by Joshua H. Stulman

Marvel Comics is a company that has been around for nearly 80 years with thousands of comics having been published. When you’ve been around for that long you’re bound to have some wacky stuff in the archives. Here’s a run down of our top 10 most bizarre Marvel Comics to see print.

10. Damage Control

Remember all those super-hero fights that destroy countless buildings, parked cars, and well anything really? Well this is a comic book about the people who clean it all up!

Damage Control was created in the late 1980’s Dwayne McDuffie (Writer) and Ernie Colón (Artist) and has been featured in three separate mini-series, Marvel video games, and even Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. Who says being a trashman doesn’t pay?

9. Spider-Man, Storm, and Power Man #1 : Smokescreen

There have been many Public Service Announcement comics produced over the years. This Spider-Man team up story is perhaps the most famous from Marvel’s PSAs. The story has Spider-Man team up with popular African-American characters, Storm and Luke Cage. The three team up to take on a sports betting crime boss, Smokescreen. It also tells the story of Brett a young black athlete training for the Olympics, who is a smoker. I’m not really sure why the target audience was the black community as I’m sure smoking was much more abundant everywhere than today. But everyone works together to help Brett quite smoking and run the race. Brett loses so I guess the moral of the story will remain a Marvel secret!

8. Spider-Ham

It’s the 1980’s and Marvel just figured out that the comic audience has grown beyond 6-8 year olds, what do you do? Since Spider-Man being possessed by an evil alien symbiote secretly in love with him is too intense for the kiddies, in comes Peter Porker: Spider-Ham. That’s right, Marvel rips off Disney and releases cute animal versions of their most popular heroes, like Goose Rider, Captain Americat, Iron Mouse and even Ducktor Doom. Spider-Ham was awarded his own series, which ran for 17 issues along with a back up series in the Spider-Man reprint series, Marvel Tales.

7. Team America

It’s the 1980’s and…oh wait I already used that intro. Well the 80’s yielded a lot of hokey ideas from Marvel. Team America conceived by Jim Shooter and Ed Hannigan, a group of motorcyclists are part of a Hydra experiment that gives them mutant powers. In actuality, the comic series was a scheme by Marvel to promote toys based on the Evel Knievel model produced by Ideal Toys. Marvel really gave it a shot, with #1’s cover laid out by superstar artist, Frank Miller. The title ran for a year before cancellation and had appearances by Captain America, Iron Man and the X-Men.

6. Barbie

It’s the height of the comic boom and everyone wants in on the latest trend, even Barbie! With a cover by Marvel legend, John Romita, what could go wrong? Nothing actually, Barbie was a pretty successful comics series that ran for 63 issues. The stories followed Barbie and her friends as a modern update on Marvel’s earlier “girl” comics like Patsy Walker and Heddy from the 1950’s. Barbie was so popular that it was able to support a second series, Barbie Fashion, published at the same time as her main title. But like all things, as the title failed, even turning her into a superhero couldn’t rescue this title from cancellation.

5. Super-Pro

Another casualty of the ‘90’s comic boom was the NFL’s foray into comics known as Superpro! Phil Grayfield, a previous injured athlete turned sports reporter, is doused in chemicals during a sports memorabilia heist and gains super-powers. His title ran for 12 issues but even Spider-Man and Captain America could help this “lame” hero from being cancelled. Now who do we have to combat the evil villains Sanction and Instant Replay? (Yes, actual Marvel villains!)

4. KISS

That’s right, the 1970’s power rock band have been part of comic history for over 40 years! After brief appearances in Marvel’s Howard the Duck series, KISS got their own Marvel Super Special. Here’s the catch- the red ink used in the comic was mixed with blood from each of the KISS bandmembers. In the late 1990’s Todd McFarlane licensed the rights to make a whole series of KISS themed comics along with action figures based on band’s likeness.

3. Trashmasters

These might just end up in the trash, if you didn’t know that they were actually Marvel Comics! Created by Marvel Comics as give-aways for the New York City Department of Education, Trashmasters tells the story of a group of school kids that team up on adventures and learn lessons about the environment. The stories include both brief appearances by Marvel superheroes as well some activity pages. These were never sold in stores, so check your backpacks for these rare Marvel comics!

2. John Paul II

Everyone deserves a comic, so why not Pope John Paul II? At the height of the pontiff’s popularity, Marvel released a biographical account of the Pope’s life and rise to power. With art by Marvel legend Joe Sinnott as well as John Tartaglione, Sinnott has often remarked at his joy in being able to bring Pope John Paul II’s story to illustrated form. The comic remains a testament to the importance of the Pope in America during the Cold War.

1.Kool-Aid Man

Move over Hulk- Kool-Aid Man coming through! Who better to battle the evil Thirsties than that wall bustin’ pitcher of Kool-Aid. Kool-Aid Man was first produced by Marvel for 4 issues, but the concept must have been too mind numbing even for them so it passed onto Archie for an additional 3 issues. At first Kool-Aid Man would fight the Evil Thirsties from outer space, then some flame pyromaniac and finally a purple octopus. But he never did get around to fighting the real enemy, diabetes…oh yeah!!

Joshua Stulman

Owner, www.BrooklynComicShop.com