Marvel Trivia #4: DC & Marvel Jointly Own One Comic Book Character! Here’s Who & What He Is ( Photo Credit – Movie Poster )
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When we talk about comics and comic book characters it’s always Marvel vs DC. Both the undisputed titans of the comic book industry have hundreds of superheroes and supervillains, but did you know there’s one that they both jointly own? You read that right. Both comic publishing companies jointly own one character and in today’s trivia, we tell you all about it.
Founded in 1934 and 1939 respectively, DC Comics and Marvel Comics both legally own one character – Axel Asher, better known by his superhero name Access. This one-of-a-kind character – created as part of an unprecedented crossover event in a series known simply as Marvel vs DC, can appear in both universes as and when the makers want. Read on to know exactly how Access was created and the limitations MCU and DCEU will have if they bring him to the big screen.
As noted by ScreenRant, it was amid the Great Comic Book Crash of the 1990s, that Access was made. Owing to the dwindling sales of comics during this period, editors and executives resorted to eye-catching events to bolster their numbers. It was at this time – when Spider-Man was replaced by a clone, Green Lantern became a villain, and Superman died (yup he did but then he came back to life in a year) that Marvel and DC sought to right the proverbial sinking ship with a massive crossover event. This event – in the form of the series Marvel vs DC, brought together the two companies’ heroes together and gave us the only jointly-owned character Access.
So who is Axel Asher? As per the site, Axel is a drifter who never stays in the same place too long. He is cursed with nightmares of two monstrous beings, one red and one blue, fighting each other to death. On one particular night, he comes across Wolverine fighting Killer Croc in an alley, making it apparent to the reader that the universes were merging. The two monstrous beings are said to be “Brothers” – a cosmic manifestation of the Marvel and DC universes, who aeons ago fought a battle destroying and recreating all existence, resulting in the Big Bang.
To avoid a similar outcome, the Brothers then chose various super-beings from each universe to fight in their stead…and the universe that loses the most fights will cease to exist. Axel eventually learns that he’s a living remnant of the first battle between the Brothers and this self-awareness helps him gain the unique ability to teleport between universes at will.
As per the site, Access is the only superhero aware of the truth behind the Amalgam Universe – a merging of the Marvel and DC heroes. The series then show Axel bringing Captain America and Batman into the realm of the Brothers and showing each titan the life story of both heroes. The Brothers agree to put aside their differences and cease fighting…for the time being. Access later appeared in two jointly-published limited series, All Access and Unlimited Access, where he discovers that staying in one universe for too long could cause other heroes to cross over, starting the conflict all over again.
Axel Asher is thus fated to be a drifter forever, unable to put down roots in either universe. As per the site, given that Access is a character owned by both companies, Marvel and DC are free to use Axel Asher without informing the other. However, they are barred from killing him. So don’t ever be surprised if you find this superhero in either universe – or even both (as he can legally and by teleporting)!
Would you like to see Access in the MCU & DCEU or would you like them to jointly make a project with him?
