Disney buys Marvel Comics for $4 billion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/business/media/01disney.html?ref=business

Universal currently has license to use Marvel characters at its park. Looks like Disney singlehandedly destroyed that.

“How does this work again?” asked Lisa Waltz. She didn’t often sound nervous but today there was a little catch in her voice.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Don’t you even read the manuals for your Office?” snarled Madame Symmetry of Synchronicity. The Shaper of Worlds was just as nervous as the Destroyer of Tales and she manifested it by being acerbic.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Negotiation Room is an interface between the Parodyverse and… elsewhere,” the Chronicler of Stories summarised. “It can only be manifested when the three senior cosmic office holders in the Parodyverse agree on it and combine their powers. That’s us. We’d better get to it.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“If anyone needs the bathroom they’d better go now,” Symmetry cautioned.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Um, can you wait just a mo, then,” asked Visionary. ***     The Negotiation Room wasn’t exactly a room, although if you looked at it in a certain light it resembled a sleek modern boardroom; or a medieval hall, or an ancient stone circle. It was a place between realities. It was a plank.     As the oldest of the existing Triumvirate, the Chronicler of Stories made the introductions. “Lisa Waltz, Destroyer. Madame Symmetry, Shaper.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“My card,” Lisa offered the visitors. “My personal number’s on the back, starting with 1-900.”     The Chronicler continued. “Faite, set over interfaces and subtleties. Nosotros, ruler of the Yo-Beings. Sage Grimpenghast representing the Lower Planes. Dark Thugos for the Metaphysical Powers. Mr Grey, Senior Auditor.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And I’m a herald of Galactivac,” Dancer waved. “Hiya!”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes,” sighed the Chronicler. “She really is.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Deuced good thing, too,” muttered Sir Mumphrey Wilton, Keeper of the Chronometer of Infinity.     The beings with the briefcases glided forward. There were three of them, identical in neat corporate suits and roll-round shades. When they moved to the table they glided rather than walked. “We’ll take the other introductions as read,” said Number One.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“There’s a pretty long list of apologies too,” Faite admitted. “It’s been a turbulent few years on the cosmic level.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Family of the Pointless are in hiding, for example,” Symmetry illustrated.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Which is a damn shame,” noted CrazySugarFreakBoy!, avatar of chaos, “because a Spank Ray always perks up a boring business meeting.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Please,” winced the Librarian. “This is a moment of history for the Parodyverse. The Observers are recording every moment of it for the eternal archive. You’re speaking to posterity.”     Hatman clapped his hand to his forehead. “You had to say it…”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well they can kiss my posterity!” CSFB! called gleefully.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You insisted on bringing him,” hissed Yuki Shiro to the leader of the Lair Legion.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You have a very disparate collection of negotiators,” noted Number Two. The Chronicler’s only comfort was that CSFB! hadn’t discovered the visitor’s name yet. “Why is there a minion of the Outer Gods present?”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I don’t minion for the Fairly Great Old Ones any more,” rumbled the Manga Shoggoth dangerously. “I am nonminioned. Nine hundred and sixty-three straight epochs without a minion.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“There’s no denying we have an elder god infestation in the Parodyverse,” Lisa admitted. “We’ve got an infestation of pretty much everything.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Perhaps we should move on to the agenda,” suggested Number Three. “I’m sure you’ve heard about our recent acquisition?”     The Chronicler nodded. “We’ve had a crossover event with the heroes from that multiverse. The Avengers.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And not your rubbish post-Bendis Avengers either,” CSFB! put in fiercely.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Verily was I whompethed by Thor,” noted Donar happily. “Upside mine head.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And Cap spoke to me,” added Vizh. “He said ‘Get out of the way. I’ll handle this.’”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well, we have recently acquired the multiverse of which you speak,” explained Number One. “It offers opportunities to offer a multi-platform reality experience that will maximise the concepts exposure to target demographics.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’m getting the translators online now,” called Al B. Harper. “Keep him talking rubbish for a while longer.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Given that we now have proprietary domain over the concepts and characters of that multiverse we are looking to consolidate and further diversify our portfolio of metahuman narratives,” explained Number Two. “We can offer excellent stock options.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Wait a minute,” frowned Vizh. “You want to buy out the Parodyverse?”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“What did you think this meeting was about, brief mortal?” demanded Grimenghast.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“There’s more yet,” judged Dark Thugos. “The stick.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“There are fiscal and legal downsides to resisting a planned merger,” admitted Number Three. “Your… ‘Parodyverse’ as you call it does seem to consist of an amalgam of derivative concepts which could be seen as trademark and copyright infringement.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is this feckless bloodless lawyer tryin’ to threaten us?” demanded Sir Mumphrey Wilton, reddening. “Well, sirrah? Speak up?”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“At this stage in our preliminary negotiations we are merely flagging up potential litigious possibilities and reserving our position,” noted Number One. “However, with the acquisition of a multiverse so close to yours…”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You think you can just sweep in here and mop us up or shut us down?” Hatman challenged. “You want to see the list of folks who’ve tried?”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You want to see the size of their legal team, Hatster?” Lisa shuddered.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I say bring ‘em on,” said CSFB! “I say it to posterity.” He fumbled with his pants but Nats and the Librarian were able to tackle him to the ground.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“There are great benefits in becoming part of our corporation,” Number Two pointed out. “Franchise exploitation. Multi-media merchandising. Asset development. Trans-platform concept shaping.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Any luck with that translator yet, Al?” Vizh wondered.     Number Three’s briefcase opened and a series of documents appeared on the desk. “These represent the first stage agreement to scope and deliver a phased buyout of Parodyverse stock and contents. We’ll get your signatures on them and then we can move on to discussing rationalisation and transfer of core key assets.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And if we refuse?” asked the Chronicler of Stories.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You won’t,” said Number One. “You can’t.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Indeed?” asked the grey-mantled archvillain at the back of the room.     The three corporate representatives looked over at the cowled crime-czar. “And you are…?” asked Number Two.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“I am… the Hooded Hood.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Well, Mister Hood,” said Number Three, “I think you’ll find…”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Fair usage,” said the Hood. “Hustler Magazine, Inc. et al. v. Jerry Falwell. Tom Forsythe vs Mattel and Barbie. Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. Leibovitz v. Paramount Pictures Corp.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Ooh, yes,” grinned Lisa. “Precedents.” She smiled wider. “Litigation fees.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“You tell him, Hoody!” called out CSFB! “I want to be there when they try and serve Baroness Zemo or Finny.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Or when they try to spell Mr Papadapopolis,” added Dancer.     The Chronicler looked over the paperwork. “I don’t think so,” he said. “We don’t need restructuring. We don’t need exploiting. And Lisa really is exposed enough.”     Symmetry agreed. “If you want to take over the Parodyverse you’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way, with a Byzantine multi-part masterplan.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“And join the queue,” added Vizh.     The corporate visitors looked at each other. “Mr M won’t like this,” said Number One.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Jolly good,” harrumphed Sir Mumphrey.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Mister M can go and…” began CrazySugarFreakBoy!     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is to be lovely to be hearing from him,” broke in Nosotros diplomatically. “Do be giving him of our best wishes.”     The Chronicler looked around the Negotiation Room. “Does anyone here think we should go for the deal?” he asked the representatives and powers. “Nobody? Well then, I guess that’s your answer, gentlemen.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“That’s not an answer,” hissed Number Two. “Nobody says no to…”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“One more thing,” interrupted the Hooded Hood. “There’s one more thing you should know about the Parodyverse before you press your suit.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Really? And what’s that?” sneered Number Three.     The Hooded Hood approached them and leaned close. His eyes flashed green as he spoke, as he used his retconning powers so that nobody else there, for all their massive cosmic awarenesses, knew what he whispered.     The visitors exchanged nervous glances. “Well,” swallowed Number One. “We’d better be going.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“We’ll leave these papers here in case you, um, change your minds,” added Number Two. “But don’t worry if you don’t. Really.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Got to go. We have a 4.30 meeting with Resources,” said Number Three.     The suits folded up and vanished up their own backsides.     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you for your attendance,” the Chronicler announced. “This meeting is dismissed.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Not you, Ioldabaoth!” called Lisa Waltz as the cowled crime czar turned away. “You don’t get to go until you spill what you said to the boys from the House of M to send them running.”     Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes I do,” replied the Hooded Hood. “Good evening.”     He couldn’t reveal his words. Not yet. Not without destroying the Parodyverse – or getting it destroyed.     What he’d said was: The Carnifex is here.     The Parodyverse continued under fair usage.     For now. The Hooded Hood's Homepage of Doom Who's Who in the Parodyverse Where's Where in the Parodyverse Original concepts, characters, and situations copyright © 2009 reserved by Ian Watson. Other Parodyverse characters copyright © 2009 to their creators. The use of characters and situations reminiscent of other popular works do not constitute a challenge to the copyrights or trademarks of those works. The right of Ian Watson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger spoke on the theme park possibilities:

"Marvel characters have already proven to be strong in terms of theme park attraction and we believe there are a lot of opportunities around the world, not in every one of our parks because there are some existing agreements that we obviously have to honor, but in a number of places for us to use the Marvel characters to basically help us grow our theme park business and better entertain people," Iger said.


http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_thebottomline/2009/08/iger-wont-use-marvel-characters-in-all-disney-parks.html

Edit: I can't find any more current information than mid-last year, but Marvel had also signed a deal to be a major part of "Dubailand", a mega-park being built in Dubai. According to Wikipedia:

"On May 2, 2008, announced the finalization of the design and conceptual master plan for a Marvel Superheroes theme park, the first of its kind. It will include 17 rides and attractions on a 4,500,000 square foot development. It will also comprise nine retail outlets on an area of 30,000 square feet (2,800 m2). Over 40 food and beverage outlets, including carts merchandising light refreshments, will be developed over 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2). area. Groundbreaking for the project is expected to be conducted in the first quarter of 2009, with the theme park scheduled to open doors on 1 January, 2012. [6]"

So that's another one that Iger is likely referring to.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubailand

Probably for the best that they hightailed it out of there. I don't know that Magweed would fit in well with the Disney Princess line anyway.

So, you go for the Posterity joke but not the Assets joke? Well, I guess the later one would be to obvious & you've never been one to go for the obvious.

...brought Liu Xi with them. Her language surely would have offended them.

Being Dubai - I'm sure they won't be.

Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter solicited the thoughts of Ben Schwartz on Disney's impending purchase of Marvel. I've linked the entire column for you all to read for yourselves, but I still felt like posting my favorite quotes from the article below:

The Comics Reporter - Ben Schwartz On Marvel/Disney Deal

[...] One aspect of their problems with Disney, and vice versa, is that Disney is very sensitive to putting out material that draws boycott action from advocacy groups. That is, when someone wants something from Disney, they will look at Marvel material (let's say, a violent Wolverine comic with some gore) to paste on the news and say, "Disney sells this to kids." Pixar doesn't create a problem that way, but the pregnant Mrs. Hobgoblin in a recent Spider-Man arc might.

[...] Disney is a creative company, and superhero books in general could use a shake up. No loss, in my opinion, if they did get involved. Marvel's line has been a angry version of Weisinger-era Jimmy Olsen concepts lately (suddenly, everyone's a zombie; suddenly, everyone that was bad is good and was good is bad ...). After all these-post Miller/Moore years of "dark" and "edgy," ie, angry and adolescent, maybe Marvel moving towards pop light isn't a bad idea. The pop-culture Kirby/Lee/Ditko-era was Marvel's creative peak, while 2009 is its financial peak from movies, TV, etc, (but not in comics). They need something.

[...] The Spectacular Spider-Man animated show is better than the comics. The X-Men and Spider-Man movies are, too. As I mentioned above, the guys running the comics division live in the past and their sales are mediocre. The people making the comics into movies are the ones connecting to the public in a big way, that's actually made Marvel fun for me again. Does anyone still buy the idea that the comics are where new concepts are generated that get turned into movie and television? The newest idea in comics-to-movies is the Claremont/Byrne X-Men vibe of the early '80s in the X-Men movies.

Over the years, many, many people have complained about Disney for lots of reasons. I know a number of parents who don't want their kids exposed to the Disney version of favorite fairy tales and books. I get that, and understand why. On the other hand, I can't think of a company that would benefit right now from that more than Marvel.

I pretty much agree with every single word written above.

Why would Disney bother? Doesn't Marvel control like two thirds of the comics market? They are basically crushing the competition right now.

As for the Mrs. Hobgoblin comment (which is factually wrong, nice job there Ben), if someone gives Marvel grief that their books aren't kiddy friendly they can point to the ten or so "Adventures" titles they put out that has all the same characters as the MU and are designed for younger audience.

Also I didn't think of it.

See now you have to write the tie-in.