When Worlds and Dangers Collide, a Batman the Animated Series + Defenders of the Earth Crossover fanfic

Preface: At one point there had been a suggestion that there should be a Defenders of the Earth crossover with heroes of Marvel Comics or DC Comics, and you know something? I agree. A series of events led to this crossover being born. The difference here is there's a time jump for the Batman characters, four years after the last episode of The New Batman Adventures, which sort of explains why Barbara Gordon is Oracle rather than Batgirl, among other things.

There are also additional members of the Bat Family who haven't appeared in in the DCAU who will be present such as Orphan/Cassandra Cain, Spoiler/Stephanie Brown, The Signal/Duke Thomas, Red Hood/Jason Todd (who appears in "A Gotham Christmas Carol" and in the first season of Batman: the Adventures Continue), Batwoman/Kate Kane, and Damian Wayne, as the last two will appear later in the series and you'll see the rest starting the first chapter/episode.

Just so you know, certain events from Batman Beyond is ignored. While Terry McGinnis still exists in my DCAU canon, there are many things about BB that will not exist such as the stupid Bruce x Barbara BS that should have never existed in the first place, and Tim was never turned to a Joker Junior in this universe but that doesn't mean the Joker won't try something like that on someone else in the Bat Family. I'm not telling who or else it'll spoil a certain story arc in this story.

Before I start this series, like many fans of Batman, I was saddened to hear the tragic death of Kevin Conroy, known as the iconic voice of Batman, who passed away on 11 November 2022. He was beloved by fans of the show, and he will be missed by one and all.

Disclaimer: Batman: the Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, and all characters and properties belong to Warner. Bros. Animation and DC Comics. Defenders of the Earth, Flash Gordon, Ming the Merciless, the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Lothar and all other characters and properties belong to Marvel, Stan Lee, Alex Raymond, Lee Falk, King Features Entertainment, Hearst Entertainment, Mill Creek Entertainment and Complex Networks and affiliates. The characters April Gordon, Amy O' Connor, Cathleen O' Connor and Sheila Oceanna Dewindt belong to fellow DoE fan Marzena, used with permission.

When Worlds and Dangers Collide

Chapter One. Two Teams, One City

Mandrake looked outside the windows of the new home of the Defenders of the Earth, Gotham. It had been over a month since since their old home in Central City had been destroyed during a battle with Ming. Not too long after that, Mandrake had managed to give the team one of his family homes as their new location in Gotham and they have been setting up their new Monitor headquarters since.

Shortly before the attack, Flash's oldest child April had returned to the team just after she graduated from the space academy and April re-joined the team.

Sighing, Mandrake turned around and walked towards the kitchen. Upon arriving at the kitchen, he saw Lothar getting a cup of water.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"I believe so," Lothar answered.

"What makes you say that, my friend?"

"The thing is, I was having strange dreams."

"About Cathleen?" Mandrake glanced up, having a feeling what his friend was implying, "In that case, I have had dreams about her recently myself."

"Yes, it is Cathleen," Lothar leaned against the counter, "The thing is, why would she want to visit us in our dreams?"

"As you know we used to date," Mandrake answered, "but I have no idea why she's visiting you in your dreams."

"I seriously want to drop it," Lothar sighed roughly, "especially since she's been out of our lives for years."

"I concur with your sentiments," Mandrake nodded in agreement, "However, I cannot help but to notice she's constantly been sending us these dreams and I believe they could mean something."

"But what exactly?"

"I'm not sure."

Lothar sighed roughly, "It's just like Cathleen, sending us a dream that just doesn't make sense."

"Yes," Mandrake glance over, "still, you can't force her to do things unless it's her way because it doesn't end well."

"True," Lothar replied, "but I'm too old to be playing these kind of games."

Mandrake looked on as Lothar took a sip of water.

"It seems everyone has managed to settle into Gotham quite well," Mandrake stated, changing the subject.

"I believe so," Lothar replied, "However, I wish this move didn't cause my relationship with my son and Kate to end."

"I was thinking about that," Mandrake nodded in agreement, "Kate wasn't able to keep a long distance relationship as LJ told us when they broke up last week."

-Worlds-and-Dangers-Collide-

LJ walked down the hall from his room. It had been over a month since the Defenders had first moved to Gotham after their old base in Central City was destroyed by Ming. They now resided on New Monitor at Mandrake's family home. Still, he couldn't help but to blame Ming for his relationship with Kate ending. Yes, they tried to make a long distance relationship work, but eventually, it didn't work out and the relationship ended.

"You okay, buddy?"

Startled, LJ turned around to see both Rick and Jedda behind him. He turned around to face his friends.

"Hey," LJ smiled at his friends, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Jedda asked.

"It's going to take time," LJ assured them both, "but I know I'll get through this break up."

"I know," Rick gently touched his left shoulder, "and we also know you'll find someone new in time. You're too good of a person not to."

"Thanks," LJ replied as he hugged his friends, "I suppose you're right."

He looked at Rick and Jedda and noticed at least they were in a relationship, still going strong. He could only hope that they would stay that way.

-Worlds-and-Dangers-Collide-

Nightwing looked on as he was patrolling on the streets with Batman and Black Bat.

Reflecting on the past four years, he could remember being a part and leading his own super hero team, the Titans, along with Robin being on the team as well. That worked out for awhile, until a dark time in his life which he was convinced he wasn't exactly cut out to branch out on his own, at least not for a long time.

During that time, Batman made a lot of changes with his team roster as well. With the additions of Black Bat, Spoiler, and a surprise, Red Hood, as well as some upgrades, or downgrades, depending on how one would look at the situation in which Barbara Gordon endured.

A few years ago, the Joker shot and paralyzed her from the waist down to try and drive her father insane and try to get to Batman as well, but of course, that failed for the Joker, as the Commissioner remained sane and Barbara would change from being Batgirl, to becoming Oracle, helping the Bat Family out, even in a wheelchair.

"I still can't believe Nightwing didn't take on the Condiment King last week," Black Bat spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts, "you know, when he said he would."

"You should have taken on the case," Nightwing muttered before speaking up, "Give me a break! In case you haven't noticed, it took me three weeks to get the mustard smell out of my suit when I did take him on last time."

"Invalid reason," Batman replied, "and because you bailed, I had to take on the Condiment King myself."

"Relax you guys," Oracle spoke through the comms, "I told you he had some business in Bludhaven he had to attend to at the last minute which was why he didn't take on the case."

"Uh uh, sure." Batman nodded, unconvinced by the statement.

-Worlds-and-Dangers-Collide-

"Oh please," Red Hood chided in curiosity, "do tell us more."

"That night," Robin explained, "there wasn't much of the big names showing up at the city such as the Joker or Two Face, so essentially, we had to deal with some second rate villains."

"I took on the Kite Man so that I wouldn't have to deal with the Condiment King," Spoiler added, "while Robin here took on the Baffler."

"Baffler?" Red Hood quipped, "Such as the Riddler knock off?"

"Exactly." Robin nodded, "And we had no problems with our opponents."

"Albeit Kite Man tried making a pass at me once again," Spoiler chimed in, "I knew that would happen."

"Anyway," Robin continued, "it was down to Nightwing and Black Bat to take on the Condiment King."

"Dick tried to beg Cass to take on the case," Spoiler added, "convincing her that she owed him, but she wouldn't do it, and after a brief staring contest, Nightwing said he'd take on the case."

"Yet, he bailed!" Black Bat chimed in.

"Guys enough!" Oracle spoke up, "There's action on both ends! Group One, a couple of muggers are attacking a woman at the alley close to you guys, and Group Two, a couple of thieves are taking off with jewelry where you are at.

"Here we go!" Red Hood exclaimed. He, Spoiler and Robin made their way and advanced towards the two crooks holding bags of jewelry in their hands.

Red Hood used his guns to scare the thieves enough to drop the bags from their hands, Spoiler beat and knocked down the crooks before they could get away and Robin tied them together.

-Worlds-and-Dangers-Collide-

"Hero time!" Nightwing exclaimed before he, Batman and Black Bat made their way to the alleyway where two men were cornering a woman, who was cowering in fear.

Batman's presence alone made the two muggers run away from their intended victim, Nightwing managed to stun the muggers with his escrima sticks and Black Bat managed to knock them out.

"That takes care of that." Nightwing stated as his group made sure the woman was safe.

"Well done, team," Oracle told the two groups, "My father has been informed about the two criminals and they will be taken into custody."

"I believe it's time to turn in for the night." Batman told the team.

"Sounds like a plan." Spoiler nodded in agreement.

-Worlds-and-Dangers-Collide-

Amy noticed that she was dreaming. She knew it was dream, but it felt so real. She knew it was a dream because she was talking to someone she hadn't in years.

"Mandrake the Magician."

"Who is he, Mom?" Amy asked.

"Mandrake the Magician." was all her mother said before she vanished from sight.

"Mom, wait!"

Suddenly, Amy woke up hearing her name called. She found herself laying on the couch.

"Are you okay?" her friend Tiffany asked.

"Yes," Amy answered, "I just had a strange dream about my mom."

"Really now?"

"I rather not talk about it."

"Sounds fair," Tiffany nodded before saying, "Your flight is at 9 AM, and it is 7:30. We need to hurry and get ready so you won't miss your flight to New York."

"Good idea," Amy nodded in agreement.

As she managed to get ready in perfect timing before the 8 AM mark, Amy was determined to get some answers from her recent dreams. Who was Mandrake the Magician? What exactly was his connection with her mother? She would soon find out once she made her way to Gotham.

Author's Note: The events such as Barbara's Oracle origins, April returning to the team and how the Defenders of the Earth moved from Central City to Gotham are essentially summarized to show how these events came to play. I found the idea interesting of the Defenders of the Earth teaming up with Batman and the Bat Family as soon as the idea crossed my mind.

I originally intended to have Kate and LJ try to work it out on their long distance relationship but I somehow decided this might be an interesting route to take LJ and maybe have him date someone in the DC category, but who knows? I might have them back together in time.

"I still can't believe Nightwing didn't take on the Condiment King last week," Black Bat spoke up, pulling him from his thoughts, "you know, when he said he would."

"Invalid reason," Batman replied, "and because you bailed, I had to take on the Condiment King myself."

"Relax you guys," Oracle spoke through the comms, "I told you he had some business in Bludhaven he had to attend to at the last minute which was why he didn't take on the case."

"Uh uh, sure." Batman nodded, unconvinced by the statement.

A shout out to "Batman: Wayne Family Adventures" where the Bat Family had to take on some B List type of villains such as the Baffler and Kite Man and of course, the Condiment King. I wasn't all happy with Nightwing having to be stuck with taking on the Condiment King. Stupid Cass! Okay, I usually like Cass but not in this chapter. Besides, I don't necessarily think Nightwing would bail and use Bludhaven as an excuse to bail out on something like this, but who knows?

Amy noticed that she was dreaming. She knew it was dream, but it felt so real. She knew it was a dream because she was talking to someone she hadn't in years.

"Mandrake the Magician."

"Who is he, Mom?" Amy asked.

"Mandrake the Magician." was all her mother said before she vanished from sight.

"Mom, wait!"

Suddenly, Amy woke up hearing her name called. She found herself laying on the couch.

"Are you okay?" her friend Tiffany asked.

"Yes," Amy answered, "I just had a strange dream about my mom."

"Really now?"

"I rather not talk about it."

"Sounds fair," Tiffany nodded before saying, "Your flight is at 9 AM, and it is 7:30. We need to hurry and get ready so you won't miss your flight to New York."

"Good idea," Amy nodded in agreement.

Unlike Sailor Moon Defenders, I decided to debut both Amy and Cathleen around the same time, essentially in the beginning of this series as opposed to later on in the series.