The 1980s was arguably the heyday of pop culture parody. Films like Airplane, the music of Weird Al, and comic book characters such as Peter Porker, aka Spider-Ham were born. Goofiness was in full force at the time, eventually giving way to the grittier edge of the 1990s and losing steam towards the turn of the century. However, a modern resurgence has opened the door for a revival of a more lighthearted era of comic books.

The massive success of the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse brought Peter Porker back into the public eye and paved the way for the potential development of an alternate-reality superhero universe with limitless iterations both in comics and films. During Peter Porker's prime, he encountered many parodied heroes and villains such as Deerdevil, Ducktor Doom, and Raven the Hunter. However, he never had the chance to team up with the only super-powered elephants in the Marvel Universe -- Power Pachyderms.

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Spider-Ham Paves the Way for a Forgotten X-Men Animal Team

Power Pachyderms

In 1989, Power Pachyderms had a one-shot X-Men spoof created by Tom Defalco and Adam Blaustein. A caboose filled with elephants is separated from its traveling circus train and veers off into a desert. The missing car passes through a nuclear testing site where its animal occupants are unknowingly irradiated, emerging with superpowers. Thus was born Power Pachyderms, an elephant superhero team consisting of Electralux (Martial Arts Mistress of Mayhem), Mammoth (a Colossus-like character), Rumbo with his retractable razor-sharp tusks, and Trunklops with his devastating nose-beams.

Spider-Ham's appearance in Into the Spider-Verse offers an opportunity for Power Pachyderms to get a chance at a longer-running series. An alternate reality inhabited by animal superheroes opens up a world of potential crossovers. Revisiting Power Pachyderms could coincide with the introduction of the X-Men to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and expand on the brand. Mining from Spider-Ham's run in the 80s provides a large roster of characters to inhabit an animal version of Earth in the Multiverse.

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Spider-Ham Proves That Humorous Characters Work on the Big Screen

Spider-Ham about to face off against a familiar tentacled foe.

Spider-Ham's recent successful appearance has likely stemmed in part from the more dramatic events over the past few years and in response, encouraging a lighter approach to entertainment. Marvel has a valuable opportunity to fulfill a market for more easy-going stories as a throwback to the fun-loving 1980s. Appealing to seasoned comic book fans by paying homage to the old beloved heroes and attracting up-and-coming younger readers is a model for success.

With the X-Men's long-running popularity, Power Pachyderms is the ultimate team to use as a springboard to launch a host of heroes and villains from Spider-Ham's animal-centric Earth. For too long comic book publishers and filmmakers have neglected to delve into a well of stories with a more humorous slant and thereby missing out on an untapped market for superhero comedy.