Marvel Comics

This article is about a/an comics publisher in the Power Rangers franchise.

This article is about a co-producer of Battle Fever J, Denziman and Sun Vulcan in the Super Sentai series.

Company Logo

Marvel Comics is an American company that publishes comic books and related media as well as it's famous superhero characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and Thor and it's famous superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four.

Influences in Sentai

The Red Heroes of Marvel Sentai: Battle Japan of Battle Fever J, DenziRed of Denshi Sentai Denziman and VulEagle of Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan.

Marvel had a role in the origins of Super Sentai, after Shotaro Ishinomori's original two series, Himitsu Sentai Goranger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, Marvel and Toei released a Spider-Man tokusatsu series in 1978, which featured Spider-Man piloting a giant robot, a feature not present in the original two Sentai. The next year, what was originally planned to be an adaptation of Captain America resulted in Battle Fever J, resulting in the official start of the Super Sentai series, with Shotaro Ishinomori's shows being included in 1995.

In 1980, Marvel assisted Toei in their second Sentai co-production, Denshi Sentai Denziman. At the time, Marvel desired Japanese shows based on the Incredible Hulk and the Silver Surfer, but with the success of Battle Fever J and the ease of creating another ensemble show, Toei chose to make another Sentai. In their final year of the three-year deal to use Marvel characters, Toei chose Hela, a villainess of the Norse God hero Thor, and used her look and color scheme for Denziman villainess Queen Hedrian, who would be portrayed by Machiko Soga.

1981's Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan was the final series to possess the Marvel copyright, but did not have any Marvel influence but may have due to the connection to previous season Denziman, including the return of Hedrian for a second season.

Planned Project

In 1983, an article from Marvel's Japanese division stated that they were interested in bringing Spider-Man and the three Sentai they produced; Sun Vulcan in particular, to America, and was looking at HBO as a potential candidate for airing the shows.

However in 1985, Marvel Comics produced a pilot for an American adaptation of a Super Sentai series, which was rejected by the major US TV networks. Super Sentai would later be adapted into Power Rangers, created by Saban Entertainment in 1993.

Super Sentai & Power Ranger Actors/Actresses in Marvel Comics Productions

• Edward Laurence Albert
  • The Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four 1994 Animated Series)
  • Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
• Mitsuo Andō
  • Professor Monster (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Robert Axelrod
  • Microchip (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
• Elizabeth Banks
  • Betty Brant (Spider-Man 2002 trilogy)
• Jack Betts
  • Henry (Spider-Man 2002 Movie)
• Steven Blum
  • Wolverine and Vanisher (Wolverine and the X-Men)
  • Green Goblin, The Chameleon and Blackie Gaxton (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
  • Wolverine, Redwing, Heimdall, Zabu, Abomination, Fin Fang Foom, Pyro, 1st voice of Thanos (The Super Hero Squad Show)
  • The Red Skull, Beta Ray Bill and Wolverine (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)
  • Wolverine (Ultimate Spider-Man)
• Eka Darville
  • Malcolm Ducasse (Jessica Jones)
• Keiji Fujiwara
  • Tony Stark/Iron Man (Marvel Anime Iron Man 2010)
• Kim Mai Guest
  • Additional Voices (Spider-Man 3 Game 2007)
  • Makoto (Marvel Anime Blade 2011)
• J.D. Hall
  • Blade the Vampire Hunter (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
• Barbara Goodson
  • Dr. Ashley Kafka (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
• Shōzō Iizuka
  • Machine Bem (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Yukie Kagawa
  • Amazoness (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Archie Kao
  • Additional Voices (Spider-Man 3 Game 2007)
• Neil Kaplan
  • Kraven the Hunter (Spider-Man 3 Game 2007)
• Rikiya Koyama
  • Wolverine (Marvel Anime Iron Man, Wolverine and X-Men 2010-2011)
• Lex Lang
  • Doctor Doom (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 2010)
• Yuri Lowenthal
  • Bobby Drake/Iceman (Wolverine and the X-Men)
• Kerrigan Mahan
  • Forrest (The Incredible Hulk 1978 live action series)
  • The Seeker (Fantastic Four 1994 Animated Series)
• Hiroshi Miyauchi
  • Detective Go Tachibana (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Noboru Nakaya
  • Juzo Mamiya (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Nikolai Nikolaeff
  • Vladimir Ranskahov (Daredevil, 2015 television series)
• Nolan North
  • Henry Pym/Ant-Man (Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2: Rise of the Panther)
  • Cyclops, Pyro, Berzerker, Carl, Doctor (Wolverine and the X-Men)
  • Deadpool (Hulk Vs. "Hulk Vs. Wolverine", Wolverine and the X-Men - planned)
• Sam Riegel
  • TV Reporter (Marvel Anime Iron Man 2010)
  • Peter Parker/Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man Game 2012)
  • Peter Parker/Spider-Man (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Game 2014)
• Fred Tatasicore
  • Hulk (Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, misc.)
• Kirk Thornton
  • Mephisto (Ghost Rider 2007 Video Game)
  • Electro (Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Video Game)
  • Adam Warlock (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes)
• Shinji Tōdō
  • Takuya Yamashiro/Spider-Man (Toei Spider-Man 1978)
• Vernon Wells
  • Credited, though role unspecified. (Ultimate Spider-Man 2005 video game)
• Wally Wingert
  • Multiple Man and Yellowjacket (Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 Video Game)
  • MODOK (Marvel VS Capcom 3 Video Game)
  • Henry Pym/Ant-Man/Giant-Man/Yellowjacket and MODOC (Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 2010)
  • Havok (X-Men: Next Dimension Video Game)

Comics

During 1995-1996, Marvel had the license to publish Power Rangers Comics, and produced the following:

• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (One Shot Adaptation)
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1-7
• Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Ninja Ranger/VR Troopers Flipbook #1-5
• Masked Rider #1 (Crossover with The Ninja Rangers)

References to Power Rangers from Marvel

• In the X-Men episode "Juggernaut Returns", the new Juggernaut pursued the X-Men's Blackbird jet, and landed into a studio recording a Power Rangers-esque show.
• Web of Scarlet Spider #4 (comic): When the New Warriors are fighting a phony Scarlet Spider who has managed to grow in size, Speedball referred to him as an "overgrown Spiderzord".
• Spider-Man: The Final Adventures #4 (comic): While looking to return to the research company GARID, Spider-Man narrates to himself "Spiderzord Morphin' Action Time".
• The Amazing Spider-Man #413 (comic): Spider-Man finds himself in what appears to be a child's bedroom, and finding himself to be the size of an action figure. He is attacked by several toys including one which resembles a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.
• The Amazing Spider-Man #416 (comic): Coming upon a couple of kids getting into a fight, Spider-Man jokingly asks them if they are playing Power Rangers Zeo.
• Spider-Man Unlimited #15 (comic): Upon being attacked by a creature called Raptar, Spider-Man jokingly figured that he was upset at not receiving a gift from Santa, and that he understood as he wanted a Gold Ranger figure.

Notes

• In the Big Bad Beetleborgs episode "Convention Dimension", the Beetleborgs attend a comic convention with several attendees wearing costumes. One of the costumes worn was Spider-Man as Spider-Man The Animated Series was airing on Fox Kids at the time.
• In 2009, Disney, which at the time controlled the Power Rangers franchise, purchased Marvel Comics, placing both franchises within the same company. However the combination was short-lived, with Saban repurchasing the rights of Power Rangers in 2010, including all of the Disney-produced seasons.
• Despite Disney's ownership, however, Nicktoons aired both Wolverine & The X-Men and Iron Man Armored Adventures while airing Power Rangers.
• Battle Fever J and it's continuum is placed within the Marvel Multiverse on Earth-79203.
  • Chronologically, due to sharing a same universe with Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes and other original TOEI Tokusatsu heroes series, the universe's first appearance in order are:
    • Kamen Rider Episode 1: The Mysterious Spider Man (in universe)
    • Himitsu Sentai Gorenger Episode 1: The Crimson Sun! The Invincible Gorengers (Super Sentai series' first appearance)
    • Battle Fever J Episode 1: Assault!! Run to the Ballpark (collaboration between Toei and Marvel by production)
• When discussing the original pitch for Power Rangers Ninja Storm, writer Amit Bhaumik likened it to the 2006-2007 storyline from Marvel Comics Civil War.
• In an indirect connection between Marvel and Sentai; toy-group Mattel included the Varidreen and Varitank from Gorenger as part of the "Shogun Vehicles" within the Shogun Warriors toyline. The line, based on many of the giant robot anime of Toei, would likewise lead to a comic book by Marvel; however no Gorenger vehicles appeared in this book.
  • This would make Varidreen and Varitank the first Sentai-related merchandise released in the US.
• In the beginning of the first episode of Denji Sentai Megaranger, an arcade cabinet of Marvel and Capcom's game X-Men VS Street Fighter can be seen in the background when several kids are playing the Megaranger game. After Kenta Date and another teenager begin playing Megaranger a bit of gameplay is shown with Juggernaut (from X-Men) fighting against Vega (named M. Bison in the US).
• While not direct references, two Universal Insect Monsters during the Warstar arc of Goseiger are named after film adaptations of Marvel comic books:
  • Fandaho of Nonsense refers to the 2005 adaptation of the Fantastic Four
  • Powereddark of the Mutation refers to the 1986 adaptation of Howard the Duck
• The prime time airing of "The Mutiny", Part 2 and 3 were respectively followed with the premiere of the X-Men Season 3 opening "Out of the Past".

External Links

• Television Series at the Marvel Wiki
• Marvel Comics at the Marvel Wiki
• Earth-79203 at the Marvel Wiki