A Crossover of EPIC Proportions [Discussion]

Doublehex

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I have been planning for some time to start a story to show that crossover fictions can work. After all, western comicbooks have shown time and again that characters from both superhero and non-superhero works can compliment each other. So, I decided I was going to write a story that would feature an unbelievably large cast from a large spectrum of genres and title...and I was going to make it work.

Now why am I telling you guys this? Because I want to know which characters you want to see in such a story. I am not going to tell you the premise of it, nor of the type of setting. I just want, plain and simply, you guys to tell me which characters you want to see in a mass crossover story.

Now, when I say characters of all genres, I mean it. So, don't be afraid to say some superheroes...but at the same time, don't limit yourself to them. :)
 
I have been planning for some time to start a story to show that crossover fictions can work. After all, western comicbooks have shown time and again that characters from both superhero and non-superhero works can compliment each other. So, I decided I was going to write a story that would feature an unbelievably large cast from a large spectrum of genres and title...and I was going to make it work.

Now why am I telling you guys this? Because I want to know which characters you want to see in such a story. I am not going to tell you the premise of it, nor of the type of setting. I just want, plain and simply, you guys to tell me which characters you want to see in a mass crossover story.

Now, when I say characters of all genres, I mean it. So, don't be afraid to say some superheroes...but at the same time, don't limit yourself to them. :)

Characters that we've made, or comic book characters?
 
Characters from a source. Like, characters from an anime, novel, movie, comic book, manga. You know, characters from a pre-existing source.

I'll do custom characters too. Just give me enough info to go by.
 
The Thing (Ben Grimm, Ultimate Marvel) and Concrete (Ron Lithgow, Dark Horse).
 
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He means a story where the likes of Superman and Spike Speigel and Philip Marlowe and The A-Team would all be featured together, just a big, huge, cross-genre mash-up.

I gathered that much, but it all ceases to make sense from there.

Why? Why would you do this? As a writer, the motivation behind an exercise like this just makes no sense to me.

Oh, and I want to see David the Gnome and Leopold Bloom.
 
I too, have had a vague idea for a epic crosssover in my mind.

Basically, a cosmic phenomenon called the Convergence (or something like that) causes every universe to become one for 24 hours. The rest of the story would be spent detailing what happens during that 24 hours, ala 24. It'd have Cell from DBZ going on a rampage and absorbing thousands, Doctor Doom capturing Haruhi Suzumiya to steal her powers, and and the only ones that can save all the universes from destroying themselves are the unbeatable duo of Jack Bauer and King Dedede!

Oh, and the Angry Scientist form Sheep in the Big City would be there too.

Or something like that.

I vote Jack Bauer and King Dedede.
 
I gathered that much, but it all ceases to make sense from there.

Why? Why would you do this? As a writer, the motivation behind an exercise like this just makes no sense to me.

Oh, and I want to see David the Gnome and Leopold Bloom.

Besides the fact that I want to prove that such an undertaking is not only possible, but can result in good storytelling?

Because I think it will be an interesting attempt. I want to try something new, and I have never tried a crossover story before. So, why not? It will be fun, interesting, and who knows, it just might be a little bit entertaining. :)
 
Besides the fact that I want to prove that such an undertaking is not only possible, but can result in good storytelling?

Because I think it will be an interesting attempt. I want to try something new, and I have never tried a crossover story before. So, why not? It will be fun, interesting, and who knows, it just might be a little bit entertaining. :)

I don't think it can work. Not a knock to your writing. I just think the core concept is too flawed to make work. but best of luck dude.
You're up on the round robin, btw.
 
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:?

It's been made to work many times before. Admittedly, on a smaller scale or more focused on one genre/medium, but the core concept is sound.

Yeah. The core concept is sound. Crossovers can work when the two universes complement each other and create a compelling reason for existing. By taking characters from another universe, you're marginalizing the individual characters by making them share space with other worlds. Sometimes this is easier than others. Aliens and Predators mesh well. But the more esoteric you get with it, and the more characters and universes you add to the mix, the more the characters start to wash out. You need a compelling reason for what these fringe elements add to the individual stories of the characters, otherwise you're just playing with action figures. You're going to reach a point where either the characters don't have a reason to be there other than for the sake of inclusion. I think the closest we're going to come to a "massive crossover" actually working for a long time is going to be Ellis' Planetary or Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. and the Wold-Newton Family, of course. But even those are focused. The characters are all tied by genre or period, and thus become a vehicle to explore the genre.

Unless you want to get metafictional with it. But I doubt that's going to happen.
 
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Well, it depends on how the author handles it. If he just puts, let's say The Thing, into the Naruto universe, it will be insanely difficult for him to make us believe that it makes sense.

But if The Thing has reconned to fit into the Narutoverse, like he was some elemental for example, then we can start to think that The Thing was always part of the Narutoverse...for the extent of the fiction at least.

That's what I'm going to do with this.
 
Well, it depends on how the author handles it. If he just puts, let's say The Thing, into the Naruto universe, it will be insanely difficult for him to make us believe that it makes sense.

But if The Thing has reconned to fit into the Narutoverse, like he was some elemental for example, then we can start to think that The Thing was always part of the Narutoverse...for the extent of the fiction at least.

That's not what I'm saying. You need more than plot hooks to enmesh the characters. The Naruto universe needs to be able to add thematic depth to the Thing in a way that can't be done with the Thing's regular cast of characters without risking the integrity of either character's story. You can have a sound plot reasoning for it to happen, but that still doesn't mean it should happen.
 
Yeah. The core concept is sound. Crossovers can work when the two universes complement each other and create a compelling reason for existing. By taking characters from another universe, you're marginalizing the individual characters by making them share space with other worlds. Sometimes this is easier than others. Aliens and Predators mesh well. But the more esoteric you get with it, and the more characters and universes you add to the mix, the more the characters start to wash out. You need a compelling reason for what these fringe elements add to the individual stories of the characters, otherwise you're just playing with action figures. You're going to reach a point where either the characters don't have a reason to be there other than for the sake of inclusion. I think the closest we're going to come to a "massive crossover" actually working for a long time is going to be Ellis' Planetary or Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. and the Wold-Newton Family, of course. But even those are focused. The characters are all tied by genre or period, and thus become a vehicle to explore the genre.

Unless you want to get metafictional with it. But I doubt that's going to happen.

I'll have more to say on this tomorrow, I understand your stance, but don't totally agree with it. However, right now, I am going to bed.
 
The most wonderful thing in the megaverse happened. At the same time, Darth Vader's Force experiments, Lex Luthor's Source experiments, and Bad Ash's Necronomicon recitation combined. As a result, the Cloverfield monster was unleashed upon Cybertron, which, at the same time, had been discovered by Galactus.
 

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