While the popularity of Archie and the gang have waxed and waned over the years, the influence of the comics, especially the famous love triangle Archie has with Betty and Veronica, has stayed strong. Due to the strength of Archie Comics and the beloved nature of the characters, there have been plenty of crossovers over the years.
It should be no surprise that the Riverdale teens have been involved in many crossovers over the years either with real-life celebrities or another established property. Some of them were single issues and some were actual storylines. More interestingly, some of them also ended up being pretty weird, which makes them memorable in the long run.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had a lot of different publishers and owners over the years. Archie ended up publishing them for a while. And as such, they ended up in Riverdale eventually. This is one of the earliest crossovers Archie had.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie was an anthology book. While the first story was a crossover, later issues would contain two stories from each franchise. Maybe that’s for the best, as the first story was about the Turtles rescuing Veronica from fake IRS agents. The art in the crossover was excellent though, being drawn by veteran TMNT artists.
Archie Meets Ramones
Given Archie’s in-fiction band The Archies, musical number crossovers in Riverdale are inevitable. While Josie and the Pussycats make frequent appearances, those are Archie characters at heart. Archie’s meeting with the Ramones was a more momentous occasion. Speaking of well-known Archie universe characters, Sabrina the Teenage Witch facilitates the crossover by zapping Archie back in time.
As Archie and the Ramones are two entirely different aesthetics, one wonders how well they can work. But pop and punk aren’t as different as we usually think. Archie and his band can meet and interact with the malaise of the Ramones well. There are even tons of references to the band’s history tucked away in there.
Archie Meets The Punisher
Archie Meets The Punisher is perhaps the most infamous comic crossover of all time. The Punisher ends up tracking down a drug pusher to Riverdale and ends up a chaperone at a school dance. It’s the perfect example of a crossover caused by industry friendship rather than synergy. But the oddity of the crossover ends up working in its favor.
Undoubtedly it’s one of the most memorable crossovers on this list. The crossover was praised for remaining true to both characters rather than defaulting to one character’s style. It also began the trend of crossovers for both Marvel and Archie. What seemed like a joke ended up being great all around.
Archie Meets Glee
Archie Meets Glee is perhaps the most prophetic crossover on this list. This crossover was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, a writer on Glee. He would go on to become the chief creative officer of Archie comics and developed the show Riverdale. The marriage of teen drama and Archie was always in the cards.
This miniseries was received well during its publication. The peppy antics of Riverdale meshed well with early-series Glee. The crossover started in high concept with their universes intersecting due to an invention. Archie and his friends end up in the universe of Glee, and plenty of shenanigans follow.
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica
Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are one of the standout female duos in comics. You could say the same thing for Betty and Veronica. This miniseries brought the two of them together for a weird adventure. One notable thing about this crossover was that Paul Dini, co-creator of Harley Quinn, was involved.
The plot doesn’t have the characters crossing over that much, though. Instead, a magic spell causes the two duos to be body swapped. What followed was a light adventure about trying to stop the destruction of a swamp outside Riverdale. The series was both praised and criticized for its very stakes-light plot.
Archie VS Predator
Archie VS Predator continued the teen’s history of bizarre crossovers. Featuring veteran horror and Archie staff, this crossover was known for not pulling its punches. When it was announced, they prefaced the announcement with “this is not a joke.” This was true, as several characters die by the end of the story. It was so popular that the comic got a sequel.
The story begins with the cast on spring break when the trophy hunting begins. The cast then split into various parties to trap and defeat the alien. It also features several character deaths as well as a dark ending that has Veronica and Betty do some horrible things to Archie.
Archie Meets KISS
KISS has an extensive crossover history of their own. So it might seem inevitable that the hard rock heavy metal sensation would cross over with The Archies. But that didn’t stop the crossover from being all-out wacky fun. This is another crossover facilitated by Sabrina, who ends up summoning zombies and monsters to Riverdale.
Thankfully the intergalactic rock band KISS shows up to fight off the zombies. While Archie has had celebrity musicians appear before, this was a full-on crisis crossover. This proved popular enough that it opened the door for more musical guests. This includes the aforementioned Ramones, but also the Monkees, Blondie, the B-52s, CHVRCHES, and more.
Red Sonja & Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica
After meeting Harley and Ivy, it seems Betty and Veronica weren’t done meeting famous lady comic duos. Red Sonja & Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica begins with a supernatural murder mystery. By coincidence, both heroine groups are investigating the same killer. It leads to them teaming up to take down the killer.
Like other crossovers, this miniseries ends up equal parts of both components. Red Sonja and Vampirella end up indulging in high school antics. Betty and Veronica end up in a gritty horror-tinged mystery. It’s a true testament to the versatility of the characters and Archie’s creative team.
Archie Meets Batman ’66
This crossover might’ve seemed like a no-brainer as both properties feel like they’re from the same kitschy era. But Archie predates Adam West’s Batman by decades, and the overall brands are the same age! Batman ’66 features a lot of crossovers on its own, though. Eventually, the classic Dynamic Duo made their way to Riverdale.
Classic Batman villains invade the city, forcing the gang to call on Batman for help. This leads to a bizarre fun team-up. Batman and Robin end up having to protect Archie’s Riverdale pal Jughead from a villain’s machinations. This crossover was praised for its unexpected plot with lots of turns.
Archie VS Sharknado
This crossover was an official tie-in for the third Sharknado film with the director serving as a writer on Archie VS Sharknado. Despite literally jumping the shark, the antics of the Riverdale teens meshed well with the hard-core violence.
Betty and Veronica end up being at the epicenter of a Sharknado attack. They bring it back to Riverdale where it ends up killing several characters such as Sabrina. The two big things that help this crossover stand out are its status as a one-off and its happy ending. This ensured that the crossover didn’t become tired and also maintained the campy charm of Archie Andrews’ school life.
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