To mark Halloween, Marvel has just shared a joke-packed video of the Avengers celebrating the holiday, filmed in a stop-motion style that will be familiar to any fans of Robot Chicken - itself known for superhero parodiesIn a world of actual supernatural powers, Halloween is often a trying time for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, with foes such as Nightmare, Mephisto, and the Marvel Zombies taking the opportunity to strike at a time when the walls between worlds are thin. However, in the Marvel video, the Avengers get to relax for once and just pass out some candy - albeit in ways intended to lovingly pastiche their comic-book personalities.In the video, shared by Marvel Entertainment, She-Hulk passes out candy with a legal waiver, Ant-Man exaggerates the size of chocolate bars, and Captain America is decidedly out of touch with the types of treats kids are hoping for. The high point of the video (or low point, depending on taste), is DJ Morbius declaring, "It's Morbin time!" - a reference to a meme that has sprung up around the character's poorly received movie. The video ends with Marvel's supernatural characters dancing at a party including Ghost Rider, Elsa Bloodstone, Doctor Strange, Sister Grimm (aka Nico Minoru), Werewolf by Night, Dormammu, Man-Thing, Blade, Mephisto, Doctor Voodoo, and Machine Man.
Marvel's Stop-Motion Halloween
The figures in the video appear to be from the Marvel Legends toy line, though details like the various characters' costumes and decorations are clearly from elsewhere. The video does a good job of walking the line between the original comic characters and the versions MCU fans know - Vision and Scarlet Witch are depicted as a couple despite their significant comic separation, and a joint costume honors Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson's movie bond, but Morbius' disco also includes several characters who have yet to hit the big screen. One of the subtler jokes in the video is the way Ant-Man's voice changes in pitch as his true height is revealed - a scientifically accurate observation the comics tend to dodge whenever the pint-sized hero is showing off his heroics.
Marvel is no stranger to parodying its own stories and characters, from the classic Not Brand Echh comics to the eclectic delights of its Strange Tales miniseries. However, given the nature of the multiverse, it's a bizarre fact that this Halloween world - where Loki hands out snakes to children and the Sorcerer Supreme dances with the Dread Dormammu - now exists somewhere out in the reaches of Marvel's reality, meaning its Avengers should conceivably be involved in future reality-spanning stories!
Source: Marvel Entertainment