The Muppets Invade Marvel Comics in New "The Muppet Show" 50th Anniversary One-Shot

It’s time to play the music, light the lights, and assemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes!
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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show, Marvel Comics is bringing together two beloved entertainment franchises for a crossover that many fans never expected to see. This September, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, and the rest of the Muppets will officially enter the Marvel Universe in The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe #1, a new one-shot comic packed with superhero action, absurd comedy, and plenty of Muppet mayhem.

What’s Happening:

  • The special release marks the first time the Muppets have crossed over with Marvel Comics in an original comic book story, answering the age-old comic book question, "What If?" with a delightfully chaotic twist. 
  • The oversized one-shot arrives during a milestone year for the iconic franchise, celebrating five decades since The Muppet Show first debuted and introduced audiences around the world to its unforgettable cast of characters.
  • Bringing the crossover to life is an impressive lineup of creators led by Eisner Award-winning writer Chip Zdarsky and acclaimed artist Pete Woods. Additional stories come from Ashley Allen, MacKenzie Cadenhead, Kyle Starks, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Adam F. Goldberg, David Baldeon, Mike Henderson, Paco Medina, E.J. Su, Áthila Fabbio, and more.
  • The anthology-style comic features several standalone adventures that place the Muppets directly into Marvel's expansive world of heroes, villains, magic, and cosmic adventures.
  • One of the headline stories sees Rowlf the Dog kidnapped by the villainous Mojo, who plans to use the beloved musician to launch a new streaming service. The bizarre premise quickly spirals into a massive crossover event featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Wolverine, Emma Frost, and numerous other Marvel heroes attempting to save the day.
  • Another story takes readers into Muppet Labs, where Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker team up with Bruce Banner and Hank Pym for an ambitious scientific experiment involving Gamma Rays and Pym Particles. As longtime Marvel readers might expect, combining those elements is unlikely to end well.
  • Elsewhere, Doctor Strange finds himself in need of culinary assistance when Clea falls ill from a mystical virus. With traditional magical solutions failing, help arrives from an unexpected source: the Swedish Chef.
  • The issue will also venture into deep space as the classic Muppets sketch Pigs in Space collides with Marvel's cosmic corner. Captain Link Hogthrob, First Mate Piggy, and Dr. Julius Strangepork cross paths with Rocket Raccoon and Groot, setting the stage for an intergalactic adventure filled with misunderstandings, explosions, and comedy.
  • For Zdarsky, the opportunity to write both Marvel heroes and the legendary Muppet cast was a dream assignment. “With the great power of two iconic properties comes great responsibility. I promise to not let down Kermit, Fozzie and Animal the way Spider-Man let down his Uncle Ben,” Zdarsky joked.
  • The writer also singled out one Muppet character in particular. “It’s impossible to overstate how excited I was to write for Miss Piggy, whom I consider to be one of the greatest icons of the last hundred years, a character who speaks to every generation,” Zdarsky said. “I also got to write Deadpool.”
  • He continued by praising artist Pete Woods for bringing the crossover to life, noting that seeing the Marvel and Muppet characters interact on the page has been a particular highlight of the project.
  • The crossover follows last year's successful series of Marvel variant covers celebrating the Muppets' 70th anniversary and will be accompanied by an all-new collection of Muppet-themed variant covers appearing across Marvel titles throughout September. Marvel has already revealed several covers for the one-shot, including artwork by Nick Bradshaw, Humberto Ramos, Ron Lim, and a special Muppet Treasure Island 30th Anniversary variant by Matteo Lolli.
  • Leigh Slaughter, Vice President of The Muppets Studio, said the collaboration offers a unique opportunity to blend the personalities and humor of both franchises while honoring a landmark anniversary year.
  • “It has been exciting for The Muppets Studio to collaborate with Marvel Comics in a new and unique way to bring the personality, humor and mayhem of The Muppets into the Marvel Universe and vice versa,” Slaughter said. “To do this during the 50th anniversary year of The Muppet Show makes this project even more meaningful.”
  • While Marvel crossovers have become a staple of comic book storytelling, few pairings feel as unexpectedly perfect as the Muppets and Marvel. Both franchises have spent decades building passionate fan communities, creating memorable characters, and balancing heartfelt storytelling with humor.
  • The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe #1 arrives in comic shops on September 23.

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