As Prince Celebration 2026 marks ten years since the death of Prince Rogers Nelson, fans are descending on Paisley Park and Minneapolis this week for five days of concerts, vault screenings, and panels in his honour. It’s the kind of anniversary that makes you think about just how many worlds Prince actually conquered, and one of the strangest is one you probably never think about: DC Comics.
During the ’80s and the early ’90s, there were very few artists bigger than Prince. He had his own hit movie, Purple Rain, and a number of hit records under his belt. With the purple fandom continuing to grow, it only made sense that His Royal Badness got his very own comic book, too. And so, Alter Ego and Three Chains of Gold were born.
The artist known as Prince was always about more than just the music. He made it very clear that it was cool to embrace our weirdness, to be unapologetically ourselves. His fashion? Legendary. His tunes? Timeless! His influence? Unmatched! The man made individuality a thing to aspire to, and in doing so, changed our very expression on so many levels!
Prince DC Comics: How Alter Ego Turned a Rock Star Into Batman
Released by DC Comics, writer Dwayne McDuffie and penciler Denys Cowan sought to reimagine the purple-wearing musician as Batman. Yes, Batman! Take Purple Rain and mash it with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, and you’ve basically got Alter Ego.
Basically, the plot for Alter Ego involves Prince’s evil twin, Gemini (who escaped from an asylum, kinda like Joker), returning to Minnesota and causing all sorts of chaos. Also, he steals Prince’s girlfriend. His music is powered by hatred, and so Prince is forced to stop him before things get out of control.
Of course, there is a rock-off, and we also get to see The Artist doing a few kung-fu moves on gang members. The comic compares him to Batman about four times. Why? Probably because The Artist has been a fan of The Dark Knight for some time, including working on the soundtrack for Tim Burton’s Batman.
Three Chains of Gold and a Princess Who Needs Saving
Three Chains of Gold is even weirder. It involves a chain, Princess Mayte, and a king from the Middle East. The prince must help the princess collect all the chains so that she can rule her country.
When it comes down to it, Prince could do just about anything he wanted to do: film, TV, books, music, and even comics. Pity that these got such a short run.
Prince in the Marvel Universe: That Captain America Cameo
Before the two great comic books mentioned above, in 1987, he took a jump into the Marvel Universe, giving us a moment that’s nearly as iconic as the music he made. In Captain America #327, the Super-Patriot was being a real problem, but it wasn’t just Cap who had our eyes on him. No, in the midst of all this action was Prince, doing his best to be seen.
Pity that these got such a short run. But if you have Captain America #327 or any other issues from that era, it would be wise to no longer let them gather dust.
Prince Celebration 2026 runs June 3 to 7 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen and across Minneapolis, and if this week proves anything, it’s that ten years on, the man is still finding new ways to surprise you.
RELATED: Michael Jackson’s Life-Size Batman Statue Hides a Story Nobody Talks About
