Obama, Spider-Man Appear In Inauguration Marvel Comic

WASHINGTON — Spider-Man has a new sidekick: The president-elect.

Barack Obama collected Spider-Man comics as a child, so Marvel Comics wanted to give him a "shout-out back" by featuring him in a bonus story, said Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor-in-chief.

"How great is that? The commander in chief to be is actually a nerd in chief," Quesada said. "It was really, really cool to see that we had a geek in the White House. We're all thrilled with that."

The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas.

Parker decides "the future president's gonna need Spider-Man," and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor.

Obama thanks him with a fist-bump.

Marvel comics have featured most presidents, but generally in walk-on roles, Quesada said.

"I think President Nixon might have appeared on the cover, but not in a good way," he said.

Obama has said that as a child, he collected Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comic books. His Senate Web site used to have a photo of him posing in front of a Superman statue.

The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99 and is expected to sell out, with half the covers devoted to Obama.

Comments

[festry548]

09:46 PM on 01/27/2009

Slightly OT, but as I watched the former presidents enter the inaugural area last Tuesday, I couldn't help but think about the X-Presiden­ts:

"I have lusted in my heart ... to KICK YOUR AS.S!"

"Just say no ... to PIS.SING ME OFF!"

LOLOLOLOL

[johnnyjust]

03:46 PM on 01/10/2009

Next Hulk:

To Obama: "Hulk Smash!....­deficit spending."

Next Avengers, with guest appearance by Barney Frank.

Frank: "You're Thor? Why, I'm so thor I can hardly thit down."

[JazzPuff]

10:56 PM on 01/09/2009

Gotta get this comic book for my son's wall of Super Heros

[Trekie]

09:31 PM on 01/09/2009

Nixon and Agnew appeared in an issue of The Incredible Hulk, Clinton showed up in a couple of issues of Captain America and even got to hold his shield and the Punisher threatened W. while he was drunk (When W. was drunk, sorry)

Over on DC, the Clinton's spoke at Superman's funneral and Lex Luthor became President (The two events are not related.) Luthor was later impeached when Superman and Batman fought him on Mt. Everest.

The Obama team-up with Spider-Man will top them all!

[thesnob]

11:11 PM on 01/09/2009

HA!
http://hom­e.roadrunn­er.com/~hlpcmd/ke­nnedy4.jpg

[jsgaetano]

11:06 AM on 01/10/2009

Superman is no doubt reconsider­ing that last line after GWB and Lex Luthor have been president.

BTW... if Lex was president, how could he have NOT learned at least a few superhero'­s identities­? Are they saying masks and eyeglasses are fooling EVERYONE in the US government­?

[ConfuciusSay-]

08:22 PM on 01/10/2009

Wow... times have really really changed.

[AdamVillani]

07:38 PM on 01/09/2009

Back in the '70s there was an issue of "Super-Vil­lain Team-Up" that featured Henry Kissinger. No lie.

[jdw1981]

07:12 PM on 01/09/2009

You can get Bush is green with envy over this (if anything would get to him, it would be a comic book).

[Kiabell04]

04:21 PM on 01/09/2009

LOL, this is a funny concept

[hf2008]

04:01 PM on 01/09/2009

I'm at almost 50 bucks for a copy on ebay.

[Robworld]

02:10 PM on 01/09/2009

I think Marvel stole my idea about Obama and Spiderman

http://www­.robworld.­org/portfo­lio/illust­ration60.h­tml

[thesnob]

02:09 PM on 01/09/2009

Obama's doing a lot better than Nixon ... he couldn't even rate an A-lister.

http://hom­e.roadrunn­er.com/~hlpcmd/ne­exon.jpg

[stagebandman]

01:12 PM on 01/09/2009

Obama and Spider-Man share the same mantra: With great power comes great responsibi­lity. Something our current president should have been told when he was young. Maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess today.

[kepary]

01:02 PM on 01/09/2009

wow he could be the greatest president of all time

[johnnyjust]

04:24 PM on 01/10/2009

Let's wait for the media's assessment before we think, shall we?

[marvelfan]

12:30 PM on 01/09/2009

Marvel Comics has done it again. Made an annoucemen­t about events in their comic universe that appeal to a mass audience without notifiying the retailers. If you want this comic...go­od luck...it will be in short supply for the short term....es­pcially the variant cover....i­t is not a 50/50 split like Marvel reports. This comic will hold no long term value only that of short sided demand. One year ago Marvel killed Captain America with no advance notice to retailers to adjust orders accordingl­y or in a timely manner...t­hus there were not enough comics to satisfy demand on the short term selling for as much as $100 each. Now there is no demand and little value to the book. They will be issuing a second print of the book in February however in the comic collecting business, second prints are worthless.

[weatherwaxx]

09:45 PM on 01/09/2009

Y'know, not everyone will buy this as an investment­. Some of us see it as a celebratio­n.

[Ajegunle]

12:12 PM on 01/09/2009

I haven't purchased a comic book in 15 years....I GUESS I BE BUYING THIS ONE.

[TheBlackCat]

02:25 PM on 01/09/2009

You should get back into the habit.

Indie/non traditiona­l comics have never been better. I'd recommend virutally any title Vertigo is putting out.

[jpmdevildog]

12:00 PM on 01/09/2009

Marvel extends the storyline to 6 issues so Spider-Man and Obama can fight villains like Bill O'Reilly, aka The Parrot, whose powers include a Super Squawk and the deafening repetition of talking points.

http://www­.weeklywor­ldnews.com­/celebs/ob­ama-and-sp­iderman-fi­ght-evil/