Why on Earth would a celebrity want to be in a comic book except to prove they can fulfill attention-grabbing behavior in almost any medium? But comics are not spared from this cringey behavior and writers relish the chance to have a celebrity’s shiny mug show up glossy on Marvel Comics' books. And unfortunately fans must all suffer through reading them.
Celebrity cameos in TV shows are often a sign of a show’s impending downward spiral as writers start reaching for anything to produce new material and/or flexing that the show is popular enough to entice fill-in-the-blank star. Comics operate similarly. Celebrities usually come forward first asking to be featured in a favorite comic. And who are comic book writers and artists to refuse the likes of Barack Obama, Penn Jillette and David Letterman? Even though the outcome of these 2-D encounters with superheroes are at best awkward and more often embarrassing for everyone involved.
Marvel is the chief culprit of introducing real-life celebrities to comic canon. Perhaps at the time it seemed like a good idea to gin up readership to a story by introducing a celebrity. And once it was on the page, maybe the editors involved couldn’t see how these appearances could go wrong. But when a reader has to grit their teeth and flinch at the sight of (sometimes poorly drawn) celebrity likenesses, it’s not a positive outcome. Here are a few of the worst perpetrators.
U.S. President Barack Obama fist bumps Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #583, before an imposter Obama - later revealed as the Chameleon - is unmasked by Spider-Man and the real Obama is sworn in as president. Obama thanks Spider-Man and says he’s a big fan. Spider-Man spends a few panels hero-worshipping the president in a bit of a hamfisted tribute, but it’s far from the most egregious celebrity appearance in Marvel books. Regardless, as implausible as the meetup is, it’s cemented in comic book lore just like all these other weird cameos.
David Letterman got to interview the Avengers and leapt into action to become an honorary member of the world’s mightiest heroes by beating a bad guy with a door knob. Seriously. This isn’t the retired Letterman with a beard that rivals Zeus'. This is 1984 Letterman, when he had fewer gray hairs but just as many sarcastic jabs. Although that wit was handled haphazardly by comic book writers. Letterman interviews Black Panther, Hawkeye, Beast, Black Widow and the forgettable Wonder Man in Avengers #239 and of course, a supervillain attacks. It was a real C-lister, Mechano Marauder, and Letterman bested him by grabbing a giant door knob and beating him with it. The Marauder used some fancy tech to incapacitate the Avengers so Letterman took it upon himself to save the day and hero pose over the defeated Marauder with his hands on his hips. But that’s not even the worst offender.
Magicians should probably stay in their lane and stick to tricks. Guest writer Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller thought differently and penned his own comic in Spider-Man/Deadpool #11 and forces his own cameo upon comics. The famously silent Teller trades places with mouthy Deadpool. Teller quietly beats up bad guys while Penn Jillette takes advantage of Deadpool’s healing factor to do some gorey magic tricks involving swords. Meanwhile Deadpool struggles to remain silent.
It’s a gimmicky issue from gimmicky magicians where Penn gets into a fourth-wall breaking contest with Deadpool in which the only loser is the reader. Penn at least prods at himself a bit in the comic having Deadpool call him a “hack magician.” But Deadpool’s narration still highlights how charming, smart and handsome Penn is to an irksome degree, since it’s clear Penn is having fun writing about himself. The jokes fall flat and the ego stroking is so overt that the cringe award for worst cameo is clear. Penn claims the most cringiest by writing himself too well, the smarm and winking nods to fourth-wall breaking are just too much.