However, there have been several series of stories that take place outside of this continuity, featuring alternate versions of the characters in different settings.
Launched in the autumn of 2013 and intended for adult readers, this comic presents Riverdale as ground zero for a zombie apocalypse.
(one-shot issue, 2010) — thousands of years before recorded history, the ancestors of Archie and the gang live as cavemen, interacting with dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts, à la The Flintstones.
Stories published in alternate months show Archie married to Veronica in one future universe and Betty in another.
Kevin Keller goes into his father's line of work by joining the US Army, and Moose Mason is a candidate for the mayoralty of Riverdale.
Archie's R/C Racers (10 issues, Sept. 1989 – March 1991) — two teams of Riverdale teenagers, led by Archie and Reggie, travel across the United States racing radio-controlled cars, while foiling the dastardly schemes of the villainous Babette and her bungling but likable henchmen.
The first issue is notable for establishing the premise behind both it and the show, showcasing the lab incident that turned Riverdale into a monster haven, and the origin of Archie's Weird Mystery column.
In addition to switching its focus to more grounded mysteries, it also depicted the Archie gang as a detective group called the "Teen Scene Investigators" alongside Chuck Clayton, complete with an origin story.
[3] Starting in c. 1967, the band The Archies occasionally appeared in madcap adventures seemingly modeled on the popular television show The Monkees.
The characters spoke in hesitant, over-dramatic tones, and the issues had narrations, unlike previous spinoffs.
A running gag involved the mysterious "gypsy lady" who apparently would be able to explain everything, but she failed to show up until the final story (much to the narrator's annoyance) and in truth proved to be no help at all.
In July 2014, Archie was shot dead while saving the life of longtime friend and newly elected U.S.
Senator Kevin Keller in the penultimate issue of the alternate future series Life with Archie.
A supporting character in this series was Danni Malloy, a female teen genius serving as both best friend and love interest to Dilton.
Explorers of the Unknown (six issues, June 1990 – April 1991) — a parody of Jack Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown, the series cast Archie and friends as an elite group of adventurers who were dispatched to combat mad villains and explore uncharted areas.
Green Legs and Gams (one issue, Northern Spring 1991) — Cudley the Cowlick drops the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles off on the same Earth where Archie Andrews lives, where they assist him in saving Veronica Lodge from kidnappers.
When Jughead's family objects to Hot Dog living indoors because he is covered in dirt, Dilton Doiley builds him a high-tech doghouse full of whimsical inventions.
The plots often delve into fantasy and science fiction, with Hot Dog and Bertie traveling across dimensions or through time.
Artists who contributed to the series included Nate Butler, Doug Crane, and Gene Colan.
Jughead's Diner (seven issues, April 1990 – April 1991) — Takes Jughead to yet another dimension (via a "magic stool"), where he tries to help the bizarre and eclectic patrons of Dinerville keep their property from the clutches of the dastardly real estate agent Slimy Sal Monella.
The beanie is rather simple to operate; the wearer imagines himself in the time and place pictured, however it requires concentration, which was always a weak point for Jughead.
The series was rebooted in 2019,[6] with Jughead building a time machine to undo the mistakes he has made, forcing January McAndrews to intervene.
Additionally, stories that take place in the main continuity sometimes feature flashbacks to the gang's childhood.
Archie has established that characters like Mr. Weatherbee have worked at Riverdale High too long to have ever been elementary school teachers when the gang was young.
Mad Doctor Doom, a villain from the series, later appeared in other Archie titles such as Super Teens,[8] and Sabrina.
[9] Another redesigned Little Archie occurred when it crossed over the Tiny Titans universe in 2011 and received better attention compared to the experience from early 1990s.
The stories, for the most part, originated in an earlier series titled Veronica In... (insert travel destination of the month).