The Terminator is one of the most beloved science fiction franchises of all time, as it seamlessly combines action and horror elements with truly iconic ideas about what the future holds for humanity. The series features an evil AI called Skynet that wipes out the vast majority of the human race by launching nuclear warheads around the world and then attempts to wipe out the rest of humans with its killer robots dubbed Terminators. So humanity has to go back in time to prevent this dark future from happening, and Skynet does the same with its Terminators.
The Terminator It's a wild concept that fans have loved since the first film in the '80s, and it's a franchise that's still going strong today. It's so iconic, in fact, that The Terminator in fact, it has invaded other franchises on numerous occasions in the past, resulting in some truly epic crossovers. Sometimes the Terminators challenge other sci-fi monsters like Xenomorphs and Predators, other times they fight other robots like the Autobots and RoboCop, and sometimes the entire force of Skynet comes face to face with Superman himself. Here are the 5 best Terminator crossovers of all time!
5
Terminators face other 80s science fiction icons: Alien and Predator
Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator by Mark Schultz and Mel Rubi
Terminators may be some of the most terrifying sci-fi “monsters” the genre has to offer, but there are two others that are equally horrifying: Xenomorphs and Predators. The 80s brought these monsters to life, although they each existed in their own separate continuity. That is, until Dark Horse Comics brought them all together in a truly epic way in Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator.
In Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminatorreaders are thrown into the distant future, which takes place after the events of Alien: Resurrection. This story reveals that the events of The Terminator franchise took place in Foreigner past of the franchise. The humans defeated Skynet before the Nostromo landed on LV-426, but some Terminators survived. These Terminators have found a way to fuse their robotics with Xenomorph DNA, creating a sci-fi monster like no other – and the Predators are determined to kill them before they spread across the galaxy.
Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator It's not just an epic crossover event, but a truly fascinating story that mixes the established canon of all three franchises in a really cool way. Plus, at the end of the day, simply seeing the Terminators face off against these other iconic 80s sci-fi monsters is just incredible, making this a Terminator crossover that fans won't want to skip.
4
RoboCop plays a fascinating role in the Terminator story
RoboCop vs The Terminator by Frank Miller and Walter Simonson
The Terminator may be the most iconic sci-fi android of the '80s genre, but an equally iconic '80s cyborg gives the T-800 a run for its money: RoboCop. As Terminator, Robo Cop throws fans into a world where an evil technology company is creating killer robots under the guise of protecting humans. However, this company accidentally lets a genuine hero slip through the cracks of its corrupt agenda, and that hero is RoboCop himself. Unfortunately, when Robo CopThe continuity of merges with that of The Terminatorthe titular cyborg's hero status is called into question.
In RoboCop vs The TerminatorA human rebel is sent back in time, not to protect someone important to the future who has been targeted by a Terminator, but to assassinate the root cause of Skynet's rise: RoboCop. In this shared continuity, RoboCop's existence brings to life the AI, which later develops into Skynet. Without RoboCop, an AI system as advanced as Skynet would never exist. So the human rebels are trying to kill him to put an end to the Terminators, and although RoboCop doesn't just turn around and die, he is willing to help the humans defeat the Terminators once and for all.
Connecting Robo Cop knowledge with The Terminator in this way, it elevates this crossover beyond a simple 'versus' comic book story, but into an intricate story that makes fans wish this whole thing was actually canon to both franchises. While that's unfortunately not the case, fans will always have this incredible Terminator crossover to return.
3
Not even a Terminator can defeat the invincible Painkiller Jane
Painkiller Jane vs The Terminator by Jimmy Palmiotti and Nigel Raynor
If there's one thing that The Terminator The franchise works perfectly, highlighting a badass heroine who doesn't hesitate to take on the titular assassin androids. Sarah Connor is a perfect example of this, although she is far from the only one in the Terminator series. In fact, in the previously mentioned Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator crossover miniseries, the Terminators still face the original sci-fi heroine, Ellen Ripley (technically her clone, Ripley8). However, even considering Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley, the Terminators may have faced their greatest challenge when they faced Painkiller Jane.
In Painkiller Jane vs The Terminatora T-800 comes face to face with Painkiller Jane after the android was sent back in time to kill its target. Although Painkiller Jane seemed like just another human that Deathstroke simply had to kill before continuing his mission, this T-800 was shocked to discover that Painkiller Jane was unlike any human he had ever faced. Painkiller Jane has a healing factor that can rival Marvel's Wolverine, and she is an expert fighter/shooter. In other words, the fight between the Terminator and Painkiller Jane was truly unforgettable.
Painkiller Jane is definitely one of the more obscure franchises The Terminator it already had a crossover, but that shouldn't suggest it's any less incredible than the others. Again, The Terminator the franchise specializes in delivering a badass heroine for the androids to fight, and this crossover hits that out of the park.
2
Transformers are an even greater threat to humanity than Terminators
Transformers vs The Terminator by David Mariotte, John Barber, Tom Waltz and Alex Milne
In the original Terminator series, humanity is invaded by Terminators after Skynet effectively eliminates most of the human race with nuclear attacks. This is the catalyst for the entire franchise, but when the Terminators face Transformers' Autobots and Decepticons, the main plot point in The Terminator the franchise has completely changed. The Terminators and humans were no longer mortal enemies fighting for control of the entire world, but rather allies fighting against a much greater threat: the Cybertronians.
In Transformers vs The Terminatorhumanity sees no difference between Autobot and Decepticon, as each Transformer is just a Cybertonian – robotic alien invaders trying to take over Earth. So humanity did the only thing it could to level the playing field against these invaders: create its own killer robots. The Terminators became the ultimate weapons against the Cybertronians, but even the assassin droids weren't enough to win the war. The humans and the Terminators needed to prevent the war from happening in the first place, which means they needed to send a soldier back in time to kill the few Cybertronians before they could grow in strength.
This series is an incredible twist on the classic Terminator tradition, while also presenting the Transformers as a terrifying threat. Plus, in true Transformers fashion, there's more to this comic than meets the eye, as it's revealed that the Terminators haven't ventured far from the iconic sci-fi villains fans know them to be. From the visual spectacle of seeing Transformers vs Terminators to the quality storytelling, this is easily one of the greatest Terminator crosses in the group.
1
Terminators receive unprecedented upgrades as they battle Superman
Superman vs The Terminator: Death to the Future by Alan Grant and Steve Pugh
The Terminator The franchise is not only one of the most iconic series out there, but also one of the most versatile. The Terminators can fit into any continuity, as they are the result of humanity's desire to create something greater than itself and stronger than anything that could pose a threat to survival. Ironically, the Terminators always present the greatest threat to humanity's survival after agreeing with their human creators that they are, in fact, superior – something that is true even in the DC Universe.
In Superman vs The Terminator: Death to the Futurea strike force of Terminators was sent back in time to kill Sarah and John Connor, just like in the original Terminator series. Except this time Superman is there to protect them. Unfortunately, the Terminators were more than prepared for the Man of Steel, as the Terminators that Skynet sent back in time had the ability to mimic Superman's abilities, making them a terrifying threat that even Superman could handle. Man fights to defeat.
If that's not cool enough, Superman actually finds himself trapped in a post-apocalyptic future fighting a Terminator even more powerful than those sent back in time, and the battle that ensues is absolutely legendary. While Superman is probably the last character fans would expect to fight the Terminators, this crossover proves he's the perfect choice as he's one of the Top 5 Terminator crossovers in the series' history.