Dark Matter
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Dark Matter |
| Author(s): | mysterycyclone |
| Date(s): | 2021 - present |
| Length: | 173,000+ |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Spider-Man MCU Movieverse, Batfamily |
| External Links: | AO3 |
 Cover art by littleinkling64 (2022) | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Dark Matter is a Spider-Man/Batman crossover fanfic on Archive of Our Own. It follows Peter Parker, who, instead of being dusted in The Snap, is sent by Doctor Strange to the main DC Universe, where he's eventually taken in by the Wayne family. He works with the Bats as Spider-Man at night and attends school during the day.
Dark Matter also spawned a multiverse by the same author, with the sequel work Divergence Point chronicling alternate outcomes, which brings the word count up to over 195,000.
Dark Matter currently has 23,900 kudos (27 Nov 2022), and Divergence Point 4,600.
Reactions and Reviews
This story is bound to hold you by your heartstrings, making you yearn for more.[1]
Y’all I’ve been reading this freaking fantastic Marvel/DC Crossover fic (Dark Matter on AO3 by mysterycyclone) that has Peter stuck in an alternate universe (Gotham), and it’s honestly so fabulous and y’all need to check it out ASAP![2]
aka the fic that made me jump ship from Marvel to DCU.i’ve been following this fic since it was four chapters in, and ever since this spidey in dcu crossover got super popular, there’s been a hoarde more spidey batman fics. me included…
i asked the author if i could write some spin-off fanfics of fanfics, they said yes, and now its my most popular series by far lmao. i’ll be honest, some of them could stand on their own without the og fic bc they’re very au, but i still like giving the credit. so, thank u mysterycyclone, i stan u forever.[3]
If you haven’t read it yet, please go ahead and do it. Especially if you love Marvel and DC and even more especially if you love Peter Parker, the Batfam, a decent helping of whump, and superb storytelling.Heck, you don’t even need to know the Batfam by heart, mysterycyclone does an excellent job at introducing them to both old and new fans alike!
The action scenes get you holding your breath without realising it, thus turning you into a fanfic protagonist cliche. There are really sweet scenes I melted at reading, and it definitely inspired me to get off my ass and write my own Peter Goes to Gotham AU like I’ve dreamed of. I’ve only done the start of an outline so far, but I wouldn’t have written a word if it weren’t for this fanfiction.[4]
I’m sure most of you reading this are familiar with this masterpiece of a fic, especially seeing as it has gained somewhat of a cult following. I am a proud member of this cult, having followed the story since its first chapter in 2021.First thing you should note about this fic is that it is a crossover, including the MCU and DCU, and primarily follows the MCU’s Peter Parker as he navigates being resurrected in Gotham after the events of Infinity War. If you’re like me and you don’t know much about the DCU, you may be hesitant to read such a fic, but I beg you please give it a read I beg. This fic is incredible for numerous reasons.
For one, each and every character included in the story has some of the best characterisation I’ve ever read in fanfiction. No character is OOC, and even though at some point you may question this as you read I promise you there is a reason.
Secondly, the plot is perfection. There are numerous small twists and turns that I did not expect until I reread the fic for the millionth time. It could be that I just don’t think to expect things that could be obvious but to me it’s incredible.
Last but not least, the pacing is gorgeous. This fic has never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat, and even the chapters in between big moments have purpose without seeming to be ‘fillers’. Whenever a chapter ends I’m left longing for more without feeling like the chapter ended at an odd place, as all good fics should.[5]
Inspired Fanworks
Art
- Art, Archived version by cuineart
- Art, Archived version by whatthechickenfriedfuck
- nightwing and peter fanart from ch. 4, Archived version by arackn1dz
- Because I finally have a design for Peter Parker that I’m sticking too, Archived version by tesserat
Fic
- it was all my fault by superklutzkent
References
- ^ "10 of the Most Popular Spiderman Fanfiction Stories in 2022". Archived from the original on 2023-01-16.
- ^ "August 8, 2021 Tumblr post". Archived from the original on 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Comment on Crossover fanfics that inspired/set a standard for others? posted to r/FanFiction, Nov 5, 2021". Archived from the original on 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Because I finally have a design for Peter Parker that I'm sticking too". Archived from the original on 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Fanfiction Reviews/ Recommendations #1". Archived from the original on 2023-01-16.