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Like any network TV show, The Simpsons has butted heads with standards and practices on more than one occasion. For example, Fox’s censors apparently weren’t thrilled about the episode that began with a Fox censor being brutally stabbed to death.

But in 1997, the censors objected to the entire premise of a show for the most regressive of reasons.

Season Eight’s “Homer’s Phobia” found Homer befriending an antique dealer voiced by the legendary John Waters. But Homer freaks out when he realizes that his new pal is gay. He eventually learns to accept John, but only after being saved from a pack of bloodthirsty reindeer by John’s robotic Santa Claus.

While it may be considered a classic episode today, “Homer’s Phobia” came shockingly close to never airing because the network censors “tried to kill it.” As legendary Simpsons producer and showrunner Bill Oakley revealed on the episode’s DVD commentary,...

In the "The Simpsons" episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", Homer (Dan Castellaneta) is drinking at his local dive bar with his buddies. Everyone is having a good time except for Barney (also Castellaneta), an alcoholic who has, for the night, been chosen as his group's designated driver. Barney is already on edge, screaming that he needs beer soon when the dulcet strains of Yello's "Oh Yeah" interrupt his thoughts. Outside, the Duff Beer Partymobile pulls up, and Duff-branded corporate mascots file into Moe's Tavern. The party is about to begin, clearly as a corporate gimmick. In the middle of the fray is Duffman (Hank Azaria), a beer-themed superhero, who enters the room and asks if everyone is ready to "Get Duffed!" He proceeds to distribute free beers to everyone. He offers Barney a free barrel of Duff Extra Cold. Barney has to refuse. He is in Hell.

The Golden Age of The Simpsons has so many amazing, underappreciated jokes that blend into the background, but all fans seem to remember are the punchlines that get the most play. Not everyone gets to be a headliner like Bort.

The beauty of the Simpsons fandom is that, since the show’s most dedicated followers from the beginning have been, let’s just say, Comic Book Guy-esque, classic Simpsons jokes make up some of the internet’s earliest memes, thanks to the hard work of Web 1.0 fan pages from the 1990s. As such, when the profoundly quotable Season Six episode “Itchy & Scratchy Land” first aired in October 1994, the best lines and funniest bits from one of the all-time greatest Simpsons episodes immediately became inside jokes on the early internet that continue to get repeated to this day.

In 2025, much of the Simpsons shitposting that serves as the cornerstone of online culture takes place on Twitter,...

The iconic Season Eight Simpsons episode “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie” show was more than just inspired by on true events — it featured the facsimiles of real writers.

Most fans of The Simpsons know that the show’s most meta episode was one giant send-up of the state of critical discourse and network notes about The Simpsons nearly a decade into its run. Simpsons legend David X. Cohen conceived “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie” show as a window from which the audience could see what it’s like to work on a hit show that’s already several seasons deep and, in the estimation of especially critical fans and reviewers, nearing the end of its exceptional run.

Cohen based the central conceit of the “worst episode ever” – how the TV executives in charge of The Itchy & Scratchy Show try to force an unwanted new third character into the cast to boost struggling...

Supergirl is far more than just Superman's long-lost cousin. Sure, in full transparency, when Supergirl made her first appearance at DC Comics, that's essentially what she was.

Those days are long gone, as the modern Supergirl is wiser, more mature, and stands on her own two feet as a competent solo star. While Supergirl has respectfully distanced herself as more than just a Superman counterpart, they share many similar characteristics. For example, as much as Superman can be argued as DC's most inspirational hero, Supergirl's best lines and moments prove she is every bit as inspiring as the Man of Steel.

“There’s no cure for that. It’s called being human” Supergirl (1996) #63 by Peter David, Leonard Kirk, Robin Riggs, Gene D'Angelo, Digital Chameleon, and Bill Oakley.

As much as Kara Zor-El cannot be overlooked for her achievements as Supergirl, readers also can't forget the Silver Age human who adopted the mantle when Kara died.

Superman has fought many gods in his time, protecting the Earth from various cosmic threats - but few threats have been as great as Doomsday. These gods usually have specific goals, like Perpetua wanting to remake the multiverse or Darkseid seeking the Anti-Life equation. These goals can be understood and possibly reasoned with, but Doomsday has proven to be a god who only wants to destroy all life.

While Doomsday isn't technically a god, he will soon be, and he's demonstrated enough power that he's more than capable of being considered one. Between Doomsday's strength, speed, and complete inability to die, it's hard not to view the monster as a true cosmic threat, more powerful than some of the greatest gods in the DC Universe. As much as Superman may hate it, it's possible that Doomsday is on his way to becoming the darkest god that DC has ever seen so far.

Warning! Spoilers for Superman #21!Doomsday is the enemy of all life, which has often put him in direct conflict with Superman. The two characters have fought one another for decades, with Superman desperately trying to stop Doomsday's attack on all living things. While it seems like Superman is the only one who ever stands up against Doomsday, DC has revealed that Doomsday has made plenty of enemies, and they've crossed the cosmos to get their revenge.

Superman has long wished there was a way to get rid of the monstrous Doomsday forever, especially given his recent threats in the pages of Superman. As seen in Superman #21 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora, Superman finally has a chance to be rid of Doomsday once and for all.

While Doomsday lays dormant due to Black Mercy venom, an alien coalition arrives on Earth, calling themselves the Aftermath. They demand that Doomsday be handed over to them,...

Warning! Contains Spoilers For Superman #21!

Due to the never ending nature of comic books, it's completely reasonable that Superman would wish that some of his villains would just go away forever. Some villains like Toy Maker can be truly defeated by reforming them. Other villains like Brainiac can even be reasoned with depending on the interpretation. Still, Doomsday has always been unrelenting, leaving Superman to wish he could defeat him forever. Now, it seems the superhero has forgotten he already took the threat down.

Superman has been fighting Doomsday for decades, and he's been a consistent threat to the Super-Family. Young Jon Kent even used to consider Doomsday the family boogeyman. It seems like no matter what Superman does, he can never beat Doomsday. Doomsday has been killed and sent to Hell, and Doomsday simply broke out again. Superman had trapped Doomsday in an infinite teleportation loop, and he was...

A lot of Simpsons fans collect animation cels from the show’s production, despite the fact that Bart Simpson himself once warned us that it feels pretty terrible to spend $350 on a painting of of a singular tiny arm.

While most cels look as one would expect from the show, apparently some contain bonus, anatomically-confounding nudity. As one Simpsons fan recently shared on social media, a cel from “Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part Two” contains an eyeful of Springfield’s oldest billionaire.

In the broadcast, a hungover Smithers dreams that Mr. Burns is unharmed, and having a steamy shower — a parody of a scene from Dallas, the show that also inspired the “Who Shot Mr. Burns?” whodunnit cliffhanger gimmick with its “Who Shot J.R.?” arc.

But while the episode held back on revealing the Full Monty Burns, the cel, bizarrely, depicted the character totally naked from head-to-toe, with a...

Superman has thrown punches at Imperiex, Mongul, and even Darkseid, and while these characters are heavy hitters, one villain stands above all of them: Doomsday. While there's no denying that Darkseid is powerful, even he's been beaten by the terrifying Doomsday, proving that Doomsday's strength practically makes him a god.

Doomsday was engineered to be the perfect living organism. Every time Doomsday is killed, he simply comes back stronger than ever, typically immune to whatever killed him prior. Because of this, Doomsday has just continued to evolve over the years, growing stronger and stronger, and at some point, his powers are going to push him to the point of becoming a literal god. While he isn't quite at that point yet, these ten superpowers demonstrate just how close Doomsday is to becoming the darkest god in DC's history.

Doomsday's Strength Is Nearly Unlimited Doomsday Has Taken Down Some of the...

Season 7 of "The Simpsons" is one of the best seasons of television ever aired. Not only was the show was still in its "golden age" and delivering classic gag after classic gag at the time, but season 7 is also noteworthy for containing some of the finest Milhouse episodes in the show's history, including the brilliant "Summer of 4ft. 2," in which the level of sheer emotional abuse Milhouse endures remains one of the most hilariously dark running jokes the show ever tried.

What's more, season 7 gave us "A Fish called Selma," in which washed up actor Troy McClure marries Marge's sister as part of his comeback attempt. On his way back to stardom, McClure stars in the ridiculous musical "Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!" which features a big musical number named after the character Dr. Zaius from the original movie. On its own, this...

As we mentioned in a previous article, the Multiverse is a concept where multiple alternate realities exist within a larger fictional universe, often referred to as “Earth,” with one primary, canon narrative setting. The idea of the Multiverse opened the door for more diverse storytelling, allowing fictional narratives to continuously expand.

Today, many franchises have created their own versions of the Multiverse, but the most popular and well-known one in movies and TV right now is Marvel’s Multiverse, part of the MCU.

While many believe Marvel was the first to bring a meaningful Multiverse to the screen, the truth is, The Simpsons beat them to it nearly 30 years ago. Although their approach was more rudimentary, it’s still a noteworthy example that inspired this article!

On October 29, 1995, The Simpsons aired “Treehouse of Horror VI,” the sixth installment of the show’s iconic Halloween-themed mini-series. Widely regarded as one of...

As we have said in one of our old articles, the Multiverse is a concept of a larger fictional universe within which multiple alternative realities exist, often called “Earth,” with one primary, canon narrative setting. The creation of the Multiverse as a concept allowed for more diverse storytelling and enabled a constant expansion of fictional narratives.

While there are many Multiverses today, as many franchises have decided to construct their own version of the concept, the most popular and coherent one in the world of movies and TV series right now is Marvel’s Multiverse, which is part of the MCU.

Many believe that Marvel is the first franchise to create a meaningful Multiverse on the screen, but believe it or not, almost 30 years ago, the first ones to do it were The Simpsons. While we are aware that it was rudimentary, it is still worth noting which is what inspired this article!

Nowadays, the concept of the multiverse has become part of the pop culture lexicon, mostly due to Marvel and its attempts to usher in the age of multiversal storytelling with its superhero movies. The process really began Sony and Marvel's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" back in 2018, then picked up with 2021's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," before Marvel Studios itself picked up the baton and ran with it for 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" — a movie that tried to distinguish between different timelines with distinct designs for each, but which ultimately felt like it didn't quite hit the mark.

Meanwhile, Marvels' rival, DC, also tried its hand at introducing audiences to the multiverse with some ill-fated projects such as the superheroic box office bomb that was "The Flash." Still, by the time "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" debuted in 2023, the concept of multiple universes that collide with one another was well-established.

"The Simpsons" is not just one of the most influential series in history and a cultural phenomenon, but it's also possibly the greatest TV show of all time. Still, the animated sitcom is not without controversy. "The Simpsons" has been banned many times in many countries, whether it's the entire "Simpsons" movie being banned for an innocent color scheme or TV standards changing and banning the show from showing an animated butt.

Of course, there is another, rather infamous example of a "Simpsons" episode being banned. Most every long-running sitcom is eventually haunted by the problematic elements from its earlier episodes, and "The Simpsons" is no exception. Be that as it may, the "Simpsons" episode that was quietly removed from streaming was pulled for reasons that had nothing to do with its subject matter and everything to do with its guest star. Yes, I'm referring to season 3's "Stark Raving Dad,...

There have been tons of iconic looks for Superman over the years, and some of his most famous came from the 1990s. While most fans are familiar with his iconic mullet and the black suit, not many are aware of the unbelievable '90s Hunter/Prey outfit that Superman wore, which had an amazing amount of pouches - but it was also by far one of Superman's most powerful suits.

DC recently revealed Doomsday's final form as the Time Trapper. While explaining this bizarre twist to Superman in a preview for Superman #20 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Mora, Alejandro Snchez, and Ariana Maher, Doomsday shows all the major battles he has had and will have throughout his life. Some of these battles are against Darkseid or the Legion of Superheroes, but most are against Superman, and one major Superman costume stands out during this recap.

Doomsday points out the fight that...

"The Simpsons" is still a thing in 2024, even though nobody you know is watching it. While the general consensus is that the show hasn't been good for a while, it still manages to churn out the odd highlight, including a fake series finale inspired by a common fan question. What's more, you can still count on the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes to deliver top-quality "Simpsons."

Inspired by a '50s comic, the "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween episodes started in the show's second season, and have become a "Simpsons" tradition ever since (though that tradition almost ended before it began). The anthology episodes are responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the series' long history, and have developed their own mini traditions in and of themselves — one being renaming all the cast and crew in the episode credits to give them spooky-sounding names.

Over the course of 35 Halloween episodes,...

Given the sprawling buffet of cuisine-related gags that have made it into the 773 Simpsons episodes and counting over the last 35 years, only an unparalleled expert on both the show and on food could narrow the many thousands of punchlines down to a definitive three-course meal of the top Simpsons food jokes — mmm, definitive.

Former Simpsons head writer and co-showrunner Bill Oakley isn’t just an undisputed authority on the show that put him on the map, he’s also an expert junk food writer whom The Wrap once hailed as “the Gordon Ramsay of fast food” for his many viral reviews of drive-thru fare. The 58-year-old Oakley also has plenty of experience combining his two areas of expertise, as, last year, he partnered with a Portland-area brewery to create the Steamed Hams Lager that goes great with Albany-style burgers. On top of all that, Oakley is the founder and head of the Steamed Hams Society,...

Doomsday's most infamous moment in DC history is his killing of Superman, a groundbreaking sequence that's become a staple of the Man of Steel's history. However, that isn't Doomsday's first kill; there's another that carries just as much, if not more, thematic weight. The first murder committed by Doomsday defines his role in DC lore as an unyielding force of evil, proving that he is the moral opposite to Superman.

Superman: The Man of Steel #18 written by Louise Simonson, with art by Jon Bogdanove features the first proper appearance of Doomsday in DC canon, as he begins his destructive rampage. Before any of the human casualties, though, Doomsday partakes in a first kill that stands out from the rest. A bird flies into his outstretched hand as he looks upon the distant city, and without a second thought, Doomsday crushes the bird.

This first on-page kill from Doomsday demonstrates...

Because it apparently needs clarifying, the credits of The Simpsons’ annual “Treehouse of Horror” special aren’t actually the legal names (or obituaries) of the creatives involved in the making of the episode — despite what you may have read, Matt Groening is not the “Funk Lord of the USA.”

When The Simpsons first started putting out its annual anthology Halloween episode “Treehouse of Horror” back in Season Two, Groening and his writers hadn’t yet thought to turn the obligatory roll of credits into another themed gag as they would in the following 34 installments. For that reason alone, I’m going to give the St. Albans School alumni office the benefit of the doubt and assume that, when they tuned in to “Treehouse of Horror VI” half a decade later, they had missed the four intervening “Treehouse of Horror” episodes and thought that the normal Christian names of their most...

All October long, Cracked is catching up with some of the greatest writers in Simpsons history to discuss the most beloved segments from the “Treehouse of Horror” series. From the cursed monkey’s paw to Krusto the Clown, we’re digging into the making of some real fan-favorites.

Here’s one more “The Simpsons did it first” moment for the pile: A month before Toy Story hit theaters, “Treehouse of Horror VI” featured a 3D Homer in the segment “Homer3,” an utterly mind-blowing feat back in 1995 and possibly the boldest thing the show had done up until that point.

Maybe more impressively, it was a feat pulled off by a couple of newbie showrunners, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. They’d written on The Simpsons for several seasons already, but “Treehouse of Horror VI” was just their third episode at the helm — an episode that went on to be a classic.

Simpsons die-hards who have always longed to waste an evening pounding pints and shooting the breeze with the regular barflies of Moe’s Tavern should book their flight to Austin, Texas as soon as possible — October is the only season when the taps are manned by I.P. Freely.

Within the world of The Simpsons, Springfield’s pre-eminent hangout for mid-to-high-grade alcoholics and stash spot for exotic animal trafficking is, frankly, a bit of a depressing spot. After all, Larry the Barfly wasted the final 35 years of his life there before finally slumping over his bar stool and both the Moe’s crowd and the viewers at home barely noticed him. At Moe’s, the mugs are dirty, the roaches are abundant and the noose hanging in the supply closet is just waiting for the day when it will finally take the depressed proprietor of the joint. But for Homer, Lenny,...

One of the most inadvertently problematic episodes of The Simpsons found Homer reluctantly taking his family on a trip to New York City, purely in order to recover his car, which Barney abandoned at the bottom of the World Trade Center. Because of the Twin Towers’ prominent role in the story, “The City of New York vs Homer Simpson” was temporarily pulled from syndication in the wake of the September 11th attacks, thus costing the crab juice industry millions of dollars-worth of free advertising.

While Homer may have hated New York with a fiery passion (owing to a bad experience he had as a teenager) that sentiment clearly wasn’t shared by the Simpsons’ staff, who went to great efforts to recreate Manhattan’s urban landscape in cartoon form — from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, to the Statue of Liberty, to Mad Magazine’s head office, which we assume looked...

During a recent convention appearance, legendary Star Wars author Timothy Zahn discussed the Star-Lord miniseries he wrote for Marvel Comics in the 1990s and revealed that he produced a sequel series, which has never been published. Zahn's comments make it clear that an incredible artifact of comic book history is locked away in Marvel's vault, though whether it will "ever see the light of day" remains to be determined.

Appearing on the Star Wars' Thrawn: Alliances Comes to Comics panel at Dragon Con 2024. Timothy Zahn discussed how his work outside the Star Wars Extended Universe, including his three-issue Star-Lord miniseries from the '90s. Of particular note to fans of the author's work was the tidbit he dropped about a second, unreleased Star-Lord series.

According to the author, he has occasionally prompted Marvel to release the series over the years since, though at this point, his efforts have been to no avail.

Exclusive: Leland Douglas, the screenwriter behind the David Gordon Green comedy Nutcrackers, has signed with Thruline Entertainment for management.

Marking Ben Stiller’s first star vehicle in a few years, Nutcrackers has him playing the work-obsessed Mike, who must reluctantly travel to rural Ohio to look after his four rambunctious nephews after their parents die in a car accident. What begins as a three-day trip to find foster care turns into weeks of farm-life mayhem – and the realization that he doesn’t need to find them a home, they’ve found one for him.

The film is coming off of its premiere as the opening film of the Toronto Film Festival, where it sold to Hulu for eight figures, in the first splashy deal of the fest. Also starring Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker and Toby Hussles, pic is produced by Rivulet’s Rob Paris and Mike Witherill, and Rough House’s Nate Meyer.

Over The Simpsons’ 35 seasons and counting, the show has made numerous political jabs and jokes about the rich and powerful, but not during the Season Seven masterpiece episode “Two Bad Neighbors” — those punches were personal.

In a vacuum, you can understand why a current or former U.S. president belonging to the Republican party probably wouldn’t count The Simpsons among his favorite shows. Though Simpsons writers aren’t all bleeding-heart liberals — all-time great John Swartzwelder was famously much more of a Dale Gribble than a Lisa Simpson — The Simpsons has made no secret of their disdain for the kind of social conservatism that characters like Ned Flanders consistently embody (especially in recent seasons), and the series has a long tradition of mocking the Oval Office and the curmudgeonly conservatives who occasionally inhabit it.

However, the feud between The Simpsons and the late president George H.W. Bush wasn’t actually started by The Simpsons.

According to Senior Marvel Editor Tom Brevoort, he once emphatically refused to follow through on a creative decision from above, in which the publisher decreed that a pregnant Mary Jane Parker would suffer a miscarriage at the end of a dramatic Spider-Man arc. Had he not drawn a line in the sand, the often-maligned One More Day storyline from a decade later may have had an even more controversial precedent.

On his Substack, Brevoort revealed his role in stopping the plot in its tracks. Spider-Man: The Last Adventure written by Fabian Nicieza, with art by Darick Robertson was a four-issue miniseries released between late 1995 and early 1996. As the title suggested, the storyline was conceived of as Peter Parker's final outing as the Webslinger.

Brevoort's unwillingness to end The Last Adventure with Mary Jane losing the baby led to the arc ending on an uncertain note; sadly, the story of Mj's pregnancy did end in tragedy,...

Marvel's X-Men '97 draws inspiration from classic X-Men comics released before 1997. Key issues include Magneto's trial, Wolverine's battle, and the introduction of Goblin Queen. Fans can access these comics on Marvel Unlimited or purchase them digitally on Amazon for more X-Men adventures.

The hit series, X-Men '97 stems from comics by nature of it being an X-Men adaptation. However, the creators of the hit Marvel animated series have revealed some of the specific comics that inspired the show. These series and issues are readily accessible for X-Men '97 fans to read.

X-Men '97 (2024), picked up where the X-Men animated series that aired from 1992-1997 left off. It quickly became a fan-favorite series with a second season on its way and a third in development. However, with the first season being over, there's a desire for more of the X-Men series ahead of its return.

Marvel officially shared a...

The Ultimates #3 cleverly parallels real tragedies with Hulk's origin story on Monster Island. Deniz Camp's use of superhero fiction sheds light on historical atrocities like the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests. The issue highlights the dehumanization of indigenous populations, reflecting real-life nuclear testing consequences.

Contains spoilers for The Ultimates (2024) #3!Going into Marvels new Ultimates, I knew the series would be interested in drawing parallels to real life, but I didnt expect it to turn one Fantastic Four touchstone into its version of a historical tragedy. Its a clever use of using superhero fiction and the actions of supervillains to show just how nasty our own world can be, and has been in the near past.

In The Ultimates (2024) #3 by Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blee and Vc's Travis Lanham, real history is perfectly referenced by turning the Fantastic Fours Monster Isle into a parallel to the real-life Bikini Atoll nuclear tests.

Some Justice League members have villainous siblings, showcasing a stark contrast in moral choices within the same family. Orion and Kalibak, Ma'alefa'ak, and Grail are examples of heroes with siblings who chose the path of villainy. Family dynamics can be complex, as seen in the cases of siblings like Ma'alefa'ak, James Gordon Jr., and Grid in the Justice League universe.

There are tons of heroes in the Justice League who inspire people every day to be more heroic, but sometimes they aren't able to inspire their own family. While family relationships can be difficult, these relationships take that to the next level, as these Justice League members have siblings who choose crime over heroism.

Growing up in the same family doesn't always impart the same morals. There are tons of characters who choose to be heroes because of their upbringing, and there are plenty who choose to be villains because of theirs.

Everyone knows "The Simpsons" has basically predicted every major cultural moment in recent history. From Disney's 2021 acquisition of Fox to Donald Trump's presidency, the long-running show has managed to prove time and again that it has its finger on the pulse of pop culture — well, at least it used to. But the show is also responsible for directly contributing to other pop culture moments, such as when Merriam-Webster added the word "Cromulent" — first used in the 1996 episode "Lisa the Iconoclast" — to the dictionary.

Another '90s episode featured the origin of a minor "Simpsons" joke that would end up enduring for decades, although in a much less conspicuous way. "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the show's sixth season, and while it didn't quite make /Film's list of the 25 best "Simpsons" episodes, frankly every golden age episode could have been on that list, and this one is no different.

In the story Superman: True Brit co-authored by John Cleese Superman's decision to reveal his identity removed his enemy's power over him, a tactic Peter Parker could've used to negate J. Jonah Jameson's years of printing libel against Spider-Man By unveiling his secret, Superman won public support, showing how for Spider-Man, transparency could have changed his relationship with Jonah. Despite Jonah's anti-Spidey stance throughout much of his character history, he has proven supportive when aware of Spider-Man's identity in continuity, suggesting a missed opportunity for Spider-Man to convert an enemy into an ally by trusting Jonah and disclosing the man under the mask.

As many sinister villains as Spider-Man has faced over the years, one of his most consistent headaches has come in the form of the spurious reporting done by J. Jonah Jameson a problem that, surprisingly, one niche Superman story showed the perfect way to handle. Jonah...

Superman accidentally creates "Bat-Man" after a cricket game mishap. Batman seeks revenge on Superman by exposing his true identity. John Cleese's humorous take on Batman vs. Superman is a refreshing twist.

From a dark God who watches over Gotham to a vigilante in Victorian England, there have been countless interpretations of Batman over the years. But his most hilarious re-invention came when famous comedian John Cleese changed Batman's origin to make him a victim of Superman's super-strength after a disastrous cricket game.

Superman: True Brit by Kim Johnson and John Cleese set out to answer the timeless question of "What if Superman were British?" This experiment naturally had hilarious results, as Superman was encouraged to never use his powers (for fear of what the neighbors would think). This led Superman to repress any memory of his powers, including his super strength.

During a cricket game, Superman accidentally tosses his...

The Suicide Squad's wildest members haven't yet appeared in the Dcu, despite The Suicide Squad movie's huge roster. From the explosive, unaging child Baby Boom to the real-life person Grant Morrison, the Squad still has major treasures to impart. Branch, Crowbar and Fifteen Minutes Man weren't good people, but their epic deaths are worthy of the big screen.

DC has a ton of teams that all do different things, but one of the most versatile teams, in both their roster and overall use, is the Suicide Squad. The Squad has gone on tons of missions over the years and has incredibly frequent roster changes. That makes for a lot of wild 'heroes' that the Dcu can adapt when it eventually revisits the antihero team.

The initial idea for the Suicide Squad was to be a team with disposable members. Sent off on top secret missions by the government where they could very well die.

Superman lands in the UK, named Colin Clark, with a different upbringing & daily life struggles. Colin works at the untruthful Daily Smear, reveals his identity, and only then moves to the Daily Planet. Despite hardships, Colin/Kent Clark upholds heroic ideals, proving that origins don't define a hero — especially Superman.

One of the most well known comic book origins is that of Superman. It's been parodied over the years by just about everyone, and the planet of Krypton is well known in pop-culture. Plenty of writers have tried to leave their touch on Superman's iconic origin, and John Cleese of Monty Python fame made a few hilarious changes to Superman's origin as well.

In Superman: True Brit by Kim Johnson and Cleese, Superman's ship doesn't land in the United States as usual, but instead lands in the United Kingdom. Superman is found by the Clark family, where he's given the...

The Fantastic Four's history is beautifully captured in fanart, showcasing various rosters, friends, and villains in a Saturday morning cartoon style. Matt Kaufenberg's illustrations depict alternate Ff lineups, allies like Black Panther, and iconic villains like Mole Man and Ultron. The art highlights the Ff's versatility and accessibility, supporting the idea of unique takes on the team while maintaining core themes of family and science.

The Fantastic Four have a long history, and a new series of fanart has perfectly captured the breadth of the team’s many rosters, friends and villains by reimagining the franchise as a Saturday morning cartoon. The characters here range from the Ff’s very first appearance to their 2010s adventures and everything in-between. This art not only shows how varied the team is, but also how it’s underrated in how accessible the team really is and can be.

Artist Matt Kaufenberg has...

Jeopardy! is usually very careful and thorough when it comes to the wording of its clues, but one particular question about The Simpsons on Thursday’s (March 14) game contained a mistake. In the third game of the Tournament of Champions finals, which saw pro-quizzer Troy Meyer battling it out wit Ben Chan and Yogesh Raut, the contestants were faced with a category titled “Real Names of Unreal People.” Chan selected the $600 under the category, which read, “Robert Underdunk Terwilliger is the real name of this vengeful The Simpsons character.” Meyer, who won Wednesday’s (March 13) game in dominant fashion, quickly buzzed in and correctly guessed Sideshow Bob. However, it turned out the Jeopardy! clue writers had misspelled the name of the infamous Simpsons villain. Jeopardy, Inc! After a fan on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out the name is actually “Onderdonk,” former Simpsons writer Bill Oakley jumped in to confirm that,...

In Batman/Lobo, Batman defeats Lobo by using his intellect and hypnotizing him, showing that not every fight can be won through brute strength. Lobo's absurd healing factor makes him virtually invulnerable, but Batman has found unique ways to bring him down several times in the past. While he has had to blow up Lobo's head at least once, in this case, Batman resorts to a nonviolent solution, hypnotizing Lobo and forcing him to leave Eartg, when physical force proved ineffective at defeating him.

Not every fight can be won through pure brute strength, which is why Batman has famously come up with endless different contingency plans to break down the different characters he often interacts with, enemies and allies alike. One of the best examples of Batman's planning is when he permanently put down Lobo, despite the alien having an unstoppable healing factor.

During the events of Batman/Lobo – by Alan Grant,...

Tim Drake's takeover of the Nightwing mantle in the Batman/Lobo Elseworlds story proved to be his downfall, leading to his untimely death. Tim esd out of his element as Nightwing, rather than playing to his natural strengths, which ultimately costs him his life. Tim Drake is a great hero in his own element, but becoming Nightwing only brought him an early death at the hands of Lobo.

Batman has inspired the loyalty of many in his long years of operations, from his ever-changing flock of Robins to the Batgirls and Nightwing. It’s commonplace for titles to switch hands and move from one member of the Bat-Family to another. However, Tim Drake taking over the Nightwing moniker didn’t turn him into Blüdhaven’s protector – instead, it led right to his death.

Batman / Lobo #1 – by Alan Grant, Simon Bisley, Nathan Eyring, and Bill Oakley – is an Elseworlds story,...

Darkseid's immortality is not a superpower, but a metaphysical state. He reappears no matter how many times he's struck down, because he is essential to the cosmic balance of good and evil in the DC Universe. The Spectre, a powerful hero, tried to punish Darkseid, but learns that Darkseid is cosmically important and cannot be killed. Darkseid is necessary for the forces of light in the DC Universe to exist. Without his darkness, there couldn't be forces of good like the Justice League.

Darkseid has fought the Justice League hundreds of times, but despite how much chaos and destruction he's wrought, no one has ever managed to defeat him definitively. While some attribute this to Darkseid simply being too powerful, considering his origin as a New God, DC has actually shown that Darkseid will never be truly done away with, because the DC Universe needs him to exist.

The Spectre...

The Simpsons' "Golden Age" of seasons 3 to 10 was known for its constant rewriting and improvisation, which contributed to the show's success. Actors Hank Azaria and Harry Shearer improvised a memorable scene in season 4, leading to an iconic running gag between Skinner and Chalmers. Skinner and Chalmers' absurd relationship and Skinner's penchant for elaborate lies continued to be a recurring theme throughout the show's 36 seasons.

While The Simpsons had some of the best writing in TV history, one beloved sequence was inspired by two actors improvising. The Simpsons enjoyed a huge amount of critical acclaim and mainstream popularity during the show’s peak. Running from around seasons 3 to 10, the so-called “Golden Age” of The Simpsons was lauded at the time and is now looked back on as one of the most influential eras in television comedy history. The show’s success was largely down to a culture of constant rewriting, with...

The Simpsons was a global phenomenon during its Golden Age, attracting A-list actors for guest appearances. Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger turned down a cameo on The Simpsons during its peak. The missed opportunity on The Simpsons could have helped the action stars transition into comedy roles.

While many A-list actors would kill for a cameo on The Simpsons even now, three of Hollywood’s biggest action stars missed out on this opportunity at the height of the show’s Golden Age. The Simpsons is still a big deal. In its 35th season, the series commands an audience of millions, has aired more episodes than any other American prime-time scripted series, and has firmly secured a place in television history. However, it is sometimes hard to clarify just how huge The Simpsons once was. At the height of the show’s success, The Simpsons was a global pop culture phenomenon.

DC's Elseworlds imprint explores alternate continuity versions of its classic characters, including many incredible reimaginings of Batman and Gotham City. With stories set in the past and far flung future of the DC Universe, alongside alternate histories, the many Elseworlds incarnations of Batman have offered writers the opportunity to tell a wide range of stories. With Elseworlds returning with more Batman stories, now is the time to revisit some of the best.

For decades, DC Comics has indulged some of the wildest, most unexpected narrative possibilities for many of its iconic characters through its Elseworlds imprint, a place for stories set far outside the company's main continuity – and naturally, many of the best Elseworlds stories have featured alternative versions of Batman.

Featuring versions of Gotham's Caped Crusader set in the past, future, and alternate, unfamiliar versions of the present DC timeline, these stories have helped push what it means to...

Doomsday is the one of the few characters in the DC Universe, who can instill fear in Superman and has pushed him to the brink, including killing the Man of Steel in the famous "Death of Superman" storyline, which introduced the villain. Different versions of Doomsday have appeared over the years, each one more dangerous than the last. Some surprising versions of Doomsday, like Jimmy Olsen and Alfred Pennyworth, have proven to be even stronger and more capable than the original.

Doomsday is one of the most terrifying antagonists in the entire DC Universe, being literally one of the few characters to install fear in Superman, even outright beating him to death. Naturally, the idea of one Doomsday is bad enough, but with things like the Multiverse, there are plenty of Doomsdays to go around, each more terrifying than the last.

Superman has fought dozens of absurdly powerful characters over...

Fun trivia! For its first 12 installments, the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of "The Simpsons" were merely called "The Simpsons Halloween Special." It wouldn't be until 2002 that "The Simpsons" would adopt the more familiar "Treehouse" title for its horror shows.

Starting with the show's second season, the "Simpsons" showrunners used their Halloween episodes to tell shorter, more outlandish stories wherein fantasy elements could be more openly employed, monsters could coexist with the title family, and the characters could die horrible, bloody deaths. For the most part, the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes were anthology shows, with each installment featuring three brief segments, many of them openly ripped off from "The Twilight Zone." Later on, "Treehouse" would be used to lampoon movies in a more general fashion, as when Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and Marge (Julie Kavner) re-enacted the 2005 action film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

As of this writing, there have been 34 "Treehouse of Horror" episodes,...

Former showrunner of The Simpsons, Josh Weinstein, confirmed a callback to the series in Disenchantment season 5, episode 3. The callback references a scene from a 1994 episode of The Simpsons, co-written by Weinstein and Bill Oakley. The callback involves a reference to Hig Heisler, mentioned by Comic Book Guy to Bart Simpson in the episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover."

The Simpsons just got a callback to a joke from almost three decades ago, though it happened in another show. Given its status as one of the most influential shows of all time, the influence of The Simpsons is clear to see in other sitcoms and family comedies, like Malcolm in the Middle. But the animated staple has also built a loosely connected universe through crossovers and clever references that could just as easily fall under the radar.

Josh Weinstein, a former showrunner on The Simpsons, confirmed a callback to the series in Disenchantment.

The Simpsons has predicted a lot of real-life history, but the show’s Barbie parody relied on wild inspiration from real news. Although The Simpsons borrows many of its plot elements from real-life events, the long-running animated sitcom doesn’t typically focus on the current news cycle. Unlike South Park, which features topical satire that often ages terribly, The Simpsons tends to focus on themes of family and community. It only occasionally weaves in timely references. Thanks to the show’s lengthy production process, this can make it feel like The Simpsons is behind on the times. However, this approach also works to The Simpsons' benefit.

The many kid-friendly episodes of The Simpsons maintain a timeless appeal because, outside a few nods to '90s and '00s pop culture, they don’t feel rooted in a specific era. The same can’t be said for South Park, which often...

There are many heroes in the DC Universe, and many of them are near-perfect. Superman, for example, is one of the greatest symbols of hope in the Dcu. But this doesn't actually make him the purest hero; that title goes to Wonder Woman.

Superman has done everything he can to guide humanity on the path towards a better tomorrow, which is why many consider him DC's greatest symbol of hope. While there's no denying that Superman is an inspiration, simply wanting to guide people towards a better outcome doesn't always make someone a pure hero. Lex Luthor, for example, wants humanity to be able to stand on its own two legs without having to rely on aliens like Superman. That motivation is noble at its core, it certainly doesn't make Lex "pure." Simply having noble intentions doesn't make someone a true hero, but Wonder Woman has what it takes to...

An amazing piece of fanart has brought together three great armored suits for Spider-Man, Daredevil and Black Widow. None of these heroes are known for being bulletproof crime-fighters, but each has enjoyed at least one costume that enhanced their durability to superhuman levels.

Chris Ouellette (@cjolet) has brought back the spirit of the 90s with this armored fanart. Commissioned by Tim Stevens (@ungajje), Ouellette’s art brings together Spider-Man’s Spider-Armor Mk II, Daredevil’s black and red armor '90s armor, and Black Widow’s War Widow armor, with all three posed aggressively in a dark alley. Ouellette’s art perfectly captures how intimidating these costumes are, and uses the colored highlights of each to give the piece a visual pop, especially contrasted against the grays and blacks of the bodysuits themselves. Despite coming from completely different stories, the piece seamlessly brings all three costumes together.

Marvel's Most Underrated...

An eagle-eyed The Simpsons fan uncovered a noticeable error in a 27-year-old episode that writer Josh Weinstein overlooked before the episode aired. Weinstein joined The Simpsons' writing staff in 1992, contributing to seasons 3 and 4 as part of a new generation of writers following the departures of several original writing staff. The writer served as the series co-showrunner alongside Bill Oakley throughout seasons 7 and 8, departing the show soon after, and later contributing to beloved animated series, including Futurama, Gravity Falls, and Disenchantment.

With Weinstein often discussing his Simpsons tenure on Twitter, one fan reached out to the writer about an error from the season 7 episode, "Mother Simpson." While the episode most notably featured the introduction of Homer's estranged mother, Mona Simpson, Weinstein noted a mistake in a memorable gag that fan account @Simpsons_Tweets shared involving a misspelling on Homer's tombstone's original design. Check it out below:

This was my joke!