The DC Multiverse has played a huge role in some of DC’s most ambitious stories: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis, other such events with the words “Infinite” or “Crisis” in them. But now the Multiverse is serving as the stage to the greatest battle of all: a dust up between Colonel Sanders and EVIL COLONEL SANDERS.
After dabbling in the world of comic-based-advertising during San Diego Comic Con this year—which revealed that Colonel Sander’s secret superpower was, I kid you not, the ability to fry chicken “the hard way”—KFC is teaming up with DC for a special one-shot issue from Tony Bedard and Tom Derenick, which is actually weirdly rooted in DC’ Comics history. In a preview released by The Hollywood Reporter, Captain Cold hops over to Earth-3 (home of the sinister Crime Syndicate of America, a villainous version of the Justice League) to team up with the evil version of Colonel Sanders and launch a new criminal empire.
And also sell fried chicken, because why not?
The Colonel Sanders of Earth-One is naturally displeased at a doppelgänger tarnishing both his good name and his fried chicken, so he enlists the help of The Flash and the Green Lantern to stop the Anti-Colonel once and for all. I mean, that’s probably a smart move: if you’re going up against Captain Cold and your only power is the ability to fry chicken, you’re going to want some actual superheroes as back up.
It’s suitably ridiculous nonsense for a tie-in comic book about fast food, but at the same, you almost have to admire the dedication to making this fit into DC’s lore. Earth-3! It’s even called The Colonel of Two Words, in reference to the classic Flash comic that kickstarted the entire concept of the multiverse in the first place! I mean, it’s hardly the first time that a comic book has basically been a giant advert wrapped into a superhero story—those have been around for ever, from Spider-Man and Hostess Pies, to the Avengers and Gillette Razors. But still, you have to admire the hoops being jumped through to make this one fit. Well, fit as much as it can.
If you’re attending New York Comic-Con this weekend, you can pick up a free copy of the comic in Union Square this Friday, October 9th—but never fear, fans of DC and greasy chicken: you’ll also be able to read the entire thing online through Comixology on Thursday.