Alex Ross' cover for Secret Wars #8 is a sight to behold, and teases a climactic clash between Mr. Fantastic and Dr. Doom. What surprises the actual issue has in store is anybody's guess, but the issue's cover is already making headlines thanks to a subtle cameo from a certain DC Comics character.
The cover is made up of a number of iconic moments from throughout Marvel's long history. The radioactive spider bite that turned Peter Parker in Spider-Man, the death of Elektra and many, many more. In the bottom left corner is an image of Spider-Man, who looks to be facing off against somebody or something off the page.
Now take a closer look, specifically below Spider-Man's right leg. Do you see what appears to be a red boot?
That boot belongs to none other than Superman. It's a throwback (via CBR) to a 1976 crossover cover between the web slinger and DC's Man of Steel titled Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century, a cover created by Carmine Infantino, Ross Andru and Dick Giordano. As you can see, Spider-Man's pose on both covers is near identical, as is the small portion of the background included in the Secret Wars cover.
It's a fun little nod to a piece of comic book history many fans might not be aware of. The battle between Spider-Man and Superman isn't the only time the DC and Marvel universes have collided either. There have been a number of crossovers big and small over the years, though it seems like today both companies are more hesitant than ever before to "cross the streams", so to speak.
We likely won't see an official DC and Marvel crossover event anytime soon, but in the meantime it's nice to see homages like this from one of the greatest artists in the business.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page
