The Bizarre Villains of Marvel's Hostess Ads

History of the Marvel Universe No. 282
The Canonicity of Marvel's Hostess Ads
Sources:
Icemaster
- Avengers 191 (1980)
- Thunderbolts 024-025 (1999)
- Marvel Encyclopedia: Fantastic Four (2004)
- Avengers Academy 020 (2011)
- Gambit 017 (2013)
Young Allies
- Young Allies 70th Anniversary Special (2009)
- Captain America: Forever Allies 001 (2010)
Patsy Walker
- Avengers Annual 2000 (2000)
- Iron Man 018 (2022)
Elektro and the Fin Fang Four
- Tales of Suspense 013 (1961)
- Marvel Monsters: Fin Fang Four (2005)
- Fin Fang Four Return (2009)
The Human Fly
- Amazing Spider-Man Annual 010 (1976)
- Amazing Spider-Man 276 (1986)
The Death of Hostess Spider-Man
- Spider-Verse 001 (2014)
The Ding-A-Ling Family
- Silver Surfer 007 (2015)
Golden Oldie
- Marvel Team-Up 137 (1984)
Additional information from the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
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Music:
"Twisted"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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#Marvel #Comics #SpiderMan

[@SekraMage]

I just adore the idea that there is an entire dimension in the Marvel Universe where Hostess snack foods can thwart evil and stop fights. Makes sense why so many kids were just carrying them around while out & about.

[@Hulkzilla0]

I'm willing to believe that they're canon because they're so odd that they have to be canon.

[@kingkuriboh4528]

According to Spider-verse. It is canon but belong to their own universe

[@Hulkzilla0]

@@kingkuriboh4528 Hostess Spidey dying to Morlun is BS. I don’t care for it.

[@infamoswordz]

I don't believe people understand what canon means. Is the dictionary still a thing for millennials?

[@Hulkzilla0]

@@infamoswordz And I believe people take things too seriously. Marvel Canon has been tumultuous since day one. Retcons upon retcons makes the very idea of Rigid Canon obsolete.

[@quentinfogger5755]

It's hard to believe that this actually happened along with the existence of such bizarre villains

[@mcducky3114]

Absolutely adore the hostess ads they're bizarrely wholesome

[@justinarzola4584]

The hulk ones were my favorite ones, I think hostess pies are one of the only things that can calm the hulk down.

[@Wedge_Khan]

They are until you remember the marvel zombies one and the killing of hostess spiderman in spiderverse

[@clippedwings0]

I know they're just old cheesy ads, but this reminds me of a time when goofy villain-of-the-month stories were nice comic book entertainment. No need for clone sagas, status quo resets, character assassinations, or shocking twists every year... just fun stories where we could enjoy seeing our favorite heroes doing cool stuff.

[@kevinboutwell]

aw yeah really wanna watch this, but I suddenly gotta go get some HOSTESS FRUIT PIES

[@MattRNewcomb]

I wiped out while skiing on a mountain. Injured, alone, and dazzed, I only had one thing I could count on. Hostess fruit pies. The apple was crushed in my fall, but the blueberry helped me down the mountain and lemon for my recovery along with strong whiskey. Within my very serious concussion, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Captain America were all there to encourage me

[@antonydrossos5719]

XAXA! I remember these ads! Even as a child, I could see how utterly ridiculous these villains were. The things they put Spiderman through for a $$!

[@garethspotfur1]

the weirdest part is that marvel heroes can apparently summon the snacks out of thin air.

[@GMSpectre]

I remember when Icemaster made his appearance with the Masters of Evil. Part of the fun of the Thunderbolts run was seeing how obscure they would get with the references.

[@Zakurako]

Oh, no. Now I want a hostess product. 😅

[@lacintag5482]

Honestly I appreciate the creativity of these characters. I wish the main universe was still like that with wacky new characters introduced all the time.

[@teeveeparty]

I always got a kick put of these ads when I saw them in back issues I got as a kid, and loved when they did spoofs of them in books like What The?! Thank you for this deep dive!!

[@kali3665]

I'll accept them as canon. DC mocked the ads in one of the Secret Files issues (I forget which one) by a series of one-page gags showing various incarnations of Green Lantern and Flash do ads for a Hostess clone. They started with the Golden Age versions of both, then the Silver Age, then the post-Crisis era, then ending with the post-52 era showing the "Wallace West" incarnation not getting the point, and quickly taking off telling everyone to eff themselves. Nice little running gag, actually.

[@JKevinCarrier]

Great video! I didn't realize so many of those ad characters had re-appeared. Another fun fact about the Human Torch vs. Icemaster ad -- it was drawn by a just-starting-out Frank Miller.

[@alancarnell2747]

Also yhere was a battery powered racing car set that was called Spider-Man vs The Fly. You can see its box in the background of the Billy Joel's Matter of Trust video. They pushed The Fly kinda hard during that narrow window of his creation and his almost immediate banishment from comics altogether. Kinda like The Grizzly.

[@lunakingsley.7247]

I think a video on animated marvel characters not in the comics or underrated marvel animated characters or obscure marvel characters could be fun.

[@antonydrossos5719]

8:31 OUCH!!! During my sparring sessions, a punch to the jaw would hurt like hell. THAT kick looks like it would be agony!

[@wessmith6367]

“…Entered the robot from behind.” Tee-hee.

[@gevdarg]

June Jitsu was a favorite! Loved the art for the Human Torch ad.

[@drewgeraci8434]

It was by a young Frank Miller!

[@gevdarg]

@@drewgeraci8434 Thanks!!

[@cynthiamiller586]

I have always been obsessed with the hostess villains. In every superhero tabletop role-playing game that I've played, I have created stats for a wide variety of them. From Legal Eagle to the Hungry Battleaxe, these crooks make me smile.

[@alancarnell2747]

Oh man...this one hits hard

[@jasonic-ks2tm]

Love a video of the spymaster!! Great work as always

[@matthewrowlett1564]

I just love that Spider-Man Stopped Printout Man from Stealing a Vault full of Hostess Cakes, but then stole them HIMSELF and handed them out to Bank Patrons. JJ was right, Spider-Man IS a Menace!😂

[@johnyoung1097]

In my head canon, the ad pages are canon events that happened in that spiderverse universe, while in the 616, very similar events took place that may not have been as bonkers.

[@jakeproven256]

Legal Eagle looks like another long lost and convoluted relative of the vulture!

[@jakeproven256]

I'm just glad Mr.fantastic didn't defeat any of the female villains, because he'd no doubt end the ad with a mysoginistic comment.

[@spidey-67]

“Face it, sweety. The moment you stepped out of the kitchen, your evil plan was doomed to fail!” - Reed Richards

[@jakeproven256]

@@spidey-67 was that from a comic, or is that just a joke?

[@spidey-67]

@@jakeproven256 Let’s hear your best ‘Reed tries to talk to women’ quote!

[@mikeburkhart8336]

Hero fights silly one time villain,hero hands villain a Hostess snack,day is saved! Those ads were always funny! 😂

[@brewesharp3129]

This old super creative marvel stuff is the best

[@kevinmalone4341]

When I was a kid I drew a Hostess ad with Galactus attacking Earth and Reed Richards thwarting him with delicious fruit pies to sate his hunger.

[@tslodemi]

blueberry and cherry to be sure

[@christopherulichney]

Excellent episode. I love it when you look at the more oddball parts of Marvel History. I would absolutely buy a book collecting all the various Hostess ads featuring the heroes of Marvel and their Distinguished Competition. My suggestion for a future video is the Alpha Flight member SASQUATCH. As always MAKE MINE THE MERRY MARVELITE!!!!

[@DavidJohnson-td5ic]

I loved these ads back in the day, mainly because most of them were drawn by one of my favorite artists of the time, Sal Buscema!

[@thepeternetwork]

I remember that Hostess ad with Hulk literally grounding the roller skating gang with Hostess Snack Cakes. "You want roll? Okay, you roll!" (I'm not looking up the exact quote. There are things that even I don't have the time to do.

[@robertfalcone3025]

These Hostess Fruit Pies ads in Marvel Comics during the 70s caused me to develop a CRIPPLING addiction to the Pies.. ESPECIALLY Cherry..but over time & a lot of help..I was finally able to BREAK the habit..& I've been Hostess Fruit Pie FREE ever since.. 😂😂😂😂 Seriously as a kid I did love Hostess Fruit Pies & I got a kick out of their ads in Marvel Comics.. Anyways keep up the great work brother I'm looking forward to more of your Marvel Comics videos👑

[@toddsaskatchewan]

Nothing is set in stone. What is canon is always changing.

[@richards.monroe8668]

Ads for Hostess Fruit Pies are remarkable. I always have a positive thing for Hostess snack cakes, including Ho-Hos, Ding Dongs, Cupcakes, Fruit Pies and my all-time favorite...Twinkies (though not a fan of Sno-Balls)!!!

[@alexnejako777]

at least Icemaster made it into a big Masters of evil team in Thunderbolts

[@jakeproven256]

10:12 Those cupcakes are a lot more than a handful!

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the amazing video ❤

[@dudepool7530]

"The Big Mouth" So that's what Corey Taylor was doing before he started singing. Then he became the Great Big Mouth!

[@petefischer3820]

This was a fun one. Thank you.

[@spidey-67]

Absolutely brilliant! This is my favorite video you’ve made so far!

[@dariandavis7228]

I remember these ass I bought many hostess fruit pies. I ordered greeting cards as a kid to start my own home business miss those days. So thank you Sir for the memories!!

[@MichaelKurse]

They did parodies of these with Gwenpool a couple of years ago.🤔🤔🤔🤗

[@ianfinrir8724]

I remember Dexter's Lab did a parody of these and you can tell it was written by someone who grew up with these.

[@Drixenol86]

Using Hostess cakes to save the day because the crook happens to have a sweet tooth.

[@blackpillmenace]

Thanks!

[@phillipwalters7702]

Hey there Merry Marvelite. Thank you for this great new video dealing with the Marvel Universe and Hostess Snack products. I honestly must admit that I do remember seeing some of these advertisements in the comics that I read as a kid, but never really knew that there were so many villains that were introduced in them and that Spider-Man was a huge star in them as well. Anyways, thanks again for this great informational video. I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in your next video. So until then, please stay safe, healthy, keep up the great work and have a wonderful day. Peace Out, Plus Ultra and Above All Excelsior to you and everyone in this community.

[@rhodiumveil7072]

Kwirkegard need to make a reappearance. Who wouldn’t be scared of an Existential Depression Ray?

[@AgentNevets]

I really feel like you’re going to get larger than normal views on this video. I hope more subscribers!

[@xanderwasz]

Love it Merry!

[@mreclectic700]

This video is awesome 😅

[@wildmanz8233]

I remember those Hostess ™ ads when i was a kid...they were so goofy...but made me beg my mother to get Hostess fruit snacks at the store! (She'd get the apple ones cuz she thought they were "nutritious " lol😅)

[@fununclenerfs]

I would end humanity for another bite of a Blueberry Hostess Fruit Pie

[@michaelturner2806]

I remember reading these sinister ads, which were designed to look like actual comics alongside the rest in the book. I remember asking for and getting one each of the flavors of fruit pies. And remembering they all tasted terrible. Which then made me wonder what was wrong with me, since clearly everyone loves the flaky crust and tangy filling of Hostess Fruit Pies!

[@solonsaturngaming3727]

I remember these at a 7-11's before many times growing up a bit then they just vanished all together in Canada sometime in the mid-00's but I used to get the Apple and Blueberry ones, my mom was the Lemon one, and my dad was the Cherry and Blackberry ones.

[@crab-manSorghame]

Hulk DID indeed love beans... see, the excellence of these ads, is that the writers really tried (or not,) to write how they normally do! I'm perfectly willing to believe that we could calm Hulk down with a fruit pie.

[@MistahBryan]

9:32, "...bit of an Odd Job there..." /groan Wow. /chuckle :)

[@DavidJohnson-td5ic]

Yeah I caught that too lol

[@jakeproven256]

Hotshot is also the name of a transformers character. Probably best known for his role in the unicron trilogy cartoons.

[@TheFlamingDoh2]

PLEASE do a follow-up on Golden Oldie! She’s so weird and yet somehow so fascinating!

[@robertrowley4929]

I happen to be eating a hostess cake for my lunch at work. What are the odds?

[@Ratteler]

That was all back before they broke Hostess unpin just to steal their pension fund.

[@JTBear37]

during the Spider-Man Inheritors storyline, they showed the fruit pies Earth with Spider-Man using them against Morlun..but got killed by the vampire anyways

[@princebloodgrave8097]

Madam Web is my favorite. :D I hope that she eventually returns.

[@unamtheunseen1006]

I’d love an omnibus with all of the hostess ads

[@CHARLESJOHNSON-gv7zy]

THIS CHANNEL IS 'EXCELSIOR' ..

[@TheOvervoid]

"Existential Depression Ray" 😂

[@pierrebuieii3908]

I never heard of this but I can tell it’s buzz

[@buraddorun3043]

I'm with you. Blueberry is my favorite. Cherry comes in second.

[@teeveeparty]

Would love a video on Assistant Editor Month or anything Fred Hembeck related!

[@scotttrammell3913]

I love both the lemon and blueberry fruit pies.

[@juliagoodwin9510]

...anyone else craving Hostess pastries now?

[@trexadvent4726]

What do you think is the best thing about these villains? Which one of these villains do you think is the best?

[@trexadvent4726]

Can you do history of the characters mentioned in this video? Speaking of villains, Are you going to do history of the Masters of Evil and the Thunderbolts team?

[@martezberry3164]

Lol..... Thanks, i will pass this one on

[@davehughes2045]

DC did em too.

[@jakeproven256]

One thing that’s special about the dc ones is some villains got ones without the heroes they’re rouges to. Like joker and penguin got their one hostest ads, and Batman didn’t show up in them.

[@kaimantv2522]

Don't thank me, thank Justice Fruit Pies!

[@GrymsArchive]

I miss the original fried pies. And if your old enough In the movie Car Wash one of the characters has a Tee shirt with a black version of *The Fly* from the Hostess ad's

[@MichaelKurse]

I like Little Debbie because we were too poor to afford Hostess, but loved the ads.🤗🤗🤗

[@gevdarg]

I always wondered who were the artists for these ads? Would love to see a follow-up video crediting them.

[@jonahfalcon1970]

Villains? VILLAINS? What about Golden Oldie, in which Twinkies turns Aunt May into a COSMIC SUPERHERO?

[@quentinfogger5755]

What's up with Icemaster compared to the other villains here? Who could believe that Johnny Storm got him to stop with a fruity delight?

[@jakeproven256]

Percepto's name sounds like Perceptor the transformers character, and his deign is reminicent of Chamelion Boy from the Legion Of Superheroes.

[@trexadvent4726]

What's up with Morlun not being taken off guard by the hostess treats compared to these lesser known Spider-Man villains? Can you do history of Morlun?

[@jakeproven256]

Mcbrains large head is similar to Hector Hammond, the green lantern villain.

[@KyleJDurrantAuthor]

Could this be a situation where because the ad stories were written in the 616 universe, that made them real in another universe?

[@infamoswordz]

It's funny how these marvel hostess comics predicted some current events that we are facing at present and that's off to you for that James Bond odd job reference😅 I wonder does this mean that Spider-Man and James Bond exist in the same universe? @Merrymarvelite excelsior!

[@trexadvent4726]

Since you did the History of the Mandarin and Fin_Fang_Foom, Can you do history of Ultimo as well as the Shang-Chi villain known as the Death_Dealer?

[@hardright03]

we had a hostess house here in bridegeport ct . and he is right blueberry is the best

[@christopherulichney]

YES!!!! Do a video Assistant Editors Month.

[@bobbywoodart5269]

Marvel also did an anti smoking psa with Storm, Powerman and a few others

[@JoC-w6w]

Now I want a princess peach pie

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

I think this review is a ' pooptube first!' Excellent job 👍 💯 ❤️

[@595moore]

Thank you for your hard work, Sir. Can you take a look at Marvel’s comdey/parody comics, such as ‘What Huh?’?

[@chrisballard6410]

Friends, it’s time. We need an episode on Fred Hembeck Destroys the Marvel Universe.

[@horusheritic]

The strawberry hostess fruit pies were the best.

[@decepticonsforever]

They'd be regular DC villains, most likely Flash rogues.

[@trexadvent4726]

Are you going to do history of Ironheart, M'Baku, Namora, Attuma and Shuri as the Black Panther since they played a major role in the Black Panther Wakanda Forever movie?

[@trexadvent4726]

What would happen if we saw other heroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and so on use these treats on their villains? What would happen if they were used on well known villains?

[@quentinfogger5755]

Can you do history of the A-Force, U-Foes, Excalibur team, the Ultimates team, Starjammers, Alpha Flight, the Annihilators, the Invaders, the Squadron Supreme, Doom Maidens, the Midnight_Sons, Young Avengers, Dark Avengers, Masters of Evil, the Thunderbolts and the Champions?