ThunderCats Now Shares a Universe With Another Classic 80s Cartoon

Shared universes have becoming increasingly common in pop culture in recent years. Hasbro, for instance, recently created a shared setting for Transformers and GI Joe with the Energon Universe comics line. ThunderCats is now following suit, with a new comic confirming a link to another beloved action cartoon from the 1980s.

The shared universe was confirmed in ThunderCats: Lost #10 by Ed Brisson and Rapha Lobosco. This miniseries centers around a group of five Thunderian soldiers who are shot down behind enemy lines. They undertake a desperate mission to recover the lost Book of Omens while being hunted by the sinister Captain Shiner.

Near the issue’s end, the surviving four ThunderCats make their latest narrow escape in a gifted spacecraft. However, they suddenly find themselves drawn into a portal from which there is no escape. Thankfully, this turns out to be the work of an unexpected ally who means to help the lost soldiers.

What 80’s cartoon shares a universe with ThunderCats?

The lost ThunderCats’ savior is revealed to be a time-traveling hero called Flashback. He explains that he brought the heroes forward in time to help him prevent the extinction of the Thunderian race. He also introduces himself as part of a heroic group called the Silverhawks.

Running for one 65-episode season, SilverHawks was a science-fiction counterpart to the ThunderCats cartoon. The series centered around a team of cyborg superheroes, defending the Limbo Galaxy from super-criminals. SilverHawks was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and featured many of the same writers, artists, and voice actors as ThunderCats. This led to speculation on schoolyards at the time that the two cartoons shared a universe. However, there was never anything to indicate this in the original series.

What makes this revelation even more interesting is Flashback’s role in the Silverhawks cartoon. His appearances there indicated that he was from the future of the core Silverhawks team. This suggests that the classic SilverHawks team might exist in the same time period as the ThunderCats. In any case, the adventures of Flashback and the lost Thunderians will continue in a new miniseries titled ThunderCats: Lost In Time.

ThunderCats: Lost #10 is now available in comic shops everywhere.