MARVEL Missed Opportunities

[ExcelsiorPrime]

I've read or heard some interesting stories regarding Marvel characters and/or franchises that have slipped through the cracks and thought we could share a few. This isn't a slam Marvel discussion thread but a what-if, foresight was used in certain pitches that Marvel missed. The one that drew my interest is probably widely known but it is interesting. In the early 80's GI JOE master storyteller pitched" FURY FORCE" an updating of Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos.

This concept was reworked into Hasbro's GI Joe Relaunch. But what if Marvel had kept the IP (Intellectual Property) in House--would SHIELD have been as big as GI Joe?

Here are some concept art and sketches by the incomparable Larry Hama.

FURY FORCE LOGO/PATCH

[ExcelsiorPrime]

http://arealamericanbook.files.wordp...ehuey_blog.jpg



Imagine COBRA as HYDRA.

[THANOSRULES]

I dont know that I have any so dramatic as above, its a good one..i just feel they really missed the Opportunity with the Avengers: The Initiative characters. (and frankly a whole volume of forgotten characters they choose to mothball)

I think they blew it with RObert Kirkman as well...he would have been a huge assert to marvel...i dont know all of what went on but man it would have been nice to have him.


..and I really was disappointed with their attempts at the Crossgen properties...i thought marvel's relaunch of them was very strange.


Keith Giffen as well...should have been courted harder to stay and keep up the cosmic momentum. (again I dont know what happened so its tough to blame)

[Hypestyle]

All the Malibu/Ultraverse charcters need to come back.
Marvel should have bought the Godzilla characters.
Marvel should have bought the Conan characters.
Marvel should have bought Micronauts and Rom.

[Sprite]

There was a Luke Cage comic that Genndy Tartakovsky was working on, and I was really bummed about hearing it fall into limbo. It would've been so amazing to see.

[ed2962]

Dwayne McDuffie had an interesting pitch for Luke Cage that I wouldn't have mind reading.

Warren Ellis and a Marvel editor were developing a horror line in the 90's that was nixed when Toy Biz bought Marvel.

I think Marvel blew it when they flubbed the revival of the Epic Line.

[Exciter]

This concept was reworked into Hasbro's GI Joe Relaunch. But what if Marvel had kept the IP (Intellectual Property) in House--would SHIELD have been as big as GI Joe?

Snake Eyes: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. would have certainly been awesome. I'm a big fan of the G.I. Joe franchise and of Marvel as well obviously, so it could have been pretty cool. Do I think "Fury Force" sounds as cool as G.I. Joe? Not really. Though Cobra has extreme similarities to HYDRA in any event.

Along the same lines, some years ago there was a rumor that Disney was going to acquire Hasbro, though it never came to fruition. Relevantly, it would have allowed Marvel to get G.I. Joe and Transformers comic rights again, and could allow them to be rolled into the 616 even.

[ExcelsiorPrime]

There was a Luke Cage comic that Genndy Tartakovsky was working on, and I was really bummed about hearing it fall into limbo. It would've been so amazing to see.

I was initially against it thinking it would have set back the character development established by Bendis. Now Im not as harsh toward the idea/ As Long as it wasnt a parody book. And I dont know that second picture looks like a joke.

Genddy had a similiar character named Hank appear in Dexter's Lab #25

[Spider-Chan]

Marvel should have bought the Godzilla characters.
Marvel should have bought the Conan characters.
Marvel should have bought Micronauts and Rom.

With the exception of Red Sonja, I doubt any of the owners of those would even think of selling the characters. Let alone in a time where they didn't have movie and Disney money. Micronauts and Rom are very complicated cases.

Speaking of Red Sonja, that was definitely a missed opportunity. Marvel had the chance to trademark the character but just... didn't.

[ShadowDemon]

Not getting Songbird into the Avengers full time was a big missed opportunity. She was the breakout character of the early 00s.

[Sea Hound]

Selling the comic rights to Dr Who and the X-Men movie rights.
image.jpg

[dragonmp93]

Selling the comic rights to Dr Who and the X-Men movie rights.
image.jpg

Oh yeah, they used to have the rights to the doctor; he would be really useful right now, even if he cant fix the current mess with space-time continuum, at least he woud cheer them up; because seriously, everyone is so disheartened and have such low moral nowdays.

[Tendrin]

Oh hey. I misread the intent of the thread. NO BIG. xD

[mugiwara]

They had Chris Claremont and Milo Manara of all people doing an X-Women comics and they made it SFW.

[OptimusPrime114]

As far as pairings go, Marvel missed a lot of opportunities with:

Iceman x Emma Frost

Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) x Black Cat