Who owns the comic book world? Depending on your loyalties, you’ll probably say either Marvel or DC. While in recent years, indie comic publishers have finally found the attention they deserve, the vast fanbase of comic consumers usually chooses between the two superhero giants of Marvel and DC. By now, Marvel and DC are household names thanks to their blockbuster films, omnipresent merchandise, and unique ability to squeeze themselves into any and every pop-culture conversation. In so many ways, these companies are nearly identical. If Marvel sold a few more comics and DC put out a few more successful films, they’d be indistinguishable. That’s where the trouble lies. Two companies who are so alike are constantly battling each other for the prime spot. DC and Marvel notoriously struggle to play well together.

Yet, somehow, in the past, they managed to do just that. In the late 20th century, the companies joined to release a few crossover comics, featuring characters from both sides. The team-up was short lived and really only ended with a few published issues and a lot of unnecessary bickering. Still, it got us (and a lot of fans) thinking about the “what if?” scenarios. Instead of always resorting to childish antics, what if DC and Marvel actually got along? What if their characters frequently appeared side-by-side? CBR is counting down 20 amazing pieces of crossover fan art that feature the DC/Marvel fights we’ve always wanted to see. From Captain America and Catwoman to Wonder Woman and Deadpool, there are the top 20 Marvel vs DC fan art fights we wish were real!

20 THOR VS. SUPERMAN

Thor Superman Fanart

They may not have the same powers, but Superman and Thor are the perfect competitors. On each of their respective teams, these two are the “heavy-hitters” of the bunch. After everyone else has already tried their luck, Thor and Superman step in to deliver the final blow. Whether you like it or not, their powers exceed those of most of the other heroes in their universes. With that in mind, what would a fight between these two macho gladiators look like? And, more importantly, who would win?

Artist toonfed answers the first question in his crossover fan art piece depicting the Man of Steel alongside the God of Thunder. As for the second question, we see this battle of the gods ending in a draw.

19 DEADPOOL VS. WONDER WOMAN

 

This work of fan art, brought to you by Ramonn90, is one of the stranger pieces on the list. While stunning stylistically, Ramonn90’s work depicts a strange pairing that few fans have latched onto (though, we’re starting to wonder why this ship isn’t incredibly popular). It’s easy to find fan art of Harley Quinn and Deadpool, since they’re similar characters, but Wonder Woman and Deadpool fan art is notably absent.

It makes sense: Wonder Woman and Deadpool are polar opposites, which is why Ramonn90’s work is so hilarious. He gives us a glimpse into Deadpool’s strange form of courtship and Wonder Woman’s “no-nonsense” attitude.  We know it’ll never happen but can we at least wish for a Deadpool cameo in Wonder Woman 1984?

18 IRON MAN VS. LEX LUTHOR

Tony Stark Lex Luthor Fanart

It’s a battle between the tech gods of Marvel and DC: Iron Man and Lex Luthor. One’s good, one’s super evil, but they’re both at the top of the technology field (and ranking in the millions because of it). Artist HeroforPain brings this crossover rivalry to life with an uncannily realistic style. Seriously, for a second we thought this amazing work of fan art was a screencap from a movie that we somehow forgot to see.

Alas, a fight between Lex Luthor and Ironman will most likely never occur -- on-screen or on-page. If it did, we have to agree with HeroforPain that Ironman would take down Lexcorp no problem.

17 FLASH VS. QUICKSILVER

Flash Quicksilver Fanart

Flash and Quicksilver are pretty much one and the same. DC and Marvel love to copy each other, so there are a lot of so-called “counterpart characters,” such as Barry and Pietro. Even though they got their powers from very different sources, they pretty much do the same thing: run really, really fast.

It’s hard to say who would win in a race between these two famous speedsters. Since Flash has had more solo series’ to show off his skills, we’re going to side with him, but artist Puekkers might have a different opinion. In Puekkers' fan art piece, Quicksilver seems to be edging past Barry ever so slightly. Honestly, with heroes like them, it’s anyone’s game.

16 MARTIAN MANHUNTER VS. VISION

Vision Fights Martian Fanart

Artist ParisAlleyne envisions a fight between DC’s Martian Manhunter and Marvel’s Vision to be surprisingly anticlimactic thanks to the pair’s most famous shared power: intangibility. J’onn is an alien and Vision is an android but, like Flash and Quicksilver, they have similar powers and serve an almost identical role on their chosen superhero teams. From invisibility and flight to intangibility and superhuman senses, these two can match each other blow for blow, making for a pretty boring fight.

Were they to turn off their intangibility and fight with their corporeal forms for once, we think Martian Manhunter would probably pull out a win. After all, he did take on the entire Justice League at one time -- that has to count for something.

15 WOLVERINE VS. BATMAN

Wolverine Batman Fanart

Who would win in a fight between Wolverine and Batman, two of the most well-known superheroes in the world? Artist TonLima19 realistically pictures it with a lot of brawn, blood, and a splash of well-staged lightning.

It’s hard to say who would win in a fight between Bruce and Logan since they’re very different kinds of fighters. Batman is all about stealth and smarts -- he is rarely stronger than his opponent but he’s usually smarter. Wolverine is pretty much the exact opposite. While he can be strategic when he wants to, Logan usually relies on his healing factor and his claws to get him through tough fights. TonLima19 rightly seems to think a battle between these two would end in unwanted stalemate.

14 WONDER WOMAN VS. CAPTAIN MARVEL

Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel are the female superheroes everyone can look up to in 2019. They’re brave, moral, and, above all, super powerful. Diana and Carol are the kind of strong female characters that comics need more of. At the moment, they’re serving as the poster children for feminism in Marvel and DC Comics.

We’d like to think that, were they to ever cross paths, they’d team up and create a perfect Earth (which is honestly well within their combined grasp). However, artist Flauschtraut has some different plans. Flauschtraut’s fan art shows an all-out brawl between the two superheroes. Who would come out on top? By the looks of those flaming fists, we’re siding with Carol for this round!

13 BANE VS. VENOM

A tough guy 'roided up on Venom and a parasitic alien walk into a bar... and, of course, get into an arm wrestling match. Artist Andy Timm brings one of the most creative crossover fights on our list with a good ole’ battle of the biceps between two of the most famous villains in the comics business.

With the recent success of Venom and the previous success of Dark Knight Rises, Venom and Bane have made quite the names for themselves, both inside and outside comic circles. It’ll never actually happen but if a Bane vs Venom arm wrestling match did miraculously break out in the comics, readership would be in the millions.

12 NOVA VS. GREEN LANTERN

Green Lantern first appeared in DC comics in 1940. Thirty-six years later, Marvel released a character to rival their competitor's famous cosmic superhero: Nova. Not surprisingly, these characters share a lot of similar traits. Their powers differ but their general origin stories are similar, as are the organizations they work with (i.e. Nova Corps and Green Lantern Corps).

Were they to ever go up against each other in battle, it’d be a fight of pure willpower. Both of these characters are strong-willed and put everything they’ve got into winning. Artist alanscampos’s colorful work illustrates this intense struggle perfectly, right down to the character’s determined expressions. Whoever wins this hypothetical crossover clash, it’ll be hard wrought.

11 BATGIRL VS. ELEKTRA

If The Dark Knight taught us anything it’s that the grubby alleyways of Gotham aren’t so different from those in NYC. This revelation brings Avionetca’s crossover fan art featuring DC’s Batgirl and Marvel’s Elektra one step closer to comic book reality. These characters’ similarities are not as noticeable as some of the other pairings on the list but the plausibility of these two running into each other (and getting into a bloody brawl) is high.

They’re both night owls with an eye for street crime, a penchant for martial arts, and a knack for weaponry. Avionetca does an excellent job creating an eerily realistic crossover that could easily appear in modern comics. Will it appear in the future? Probably not but we can hope.

10 TEEN TITANS VS. X-MEN

Teen Titans X-Men Fanart

This one is kind of cheating on our part since a crossover between the X-Men and the Teen Titans actually did happen in the 1982 comic The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. In the issue, DC’s Darkseid tries to use Marvel’s Phoenix Force to break through the so-called “Source Wall.” Although the comic did well, there was never a sequel because Marvel and DC executives refused to play well together. We’re pretty sure everyone saw that one coming.

nelsonhernandez’s fan art is a little different than the comic since, in the crossover, the two superhero teams were battling Darkseid -- not each other. Three-on-three has us siding with the X-Men purely because you never know when Jean Grey will spontaneously resurrect.

9 MR. FANTASTIC VS. ELONGATED MAN

Mr Fantastic Fanart

If you’re generally familiar with Mr. Fantastic, you’ve probably seen a couple Fantastic Four movies or read a few comics. If you’re familiar with Elongated Man, you have to be a diehard DC comics aficionado because this character isn’t a regular -- on-screen or on-page.

His lack of popularity might be because his ability to “elongate” his body is a blatant copy of Mr. Fantastic’s elastic ability. Artist payno0’s crossover fan art emphasizes just how similar these two characters are powers-wise. If they ever got into a fight, they’d probably just end up tying themselves into an oversized knot. Lesson for both DC and Marvel: Copying characters as unique as Mr. Fantastic isn’t always a good idea.

8 JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. AVENGERS

DC Fights Marvel Fanart

Tombancroft brings an array of DC and Marvel characters in his fan art piece, which shows the Justice League and the Avengers going head-to-head. The confrontation makes perfect sense considering the only reason Marvel’s Avengers even exist is because Stan Lee noticed how popular DC’s Justice League was.

Because of the influence the Justice League had on the Avengers, the two share a lot of similarities, from parallel powers to identical names. In tombancroft’s drawing, the “major players” from each side seem to be measuring up their opponents, with Wonder Woman pointing at Black Widow and Captain America sizing up a confused looking Superman. Perhaps Clark’s wondering if the big black line of publication rights will keep the fight from actually happening.

7 SPIDER-MAN VS. JOKER

Spiderman Joker Fanart

What would a fight between Gotham’s most psychotic villain and New York’s web-slinging hero look like? Artist tyraknifesaurus brings us a scene that looks straight out of an animated TV show with his cartoon-styled fan art. Spider-Man crashes through a glass window, Joker manically points a loaded gun at his target, but does he shoot?

Tyraknifesaurus leaves that question up to us which is partially why this piece is so interesting. We know how Batman handles the Joker but how would Spider-Man? Would he challenge the Joker in a way that he hasn’t been challenged in the past? Would he finally take down Batman’s nemesis once and for all? Tyraknifesaurus has us wishing a Batman and Spider-Man: The Animated Series came out yesterday.

6 BLUE BEETLE VS. GHOST RIDER

We can’t think of a crossover stranger than tytoztytoz’s Blue Beetle vs. Ghost Rider fan art battle. These two characters have practically nothing in common. Blue Beetle gets his powers from the alien Blue Beetle Scarab while Ghost Rider gets his powers from demonic possession. The only thing we can think of is that both of their most recent incarnations carry the same last name: Reyes.

Is that why they’re facing off against each other in tytoztytoz’s piece? Is it family drama? If it is, we definitely need some more fan art from tytoztytoz. Actually, a whole comic series detailing the Reyes feud would be better.

5 PRIME EARTH VS. EARTH-616

DC World fights Marvel Fanart

The world is at war every other day in comics. Whether you’re reading Marvel or DC books, chances are the apocalypse is knocking at your favorite heroes doors at least twice a month. The end of the world isn’t that big of a deal... until we start talking about the end of both Prime Earth and Earth-616.

In artist timothylaskey’s fan art, it’s all hands on deck as the heroes of DC’s Prime battle the heroes of Marvel’s 616. It’s an eerie look into what a crossover comic event could entail. Everyone’s used to their spandex-wearing favs running straight into danger, but what if they were running at each other, with intent to kill?

4 DAREDEVIL VS. AZRAEL

Daredevil Azrael

Spidey0318’s fan art brings us another unlikely sparring pair: the Man Without Fear and the Angel of Death. Marvel’s Daredevil and DC’s Azrael don’t have similar powers, backstories, or appearances. They also don’t have the same last name so we’re really unsure what inspired spidey0318 to create this unique crossover.

Of course, that doesn’t mean this piece doesn’t show an epic fight that would look incredible in a comic book (or on-screen). Azrael is about as supernatural as a comic book character can get and Daredevil is (usually) quite the opposite. Seeing them fight each other, using their respective talents, would be quite the show.

3 THANOS VS. DARKSEID

Thanos Fights DarkSeid Fanart

This one might just be the fight that would garner the most viewers if it somehow, miraculously, made its way to the silver screen. Darkseid and Thanos are the “big baddies” of the DC and Marvel world, which means a battle between these two overpowered giants would be beyond epic. Artist uncannyknack brings our dreams to life with his extremely realistic fan art piece, illustrating a historic DC-Marvel crossover catastrophe.

Thanos, armed with all of the infinity stones, still appears significantly weaker than his gray-skinned counterpart. One solid punch from Darkseid and Thanos is already bleeding. After watching Avengers: Infinity War on Netflix for the 20th time, we’re actually pretty happy to see Thanos getting Darkseid’s right hook.

2 CATWOMAN VS. CAPTAIN AMERICA

Catwoman Captain America Fanart

This is a crossover you probably never thought you’d see: Catwoman and Captain America. Morally, they’re opposites but, in nonwings’s piece, they’ve apparently learned to put their differences aside in order to fight for the greater good (or something along those lines). From what we can gather from the fan-made artwork, Selina and Cap are diving right into an explosion after jumping from an aircraft.

Are they on the same side? From the looks of things, we think so, but it might just be a frenzied moment in their heated battle. We have a hard time believing Selina would put up with Captain America’s good ole’ boy attitude for very long.

1 DEADPOOL VS. DEATHSTROKE

Deadpool and Deathstroke are one in the same... sort of. They look similar, they use similar weapons, and their names are reminiscent of their professions. When in civilian clothes, they share the same last name: Wilson. Since Marvel’s Deadpool came out after DC’s Deathstroke, we think Marvel creators Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld may have been strongly “influenced” by Deathstroke’s character. Still, we got a super popular character out of this “sharing” of ideas, so we’re kind of okay with it.

Madstanlee’s artwork brings these two masked assassins together for a sword-wielding battle that will undoubtedly result in some missing limbs. Who will make this battle palpable for readers? Deathstroke may be the OG but Deadpool made dueling swords cool again.