Marvel Entertainment

Press Release

Marvel Entertainment acquisition by Disney approved - 5th January 2010

NEW YORK — Shareholders of Marvel Entertainment Inc., home to the X-Men, Iron Man, Spider-Man and other characters, approved the company's acquisition by The Walt Disney Co. on Thursday.

Marvel, in a statement, said shareholders approved the 4.3-billion-dollar deal announced in August under which the comic book giant and its stable of action heroes will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney.

The acquisition is Disney's biggest since its purchase of animation house Pixar three years ago.

Besides Spider-Man, Iron Man and the X-Men, Marvel's cast of over 5,000 characters includes Captain America, the Fantastic Four and Thor.

Marvel is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. It was founded in 1939 as comic book publisher Timely Comics.

Besides comics, Marvel characters also feature in movies, animated features, videogames and toys such as action figures.