I name two comic book characters. You then have to connect the two using only shared appearances in comic books (official appearances in comics only - no cameos like Terry Austin sneaking Popeye into the background of a panel and no outside comic book appearances, like cartoons and the like). You have to do so using less than six comics total. Covers and pin-ups do not count - only actual appearances in the same comic book story (so it doesn't count if they each appeared in separate stories inside the same anthology). Mythological characters, public domain characters and real people (by the way, unless a fake name is used for a real person, like Ronald Raygun or whatever, you can use the person even if they are not officially named in the comic) are unique to their own comic book appearances (so DC's Thor is different than Marvel's Thor, DC's Ronald Reagan is different from Marvel's Ronald Reagan, etc.). But a licensed character is the same in all of their various comic book companies (so the Marvel Red Sonja is the same as the Dynamite Red Sonja) and approved appearances by a real person can go across comic book companies, as well (so, for instance, you can use Marv Wolfman from his Teen Titans appearance to connect with Marv Wolfman in his Fantastic Four appearance). Approval tends to be the key (except for public figures, of course).

Every week, whoever connects the two characters in the least amount of turns gets to pick the next week's match- (in the event of a tie, the winner is chosen randomly). Last week was Skywise to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Stephane S. was one of a few people who connected the two in four moves. Here is how Stephane connected the two...

Skywise meets Cerebus in Cerebus #52

Cerebus appears with Madman in War of the Independants

Madman meets Superman is Superman/Madman Hullabaloo #1

and Superman meets NDT in Action Comics #14

Stephane's challenge is...

Tom Strong to Strong Guy

For this challenge only, I'll allow you to count public domain characters as the same across two comic book companies (so, for instance, Marvel's Dracula can count as the same character as DC's Dracula for the sake of a connection).

E-mail me your answers at bcronin@comicbookresources.com. Do NOT post your answers in the comments section!

Whoever connects the two characters in the least amount of comics gets to pick the connection for next time around (I'll pick a random winner in the event of a tie)!

Remember, only authorized appearances in comic books count (for instance, all the Marvel characters in Savage Dragon/Destroyer Duck do not count)!