The centrepiece of a huge crossover between the two companies that saw them forming an entirely separate publisher called Amalgam comics, DC vs. Marvel gives you pretty much exactly what you'd expect from that title: Each company's most popular heroes duking it out with each other to save their respective universes. Cap versus Batman, Superman versus Hulk...Spider-Man versus, er, Superboy...with rare exception, this was the stuff playground arguments are made of, and it was pretty exciting stuff. The whole reason for the event is, as you might expect, a little bit silly. Basically, the Marvel and DC universes are sentient and, upon realising that the other exists, each sets their superheroes against the other's. Bats and Captain America soon discover this, but before the battle is over the two worlds are formed into - you guessed it - an amalgam universe where many of DC and Marvel's best loved characters are merged to create heroes like Dark Claw (Batman/Wolverine), Super-Soldier (Captain America/Superman) and Lobo the Duck (you can probably guess), many of whom received their own one-shot comic shortly thereafter. It was a strange experiment - one that's unlikely to be replicated for a very long time - but it was fascinating to see beloved characters' origins twisted in such a unique way, and it's always nice to witness people in latex knocking seven bells out of each other.
