CROSSOVER MADNESS

 I haven't rewatched all the NIGHTMAN episodes of the 1990s lately, but I did rescreen a few that seemed to hold some potential.

In "That Ol' Gang of Mine," a mad scientist brings to life the long-preserved bodies of (going left to right) Al Capone, Bonnie Parker and John Dillinger, none of whom died and all of whom were simply kept on ice by J. Edgar Hoover For Reasons. This is, however, a null-crossover because I don't regard that the real-life criminals ever became what I call "legendary figures," the sort of figures authors often feel free to turn into fictionalized avatars of the authentic human beings.

   

In contrast, the NIGHTMAN episode "Manimal" contains both one legendary (and thus "innominate") figure and one franchise character (who would be "nominative" since his exact status as a fictional character can be easily "named"). The franchise character is Doctor Jonathan Chase, played by the same actor who essayed the character on the short-lived TV show MANIMAL, and here he's playing substantially the same role. He meets Johnny Domino/Nightman and the two battle the evil of the legendary Jack the Ripper, who shows up in the 20th century thanks to a magic crystal-thingie.