Licensed comics in the main continuity?

[Oheao]

I find it fascinating that Marvel, who is generally known for using their own original characters or adaptations of non-copyrighted characters (ex. Thor), have actually used licensed characters from time to time in their own main continuity. I can understand the reason for it; I assume that it was done to boost sales by tying the licensed properties with their own established characters, and I assume that re-prints/digital subscriptions/collected editions weren't really a concern at the time so the licenses expiring were just not really a concern. However, I think that with digital subscriptions and collected editions it has become more of an interesting curiosity, especially since Marvel's own characters can't have certain issues reprinted because they feature licensed characters. Here are some 616 licensed characters I can think of:

Conan - I'd say he is by far the most successful licensed character, and in fact Marvel currently have the rights to him and are using him in Savage Avengers, firmly placing him within other Marvel characters
ROM - He appears sometimes as Marvel owns his human persona, but the costume and references to the licensed merchandise themselves are not allowed
Micronauts - I think this is similar to ROM as certain aspects appear but the specifically licensed parts cannot be mentioned
Godzilla & Tarzan - Now these ones honestly shocked me, the fact there is a Godzilla in the same universe as the Punisher, for instance, just seems hilarious to me

There are definitely others, but this is what came to my mind! A shame many won't be collected as I think they'd be interesting reads. Any other ones that interested you? Your thoughts on using licensed characters in the main continuity?

[Digifiend]

There's also Doctor Who and Transformers, which are both linked to Death's Head's backstory.

[Oheao]

There's also Doctor Who and Transformers, which are both linked to Death's Head's backstory.

They aren't part of 616 though, are they? I thought they were separate.

[Digifiend]

Doctor visits TF-verse. Pick's up Death's Head. Drops him off on Baxter Building. Multiversal travel. So not 616, but they are part of the Marvel Multiverse.

In fact, Transformers was originally in the Marvel Universe (Spidey showed up) but they very quickly changed their minds.

[Oheao]

Doctor visits TF-verse. Pick's up Death's Head. Drops him off on Baxter Building. Multiversal travel. So not 616, but they are part of the Marvel Multiverse.

In fact, Transformers was originally in the Marvel Universe (Spidey showed up) but they very quickly changed their minds.

I wonder what made them change their minds, maybe they were worried that events/characters wouldn't be owned by them.

[milton75]

Doctor visits TF-verse. Pick's up Death's Head. Drops him off on Baxter Building. Multiversal travel. So not 616, but they are part of the Marvel Multiverse.

In fact, Transformers was originally in the Marvel Universe (Spidey showed up) but they very quickly changed their minds.

Nick Fury and Dum Dum popped up in Transformers too IIRC. And the issue in which The Doctor drops Death's Head off on top of the Baxter Building is definitely 616. It doesn't start in 616, but his interactions with the FF in Death's Head #9 and Fantastic Four Vol 1 #338 are 616 canon. So I think it's fair to say that Doctor Who has visited 616.

For a while, mainly due to Chris Claremont, references to Doctor Who kept coming up in 616.

Excalibur #25
Excalibur 25.jpg

Uncanny X-Men #218 - U.N.I.T. troops end up fighting Juggernaut after being called in by the cops.

Uncanny X-Men #218.jpg

Fantastic Four v2 #9

Fantastic Four v2 #9.jpg

[CaptCleghorn]

A couple of other examples which affected reprint rights. I'm not sure if this MTIO was ever reprinted. MOKF eventually did get collected.

[Oheao]

A couple of other examples which affected reprint rights. I'm not sure if this MTIO was ever reprinted. MOKF eventually did get collected.

I know there are 6 Shang-Chi omnis, do those mention Fu Manchu?

[CaptCleghorn]

I know there are 6 Shang-Chi omnis, do those mention Fu Manchu?

I think so, but I've never seen them. I do know it took a while for it to happen though. Shang's father has been retconned and current stories handle it differently. The Sax Rohmer characters of Sir Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie were used in the comics as well, but have since faded from sight.

[Sandy Hausler]

I know there are 6 Shang-Chi omnis, do those mention Fu Manchu?

I thought there were only four! I bought them for my brother. I'd be a little annoyed if I had to buy him two more to ensure that he has a full set! They're pretty pricey!

[Andy E. Nystrom]

ROM - He appears sometimes as Marvel owns his human persona, but the costume and references to the licensed merchandise themselves are not allowed

This was discussed in the Who Watches the Watchers forum years ago. According to handbook writers, Rom in human form happened while Marvel still had the license, after the comic ended but before the licensed expired. So Rom in any form can't be used until and if they regain the license sadly. The one area that puzzles me is the Dire Wraiths. My understanding is that Marvel owns them, but they appeared in the IDW series.

One case where Marvel *can* use licensed characters but not the look is the former Team America, now Thunderriders. As long as they avoid the Team America look and name, they're okay.

One set of characters that look like licensed characters but which are fully owned by Marvel is Crystar and his cast. They were created by Marvel to get in on the toy action without having to worry about licensing.

[FrogMan]

How has nobody mentioned the cream of the crop of licensed characters in the MU, NFL SuperPro??

[CentralPower]

Never mind NFL SuperPro. What about....."Questroprobe"?

In fact, Transformers was originally in the Marvel Universe (Spidey showed up) but they very quickly changed their minds.

In the UK, "Transformers" was tacitly part of Marvel more or less up to the end. The connecting factor was the Savage Land. The Savage Land, as referenced in then-current issues of "Transformers" ignored then-current Marvel. But, it was there.

I know that the original "Transformers" (and presumably "Generation 2") was given a number in Marvel's list of alternate worlds. (It was based on the UK publication dates.)


The real reason is that Marvel wanted to avoid more of the problem they were having with Rom or other properties. (In that case, there were characters that Marvel did not own that were bound in to Marvel backstory. When they lost the license, they lost those characters.)

If I remember correctly, Red Sonya was not a character from the Conan books. She was a separate character!

It is something like that. Characters like Conan and Sonja were from a time when licensing was sloppier. ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Terminator" have had similar problems over the years, due to ineptitude and/or financial duress.)

(I can ask the guy at the comic shop, who is a Conan fan, for more details tomorrow.)

[Oheao]

The Rom toys flopped, didn't they? I think the comics went on like 6 years after the toyline ended. Marvel should have purchased the rights to it outright at the time, but I guess that may not have been an option.

[CentralPower]

Not sure if they "flopped". The toy market of 40 years ago was not what it is now. Back then, a line lasting more than a few years was almost unheard of. (Kids were assumed to age out of toys, and be replaced by different kids who would want new/different types of toys.) But, both Rom and Micronauts were part of Marvel for long after the toy lines ended.

So Rom in any form can't be used until and if they regain the license sadly. The one area that puzzles me is the Dire Wraiths. My understanding is that Marvel owns them, but they appeared in the IDW series.

I believe that Hasbro owns the Dire Wraiths, but not the back story.

And, there is this. https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudi...s_a_character/

I recall the Space Knights getting wiped out in a cross-over at some point, maybe a decade ago, which probably means that Marvel has given up on the Space Knights.

Based on that thread, the thorny legal questions (resulting from sloppy licensing agreements) are nothing compared to the political and economic questions (due to Hasbro having the Marvel and Star Wars toy licenses).