The Marvel Universe is vast, weird, and endlessly fascinating. From behind-the-scenes surprises to comic book oddities, this fifth installment dives deeper into the secrets, scandals, and stories that make Marvel legendary.
Missed the earlier parts? Catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
1 Iron Man’s Unexpected Origin Story
When Marvel Studios began developing the 2008 “Iron Man” movie, Iron Man was considered a very minor character by the fans. Therefore, about 30 writers declined to write the script for this movie. To introduce the character and clarify that he wasn’t simply a robot, Marvel produced three animated “advertorials.”
2. When Marvel first offered Don Cheadle the role of War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they gave him just one hour to decide on the 12-year commitment. Upon learning he was at his kid’s birthday party, the Marvel representative generously extended the decision time to two hours.
3. In the 1990s, Marvel released its financial reports in comic book form. These comics featured iconic characters like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk discussing revenue sources and future business plans.
4. Marvel fans campaigned online to cast Donald Glover as the lead in “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Although unsuccessful, his character in “Community” wore Spider-Man pajamas as a nod. This inspired a Marvel writer to create Miles Morales, the first Black Spider-Man. Glover later portrayed Miles’ uncle in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”
5. Actress Dorothy Steel made her big film acting debut at the age of 91 as a tribal elder advising Chadwick Boseman in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” After sending in her audition tape, Marvel executives seeing it exclaimed, “Who is that old lady? We want her.” She had begun her acting career at the age of 88.
6 Emily Blunt’s Black Widow Miss
Emily Blunt was initially cast to play Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) in the MCU. However, she had to fulfill a contractual obligation to appear in “Gulliver’s Travels,” a film she “didn’t want” to be in, preventing her from taking on the role.
7. During the production of “Thor: The Dark World,” Marvel decided to designate the Aether and previous MacGuffins as Infinity Stones. To distinguish each stone, they changed the red Orb in “Guardians of the Galaxy” to purple in post-production.
8. While serving in the army, Stan Lee never missed a deadline for Timely Comics (Marvel in the 1940s). When he discovered withheld mail, he broke into the mailroom, unhinged the mailbox with a screwdriver, and submitted his assignment, nearly facing jail time for his actions.
9. After Barry Allen “died” in DC Comics, Marvel Comics introduced an amnesiac speedster with blonde hair and a red suit who couldn’t remember his name but knew it sounded like “Buried Alien.” In his first appearance, he was named the “fastest man alive.”
10. Upon his death in 1996, Marvel Comics writer Mark Gruenwald requested his ashes be mixed with the printing ink for the collected edition of his series “Squadron Supreme.” As a result, most first printings of the book likely contain his remains.
11 Harlan Ellison’s Hulk Comic Credit
Marvel Comics initially failed to credit writer Harlan Ellison for using one of his stories in “The Incredible Hulk” comic. Although Ellison could have successfully sued, he settled for a standard writer’s fee and a lifetime subscription to all Marvel publications.
12. In Marvel’s main universe, Sir Isaac Newton once held the title of Sorcerer Supreme, a role that was later assumed by Doctor Strange.
13. In 2011, the Florida Department of Citrus created Captain Citrus, a fictional mascot based on Captain America, initially named “Ollie the Orange.” In 2014, Florida paid Marvel around $1 million to redesign and promote the character.
14. From 1984 to 2004, Marvel owned the rights to the name Hulk Hogan. They received $100 for each match he wrestled and royalties on merchandise and projects involving his name. In 1996, Hogan avoided these fees by adopting the moniker “Hollywood” Hogan.
15. In Marvel Comics, Doctor Doom’s armor contains splinters of the True Cross, designed to protect him from vampires.
16 Marvel and DC’s Market Share
Marvel and DC jointly account for only 7.6% of comic sales in the U.S. (as of 2023). The largest comic book publishers in the USA are Viz, known for manga, and Scholastic, famous for children’s comics like “Dog Man” and “The Babysitters Club.”
17. Steve Englehart, co-creator of Mantis, expressed dissatisfaction with her portrayal in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, feeling it deviated from his original vision of a telepathic martial artist.
18. Karen Gillan shaved her head for her role as Nebula in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Marvel then crafted a wig from her own hair, which she wore on the show “Selfie.”
19. In the mid-1990s, James Cameron was in talks to direct a Spider-Man movie with Leonardo DiCaprio set to star in a “gritty” version. However, lawsuits and Marvel’s bankruptcy in 1996 halted the project.
20. Marvel used to issue paychecks with vouchers on the back, requiring creatives to renounce all rights to their creations upon signing. This meant they couldn’t cash their paychecks without also signing the voucher.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
21 Black Panther’s Name Change History
The superhero Black Panther, who debuted in 1966, predates the founding of the Black Panther Party. To avoid confusion, Marvel changed his name to “Black Leopard” in 1972, but this change did not last long.
22. Marvel’s first movie, “Howard the Duck” (1986), was a box office failure. Although it cost an estimated $37 million, it grossed under $38 million internationally, netting less than $1 million.
23. Robert Downey Jr. was almost cast as Dr. Doom in “Fantastic Four” (2005). Nineteen years later, he was confirmed to play Dr. Doom in the MCU.
24. The Marvels (2023) holds the record for the largest estimated nominal loss for a movie, totaling $237 million (as of May 2025).
25. The Ninja Turtles are a parody of Daredevil (Marvel). Both were created from the same radioactive accident. Daredevil battles “The Hand,” while the turtles face “The Foot.” Additionally, Daredevil’s mentor is “Stick,” whereas the turtles’ mentor is “Splinter.”
RE: Fact #31 (Amalgam Comics Unites DC and Marvel) – That’s pretty funny. There’s was also a Bruce Wayne: Agent of SHIELD thing in the Amalgam Universe, along with Dark Claw.
It’s been like, almost two decades, so I could be totally off base…
But I remember Wolverine becoming Batman, and Bruce Wayne taking over as Nick Fury because, you know, they already had a Batman.
Sometimes it wasn’t a full character merge—it was more like a superhero just getting extra powers from another universe.
RE: Fact #38 (Marvel Declines DC’s Characters in 1984) – They were both hilariously dumb.
RE: Fact #21 (Black Panther’s Name Change History) – It’s just a coincidence that Black Panther always puts himself on the line for his brother, never runs from a fight, and is a complex dude that only his lady gets.
RE: Fact #25 (Daredevil and Ninja Turtles Parody) – It’s not a parody, but they really loved the Daredevil comics and drew a lot of inspiration from them.
RE: Fact #9 (Marvel’s “Buried Alien” Tribute) – “Buried Alien” was clearly about Barry Allen, the Flash. He had a similar name, wore a ripped red suit with yellow bits, felt like he had lightning inside, came from another world, and his last memory was a running theme – just like Barry’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths. And to top it all off, he’s called the “fastest man alive,” which felt right to him. Since Barry’s back in the DC Universe after Final Crisis, I doubt we’ll see “Buried Alien” again.
RE: Fact #46 (Marvel’s Iconic No-Prize) – “No-Prize” is a weird name for an award, huh? Is it like a sarcastic award for people who get too hung up on tiny details in comics?
RE: Fact #16 (Marvel and DC’s Market Share) – Comic books can be intimidating for newcomers, unlike manga, which is usually pretty accessible. Plus, comics switch artists a lot, while manga usually has the same writer and artist.
That’s what kept me from diving in. I’m a total nerd, and manga in college was a breeze, but Marvel comics? I was completely lost—no idea where to begin or what order to read them in.
RE: Fact #42 (Mr. Fantastic’s Retconned Romance) – Six years isn’t a huge age difference, especially if they only met then and there wasn’t any creepy stuff going on. Plus, in the story, Reed Richards was taking college courses at 14, so it might be even less.
RE: Fact #4 (Donald Glover’s Spider-Man Influence) – Wow, I had no idea Miles Morales was so new! I figured he was from the 80s or 90s and only just became popular.
I knew he was from the Ultimate line, which started in 2000, but I had no idea he didn’t show up until 2011.
What I really love about Miles Morales is how much younger fans love him. My kids have always just seen him as Spider-Man. Between that awesome Spider-Verse movie and the new cartoon, he’s just… Spider-Man, you know? Not some side character or anything. He’s *the* Spider-Man, just like Peter.
It’s a huge win for Bendis and everyone who worked on his stories – he’s become just as popular as Peter Parker.
RE: Fact #50 (Tony Stark Owns Area 51) – Makes sense.
RE: Fact #37 (Asgardians and Irish Gods Unite) – TOOaha Day DAN-un, right? One of them is Taranis, the thunder god. He’s actually a version of an older god, the one Thor and Donnar are named after.
Lots of PIE thunder gods have “tha/tho” in their names – like the Hittites’ Tarhun and the Thracians’ Zbelthurdos (whose name basically meant he knocked you flat!).
Even some non-Indo-Europeans got in on this, like the Sami in Finland with their Horagal, a Thor-like thunder god.
“Thunder” comes from way back – mid-13th century Old English, from Proto-Germanic and even older Proto-Indo-European roots meaning “to resound” or “thunder”.
RE: Fact #43 (Brigitte Nielsen’s Canceled She-Hulk) – Looking at that picture, it was probably a good thing.
RE: Fact #26 (Pre-Marvel Daredevil Hero) – A wolf, but thinking like a person?
RE: Fact #11 (Harlan Ellison’s Hulk Comic Credit) – Harlan Ellison would make a cool comic book character name.
It’s not alliterative.
RE: Fact #27 (Russo Brothers’ MCU Opportunity) – I worked with the Russo brothers on one of their TV shows, and something people miss is how much they care about the actors’ performances, especially in big group scenes. They’ll do tons of takes to get it perfect—I’ve seen roundtable scenes with dozens and dozens of takes! For one key scene, each actor had 10 to 25 takes of every line to choose from. It was a lot of work, but the results were amazing. They’re perfectionists, and it shows. Even on shows like *Community*, you could see they had a really cinematic style, unlike most TV sitcoms.
It’s even cooler that they weren’t all about themselves. Most directors wouldn’t share the spotlight to make the best movie possible. Infinity War felt so good because the Russos let other directors like Taika Waititi, Ryan Coogler, and James Gunn handle their characters.
RE: Fact #15 (Doctor Doom’s Protective Armor) – Seriously, though, he lives in a world where vampires are real – so it makes sense he’d prepare, right?
So, why bother with something as awesome as the True Cross when garlic does the trick? Oh yeah, it’s Doom. Gotta be flashy or nothing.
Marvel vampires are seriously sneaky. Dracula had a freakin’ moon base and launched vampire attacks on Britain using cannons! Garlic won’t cut it against those guys.
That smell would get to you.
RE: Fact #18 (Karen Gillan’s Nebula Transformation) – She’s super sassy.
Karen Gillan is seriously talented! I first saw her in a Jumanji trailer, then freaked when I saw her in the Avengers credits. Turns out I’d already seen her in Oculus. So, she’s done comedy, serious action, and a killer horror movie – wow, what a range! She’s got me thinking about checking out Dr. Who now.
RE: Fact #32 (Godzilla Battles Marvel’s Heroes) – Ant-Man could’ve easily snuck past Godzilla with the Avengers and still had plenty of space.
RE: Fact #4 (Donald Glover’s Spider-Man Influence) – Donald Glover totally took over the Troy character.
Check out the first three Community episodes. At first, Troy’s this self-centered jock, all muscles and arrogance.
Then, bam! Donald Glover made Troy into… well, Donald Glover. A sweet, sensitive theatre kid who’s crazy about pop culture.
RE: Fact #2 (Don Cheadle’s Quick Decision Role) – That article only used a picture where Robert Downey Jr. is huge and Don Cheadle’s face is tiny! Did the editor have, like, five minutes to put that together?
Their marketing team likely figured Iron Man would get more clicks, so that’s who they chose.
The editor’s kid had a birthday, so he got two days off.
That’s just how internet stuff works, dude.
RE: Fact #6 (Emily Blunt’s Black Widow Miss) – I get why some folks don’t see her as a good Natasha after all these years of Scarlett Johansson.
But think about seeing her in *The Devil Wears Prada* and then wondering if she’d be a good Mary Poppins. We tend to box actors in based on the roles they’re known for. People freaked when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker because of his roles in *Brokeback Mountain* and *10 Things I Hate About You*.
I can totally see her in *Edge of Tomorrow*, she’d be awesome as Natasha! She’s got such a wide range and nails the badass role. Scarlett Johansson was great, though.
RE: Fact #35 (Fantastic Four’s Unconventional Debut) – I don’t get why Galactus is always painted as a bad guy; he’s just eating! It’s like calling a lion a villain. And if he kicks the bucket, a huge chunk of the universe goes with him. So what if he needs to munch on a few hundred planets to survive? There are tons of planets out there—even if he eats a tiny fraction, it’s still a crazy number.
It’s not so much the eating, but the total disregard for whether or not there are living things on those planets. I’m not sure how I’d feel if I were starving and my bagel had a city on it, but I’d hope I’d look for another bagel. Galactus couldn’t care less.
Then Silver Surfer shows up, scrambling to find His Royal Purpleness a supply of uninhabited bagels.
RE: Fact #10 (Mark Gruenwald’s Unique Legacy) – It’s a fun comic to flip through.
RE: Fact #26 (Pre-Marvel Daredevil Hero) – He’s been in tons of indy prints over the years, since he’s public domain. I really like the version you mentioned, the one where he’s mute and becomes a boomerang expert because of that boomerang-shaped scar he got as a kid.
RE: Fact #4 (Donald Glover’s Spider-Man Influence) – So, the writer, Brian Michael Bendis, saw Donald Glover in the Spider-Man suit and thought, “That’s a story I want to read!” Miles Morales is Black and Puerto Rican, just like Glover’s character, Aaron Davis, aka the Prowler. He’s not a huge deal in the *Spider-Man: Homecoming* movie, but in the comics, he’s a bad guy. And get this – Glover even voiced Miles in some *Ultimate Spider-Man* episodes! There’s even a cool nod to all this in *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*: when Miles goes to his uncle Aaron’s place, the TV’s showing that scene from *Community* with Glover in his Spider-Man pajamas.
In the movie, the Prowler’s a bad guy, more like a hired hand really, and he’s partly why Miles got his powers.
Two different movies, right? In the cartoon, Prowler’s the bad guy. But in *Homecoming*, Glover’s just got his hand stuck on a truck. Hoping they make him a villain in the next live-action Spider-Man movie.
In the European Spider-Verse movie, they call Miles Morales, Kilometers Morales.
RE: Fact #4 (Donald Glover’s Spider-Man Influence) – That’s awesome
RE: Fact #33 (Stan Lee’s Alliterative Naming Strategy) – Walter White
RE: Fact #49 (Spider-Man’s Controversial Black Costume) – I had that comic where Spidey first got the black suit. Think it was Secret Wars #6, or around there.
He totally wiped the floor with the X-Men in that suit.
RE: Fact #8 (Stan Lee’s Army Mailroom Incident) – While serving in the Army, Lee got weekly letters from the Timely editors every Friday, laying out their assignments and deadlines. He’d write the story and send it back by Monday. One week, the mail clerk missed his letter, saying there was nothing there. But the next day, Lee saw a Timely Comics envelope in his box. Not wanting to miss the deadline, he asked his officer to open the mailroom, but got a no. So, he grabbed a screwdriver, took the mailbox hinges off, and got his assignment. The mailroom officer ratted him out to the base captain, who didn’t like Lee at all. Lee faced tampering charges and could have ended up in Leavenworth. Luckily, the finance colonel stepped in and saved him.
Guess that mailroom guy wasn’t very helpful.
RE: Fact #3 (Marvel’s Quirky Financial Reports) – Hulk smashes the year’s earnings projections!
By the end of next quarter, Dr. Strange will have checked out ten million possible universes. In almost all of them, we’ll see better margins. Only six universes end badly, with margins staying put.
Back in the 90s, it was like, “I checked out a ton of different universes—14,000,005 to be exact—and Marvel was broke in every single one.” “So how many did they actually make it through?” “Just one.” Then they went and sold the movie rights to Fox and Sony.
RE: Fact #29 (US Government’s Influence on Marvel Films) – This fact is kinda bogus.
Film companies wanting to use US military stuff in movies? The DoD helps out, even plans scenes, but only if the military looks good. They check the script first, obviously. Think *Top Gun*—totally! *Apocalypse Now*? No way.
RE: Fact #24 (The Marvels’ Record Loss) – Seriously, The Lone Ranger cost 250 million?! That’s insane.
I was eighteen and I finally got to third base for the first time – it was during that movie in the theater! Now, even a short clip from it gets me all flustered.
That was a Disney movie, right? And John Carter too.
John Carter totally bombed. I must’ve missed the news about the Long Ranger flopping too.
The same director as Pirates of the Caribbean, with Johnny Depp – they probably thought it was a guaranteed hit, but it totally flopped.
That sounds like a surefire way to make infinite money. How’d they mess that up so badly?
The movie came out after the Pirates movies, and everyone was kinda tired of Johnny Depp. Lots of folks said it was like Depp as Jack Sparrow playing Tonto.
RE: Fact #27 (Russo Brothers’ MCU Opportunity) – That’s why you often see nods to their online community in their films.
RE: Fact #11 (Harlan Ellison’s Hulk Comic Credit) – That deal’s probably gonna be worth it. Dude’s got a crazy number of comics! His estate sale will be awesome for collectors.
Collectors will go crazy for these.
There’s a big difference between getting them and keeping them…but he’s a keeper.
RE: Fact #36 (Francis Tsai’s Inspirational Art Journey) – I got to work with Tsai, and I’m so happy to see other people appreciating his awesome talent. He was such a great guy, and his dedication was inspiring. Seriously talented—it’s a real shame he’s gone.
What’d you and Tsai work on?
As a Marvel fan, I’d never heard of Tsai before today. I definitely want to check out more of his stuff.
RE: Fact #30 (Mafia’s Influence on Marvel Comics) – Hey, guess what? Newbury Comics was actually a mob front! My dad was a competitor back then, so I heard the whole story. They got rich quick thanks to some shady dealings.
RE: Fact #7 (Infinity Stones’ Color Transformation) – Wow, so much purple in GOG1, especially at the end! Was that all red before? Seriously, that makes my blood pressure go up just imagining it.
Probably simpler to fix if it’s all computer-generated.
RE: Fact #50 (Tony Stark Owns Area 51) – So, apparently the Marvel Wikia thinks Area 51’s in New Mexico, not Nevada.
Maybe we have one.
RE: Fact #9 (Marvel’s “Buried Alien” Tribute) – Buried Alien’s joined the Mustice Leeg crew – along with MatBan, Flupersam, and Boner Woman.
RE: Fact #23 (Robert Downey Jr.’s Dr. Doom Journey) – Seriously, why? He’s already the biggest star in the MCU – choosing him for another role seems strange.
The MCU’s been kinda struggling since Endgame. But RDJ as Dr. Doom? That’s a guaranteed cash cow. Need I say more?
After Endgame, I haven’t been interested in watching any more Marvel movies. I loved the earlier ones, but now it feels like they’re constantly rebooting with characters I don’t know or care about.
RE: Fact #2 (Don Cheadle’s Quick Decision Role) – Mark Ruffalo told this great story about almost playing the Hulk. They said a car would come get him if he got the part, and he didn’t know for sure until it actually showed up after a night of no sleep.
Disney’s casting people are seriously twisted.
RE: Fact #16 (Marvel and DC’s Market Share) – Marvel Comics were like the Blockbuster of their time. Chasing Spider-Man through the Clone Saga, with all those comics each month, felt like I was paying a fortune in late fees.
That’s exactly why I never got into those. I’ve always loved superheroes, but those mainstream American comic books? The storylines are a total mess! They try so hard to make it easy for new people to jump in, but also keep everything connected for the old fans. I’d have no clue where to even start. Plus, it just doesn’t seem worth it unless I’m reading random issues here and there, because they never really wrap things up nicely.
Comics, like DC and Marvel, are way more fun when you’ve got buddies who are super into them and can point you to the awesome stuff. That’s why their business plan is totally broken.
That’s why my sister quit, too. It was crazy how fast people were leaving.
RE: Fact #12 (Isaac Newton: Sorcerer Supreme) – Michelangelo was timeless, always around. DaVinci could travel through time, and Tesla had some crazy quantum energy powering a super suit.
That’s the kind of team-up I’d love to see.
RE: Fact #28 (Jim Starlin’s Royalties Disparity) – No way, that was KGBeast? I just now got that they had the same name, but that’s it, really. Well, and they’re both Russian. I never understood the appeal. Maybe he’s got a killer backstory in some comic or something, but mostly he’s just thrown into any old villain scene, or some villain team-up. It’s weird they even used the name; he’s not exactly popular, is he? It’d be a different story if it was Deathstroke.
RE: Fact #50 (Tony Stark Owns Area 51) – Sweet, a Marvel wiki page! Guess I’m not getting anything done today.
RE: Fact #28 (Jim Starlin’s Royalties Disparity) – That’s crazy. Jack Kirby, the guy who practically *created* the Marvel Universe with his art and stories for the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Avengers, and tons more, actually made more money from DC Comics for just *one* character, Darkseid, than he did from Marvel for all his work!
That’s seriously messed up. But, it’s worth remembering he didn’t just make Darkseid—he cooked up the whole Fourth World thing, including the New Gods, Mister Miracle, and the Forever People. He also created Kamandi, OMAC and Brother Eye (both turned into huge DC baddies), and Etrigan the Demon (still a big DC player), plus King Kobra.
I bet his family got the cash, not Kirby himself, since he passed away before those characters were on TV and movies.
Kirby was still kicking when Darkseid showed up as the bad guy in later Superfriends seasons.
And get this, he even got paid for Darkseid and other character designs used in those DC Super Powers action figures while he was still around.
RE: Fact #18 (Karen Gillan’s Nebula Transformation) – Nebula’s the best Avenger, hands down.
RE: Fact #34 (Silent Storytelling in G.I. Joe #21) – This kicked off one of the best comic book storylines ever! I’m a huge fan of Snake-Eyes in this comic run.
Hama doesn’t get enough credit. His stories are realistic, and even with everyone obsessed with ninjas in the 80s, he kept it believable. He even threatened to quit the 2009 movie because they wanted Snake-Eyes to tell a joke! I’m not thrilled about this new reboot, though. Blech.
RE: Fact #24 (The Marvels’ Record Loss) – The Marvels was a bit of a mess, nothing special, really. Ant-Man 3 was worse, though, and Secret Invasion? That was probably the worst MCU thing ever.
Is there even a third Ant-Man movie?
There was not even too much marketing for the Marvels. It seems even Disney had low confidence in it.
I feel sorry for The Marvels; they got unfairly dragged down by how bad other Marvel movies were.
The Marvels is a pretty decent flick. Nothing special, but it’s fine for a watch. Think a 5 out of 10.
But putting it out at the same time as stinkers like Secret Invasion and Thor: Love & Thunder really hurt its reputation.
RE: Fact #17 (Mantis Creator’s Discontent) – Guardians of the Galaxy comics was totally different comic that the movie! Star-Lord was all serious business, no 80s obsession before that. And Drax? Turns out he’s from Burbank. They also cut Vance Astro completely.
Drax is from Burbank, California, originally. His family’s been there for ages, but they’ve kept a low profile for some reason.
RE: Fact #19 (James Cameron’s Spider-Man Project) – It wouldn’t have been bad, Cameron’s a great director, but things worked out perfectly because we got Raimi instead. There’s a huge difference between a regular 1990s comic book movie and Raimi’s 2002 film.
RE: Fact #14 (Marvel’s Hulk Hogan Rights) – I just learned he goes by Hollywood Hogan.
This is seriously making me tear up, thinking about WCW and the Wolfpac. Sting’s totally lurking in my attic, ready to clobber me with a chair.
Seriously, Sting’s go-to weapon was a baseball bat.
I’m not a pro wrestling expert, but I think to boost ratings, they turned good-guy Hulk Hogan, Mr. “Eat your veggies,” into a bad guy—a total shock! They also gave him the “Hollywood” name to make it clear this was a different, villainous character.
RE: Fact #18 (Karen Gillan’s Nebula Transformation) – Selfie was a seriously slept-on show. The title was awful, but it was a blast. Poor John Cho – his shows always get the axe too soon.
I totally watched that show because of Karen Gillan, but seriously, John Cho is a hottie.
That selfie was awesome! A few years later, and it totally could’ve been on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. The title sucked, but the rest was great.
RE: Fact #20 (Marvel’s Controversial Paycheck Vouchers) – That direct deposit switch must’ve been a pain.
RE: Fact #20 (Marvel’s Controversial Paycheck Vouchers) – So, picture this: I’m a cartoonist, hired by Marvel to draw Marsupial Man. I get paid to do it. But if I don’t give them the rights to the comic, they’re basically selling something they don’t own. That means no future Marsupial Man stories – which is the whole point of Marvel, right? It’s the same everywhere in the art world. If you’re commissioned to create something, the person who commissioned it owns it. Like, the guy who designed Jar Jar Binks for Star Wars can’t just make Jar Jar action figures and keep all the profits.
So, the only odd thing is how late they sprung this contract on me—right before payday! I’ve worked at three big media places, and they always have us sign these things upfront, even for non-creative jobs. It’s pretty standard: if you make something while working for a company, the company owns it. No biggie.
That’s pretty standard with most companies – anything you create while you work for them becomes their property. It’s in the contract, so people often quit to do their own thing.
Basically, in any field, if someone creates something that could be considered intellectual property – from a cute cartoon dog used in ads to an Excel spreadsheet with custom formulas for sales – it’s important to protect it.
This software company’s employment contract was nuts! They tried to claim ownership of everything I’d ever made, even before I started working for them. I basically told them, “What the heck is this?”, and they fessed up to just copying it from somewhere without reading it. Apparently, no one there ever bothered to read it either. They let me rewrite it, and I’m guessing they didn’t even read *that* version before signing. I could’ve been a real jerk and claimed the rights to everything *they* invented while I was there, but I decided against that.
RE: Fact #33 (Stan Lee’s Alliterative Naming Strategy) – So, the Fantastic Four – Reed, Sue, the Baxter Building, and all that jazz.
Jack Kirby kept cranking them out too.
Glorious Godfrey, Big Barda, Granny Goodness, Mister Miracle…
RE: Fact #2 (Don Cheadle’s Quick Decision Role) – My kid’s party needs Iron Man, and I mean really needs him – not just a quick wave, he’s gotta hang out.
Where’s that from? It rings a bell.
I think it’s from Winter Soldier.
Early on, the Winter Soldier – Pierce says it to Fury.
RE: Fact #19 (James Cameron’s Spider-Man Project) – I’ve got one of his books with a Q&A about it – Lee talks about the whole movie mess. They got Cameron involved, but things went nowhere, and by the time Marvel got organized, Cameron was off making *Titanic*.
RE: Fact #1 (Iron Man’s Unexpected Origin Story) – Growing up in the 90s, Spider-Man and the X-Men were huge for Marvel. That’s why they got tons of movies before the MCU was even a thing.
Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Fantastic Four—those were the biggies. So Marvel let other studios handle them. That left them with the also-rans, the second string, for their own movies. They went with Iron Man and the Hulk. Luckily, Iron Man was a hit, and that launched the whole MCU thing. Most folks have pretty much forgotten the original Hulk movie with Ed Norton. If Iron Man had flopped like that Hulk movie did, there’d be no MCU.
Yeah, Iron Man at least got a 90s cartoon. It wasn’t great, but still better than Dr. Strange, who was barely even in any 90s Marvel shows. And that Iron Man cartoon intro was totally awesome.
Man, those 90s Marvel cartoons were awesome! I remember watching the Iron Man one a couple times and being a little let down, ’cause the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men shows were seriously amazing. They were how I got into Marvel back then, and I bet they’d still be great today.
Yeah, it’s true. Nobody seemed to know who Doctor Strange was before Benedict Cumberbatch. I had his action figure from *Spider-Man* TAS, and it was awesome. That skinny guy with the huge cape sure won a lot of fights!
RE: Fact #17 (Mantis Creator’s Discontent) – The Guardians in the movies are pretty different from the comics, and that difference got even bigger in GotG2.
RE: Fact #23 (Robert Downey Jr.’s Dr. Doom Journey) – Wild that they couldn’t find anyone else for the part.
RE: Fact #27 (Russo Brothers’ MCU Opportunity) – It’s pretty wild how many directing teams are actually family, huh? The Coens, the Wachowskis, the Hughes brothers… and even the Scott brothers, Tony and Ridley, doing their own thing. Seems like working with family can really pay off if you can make it work.
Solo projects are great for keeping a creative vision strong and consistent. But working alone can be risky – you might miss problems others would spot.
Siblings often share similar tastes and are comfortable giving each other honest feedback. That makes them ideal creative partners: they can keep the big picture clear, while also making sure every detail is polished. It’s a really good balance.
RE: Fact #36 (Francis Tsai’s Inspirational Art Journey) – That’s amazing. My mom passed away from ALS earlier this year, and she used an eye-tracking device for almost the last year. It was tough for her—sometimes even saying simple things was a struggle. I can’t believe someone used one to create art.
ALS is a terrible disease; it robs you of everything but your thoughts. It’s incredible he could still express himself creatively.
My mom passed away from it two years ago. So sorry you went through that too. By then, she’d lost most of her facial muscles, so the eye-gaze thing wasn’t much help.
I’m so grateful for how well my mum held up. She couldn’t talk for months before she died, but she could still text. Even in the hospital, she was sending me funny pictures of our cat. It’s a brutal disease. So sorry for your loss.
Eighteen months ago, I lost my dad to ALS. It attacked his diaphragm, but even the night before he passed, he was hanging out with friends, totally mobile. His decline was pretty quick though—about two years from being perfectly fine to needing hospice care for the last couple of months. Even then, he never gave up hope of going back to work. It’s incredible how he kept his spirits up through it all; a lot of people wouldn’t have.
My dad’s got ALS, it’s rough. We got him an eye-tracking thing, which helps him communicate, but it’s still super slow going – getting a couple of words out takes forever! He’s even using it to make art, which is pretty neat. ALS is just awful.
My mom, 64, got diagnosed with ALS two days ago—I’m still reeling. It’s the bulbar onset type, so it’s messing with her speech and face, but she can still walk. It’s awful, truly the worst, but the ALS Association and The Gleason Foundation have amazing people who’ll help your family through it.
RE: Fact #24 (The Marvels’ Record Loss) – I’m surprised anyone’s still into that same old Marvel stuff, or Disney in general, to be honest.
It’s really fallen off, hasn’t it? Lots of people I’ve chatted with feel the same – after Endgame, the drive to follow the story just isn’t there anymore. It was a ten-year build-up to that final payoff, a huge moment we’d waited a decade for. I’m satisfied. Sure, there’ll always be another villain, but I’m not up for another ten years of Marvel movies to see it.
The worst part? Maybe a new Marvel movie catches your eye, but you’ve missed like six movies and four TV shows. I’d feel pressured to watch them all to get the story, but no way am I spending 30 hours on a movie that just sounds kinda interesting.
RE: Fact #5 (Dorothy Steel’s Late Acting Breakthrough) – She’s actually been in a bunch of other things.
RE: Fact #14 (Marvel’s Hulk Hogan Rights) – So that’s what Vince gets for calling him Incredible Hulk Hogan.
A hundred bucks a fight isn’t a big deal. They could swing it.
Merch sales were a bit rough, though.
Back in the 80s, even small shows cost money. Some wrestlers did over 300 shows a year! Throw in another $30,000 from merch, and it adds up quickly. Though, during Hulkamania, that was probably peanuts.
RE: Fact #5 (Dorothy Steel’s Late Acting Breakthrough) – When I saw Black Panther, I figured she was a big-name actress I’d just never heard of before, since she was working with so many famous people.
RE: Fact #15 (Doctor Doom’s Protective Armor) – Marvel vampires are seriously scary. And yeah, Latveria being in Eastern Europe sounds right.
Latveria’s right next to Romania, Transylvania, Symkaria, and Serbia.
Vampires and worse. Doom, being a talented sorcerer, would totally know the true cross is valuable.
RE: Fact #10 (Mark Gruenwald’s Unique Legacy) – That sounds fishy, but interesting nonetheless.
RE: Fact #16 (Marvel and DC’s Market Share) – Just walk into any bookstore—check out the manga and comic book sections. It’s pretty obvious which one’s way bigger.
Marvel and DC make awesome movies, but even they haven’t broken comics out of their little corner of the market.
Back in the day, comics were way more popular in the US and Canada—you saw them everywhere. Even though I’m only 31, I remember every corner store stocking tons of comics—Marvel, DC, even Sonic! Now? Convenience stores don’t even carry magazines.
RE: Fact #7 (Infinity Stones’ Color Transformation) – In stories, a MacGuffin’s a thing—an object, gadget, or something that happens—that’s crucial to the plot and why the characters do what they do, but it’s not actually important on its own.