Imagine the comic book world’s biggest rivals joining forces—not to create a new superhero epic, but to adapt a beloved classic like The Wizard of Oz. Sounds unlikely, right? But in 1975, Marvel and DC did just that, and the result was a project so contentious, it’s almost been forgotten by history. This wasn’t your typical crossover event; it was a strange, behind-the-scenes collaboration that left fans scratching their heads. And this is the part most people miss: it wasn’t just a creative partnership—it was a desperate move to avoid a head-to-head battle over the same property.
To understand why this happened, let’s rewind to the 1970s. Marvel and DC were—and still are—the titans of the comic book industry. Marvel had been dominating since the 1960s with iconic characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Avengers, while DC had been a powerhouse since the 1930s with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The debate over which company has the superior heroes is a never-ending nerdy feud, rivaling even the Star Trek vs. Star Wars debates. Crossovers between these two giants were rare, making each one a major event. Fans still reminisce about the 1976 Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man comic, where the heroes clashed in a fight balanced by a convenient radiation ray. But before that, there was The Wizard of Oz—a collaboration born out of rivalry, not camaraderie.
Here’s where it gets controversial: Both Marvel and DC were secretly working on their own comic adaptations of MGM’s 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Instead of one backing down, they decided to team up, resulting in the 84-page mega-comic MGM’s Marvelous Wizard of Oz. But why? Was it a genuine creative partnership, or a last-minute panic move to avoid competing directly? The truth, as revealed in a 1987 issue of The Baum Bugle, is a mix of both.
At the heart of this story is Roy Thomas, Marvel’s former editor-in-chief and a die-hard Wizard of Oz fan. Thomas had secured the rights from MGM to use the film’s images and actor likenesses, including Judy Garland’s iconic Dorothy. Meanwhile, DC was negotiating with MGM for not just comics, but a toy line too. Marvel won the contract, and Thomas, alongside artist John Buscema, began work. Initially, they created original character designs based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, but MGM insisted on a screen-accurate adaptation.
And this is the part most people miss: Buscema had to rely on memory and a few production stills to recreate the film’s visuals—VHS wasn’t a thing yet. Thomas even bought an audio cassette of the film’s soundtrack to transcribe dialogue, filling in gaps himself. Despite these challenges, the project moved forward. But DC wasn’t sitting idly by. They started their own Wizard of Oz adaptation, using the public domain novel to avoid legal issues. Marvel, fearing DC might outshine them, struck a deal to merge the projects.
The result? A joint Marvel/DC comic that was entirely created by Marvel’s team. DC’s name was on the cover, but none of their artists or writers contributed. The book included movie stills, maps of Oz, and even a biography of L. Frank Baum, stretching to 84 pages. But despite its ambition, it flopped. With no marketing and a format too large for comic shops and too ‘comic-like’ for bookstores, it vanished from public memory.
Today, MGM’s Marvelous Wizard of Oz is a footnote in comic history, a curiosity for collectors willing to spend a few bucks on a second-hand copy. But here’s the real question: Was this collaboration a missed opportunity, or a doomed project from the start? Did Marvel and DC underestimate the challenges of adapting a classic, or was the lack of creative synergy from DC the downfall? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—this is one debate that’s as endless as the yellow brick road itself.
