The classic kaiju will take on Marvel’s superheroes in Godzilla vs. Marvel, a series of comic one-shots that will include the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Thor.
As THR reports, this marks Marvel’s first Godzilla crossover event in almost 50 years, after the character starred in the series Godzilla, King of the Monsters, which ran from 1977 to 1979 and was set in the main Marvel Comics universe.
The six comics will reportedly take place over different time periods. The first Godzilla vs. Marvel, which bows in March, is Godzilla vs. Fantastic Four. It will centre on the Marvel team battling classic Godzilla antagonist King Ghidorah, who has been imbued with cosmic power as the new herald for Galactus, the devourer of worlds. In this issue, written by Ryan North and with art from John Romita Jr., Godzilla teams up with the Silver Surfer to save the Earth.
“We approached them [rights holder Toho] initially for our reprints, but a while after those conversations, it was clear that both of our teams were excited to do more together,” says Marvel editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski. “These crossovers started coming together over that time, in direct collaboration with Toho, and we felt the perfect time for them was for Godzilla’s 70th anniversary next year. We’ve been thrilled to work with them on these, and we hope this will be a sign for more exciting projects to come.”
“For us, kaiju—and specifically Godzilla—are important parts of Marvel’s comic history, so we knew we wanted to explore something with their teams,” says Dan Buckley, president, Marvel Comics & Franchises. “We’ve always been fans of Godzilla, but with the steady rise in Godzilla’s popularity over the years, it’s part of our current cultural zeitgeist and a perfect example of the fun that the comics industry can bring. We’re focused on the storytelling first and foremost, but fun opportunities for crossovers like this give both of our fans an entertaining escape that they won’t want to miss.”
