History Main / SpiritualCrossover

* ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman'' #20-25 had the titular heroes being transported to the world of [[ComicBook/TheUltimates The Maximums]], who wanted revenge after a brainwashed Superman[=/=]Batman killed one of their teammates, Skyscraper (Giant-Man). It was ultimately revealed that the plot was masterminded by ComicBook/TheJoker and Mr. Mxyzptlk, playing a cosmic game in exchange for gaining - or losing - their RealityWarper powers. This was, itself, a reference to similar plotlines involving the Squadron Supreme. The story culminated in many Supermen and Batmen [[FusionDance being combined into the Composite Superman-Batman]] and the Maximums being combined into The Maximum Maximum, and then they fought. [[WidgetSeries It's that kind of series]].

* ''ComicBook/NotBrandEchh'' had an entire issue dedicated to this, though this being Brand Echh, both sides were comprised of {{Captain Ersatz}}es: [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Spidey-Man]] battled [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Gnatman]] And [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Rotten]], The [[ComicBook/IronMan Ironed Man]] dueled with [[ComicBook/MagnusRobotFighter Magnut, Robot Biter]] and [[ComicBook/NickFury Knock Furious, agent of S.H.E.E.S.H.]] fought the [[ComicBook/TheLosers Blunder Agents]]. And it was glorious.

* ''Literature/AStudyInEmerald'' by Creator/NeilGaiman centers around an [[TheWatson unnamed war veteran]] who teams up with a [[WritingAroundTrademarks just-as-unnamed]] [[Franchise/SherlockHolmes brilliant, yet misanthropic genius]] to combat a revolutionary and his partner who are trying to destabilize the peace brought by [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos The Old Ones]] to earth. The revolutionary's name? [[spoiler: Why, [[InternalReveal Sherlock Holmes]]. The narrator, [[BaitAndSwitch who we were led to believe]] was Watson, is in fact Sebastian Moran, [[TheDragon Dragon]] of Moriarty. The TwistEnding thus changes the story from this trope into an actual crossover of the two properties.]]

Compare[=/=]Contrast CaptainErsatz and {{Expy}}, which are about individual clones of another company[=/=]writer's character that aren't necessarily involved in any sort of {{Crossover}} plot.

This may involve a CastOfExpies, in case there are several individual characters copied from different works instead of just one. Also, do not be surprised if these newly-made characters are made [[CorruptedCharacterCopy a little more villainous]] than their original versions just to [[TakeThat pour some more salt on the wound]].

* At one point Marvel and DC had a special type of crossover in mind: one character of each company would be stranded, for a year, in the universe of the other company, that would use it for a year as they saw fit. The project fell into DevelopmentHell and was never done. So Marvel did it on their own: at the turn of the century they had the ComicBook/UltimateMarvel universe (an UltimateUniverse of the Marvel universe) and the ComicBook/SupremePower universe (an UltimateUniverse of the aforementioned Squadron Supreme, and so based on DC Comics to some degree). There was a crossover between both in "Ultimate Power", and after it Nick Fury was moved to the Supreme Power universe and Zarda to the Ultimate Marvel one.

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': The team of ComicBook/DoctorFate, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/SolomonGrundy, [[ComicBook/{{Hawkman}} Hawkgirl]], ComicBook/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/WonderWoman battled the [[TentacledTerror octopoid]] [[EldritchAbomination abomination]] [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Icthultu]] in the episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E15And16TheTerrorBeyond The Terror Beyond]]". Totally not Cthulhu, you see. [[ImplausibleDeniability Even though they literally call him an "old one" in the episode]]...[[note]]But you know what's even better? The team listed above were picked as an {{Homage}} to ComicBook/TheDefenders. So this is either some random members of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague fighting a Cthulhu {{expy}}, or it's a group of Defenders expies fighting a Cthulhu expy.[[/note]]

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'': The team of ComicBook/DoctorFate, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}, ComicBook/SolomonGrundy, ComicBook/{{Hawkgirl}}, ComicBook/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/WonderWoman battled the [[TentacledTerror octopoid]] [[EldritchAbomination abomination]] [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Icthultu]] in the episode "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E15And16TheTerrorBeyond The Terror Beyond]]". Totally not Cthulhu, you see. [[ImplausibleDeniability Even though they literally call him an "old one" in the episode]]...[[note]]But you know what's even better? The team listed above were picked as an {{Homage}} to ComicBook/TheDefenders. So this is either some random members of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague fighting a Cthulhu {{expy}}, or it's a group of Defenders expies fighting a Cthulhu expy.[[/note]]

Compare[=/=]Contrast CaptainErsatz and {{Expy}} which are about individual clones of another company[=/=]writer's character that aren't necessarily involved in any sort of {{Crossover}} plot.

[[folder:Comic Books]]

There are some crossovers that are blindingly obvious, but can never quite get off the ground. Maybe one of the creators didn't like the idea for [[ScrewedByTheLawyers legal]] or personal reasons, maybe the characters are owned by different companies that can't make a deal, maybe it just got stuck in DevelopmentHell somewhere along the way. Regardless, one side of the crossover still wants to do it enough that they're willing to bend the rules a little bit to make it happen. After all, what does it matter if it's not ComicBook/{{Superman}} that's punching ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in the face for [[LetsYouAndHimFight the vaguest of reasons]], but [[CaptainErsatz Duperman]]?

There are some crossovers that are blindingly obvious, but can never quite get off the ground. Maybe one of the creators didn't like the idea, maybe the characters are owned by different companies that can't make a deal, maybe it just got stuck in DevelopmentHell somewhere along the way. Regardless, one side of the crossover still wants to do it enough that they're willing to bend the rules a little bit to make it happen. After all, what does it matter if it's not ComicBook/{{Superman}} that's punching ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in the face for [[LetsYouAndHimFight the vaguest of reasons]], but [[CaptainErsatz Duperman]]?

This may involve a CastOfExpies, in case there are several individual characters copied from a different work instead of just one. Also, do not be surprised if these newly-made characters are made [[CorruptedCharacterCopy a little more villainous]] than their original versions just to [[TakeThat pour some more salt on the wound]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS1E8Heroes Heroes]]" centered around a new group of superheroes called "The Terrific Trio", ironically enough a name [[Series/Batman1966 once used for]] ComicBook/{{Batman}}, ComicBook/{{Robin}} and ComicBook/{{Batgirl}}. They were scientists transformed by a FreakLabAccident and clear references to the ComicBook/FantasticFour, but the personalities and roles have been flipped around somewhat. Further, General Norman is subbing in for [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk General Ross]], and the trio's ally Dr. Hodges is what Reed Richards would have been had the accusations ComicBook/DoctorDoom made about him been true: [[spoiler: sabotaging an experiment by his close friend out of petty jealousy, leading to an accident that scars both their bodies [[SanitySlippage and their minds]]]]. The Trio is eventually confronted by Batman, and let's just say [[DownerEnding it doesn't end well]].

[[caption-width-right:350:Totally not [[EvilKnockoff evil knockoffs]] of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague, we swear!]]

** The ''Literature/PastDoctorAdventures'' story ''The Indestructible Man'' focused on Dystopian versions of Creator/GerryAnderson's creations. In particular, the title character himself is obviously ''Series/{{Captain Scarlet|AndTheMysterons}}''. The summary for the book outright calls him "[[MythologyGag a man destiny has made indestructible]]", and his name, Grant Matthews, {{tuckeriz|ation}}es both the model for his appearance, Cary Grant, and his voice actor, Francis Matthews.

There are some crossovers that are blindingly obvious, but can never quite get off the ground. Maybe one of the creators didn't like the idea, maybe it just got stuck in development hell somewhere along the way. Regardless, one side of the crossover still wants to do it enough that they're willing to bend the rules a little bit to make it happen. After all, what does it matter if it's not ComicBook/{{Superman}} that's punching ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in the face for [[LetsYouAndHimFight the vaguest of reasons]], but [[CaptainErsatz Duperman]]?

--> Blurb for ''Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes'', by Maurice Leblanc

[[caption-width-right:350:Totally not evil knockoffs of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague, we swear!]]

* Shown above is the Squadron Sinister, the first incarnation of the ComicBook/SquadronSupreme, who debuted in ComicBook/TheAvengers as analogues of the ComicBook/JusticeLeague. Their heroic counterparts would appear later and were even better examples of this trope: A superhero team from another dimension brainwashed into fighting the Avengers by a supervillain ([[RecycledScript again and again]]). It really sounds like a lazy script for a crossover that never got made.

A Spiritual Crossover is what happens when a FakeCrossover [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] SpiritualLicensee. The characters created as a result may [[PutOnABus vanish]] after fulfilling their crossover purpose, or they may stick around, since they're owned by the same company and there are thus no restrictions to their use.

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' #276 starts with a young kid named Willie (as opposed to Billy) Creator/{{Fawcett|Comics}} being transported 20 years into the future and meeting Superman. Willie is secretly Captain Thunder, a superhero from a bygone era, who gained his powers from a wizard who lived in a cave. Upon rubbing his magical belt buckle and saying "Thunder[[note]][[FunWithAcronyms Standing for]] the power of a '''T'''ornado, the speed of a '''H'''are, the bravery of '''U'''ncas, the wisdom of '''N'''ature, the toughness of a '''D'''iamond, the flight of the '''E'''agle and the tenacity of a '''R'''am[[/note]]!", he is transformed into his alter ego with a "Sha-Boom!" sound to fight evildoers! However, the Monster League of Evil somehow made Thunder turn heel and help criminals instead of stopping them (to facilitate LetsYouAndHimFight with Superman, naturally). Criminals call him a "[[CaptainErsatz cheap imitation]]" of Superman, and Supes refers to him as "Big Red" at one point. Superman defeats him by tricking him into saying "Thunder" again and changing back. In case you still haven't figured it out, Captain Thunder is ComicBook/{{Shazam}}; the whole story was created to see if readers would be interested in reading about the real thing, as DC had just acquired the character. [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/f/f5/William_Fawcett_%28Earth-T%29_001.png/revision/latest?cb=20200907184120 Seriously, just look at him!]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' #276 starts with a young kid named Willie (as opposed to Billy) Creator/{{Fawcett|Comics}} being transported 20 years into the future and meet Superman. Willie is secretly Captain Thunder, a superhero from a bygone era, who gained his powers from a wizard who lived in a cave. Upon rubbing his magical belt buckle and saying "Thunder[[note]][[FunWithAcronyms Standing for]] the power of a '''T'''ornado, the speed of a '''H'''are, the bravery of '''U'''ncas, the wisdom of '''N'''ature, the toughness of a '''D'''iamond, the flight of the '''E'''agle and the tenacity of a '''R'''am[[/note]]!", he is transformed into his alter ego with a "Sha-Boom!" sound to fight evildoers! However, the Monster League of Evil somehow made Thunder turn heel and help criminals instead of stopping them (to facilitate LetsYouAndHimFight with Superman, naturally). Criminals call him a "[[CaptainErsatz cheap imitation]]" of Superman, and Supes refers to him as "Big Red" at one point. Superman defeats him by tricking him into saying "Thunder" again and changing back. In case you still haven't figured it out, Captain Thunder is ComicBook/{{Shazam}}; the whole story was created to see if readers would be interested in reading about the real thing, as DC had just acquired the character. [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marvel_dc/images/f/f5/William_Fawcett_%28Earth-T%29_001.png/revision/latest?cb=20200907184120 Seriously, just look at him!]]

This may involve a CastOfExpies, in case there are several individual characters copied from a different work instead of just one. Also, Do not be surprised if these newly-made characters are made [[CorruptedCharacterCopy a little more villainous]] than their original versions just to [[TakeThat pour some more salt on the wound]].

Do not be surprised if these newly-made characters are made [[CorruptedCharacterCopy a little more villainous]] than their original versions just to [[TakeThat pour some more salt on the wound]].

This may involve a CastOfExpies, in case the individual characters are copied from those of different works.