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Summary
Howard the Duckhas always had a bite satirical set , so it makes sense that his 50th anniversary special would n’t pull any punches . Despite starring in the first ever Marvel theatrical pic , Howard has been relegate to cameo coming into court and Easter eggs in the years since . That may be why the special ’s first " What If … " report blend in directly for the MCU ’s nonstop content machine .
Renamed " Waugh If … " after the character ’s duckish sigh , each tale in the specialHoward the Duck # 1peeks at how Howard could be integrate into the Marvel Universe . The first story from writer Daniel Kibblesmith , creative person Annie Wu , colorist Ian Herring and letterer Travis Lanham shows what would ’ve materialise ifHoward the Duck ’s presidential campaignhad been successful . Greedy aliens straightaway put down on Earth , learn all the superheroes , and beam the most conformist , halfway - of - the - route versions of their stories to the masses for net income .
What ’s more , knowledgeable fans of Howard know that this is n’t the news report ’s only dig at the massive pudding stone that is Disney .
Howard the Duck is a cult icon at Marvel , and now he is getting an appropriately barmy 50th anniversary celebration .
Disney’s Had Its Eye on Howard the Duck for a While
infix in 1973 in the Sir Frederick Handley Page ofAdventure Into Fear # 19by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik , Howard had instant fad appeal . He got his own series in 1976 , and a whirl - off newsprint comic strip a year afterwards . His false presidential runnel in 1976 sell a slew of merch , and Stan Lee claimedHoward the Duck incur thousands of write - in votes(though this has been expose ) . However , one entity that was definitely not a rooter was Disney , which claimed thatHoward was too standardised to its own Donald Duck . Both characters are white , anthropomorphized ducks with standardized color schemes and foul attitudes , so there was grounds for confusion . Marvel accord to a redesign done by Disney animator , and the main point was making Howard wear pants - a fact he complain about heavy in this taradiddle . Given that the redesign hap in 1977 , it ’s even chronologically right for new President Duck to be upset that he has to wear pants now .
In the story , Howard the Duck face off against The Focus Group , the Disney - comparable aliens who are more concerned with marketing and insipid storytelling that appeals to the most people at once . They ’re clear a shaft at the corporation that has spent the last 20 years acquiring massive studio and IPs , wiping out existing continue universes , and rebooting reboots to force more money out of an consultation experiencing franchise fatigue . When Howard postulate if they ’re concerned in him , they endeavor to let him down easy and say him that he’s"more cameo stuff . “This is exactly how he ’s been used since Disney acquire Marvel : he come out in the desktop of theGuardians of the Galaxytrilogy , had a cameo inAvengers : Endgame , and has a vocal line ( provided by Seth Green ) in the Disney California Adventure Guardians ride .
Marvel Phase 5 Needs Howard the Duck More Than He Needs It
Disney and Marvel have been skin with the MCU in Phases 4 and 5 . As they keep producing endless mental object , their strength - that all the stories are interconnected - has become a impuissance . sports fan have line up it hard to keep up with everything and some have stopped watching . It seems funny now to remember that originally , the MCU was a huge gamble ; Iron Man and Captain America were recall of as C - listing heroes , and anAvengersmovie that wed into five other films was a demented idea that in reality worked . Now that the MCU is expected to make billion of dollars on every plastic film , it ’s floundering . A trade name new gamble on a persona like Howard the Duck could be the shot the franchise needs to take off again . Both Rob Zombie and Lea Thompson have said they tilt Howard idea to Disney , and planned streaming serial never got off the earth at either Hulu or Disney+ . Kevin Feige could use another looking at thisHoward the Duck"What If … " to see what his universe really require .
Howard the Duck ( 2023 ) # 1
Howard the Duck ( 2023 ) # 1is available now from Marvel Comics .
