Shared Universe: Difference between revisions

When they [[Older Than Steam|go back centuries]], [[Older Than Feudalism|and even further]] and [[Older Than Dirt|further]], long before copyrights and trademarks, the Shared Universe turns into one or more actual mythologies. Compare with [[The Verse]], [[Expanded Universe]] and [[Canon]]. Contrast with [[Shout-Out]].

 

 

{{examples|suf=s}}

* Various universes of [[Marvel Comics]].

** The [[Marvel Universe]] of Earth-616.

** Currently, ''[[Invincible]]'' shoulders a lot of weight when it comes to establishing a larger Image universe. Characters from Kirkman's other books popping up frequently, and big events (like the funeral of the Guardians of the Globe or the Invincible War) feature just about anyone who's anyone in the company at the time. At one point Mark was even a member of the Pact, a team consisting of him, [[Noble Causes|Zephyr Noble]], [[Fire Breather]], and Shadowhawk.

 

* ''[[Dangerverse]]'' fans have written numerous fics of their own set in the same universe, many of which have been integrated into the canon, as well as [[Alternate Universe Fic]] aplenty. The author has no qualms about working in ideas from her friends and fans.

* The AU ''Shadowverse'' stories about ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' characters Lutecia and Vivio, created by [[Radiant Beam]], also involve many other writers who write about secondary characters in that universe. Each of the various authors tend to write around different themes (spy-thriller, emotional drama, political-thriller, etc) despite writing in the same AU.

* ''[[The Secret Return of Alex Mack]]'' has spawned a shared universe called ''[[The Teraverse]]'' (also known as the "Alexverse", for the main character of the original story). This turns out to be part of a larger 'verse spanning multiple universes, called ''[[A Brane of Extraordinary Women]]'', whose contributors mostly overlap with the ''Teraverse'' writers.

* The ''[[Sailor Moon Expanded]]'' project was intended as a shared fanverse from the very start.

 

* The [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]] -- a single coherent world which officially began with ''[[Iron Man (film)|Iron Man]]'' in 2008 (and retroactively included two previous ''Incredible Hulk'' movies). As of early 2021 the MCU is composed of twenty-three films with fourteen more in varying stages of production, plus nearly twenty TV shows either broadcast or soon to be broadcast over the air or on various streaming services. Made by [[Marvel Comics]]' own film division, Marvel Studios, it blends a remarkable faithfulness to the original material with an utter fearlessness when it comes to adding twists and changes that keep the properties and plot lines fresh and surprising for even the most dedicated fan. See our page here about it for more information than can reasonably fit here.

 

* The [[Cthulhu Mythos]] is a famous example of this; professional fan fiction set in his world is not only published, but was also acknowledged and supported by Lovecraft before his death.

** Speaking of which, showing that this Trope is [[Older Than They Think]], Lovecraft and [[Robert E. Howard]] were contemporaries, and Howard's works took place in the same world as Lovecraft's, just a different time period. The proof? In Lovecraft's story "A Shadow of Time", he introduces a character named Cromia, who is described as "a Sumerian chieftain", Sumeria being [[Conan]]'s homeland and Crom being the deity he is devoted to.

* The Midnight Rose collective, a group of British SF writers, published several shared-universe anthologies in the early 1990s, with settings including ''[[Temps]]'' (tongue-in-cheek superhero stories) and ''The Weerde'' (shape-shifting aliens are the source of all the world's myths and conspiracies). Contributors included [[Stephen Baxter]], [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Mary Gentle]], [[David Langford]], [[Kim Newman]], and [[Charles Stross]].

 

* The [[Disney Channel Universe]], which is comprised of ''[[Even Stevens]]'', ''[[That's So Raven]]'', ''[[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody|The Suite Life of Zack and Cody/On Deck]]'', ''[[Hannah Montana]]'', ''[[Cory in The House]]'', ''[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]'', ''[[Zeke and Luther]]'', ''[[I'm in The Band]]'', ''[[Pair of Kings]]'', ''[[A.N.T. Farm]]'', and ''[[Kickin It]]''.

 

* [[Older Than Steam]]: Perhaps the oldest non-mythology example is the ''Jianghu'' (literally "rivers and lakes") fantasy world in which most Chinese [[Wuxia]] books, films, TV series, etc. are set. Jianghu dates at least to the 14th-century novel ''[[Water Margin]]''.

* Each ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' campaign setting is its own [[The Verse|'Verse]] (See the page on D&D for more information), and the associated novels have many different authors, though - like the ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[Expanded Universe]] - the writers usually have to clear their ideas through the universe's owner.{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}

* ''[[Spells 'R' Us]]'' was started off with Bill Hart's story "A Strangeness at the Frat House" and then became not so much a universe but a single series of the same character in the same [[The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday|errant shop]] all ending up with customers being transformed into something.

 

* By definition, roleplaying boards such as ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'' are Shared Universes, since each handler has his own spin on the story.{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}

* The ''[[Whateley Universe]]''. Right now{{when}}, there are about a dozen authors writing about twice that many main characters. And that doesn't count the [[Fanfic]].

* ''[[Fenspace]]'', among other projects at [http://accessdenied-rms.net/forums/index.php the Drunkard's Walk Forums].

 

* The ''[[International ComicContinuity]]]'' was created specifically to make a Shared Universe.

 

 

* A truly bizarre case is ''[[GaoGaiGar]]'' and ''[[Betterman]]'', which take place in the same universe despite the former being a [[Super Robot]] [[Reconstruction]] and the later a [[Real Robot]] horror series.

* ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' and ''[[Doctor Slump]]''

* Studio Trigger has done this with their series ''[[Space Patrol Luluco]]'', where it's established that each one of their series takes place on their own planet.

 

* [[C. S. Lewis]] linked [[The Space Trilogy|his world]] to his friend Tolkien's [[The Silmarillion|universe]] in ''That Hideous Strength''.

* Susannah Clarke's short story ''The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse'' connects the universes of her novel ''[[Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell]]'' to that of Neil Gaiman's novel ''[[Stardust (novel)|Stardust]]''.

* All of [[Simon R. Green]]'s series appear to inhabit the same universe.

 

* ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' and ''[[Eureka]]'' share a universe with ''[[Alphas]]''.

* ''[[CSI]]'', ''[[CSI: NY]]'', ''[[CSI: Miami]]'', ''[[Cold Case]]'' and ''[[Without a Trace]]'' are all in the same universe.

* The [[Power Rangers]] and the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]], given the crossover between ''[[Power Rangers in Space]]'' and ''[[Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation]].'' Curiously, each team initially [[Faeries Don't Believe in Humans, Either|seemed to think the other was fictional.]]

 

* [[Word of God]] places ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog]]'', ''[[The Tick (animation)|The Tick]]'' and the ''[[Venture Brothers]]'' in the same universe.

** The [[Mutant Enemy|Edlundverse]] perhaps?{{verify}}

 

* ''[[Portal (series)|Portal]]'' shares a universe with ''[[Half-Life (series)|Half-Life]]''.

* The ''[[Super Mario]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong]]'' series exist in the same universe, as shown through Donkey Kong, Diddy, Dixie, and Funky appearing in Mario spin-offs, as well as Mario and Yoshi appearing in Donkey Kong Country 2. Additionally, due to first appearing in ''Super Mario World'' and ''Super Mario Land 2'' respectively, the ''Yoshi'', ''[[Wario Land]]'', and ''[[Wario Ware]]'' series are also part of the expanded Super Mario Universe. The entire Shared Universe of Mario, however, is much, MUCH larger.

* ''[[Space Harrier]]'' is set in the Fantasy Zone; several ''[[Fantasy Zone]]'' games reference it to various degrees. The culmination of this was the unreleased crossover game ''Space Fantasy Zone''.

 

* Webcomics tend to be chock full of [[Crossover]]s and [[Shout-Out]]s, but very few non-[[Spin-Off]] comics have Shared Universes. Among those that do:

** ''[[Something*Positive]]'' and ''[[Queen of Wands]]/[[Punch and Pie]]''

** Ryan North believes that his ''[[Dinosaur Comics]]'' and Andrew Hussie's ''[[Homestuck]]'' share a universe.

 

* ''[[Rugrats]]'', ''[[The Wild Thornberries]]'', and ''[[Rocket Power]]''.{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}

* ''[[Family Guy]]'' and ''[[The Cleveland Show]]'', along with ''[[American Dad]]''.{{context|reason=How is this an example of the trope as written?}}

*** The CN Invaded event was one of four EEnE specials that were mentioned in the EEnE movie.

** Earlier, it was established that ''[[The Powerpuff Girls]]'' and ''[[Dexter's Laboratory]]'' shared a universe. While Dexter and the girls sadly never (officially) met, both parties have met [[The Justice Friends]]. Dexter himself made constant [[The Cameo|cameos]] in ''PPG'' to the point where it was practically a [[Running Gag]].

 

{{reflist}}