"Salicrup's One Universe Theory"
This is something I've been wanting to get to for a long, long time. When Topps Comics was getting started, their issues had a page similar to Marvel's Bullpen Bulletins, called Toppside. Instead of Stan's Soapbox, the Toppside pages had Salicrup's Section, where Jim Salicrup would write about whatever he felt was relevant (a carryover from his days on Marvel Age). In one of these columns, he presented a golden gem that he dubbed simply, "Salicrup's One Universe Theory." You can see it above of course, but basically, it says this:
All comic universes are really one universe. Due to the proliferation of comic universe crossovers, they are all connected, and therefore all part of the same universe. Salicrup makes his connections in the column, but I build on his connections and think of it like this:
- Superman has met Spider-Man.
- Spider-Man has met Backlash.
- Backlash has met Savage Dragon.
- Savage Dragon has met the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
- The TMNT have met Archie.
- Archie has met the Punisher.
- Punisher has met Painkiller Jane.
- Painkiller Jane has met Terminator.
- Terminator has met Predator.
- Predator has met Batman.
- Batman has met Aliens.
- Aliens has met Green Lantern.
- Green Lantern has met Silver Surfer.
- Silver Surfer has met Rune.
- Rune has met Conan.
- Conan met Red Sonja.
- Red Sonja met Claw the Unconquered.
- Claw the Unconquered met the Creature Commandos.
This is just one list, and it's made not repeating any characters. Once you start branching out, and consider that Red Sonja has also met Spider-Man, Spidey's met Howard the Duck, Howard has met Savage Dragon, Savage Dragon has met Superman, Hellboy, Madman, and who knows who else, the connections back-and-forth just get stronger, and it just goes on. And gawd, is it ever fun. That's why I'm such a Crossover Ho.
Salicrup's theory is just a grand way of saying he loves crossovers, and the comics medium in general, but it's always held a part of my imagination. It's special. It recognizes that while yes, there are a bunch of competing companies out there in the comics industry, we really all just want to play. Let's play "what if." What if my character met your character? What would that be like? We see that in crossovers all the time, and we certainly see it in fan-fiction on a regular basis. I couldn't help sneaking in a crossover with one of my own characters and one of my all time favorite comic characters, in Heironymous vs. Savage Dragon. It's a special part of what we do in comics (and fan-fiction). We compete for the buyers' money, but we also just want to get together and have a good time with each others' characters.
It's just so danged fun, and since the concept of the crossover is being co-opted by TV and movies now, I think sprucing up the comics concept with Salicrup's One Universe Theory is not a bad idea. It'll never happen, but in lieu of that, here's a list of the Topps Comics the theory is in, as I run across them again.
