Since the introduction of The Predator, the figure has become so famous and intriguing that it did not take long for the comic book world to create some fascinating crossovers. The enormous Yautja’s hunting techniques made it a deadly opponent for even the toughest heroes. We have seen Predator team up with characters from iconic comic books like Judge Dredd, Superman, and even Batman.
Some of the crossovers are genuinely outstanding, while others are just about mediocre. Because of some dramatic clashes, the crossovers became memorable in some circumstances. Almost all of them, however, were a lot of fun, and in this video, we will show you one such interesting crossover.
When it comes to Tarzan vs. Predator, the fans are not surprised to see the two peak combatants square off. After all, they are both made for jungle battle, and Tarzan is a deserving trophy for the threatening alien hunter. However, the Predator appears to have found his match in this crossover, and there are some thrilling battles between the two. Hold your breath as we explore the Tarzan vs. Predator crossover since no one knows the Yautja code of hunting like the master of the jungles!
Tarzan vs. Predator at the Earth’s Core Comic Explained
The story begins with an interesting prologue that hints at Tarzan’s fight against a mysterious beast that emerged from the hollow world of Pellucidar. After winning the fight, Tarzan has to test his fate in the ruins of the old city of Ur. Pellucidar is filled with some unseen and strange monsters that have a happy hunting ground until…. Well, let us save that for later!
We have another mini-prologue that shows the changes made after losing the Titanic to the hidden iceberg. To make sure that such a tragedy does not recur, the International Ice Patrol has been established and their job is to scan the waters before a large ship passes by.
During one such patrol, the men are somewhat relaxed because it is summertime and most of the icebergs have moved North. Suddenly, the crew witnesses something bizarre above the waters. They initially think it to be a massive iceberg glowing in the dark, but soon they realize that it is something else – something that looks like the Sun has fallen.
It disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, and there was no explosion or any sign of the gigantic structure. The crew reports this back to the headquarters, and you get a strong spaceship landing vibe from the whole event!
Back in the wilderness of Africa, we see Lord Greystroke aka Tarzan presiding over his vast estate. With news coming in about the migration of antelopes he expects a good hunt when he suddenly receives a distress call on his radio. It reveals that the men sending the message have reached the Outer World near Pellucidar, and they have witnessed the beasts getting slaughtered there. Tarzan’s friend and the emperor of Pellucidar have gone missing as well.
One of Tarzan’s men reminds him about their struggles in this mysterious world and how they managed to come out alive, after facing some powerful beasts along the way. The arrival of a plane breaks up their discussion and incomes Herrington Sneftly, the special envoy for the President of the United States.
He has come to inform Tarzan that his assistance has been sought regarding the mysterious event in the ocean, and his experience might come in handy in the mission. Tarzan decides to prepare for a trip to the icy waters of the Arctic, but he also has his missing friend in mind – but are the two events related? Stay tuned to find out!
The ambassador is not too convinced with Tarzan and his savage men, but he must comply with his orders. They travel through the Polar opening, and soon their compass starts malfunctioning. It seems like they have finally arrived in the mystical land of Pellucidar. The ambassador is absolutely bamboozled at the sight of this strange land, and they come across some carcasses and skeletal remains of animals.
They set up camp, and Tarzan wants to go in and explore the bone yard. When they come across the remains of the slain animals, Tarzan and his men discover that whatever killed the beasts took away their heads as a trophy!
When they return to their campsite, a nasty surprise awaits them. The guards have been killed and Kintu, one of Tarzan’s trusted warriors lies dead. Jane is missing as well, but it is no time to mourn the tragedy – a far greater threat awaits them all in these forests!
Tarzan and his men are soon ambushed by the soldiers of Pellucidar and they are taken to the new king. He reveals that David Innes, the previous emperor is dead, and Tarzan and his men would be taken as slaves. The new king has something planned for Tarzan – a fate similar to David Innes’s!
As Tarzan is being led by the soldiers, they are attacked by a deadly beast in the forest. It brings Tarzan unexpected freedom, although he is knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find human skulls near him, but for some strange reason, he has been spared! It doesn’t take long for Tarzan to figure out that the attacker is some other-worldly predator that is seeking trophies as glory from the fights.
But Tarzan will not be easy prey! He knows how to navigate through the densest of forestland, and his fighting skills are no less impressive than the Predator. They have their first encounter and the sudden attack by the Predator catches Tarzan off-guard. However, he quickly turns the tides of the battle, and his victory cry echoes through the forests.
There is a sudden twist in the story as the true colors of the ambassador are revealed. He finds out that Jane can be used as bait to lure in the attacker, and Jane gets to know that they have been played. Meanwhile, Tarzan has stripped a crucial weapon of the defeated Predator and uses it to down one more.
He finds himself in an abandoned city and while exploring the region he comes across his dear friend, David Innes, the old king of Pellucidar. He leads Tarzan through the tunnels and also gives us a glimpse of what had happened.
He describes his encounters with the strange alien creatures, the Predators, and how he had managed to survive all this while. Tarzan informs him about the traitor Jason Gridley, who has usurped the throne in David’s absence. Now that the two are together, surely they will find a way out of this mess!
Troubles for Jane are mounting on the other hand. Jason seems to be smitten by her and she has little choice but to submit to his mercy. The only glimmer of hope is that Tarzan and David are proving to be quite a handful for the Predators. They believe that they have hunted down the last of these alien threats. With the captured fancy weapons, they attack their spaceship and it goes off in a deafening explosion!
As they explore the trophy room of the Predators, Tarzan finds Jane’s scarf and he believes that she has been killed as well. One of the Predators that survived attacks them, but Tarzan strikes him down with great fury. The Ambassador tries to contact Washington and seeks immediate assistance, but his message is cut short by the sudden appearance of a monstrous creature!
Back in the palace, Tarzan and David find the traitor, and a few power-packed punches reveal that Jason has been under the influence of a Mahar – a mythical monster of Pellucidar. David believes that they had failed to eliminate the last of these creatures which had returned once again, trying to bound humanity in slavery. They all take the fight to the Mahar this time, taking down the Pterodactyl bodyguards of the monster first.
After dealing with the Mahar, they find the Ambassador, who has been captured by the beast. He is mortally wounded and dies shortly thereafter. The men however made a crucial mistake. They did not take into account Mahar’s incredible mind-controlling powers. It hypnotizes Tarzan, making him attack the others.
The Mahar brings Jane to Tarzan, and in their mind-controlled state, they cannot understand the events happening around them! The mythical monster declares them king and queen of Pellucidar, to ensure that the control of the Mahar on the land remains for all eternity!
We see a hypnotized Tarzan speaking the words of the Mahar. He wants to rule with an iron fist and sever all ties with the outer world. David would be kept prisoner as an example for others who would dare challenge his authority.
The Mahar is delighted at the outcome. It has managed to ensure that the puppet rulers would be ruling Pellucidar. This would mean that all of Pellucidar would actually be under the control of the Mahar, like old times! However, just when it seems that all hope is lost, Tarzan’s men who have not been hypnotized attack the Mahar. Muviro, one of his best warriors successfully slays the beast, and the spell is broken. Tarzan and Jane break out of the illusion and all is peaceful at last – or is it?
The Predators attack again, and this time Tarzan leads the men into battle. They ride the creatures of the forest into the fight, and after the skirmish is over, there is a massive explosion in the middle of the forest. The hunt is finally over for the apex predator, and David is reinstated as the ruler of Pellucidar. Tarzan, Jane, and their fellow men bid goodbye to this ancient world as they leave for their own!
The Great Writing was no fluke!
People were surprised by the quality of writing on offer, but it was no fluke. The series writer, Walter Simonson is credited with the first Alien comic titled ‘Alien: The Illustrated Story. This was the comic book adaptation of the first ‘Alien’ movie, and his free-flowing writing was well appreciated. Even the artist working on ‘Tarzan vs. Predator’, Lee Weeks is an established face.
He has previously worked for both Marvel and DC Comics and his talents are put on display yet again. The editor of the series, Mike Richardson, happens to be the founder and publisher of Dark Horse Comics and the co-editor has experience of working with both Tarzan and Star Wars comics. So we have a team of veterans and they deliver the goods as is expected of them!
Our Final Words
You know that the thought has popped up in your mind by now, so let’s just say it out loud! A live-action adaptation of ‘Tarzan vs. Predator has the potential to be an absolute blockbuster. It has all the elements of a perfect action thriller with some incredible fight scenes between the two powerhouses.
There is enough suspense in the story to keep you going and with the right special effects and a decent production budget it can go a long way. However, as of now, nobody has spoken about putting this to work, so you can breeze through some of our other videos on the Predator in the meantime!