook/{{Spawn}} and [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} Badrock]]. Badrock is an oddity in that his solo series was short-lived and he's much better known for Youngblood, but he was the star of the ''Marvel Team Up''-like ''Badrock and Company'' and has had many crossover minis -- including ones with Wolverine ''and'' Grifter.

* Before Batman, Franchise/{{Superman}} used to be the standard go-to character for gratuituous publicity in DC comics titles until around the late [[TheEighties 80's]]-early [[TheNineties 90's]]. He still occasionally appears as a guest to push up sales, especially when he always turns up in a flagging new series starring an untested character (of course, given Superman's speed he could actually pull this off if he wanted to).

* Before Batman, Franchise/{{Superman}} used to be the standard go-to character for gratuituous publicity in DC comics titles until the late [[TheEighties 80's]]-early [[TheNineties 90's]]. He still occasionally appears as a guest to push up sales, especially when he always turns up in a flagging new series starring an untested character (of course, given Superman's speed he could actually pull this off if he wanted to).

* Before Batman, Franchise/{{Superman}} used to be the standard go-to character for gratuituous publicity in DC comics titles until the late [[TheEighties 80's]]. He still occasionally appears as a guest to push up sales, especially when he always turns up in a flagging new series starring an untested character (of course, given Superman's speed he could actually pull this off if he wanted to).

** As DC's most popular character in the 1950s and 60s, Superman had the most books out of anyone at DC: ''Superman'', ''ComicBook/ActionComics'', one-half of ''World's Finest Comics'', ''ComicBook/AdventureComics'' (as ComicBook/{{Superboy}}), ''Superboy'', prominent appearances in ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen'' and ''ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendComicBook/LoisLane'', and regularly seen in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica''.

* The second trade paperback of DC's ''ComicBook/{{Justice}}'' miniseries has the LegionOfDoom on the cover, with ComicBook/TheJoker front and center. Except that the Joker was never ''in'' the Legion of Doom, wasn't broken out of prison when Legion member Scarecrow escaped from Arkham Asylum, and only makes cameo appearances in the rest of the series, in a PaperThinDisguise as an Amish man most of the time, and he blows up a building. None of those things have any bearing on the actual plot. The ''actual'' main villains of the series, ComicBook/LexLuthor and ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}, are shoved off to the side behind Joker, as if to insinuate that they're supporting characters instead of the main antagonists. This may be a MythologyGag in reference to the various ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' series, which ''Justice'' is heavily inspired by; Joker was originally slated to be a member of the Legion of Doom, but due to a {{Creator/Filmation}} cartoon being produced at the same time getting the rights to him first, the Ace of Knaves was [[ExiledFromContinuity largely left out of]] ''Super Friends''.
* Creator/{{Wildstorm}} also tried to pull this off with [[ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm Grifter, Zealot]] and, later, [[ComicBook/TheAuthority Midnighter]], by having them make as many guest appearances as possible. Grifter and Midnighter actually starred in ''two'' miniseries just about them teaming up! Generally the best way to tell if a comic was in trouble was by how prominently Grifter appeared on the cover. When Wildstorm was still an Image imprint, Grifter and Zealot shared the spotlight with ComicBook/{{Spawn}} and [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} Badrock]]. Badrock is an oddity in that his solo series was short-lived and he's much better known for Youngblood, but he was the star of the ''Marvel Team Up''-like ''Badrock and Company'' and has had many crossover minis -- including ones with Wolverine ''and'' Grifter!
* Believe it or not, [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] was often shoved on the cover back in the 40s, when he was the decade's most popular hero. Of course, since the number of genres was a lot more eclectic, you'd see him promoting the latest FunnyAnimal book or Western.

* The ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' relaunch got rid of many of the smaller, more experimental DC books in favor of an increased focus on franchises that are either already popular, or are connected to the Series/{{Arrowverse}} or Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse. More specifically, ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' was renamed ''ComicBook/BatgirlAndTheBirdsOfPrey'' after the recent burst of popularity Batgirl enjoyed in her solo series.
* The Jaime Reyes ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'' (see above under "Batman") actually got this a lot, with Franchise/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Oracle}} and ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger showing up for a few pages and getting a picture on the cover of various issues. Though VindicatedByHistory, the series was never a huge seller when it was running, so this might well have been an attempt to promote it. It was never ''too'' JustForFun/{{egregious}}, though, and is even kind of entertaining in the way that it makes Jaime seem like a WeirdnessMagnet.

** As DC's most popular character in the 1950s and 60s, Superman had the most books out of anyone at DC: ''Superman'', ''Action Comics'', one-half of ''World's Finest Comics'', ''Adventure Comics'' (as ComicBook/{{Superboy}}), ''Superboy'', prominent appearances in ''Superman's Pal, ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' and ''Superman's Girl Friend ComicBook/LoisLane'', and regularly seen in ''Justice League of America.''

* ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil2013'': Though it is more or less par for the course, Batman's exposure in Villains Month far outshines most others. In all of his goings-on taking place in the present day, he has four villain issues, making for a total of ''sixteen'' between ''Batman'', ''Batman and Robin'', ''Batman: The Dark Knight'', and ''Detective Comics'', seventeen if ComicBook/SupermanBatman counts. The next highest amount is Franchise/{{Superman}} at eight or nine following the same rules between ''Action Comics'' and ''Superman'' as his personal goings-on. The third member of the Big Three, Franchise/WonderWoman, has only two issues in her one ongoing, less than many of the other series going on. The Batman situation would not be so jarring but for the fact that some of the villains involved in it have no connection to ''Forever Evil'' (ComicBook/TheJoker being highly publicized, but one of these), are very new to Franchise/TheDCU ([[ComicBook/NightOfTheOwls the Court of Owls]]), are just being introduced at this time (Joker's Daughter) or are actually a rogue of another member of the Batfamily (Ventriloquist III).

* Harley Quinn could be considered Deadpool's AlternateCompanyEquivalent in this regard. She's been a popular character for years, but this trope was taken UpToEleven after the launch of her ComicBook/New52 [[ComicBook/HarleyQuinn series]] and her role in the ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' movie. She appears in nearly all of the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'' publicity despite her fairly minor role, is likely to turn up in almost any ''Batman''-themed merchandise, and ended up as one of the most prominent characters in the ''Franchise/DCSuperHeroGirls'' line ''despite not actually being a hero''. That's not even getting into her many comic book appearances, including two separate months where many books had Harley Quinn-themed variant covers (much like the Deadpool variants mentioned above).

** At one point Superman had four monthly comics -- ''Superman'', ''ComicBook/ActionComics'', ''Superman: The Man of Steel'', and ''Adventures of Superman''. After ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' storyline, these were each headlined by a different 'replacement Superman' for a time[[note]]This list doesn't even take into account the rather obscure fifth title ''Superman: Man of Tomorrow'', published around the same era and appearing only on the last Wednesday of months with ''five'' Wednesdays in them.

** In 1976, DC Comics released a special oversized comic titled ''Superman Salutes the Bicentennial'', in honor of the United States' 200th birthday. The book itself was actually reprints of DC's colonial-era hero Tomahawk, with Superman appearing on the cover and first two pages only.

* NinetiesAntiHero ComicBook/{{Lobo}} has also been used in this way. One ''Superman'' cover had the strapline "In this issue: Lobo appears on one page!" As a parody of Wolverine, this is to be expected.

* ''ComicBook/ForeverEvil'': Though it is more or less par for the course, Batman's exposure in Villains Month far outshines most others. In all of his goings-on taking place in the present day, he has four villain issues, making for a total of ''sixteen'' between ''Batman'', ''Batman and Robin'', ''Batman: The Dark Knight'', and ''Detective Comics'', seventeen if ComicBook/SupermanBatman counts. The next highest amount is Franchise/{{Superman}} at eight or nine following the same rules between ''Action Comics'' and ''Superman'' as his personal goings-on. The third member of the Big Three, Franchise/WonderWoman, has only two issues in her one ongoing, less than many of the other series going on. The Batman situation would not be so jarring but for the fact that some of the villains involved in it have no connection to ''Forever Evil'' (ComicBook/TheJoker being highly publicized, but one of these), are very new to Franchise/TheDCU ([[ComicBook/NightOfTheOwls the Court of Owls]]), are just being introduced at this time (Joker's Daughter) or are actually a rogue of another member of the Batfamily (Ventriloquist III).

* Creator/{{Wildstorm}} also tried to pull this off with [[ComicBook/WildCATs Grifter, Zealot]] and, later, [[ComicBook/TheAuthority Midnighter]], by having them make as many guest appearances as possible. Grifter and Midnighter actually starred in ''two'' miniseries just about them teaming up! Generally the best way to tell if a comic was in trouble was by how prominently Grifter appeared on the cover. When Wildstorm was still an Image imprint, Grifter and Zealot shared the spotlight with ComicBook/{{Spawn}} and [[ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} Badrock]]. Badrock is an oddity in that his solo series was short-lived and he's much better known for Youngblood, but he was the star of the ''Marvel Team Up''-like ''Badrock and Company'' and has had many crossover minis -- including ones with Wolverine ''and'' Grifter!

* NinetiesAntiHero SelfDemonstrating/{{Lobo}} has also been used in this way. One ''Superman'' cover had the strapline "In this issue: Lobo appears on one page!" As a parody of Wolverine, this is to be expected.

* Combining the above example with the Batman folder, as 2011 saw the release of the ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' movie and the following year would see the release of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', the first issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011'' (released later the same year as the former) sees the first team-up be GL and Batman.
* ''[[ComicBook/TheHiketeia Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia]]. Batman is featured very prominently on the cover and while aside from the titular Wonder Woman, he is the only other hero in the book his actual page time is rather limited.

* Combining the above example with the Batman folder, as 2011 saw the release of the ''Film/GreenLantern2011'' movie and the following year would see the release of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', the first issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011'' (released later the same year as the former) sees the first team-up be GL and Batman.

* In the 90's, after his creation and ''ComicBook/ZeroHour'', Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner was somewhat guilty of this, too. He had his own title, adventures with the Nightwing-less Titans incarnation, joined the JLA, had cross-overs with Superboy, Franchise/TheFlash, Connor!Green Arrow, ''still'' had his own monthly, made an appearance or two in ''ComicBook/{{Wonder Woman|1987}}'' during the period Donna Troy had just lost her ex-husband and son, and basically showed up in a lot of titles. More of an inversion, though, since he was also establishing himself as a hero in his own right and had to run across these other heroes at ''some'' point; his guest appearances weren't about using him to hype other characters, they were using the other characters to hype ''him''.

* There was a period of several years where DC was pushing ''Franchise/GreenLantern'' as their next major franchise, complete with several titles and major crossover events like ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar'' and ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'', as well as a [[WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries Saturday morning cartoon]], numerous guest appearances and a Ride/SixFlags ride. The DC Universe Classics action figure line from Creator/{{Mattel}} even had an entire Green Lantern wave ''and'' one based around ''Blackest Night''. This pretty much all went away after the ''Film/GreenLantern'' live-action movie, which was meant to fully cement the character as one of DC's A-listers, turned out to be a BoxOfficeBomb. Since then, the franchise has never quite managed to recapture that brief burst of popularity it had when Creator/GeoffJohns was still writing it.
* Combining the above example with the Batman folder, as 2011 saw the release of the ''Film/GreenLantern'' movie and the following year would see the release of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', the first issue of ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague2011'' (released later the same year as the former) sees the first team-up be GL and Batman.