Marvel Comics is the brand name and primary imprint of Marvel Worldwide Inc., formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, a publisher of American comic books and related media. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Worldwide's parent company.
Marvel was started in 1939 by Martin Goodman under a number of corporations and imprints but now known as Timely Comics, and by 1951 had generally become known as Atlas Comics. The Marvel era began in 1961, the year that the company launched The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and many others. The Marvel brand, which had been used over the years, was solidified as the company's primary brand.
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known superheroes as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Black Widow, Wolverine and the X-Men, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, the Punisher and Deadpool. Additionally, Marvel has published several licensed properties from other companies, notably including comics based on The Ren & Stimpy Show and Rocko's Modern Life from 1992 to 1996.
References to Marvel in Nickelodeon media[]
- Spider-Man had a special guest appearance in issue #6 of Marvel's Ren & Stimpy comic book, in which he had to battle a brainwashed Powdered Toast Man.
- In the first issue of Marvel's Rocko's Modern Life comic, the second story's first page shows that Rocko apparently owns a painting of Spider-Man.
- The opening scene of The Fairly OddParents special "Abra-Catastrophe!" has a segment in which Timmy portrays Spider-Man.
Connections[]
Various actors and other crew members have worked on both Nickelodeon projects and Marvel Comics adaptations.
- Drake Bell voiced Spider-Man in the 2012 Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon.
- Trevor Devall voiced Pyro on X-Men: Evolution.
- Vanessa Marshall voiced Vertigo on Wolverine and the X-Men; Meagan McLaren, Hela, and Loki on Avengers Assemble; and Black Widow, Madame Viper, and Anaconda on Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
- Sumalee Montano voiced Mystique in X-Men: Destiny.
- Mark Mothersbaugh composed the score for Thor: Ragnarok.
- Patton Oswalt played Eric, Billy, Sam and Thurston Koenig on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Rob Paulsen voiced Baron Strucker and Werewolf by Night on The Super Hero Squad Show.
- Tara Strong voiced Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Scarlet Witch, H.E.R.B.I.E. and others on The Super Hero Squad Show, as well as X-23 on Wolverine and the X-Men and the video game Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
- Cree Summer voiced Magma in X-Men Legends
- Frank Welker voiced H.E.R.B.I.E. in the 1978 Fantastic Four cartoon.