Marvel Versus DC Vol 1 #2 (title) (Amalgam Comics)

Issue Information

Main Issue Title: Round Two
Publication Date: March, 1996
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras
Cover Artists: Claudio Castellini, Paul Neary
Previous Issue: DC Versus Marvel #1
Next IssueMarvel Versus DC #3
Publisher: Amalgam Comics
Online Comics: Here

Round Two

Writers: Peter David
Pencilers: Claudio Castellini, Dan Jurgens
Inkers: Paul Neary, Josef Rubinstein
Colourists: Gregory Wright
Letterers: Bill Oakley
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Mike Carlin, Joe Andreani, Chris Duffy
Universe: Amalgam Universe

Appearing in "Round Two"

Featured Characters

  • Thor
  • Quicksilver
  • Captain Marvel
  • Flash
  • Namor
  • Aquaman
  • Axel Asher

Supporting Characters

  • Beast
  • Ghost Rider
  • Wolverine
  • Killer Croc
  • Gambit
  • Nightwing
  • Batman
  • Lizard
  • Captain America
  • Bane
  • Ben Reilly
  • Superman/Clark Kent
  • Lois Lane
  • Thanos
  • Darkseid
  • Storm
  • Wonder Woman
  • Spectre
  • Living Tribunal
  • Mole Man
  • Moloids
  • Robin
  • Jubilee
  • Hulk
  • Catwoman
  • Green Lantern
  • Lobo
  • Superboy
  • Elektra
  • Silver Surfer


  • Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)
  • Scarecrow (Ebenezer Laughton)
  • Kingpin

Other Characters

  • The Brothers.
  • Rick Jones
  • Snapper Carr
  • Death (Mentioned)
  • X-Men (Mentioned)
  • Charles Xavier (Mentioned)
  • Odin (Mentioned)
  • Donald Blake (Mentioned)
  • Archangel (Cameo)
  • Beast (Cameo)
  • Bullseye (Cameo)
  • Cyclops (Cameo)
  • Daredevil (Cameo)
  • Doctor Doom (Cameo)
  • Human Torch (Cameo)
  • Iceman (Cameo)
  • Thing (Cameo)


  • Earth-616
    • United States of America
      • New York State
        • New York City
        • Westchester County (Mentioned)
  • DC Universe
    • Gotham City
      • Batcave
    • Metropolis
      • Daily Planet


  • Mjolnir
  • Wolverine's Suit
  • Captain America's Uniform
  • Captain America's Shield
  • Silver Surfer's Surfboard
  • Doctor Doom's Armor (Cameo)


    • Batmobile

    Synopsis for "Round Two"

    The story opens with Axel Asher, whose consciousness is invaded by images of the Brothers. They even appear in the pupils of his eyes. He starts sweating and has trouble walking, having to lay down on the hood of his car for a moment. A police officer approaches and thinks Axel is drunk or on drugs. Axel enter his car, but the officer instructs him to step out of the vehicle. Another police officer approaches and questions the credentials of the other one. He is not familiar with him and he has been working the city for 9 years. It soon turns out that they are both police officers, but from different cities. One works for New York City and the other for Gotham City. As the Brothers gain awareness of one another, the worlds seem to mingle together, as seen when New York City people find themselves suddenly in Gotham City.

    It is soon evident that Axel and the police officers are not the only ones affected by the phenomenon. Near them, Wolverine emerges from a sewer. He is engaged in combat with Killer Croc. Reporter Clark Kent and photographer Ben Reilly co-worker record the fight. The two partners secretly plan to ditch each other, change into costume, and intervene.

    A scared Access leaves his wrecked car and realizes he is an unfamiliar area of the city. He steps into a familiar-looking alley and finds an familiar man desperately trying to prevent a glowing box from being torn apart. The man seems to recognize him and asks for his help, though there is not enough time for him to explain how Axel can help.

    Elsewhere, Thanos watches the potentially cataclysmic fluctuations of the universe and smiles. His smile fades when he hears a loud "boom". He turns around and sees a smiling Darkseid. Back on Earth, Captain America is fighting Bane. He throws his shield against Bane and it misses its target. Bane mocks the abysmal aim of the Shield-Slinger.

    Back on New York/Gotham City, a confused customer enters a shop. It is full of "Looney Tunes" and "Pinky and the Brain" merchandise. The customers claims he was in this store the previous day and none of this stuff was here. He asks the store manager what happened to the display of X-Men merchandise. The manager has never even heard of the X-Men. The two men apparently come from different worlds. Their conversation is interrupted when Wolverine and Killer Croc continue their fight within the store.

    Nightwing has been observing the fight between Killer Croc and Wolverine. He decides that they are both "bad news" and resolves to intervene. Nightwing fails to notice Gambit standing behind him and getting ready to attack him. While flying on the air, Storm and Wonder Woman have a chance encounter. Storm shouts "goddess" in surprise. Diana thinks Storm has misidentified her as a goddess, and explains that she is an Amazon.

    Elsewhere, Bane has apparently defeated Captain America, whose shield is apparently flying aimlessly. Bane is about to break the back of his opponent and wonders why Cap threw away his only weapon. The shield changes course like a Frisbee and lands on Bane's head. His head collides forcefully with the ground, leaving him unconscious. Captain America wins this battle and comments that his strategy works.

    Meanwhile, the Lizard is surveying Gotham City. He has yet to notice that Batman is following him. However, he gives up his tracking of the Lizard when he notices Nightwing fighting Gambit. Batman's priority is to help his former partner.

    Nearby, the unnamed man tells Axel that he is trying to preserve the box (and the universes) with duct tape. This does not work and light emerges from the box, tearing it apart. Light also emerges from the eyes and mouths of the Spectre and the Living Tribunal, who comment that it it too late.

    In the merchandise store, the battle is apparently over. Nightwing is trying to explain to Batman that a "Cajun" (Gambit) tagged him pretty good. When he came around the Cajun run off with someone else (Wolverine). He theorizes that the two of them are probably miles away. Batman is not so certain. They hear the sound of a familiar motor and go check out the source. They see that Wolverine and Gambit have stolen the Batmobile. Inside the car, Wolvie is driving. He plans to drive the vehicle to Westchester County and to consult Charles Xavier about what is going on.

    Nightwing is frustrated and wonders what else can go wrong this night. The scene briefly shifts to the Batcave, which is being explored by Mole Man and his Moloids. Batman tells "Dick" to calm down. He wants to know from where did Gambit and Wolverine come from, and believes tracking them will be easy. He also hopes to get a clue on the whereabouts of the missing Robin, who he fears is in danger. Robin is actually in Jubilee's bedroom, having a pleasant conversation with her. She keeps complimenting his fashion sense and seems smitten with her guest.

    Suddenly there is a blinding light over the Batmobile. Wolverine screams in pain as his senses are going on overload. The same mysterious light appears to several people, both normal average humans and super-powered individuals. Among them are Batman, Captain America, Superman, Hulk, and Thor. The unnamed man explains to Axel that he has tried to hold it back, tried to do the job he has been doing for ages. But he failed. Now the Brothers have noticed each other and the battle has been joined. He warns Axel not to go insane from what he is about to see.

    The next image is a giant panel of the two Brothers, as their story starts being told directly to every being witnessing. One is a red giant with some blue details on his body, the other a blue giant with some red details on his body. They stare at each other. The heads of various characters are seen witnessing the scene and reacting to it. The story begins. In the beginning there were two entities. They were called "Brothers", although they were also sisters, sexless, and everything in between. They were yin and yang, good and evil, the mainyu. They encompassed the whole of everything, except each other. Each was simply "me". Once before they faced each other in battle. They unleashed forces which ended all creation and began all creation over again. In the explosion of death and rebirth, the Brothers were blasted apart. Their shattered essence fractured the newborn universe into a multiverse. Fragments of their essence blew in all directions. As the universe spread, so did the Brothers. It took them eons just to remember they had consciousness. They had to think before they could be. In all that time, their memory of each other had vanished. But due to recent cosmos-shaking events that tore the fabric of the universe and redefined reality, the Brothers have now become aware of each other once more.

    The red Brothers has an image of the Spectre in its eye. The blue Brother has an image of the Living Tribunal. The story continues. The Brothers have once again realized that each of them was no longer "me" but "us". But they could not continue to exist with their lack of uniqueness. Nor is either of them whole. In their battle centuries-ago, parts of each of them ended up in the other Brother's universe. Both of the Brothers desired to be whole and unique. But they have learned the futility of facing each other in a head-to-head struggle. They have observed and understood the existence of their respective cosmic guardians, the Spectre and the Living Tribunal. This gave them the idea of a solution to their problem. Based upon their belief that each of their respective universes is intrinsically superior to the one of the other Brother, they will choose representatives to fight for them. They will choose part of their respective super-powered beings and place them in battle against each other. This battle will be the war to end all wars, and the end of one universe.

    The problem is that some of these chosen champions are so powerful, that a battle between them could continue forever with no true conclusion. The Brothers resolved this problem by setting some simple rules. When one champion manages to immobilize his/her opponent, the battle ends and he/she is the victor. The equivalent in Earth-wrestling of pinning one's opponent. Whichever side loses the most matches vanishes forever. Each pair of heroes will be summoned, when it is their time, to a place of battle. They must battle each other, and can not refuse. Because if they refuse, nothing will stop the Brothers of going to war themselves. Instead of one universe perishing, that war will mean the end of everything. The story of the Brothers ends.

    Each of the Brothers reveals his champions by briefly having them stand on his hand. The hand of the blue Brother includes Aquaman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Catwoman, Flash, Green Lantern, Lobo, Robin, Superboy, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The hand of the red Brother includes Captain America, Elektra, Hulk, Jubilee, Namor, Quicksilver, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man (Ben Reilly), Storm, Thor, Wolverine.

    As the story and vision ends, the scene returns to Axel and the ummamed man in the alley. The box is still glowing, but now seems stable. Axel asks for further information on what he has learned. The unnamed man reminds him of the lost parts of the Brothers, which they lost in the Big Bang. He suggests calling them "shards". The shards take different forms. Some of them collected together and became vortexes of barely containable power, creating inter-dimensional gateways. The box is one of them. Other shards became parts of living beings, souls. These beings have various states of self-knowledge, always seeking for a purpose in life. They are never happy and are always wandering. They are certain that they are part of a greater whole, but never know what part or what whole. Many of them go insane or destroy themselves. A few of them spend their lives wandering and unfulfilled. Every so often, one or two of these beings become aware of what they are. The unnamed man identifies himself as one of these aware shard-beings. He then identifies Axel as another of them.

    The first battle is about to begin, the chosen champions being Thor and Captain Marvel. They introduce themselves to each other, and learn that they both possess the power of gods. Before the battle, the two decide to kneel and pray to these gods. Elsewhere, Thanos and Darkseid are facing each other. The Brothers have not chosen them as champions, but they want to fight anyway. Darkseid in particular states his belief that Thanos is a pale imitation of himself.

    Lois Lane walks at night and discovers that ordinary people have taken an interest in the battles, by placing bets about which champion will win each fight. She finds it incredible that the fate of the universe is hanging on balance, but people are actually placing bets about it. She is suddenly grabbed by two villains, Jonathan Crane and Ebenezer Laughton. They are both called the Scarecrow and have teamed-up to abduct Lois, as a "valuable hostage". She is rescued by her co-worker "Peter Parker" (Ben Reilly using an alias), who uses unarmed combat moves to knock out both villains. "Peter" decides to lead the shaken Lois to the Daily Planet, where they both work. Superman flies above and realizes that Lois is being attended to. He decides not to intervene, though he notices "Peter" is being a bit too affectionate with Lois and feels slightly jealous.

    The battle of Captain Marvel takes place in a carnival. At the entrance of the carnival Rick Jones and Snapper Carr are acting as promoters to the battle and edging people to place their bets with them. Inside the carnival, the two heroes exchange mighty blows already. The Captain is less than enthusiastic about the cause of their fight. In his view the Brothers are "cosmic babies" who have to learn to play nice together. He suggests finding a way to convince them, but Thor observes that they do not have enough time to do this.

    The Captain lifts and throws an entire Ferris wheel at Thor, who uses Mjolnir to shatter the object. Large pieces of debris land on the Captain and threaten to immobilize him. He uses the phraze "Shazam" to turn himself into Billy Batson. He then slips easily through the debris. Thor is intrigued to learn that the Captain has a smaller, weaker alter ego. He notes however that this alter ego seems healthy, unlike Donald Blake who is "lame of leg".

    Billy uses the phrase "Shazam" to try and return to the Captain Marvel form. Thor figures that lightning holds the key to his opponent's power. He decides to use Mjolnir and his own powers to prevent this lightning from ever reaching Billy. The lightning effect throws energy all around and stuns Thor himself. He is left, however, relatively unharmed while Billy Batson is knocked unconscious. Thor wins the fight, though he notes that he dislikes the nature of this victory. He quickly realizes that Mjolnir has vanished, and fears the otherworldly lightning had an effect on his hammer. He wonders where did Mjolnir land.

    Somewhere else, Wonder Woman discovers Mjolnir landing in front of her. She reads an inscription on this "ancient Norse battle hammer" (as she calls it), which says that whoever holds the hammer and is worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. She finds worthiness to be inherently subjective but is intrigued. She tries to lift it and starts being bathed in energy.

    In an underwater location, the battle between Namor and Aquaman has already begun. It is not going well. Namor keeps trying to punch his opponent and finish the battle quickly. Aquaman uses his agility to evade every attack, but does not seem to attempt any counterattack. Aquaman mocks his opponent for being "musclebound and slow". Aquaman then tries to reason with Namor, by claiming they are too evenly matched. He ends speaking in mid-sentence to swim away and head for the surface. Namor starts chasing him.

    The scene switches to a tank truck in the middle of nowhere. The trucker and his son converse about the Brothers. The two encounter the Flash and Quicksilver, who have apparently turned their race into a speed race. The Flash observes that Pietro might be the fastest man alive in his universe, but he still can not keep pace with him. The Flash uses his super speed to deliver punches on Pietro, who is too slow to avoid them. Wally comments, however, that they would be better as friends than enemies. Pietro informs him that he already has more than enough friends and enemies, he is not looking for additional ones.

    The runners do not watch where they are going, as they focus exclusively on their opponent. They almost collide with the tank truck, which swerves to avoid them and crushes. The fuel it was carrying starts burning and the truck seems about the explode. The Flash stops the race to save the trucker and his son. The hero inhales some smoke and stops running to take a breath of fresg air. Quicksilver sees his opponent with his guard down, and starts attacking at super speed.

    The Flash is taking some hits and falls on his knees. Pietro hesitates to go for the finishing move, because he feels guilt about using the Flash's heroism against him. His brief hesitation is all that it takes to change the course of the battle. Wally recovers and delivers a series of counter-attacks at super speed. Pietro is knocked out. The Flash is the victor, and observes that the one who hesitates is lost.

    The scene changes to Aquaman, who surfaces at an aquarium. A nearby whale warns him that he is being followed. He turns and sees a flying Namor heading towards him. Namor observes that Aquaman claims to be an Atlantean king, but that he is not amused or impressed with what he has seen of him. He sees Aquaman as an "Atlantean impostor" and calls for him to surrender. Aquaman attacks with his hook hand, which turns into a cord and wraps itself around Namor. They exchange insults for a while, but Namor is still confident that he can break free.

    Aquaman wins by using his ability to communicate with sea animals. He has the nearby whale leap on top of Namor, who is knocked out and immobilized. Aquaman observes that Namor's weakness is that he is too noble to cheat. Arthur himself does not share that weakness.

    At the offices of the Daily Planet, Lois Lane thanks "Peter" (Ben Reilly) for rescuing her. He fusses over her and refuses to let go. He is secretly smitten with her and believes she wants him too. They soon meet their new boss, the Kingpin. He has bought this newspaper and chastises them for "lollygagging" (spending time aimlessly) instead of working. "Peter" calls him Kingpin, but the boss denies this and asks to be called Wilson Fisk. He tells "Peter" to mind his manners, because he would not like him to get angry.

    The story ends with some silent scenes. Thanos and Darkseid continue to face each other, Wonder Woman has lifted Mjolnir and has been transformed into a female version of Thor, Axel Asher and the unnamed man are staring at the glowing box, and the Brothers survey their universes.