Advertisements are inescapable these days. From unskippable YouTube commercials to billboards on every major highway, we're constantly bombarded by companies shoving products in our faces. It's so prevalent in our culture that not even comics remain unscathed. Some companies even create their own superheroes to endorse their products. Total cringe.
Other times, companies not-so-subtlety slip in their products between the pages of DC and Marvel comic books, as well as their television and film adaptations. So now we can't even read the adventures of Batman or Spider Man without potential marketing. In no particular order, here are some of the strangest product tie ins that DC and Marvel have ever published.
10 Justice League Subway Famous Fans - Subway
This product tie advertises the restaurant Subway and the summer Olympics. The "famous fans" are actually Olympians Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin and Apolo Ohno. The comic opens with these athletes eating Subway sandwiches at the public pool, which is totally normal.
Suddenly, Batman appears on the scene. Mr. Freeze and Solomon Grundy show up to cause trouble, and the Olympians save the day (where's the lifeguard?). When the rest of the Justice League shows up, they ask where the athletes got their powers from, and they of course claim it's from the Subway sandwiches. It's such a weird crossover, and we highly doubt Olympic athletes eat turkey and cheese subs.
9 Action Comics #959 - Snickers
In Action Comics #959, Doomsday finally corners Superman and Batman. But as they go to fight, Batman offers Doomsday...a Snickers? It would have been one thing to include an advertisement on the next page, but it happens right in the middle of the comic. It's quite literally part of the action, which made Dave Howlett's tweet about the confusing placement go viral.
Batman even says the slogan: "You can get really cranky when you're hungry." Is he now an ambassador for the brand? Where did he even get the Snickers from? We have so many questions.
8 Spider-Man Meets June Jitsu - Hostess Twinkies
Before Hostess Twinkies were pulled from the shelves, they appeared in Spider-Man comics. In this 1979 comic, our hero encounters June Jitsu -- a lackluster villain bordering on racial stereotypes -- and "distracts" her by offering Twinkies. Really? Spider-Man knows how to fight, and he could've used his webs without them.
Other product placements in Spider-Man, such as Nathan's Hot Dogs, sort of make sense, since he's a New York native. But this is just bizarre. It's the first and last time we see June, so she was solely made for the product placement. Guess she really wanted some Twinkies.
7 Avengers Endgame - Geico
Although this isn't in the comics, it's too weird not to mention. When it comes to commercials, Geico has some of the most memorable, and the Geico gecko is one of the most recognized company mascots. And he's a fan of Marvel in this commercial.
He sees the poster for Avengers Endgame (more product placement on top of product placement) and wonders what it would be like to use the Infinity Gauntlet. He snaps his fingers, and thus begins a montage of people saving money on car insurance. How lame.
6 Craftsman Bolt on System Saves The Justice League - Craftsman
Yep, that's the actual title of the comic, and it seems the Justice League falls prey to another product tie in. The comic introduces The Technician, a handyman who does repairs in the Hall of Justice, and will not shut up about the amazing Craftsman Bolt-On Tool every chance he gets. He even tries to show up Batman when fixing up the Batmobile.
When the Justice League goes on a mission, a villain invades the headquarters, and it's up to The Technician to stop him. And he wastes time by drilling stuff to show the features of the product. He eventually manages to call the real heroes to save the day, but "none of it could've been done without the Craftsman power drill." This completely ignores the genius technology from Batman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg. It's just bad.
5 Lexus Presents: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in THE CHASE #1 - Lexus
Written by George Kitson with cover art by Greg Land, this comic series combines the forces of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the car company Lexus. Its first issue was released in 2014, and revolves around Agent Coulson's plot for revenge. Marvel has been known to team up with various vehicle companies such as Audi and Harley Davidson, so this is no exception. Yet to have a whole comic focus around a car is weird.
In fact, they feature a Lexus in the television series of the same name. This product partnership even promoted San Diego Comic Con in 2015. Considering all the high end technology in S.H.I.E.L.D, you would think they could come up with a better super car.
4 The Colonel of Two Worlds - KFC
Presented by DC Comics and Kentucky Fried Chicken, this comic features the Green Lantern, the Flash, and...Colonel Sanders? Mirror Master and Captain Cold join forces with an evil Earth 3 version of Colonel Sanders, named Colonel Sunders (brilliant). He uses the money from his restaurant "Easy Fried Chicken" to hire criminal henchmen.
The Flash and Green Lantern realize the increase in crime, and the real Colonel Sanders steps in. He then somehow harnesses the powers of Green Lantern and The Flash. He defeats Colonel Sunders and convinces the Flash to hire Captain Cold and Mirror Master at KFC (as oppose to jail, or maybe community payback). Does this mean KFC exists in Earth 3? Is Colonel Sanders an honorary member of the Justice League? Again, so many questions.
3 Rush - Pontiac
In 2006, DC Comics and Pontiac collaborated to produce a six-issue series about a new hero called Rush, who drives a Pontiac Solstice. Alongside Black Canary, Rush uses his fancy convertible to hunt down villains. One mission involves stopping Gearhead -- a half-man half-car cyborg -- from kidnapping an innocent civilian. Rush stops Gearhead by deploying a miniature Pontiac Solstice EMP grenade, because that makes sense. Rush and Black Canary rescue the person, but Gearhead escapes, and it becomes one big car chase.
Neither the heroes nor the car aren't even the ones who defeat him; Gearhead gets hit by an oncoming train. No wonder we don't see Rush or his Pontiac again.
2 Superman Meets The Quik Bunny - Nestle
This tie in is so strange that it's pretty much become a meme. Published in 1987, Superman and the Nestle Quik Bunny team up against the Weather Wizard. From the cheesy title "Quik Thinking" to the group of kids called "Quik Qlub," this comic isn't even trying to be subtle about the product placement.
As if that's not enough, it features puzzles and word games in between the comic. Fortunately is is considered outside the mainstream DC universe, so don't expect to see the Quik bunny in Metropolis again.
1 Spiderman - Ren & Stimpy
We don't know whether this is a product tie in or a really ambitious crossover. Cartoon characters Ren & Stimpy run into Spider-Man instead of Powdered Toast Man. Their usual superhero is under the trance of a villain, so Spider-Man frees him with the help of milk (which sounds like a "got milk" ad).
From bad puns to snot traps, this comic is a flop. It's universally agreed that this was just a cash grab from writer Dan Slott, so bad that Ren & Stimpy never returned to this strange universe again.