It was only a matter of time. Ever since Marvel acquired the publishing rights to the Aliens and Predator franchises, fans have wondered at what point the latter would intersect with the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. Today Marvel Comics announced that the Predator franchise will crossover with the Marvel Universe for the first time this fall. Predator vs. Wolverine is a four-issue miniseries that will reveal a decades-old rivalry between one alien hunter and the mutant who’s best there is at what he does. The series will be written by Benjamin Percy, with art from a number of artists including Greg Land, Andrea Di Vito, Ken Lashley, Kei Zama, and more. The series will sport main covers by Marco Checchetto.
Here’s how Marvel describes Predator vs. Wolverine:
THE THRILL IS THE KILL! Wolverine has lived one of the longest and most storied lives in comics history. Now witness the untold greatest battles of Logan’s life – against a Predator! One Yautja seeks the greatest prey in existence – and finds it in Weapon X. From the blood-ridden snows of the Canadian wilderness to the sword-slinging streets of Madripoor, Wolverine and a Predator break everything in their paths on their way to the ultimate victory…or glorious death.
While the series marks the first crossover between Predator and the characters of the Marvel Universe, it’s not the Predator’s first brush with superheroes. DC Comics and Dark Horse jointly published a number of crossover series and one-shots during the years that the latter held the publishing rights to the franchise, including three Batman vs. Predator miniseries, a Superman and Batman vs. Aliens and Predator miniseries, and a JLA vs. Predator one-shot.
In a statement announcing the miniseries, Percy could hardly contain his glee at writing the matchup between Wolverine and the Predator:
“I’m not going to say I was born to write this crossover… but sometimes the universe reveals why you were created. I am a child of the eighties. I cannot tell you how many times I watched Predator, just as I cannot tell you how many Wolverine comics I have read, because that would be like telling you how many breaths I’ve taken or cheeseburgers I’ve eaten. The mythologies of both are ingrained in me so deeply they might as well be strands of DNA or wisps of soul. The guns, claws, beef, and blood of both franchises have been stewing in my brain since 1987, when I read myself to sleep every night with a stack of Marvel comics and my friends and I used to play ‘Predator’ with Nerf guns in the woods and river near our neighborhood.”
“This epic hunt will span decades, as both of these giants learn and harden and grow deadlier with time,” Percy continued. “Neither will have time to bleed, but you better make time to read, because I’m putting everything I’ve got into this event, and I’m thrilled to join forces with some of the best artists in the business.”
Look for Predator vs. Wolverine #1 (of 4) to arrive in comic shops and digitally on Wednesday, September 20th.
