Out of the literal thousands of superheroes and villains created by unprecedented crossover event in comic book history: a series known simply as Marvel vs. DC.
In the midst of the Great Comic Book Crash of the 1990s, editors and executives often resorted to eye-catching events to bolster dwindling sales numbers. This is the era in which Spider-Man was replaced by a clone, Green Lantern became a villain, and Superman died (only to come back to life a year later). The stories varied in quality but did little to increase overall sales, and Marvel and DC sought to right the proverbial sinking ship with a massive crossover event that would finally bring the two companies' heroes together. Marvel vs DC would pit universe against universe...and caught in the middle would be Marvel and DC's only tly-owned character.
A drifter who never stays in the same place too long, Axel Asher is cursed with nightmares of two monstrous beings, one red and one blue, fighting each other to the death. On one particular night, Axel comes across Wolverine fighting Killer Croc in an alley, and it becomes apparent to the reader that the universes are crossing over. Peter Parker gets a job at the Daily Planet, Storm encounters Wonder Woman, Gambit steals the Batmobile...and then amidst the chaos, every being in existence sees Axel's vision, along with a psychic explanation. The two beings are "Brothers", each a cosmic manifestation of the Marvel and DC universes, respectively. Eons ago, a previous battle between the two destroyed and recreated all existence, resulting in the Big Bang. To avoid a similar outcome, the Brothers have chosen various super-beings from each universe to fight in their stead...and the universe that loses the most fights will cease to exist.
Eventually, Axel learns that he's a living remanent of the first battle between the Brothers—a shard of the previous conflict. As a self-aware shard, he gains the unique ability to teleport between universes at will. He's also the only superhero aware of the truth behind the Super-Soldier (Captain America and Superman), Dark Claw (Wolverine and Batman), Dr. Doomsday (Doctor Doom and Doomsday) and many other combinations. Bringing Captain America and Batman into the realm of the Brothers, Access shows each titan the life story of both heroes, and the Brothers agree to put aside their differences and cease fighting...for the time being.
Access would later appear in two tly-published limited series, All Access and Unlimited Access, and discover that staying in one universe for too long could cause other heroes to cross over, starting the conflict all over again. Thus, Axel is fated to be a drifter forever, unable to put down roots or maintain a relationship without spending significant time apart. This tragic life is ultimately left unexplored; outside of a small appearance in Green Lantern #87 in 1997, Access hasn't been seen in a comic in 25 years. As a character owned by both companies, Marvel and DC are free to use Axel Asher without informing the other (they are, however, barred from killing him), so Access is legally able to reappear at any time—and in any universe.
