The Avengers, which sees a team of Marvel comic-book heroes team up to fight an extra-terrestrial threat, was directed and co-written by Joss Whedon, creator of the TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

BBC: The Avengers passes $1.5bn milestone and is top 2012 film

Marvel made comic book history in 2011 by announcing all titles in the Ultimate Comics line would include codes for free digital copies on the Marvel Comics app, with unrivaled incentives for comic shop retailers.

ENGADGET: Marvel Comics greets true believers with free digital copy for select print titles

Maybe this will be less of an issue with a Marvel-based comic book MMORPG.

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Last year comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment sued NCSoft Corp.

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Over the past decade, however, the one-time McKinsey consultant has branched out from Silicon Valley, taking seats on Wal-Mart Stores in 2001 and comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment in 2006.

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Things are still cloudy with Marvel and Disney theme parks because of an old, long-term licensing deal between the comic book giant and Universal theme parks that includes exclusive rights for Marvel characters east of the Mississippi for theme park use.

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Another reason Walters attributes to growing interest not only in the Dallas Comic Con, but in comic conventions in general, is the success of comic book films -- particularly ones based on Marvel comics.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

L.D. database on your second screen device accessing personnel files, comic book origins andexclusive interactive content with The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel SecondScreen Experience.

ENGADGET: The Avengers Initiative Second Screen app goes live on iTunes in time for Comic-Con

Spider-Man wasn't conceived as anything special -- the character first appeared in issue 15 of the Marvel title "Amazing Fantasy" -- but his popularity quickly made the superhero the subject of his own comic book, followed by several TV series and, in the 2000s, three blockbuster movies.

CNN: 2012: Predicting the future, with hindsight