Marvel Entertainment

1st Logo (1978-1981)

Nicknames: "The Spider-Man Emblem", "The Spider-Man logo"

Logo: On a blue or light blue background, there is a text that reads:

A MARVEL COMICS ANIMATION P r e s e n t a t i o n

At the top left is a white circle containing a blue circle in the center. Inside of it features Spider-Man's head inside the blue circle. The circle is surrounded by a text that says "MARVEL COMICS ANIMATION" in a different position (ala Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television). The closing variant is on a navy blue background having only Spider-Man's head in a white circle and the text above in center position.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening variant is usually silent, but on the closing variant, the closing theme of the show was used.

Availability: Seen on Marvel shows during the era. The opening variant was also seen on television broadcasts of the 1967-1970 Spider-Man cartoon, several season one episodes of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and may also appear on The Fantastic Four and The Marvel Super Heroes episodes of the same era. On Netflix the opening logo is preserved, but the closing logo is plastered by the 2009 Marvel Animation logo.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Logo (1981-1986)

Nickname: "MP"

Logo: On a blue background, several large sets of lines rotate. Over the lines, a "star" traces out the company logo that of a stylized "MP", with another "M" cut out of the "M" part of the logo. When the logo is fully traced and the lines are in position (with horizontal lines for the "M" part and vertical lines for the "P"), the logo flashes, and the "M" cut out turns white while the rest turns yellow. The logo shrinks to the top-left corner, an "MARVEL PRODUCTIONS LTD" is drawn out with a star below it in a font not unlike the 1978 Filmways logo. A respective company byline is seen below the logo.

Bylines:

1981-1986: "A CADENCE COMPANY" 1986: "A NEW WORLD COMPANY"

Variants:

There is also a completely different "short" version in which some white grids rapidly converge together to form the logo at the top of the screen with the usual text forming below (the byline is closer to the company name this time). The "O" shines with a "ping". There is also a rare still variant of this logo with the DePatie-Freleng byline. Sunbow-Marvel combo variant: See Sunbow Entertainment for description. On the two short-lived cartoon series Pandamonium and Meatballs and Spaghetti, the Intermedia logo is seen above the Marvel Productions logo. The Marvel logo has a shining light effect directly behind it.

FX/SFX: The "star" effects and drawing in of the logo, and the rotating lines, which may remind one of Avco Embassy's logo.

Music/Sounds: A very dramatic fanfare. The end theme of the show may finish over it, especially the short and still variants.

Availability: Most Marvel shows of this time (The Incredible Hulk, Dungeons and Dragons, the 1981 solo Spider-Man series, Defenders of the Earth) have been updated with either a newer Marvel logo and/or a Saban logo. However, you may still see this logo on some videos of Marvel shows of this time. It also turned up sometimes when Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends was reran on Disney XD. The still variant with the DFE byline is rare, and it was seen only on The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat, the later Dr. Seuss/DFE animated special. Any shows that used this on Netflix have it plastered with the 8th logo.

Scare Factor: Depending on the logo variant:

Low to medium. The fanfare is overly dramatic and the animation is cheesy, so some might be startled by it. Low with the closing theme. None for the DFE variant.

3rd Logo (1986-1993)

Nicknames: "MP II", "CGI Spidey", "The Spider-Man logo II", "Silver Spider-Man"

Logo: In space, we pan out through a series of glowing 3D bars. As the bars rotate up towards us, we see that it is the Marvel Productions logo, done in glorious 3D (and with the "M" cut-out not filled in). In the background, a CGI Spider-Man leaps up, and the logo is "absorbed" into his body, turning him silver. The space background turns into a "timewarp mode" into a silver background, as the words "MARVEL PRODUCTIONS, LTD" rise up from the bottom-right with a trail behind it. The "MP" logo returns to the screen, as the silver Spider-Man somersaults to the top of it and takes a prowler-like stance above it as the logo takes its place on the center of the screen (Spidey's eyes return shortly after). The Marvel Productions text takes its place below the logo. The byline, "A NEW WORLD COMPANY" fades in when the animation is all done.

Trivia: The reason for the MP logo being absorbed and then mysteriously reappearing is to provide a place to cut the logo so that it is not as long. In most cases, however, the logo is shortened so that only the tail-end of the animation is seen. This logo was animated at Digital (Last Starfighter) Productions. The concept of the chrome Spidey flying through space was bizarre, but that was the assignment.

Variants:

On some shows, this logo is bylineless. On late 80s Henson co-produced shows, a copyright stamp for Jim Henson Productions fades in below. Sunbow-Marvel Combo Variant: See Sunbow Entertainment for description.

FX/SFX: EXCELLENT CGI effects! Even today, the CGI effects were ahead of its time.

Music/Sounds: A THX-like "chord" sound with some futuristic "whooshes". On the video release of the 1989 X-Men pilot, a synth tune is heard. At other times, the ending theme plays over it.

Availability: Rare. The short version was seen on many shows, including the late 1980's Marvel Action Universe block (Dino Riders, RoboCop, and the Pryde of the X-Men pilot), the first season of Biker Mice from Mars (with the second season New World Animation/Family Filmworks took over), the animated Blondie & Dagwood special (and its' sequel, Second Wedding Workout), Rude Dog & The Dweebs, Spacecats, and the animated adaption of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. It was most notably seen on Henson co-produced shows like Muppet Babies and Fraggle Rock (the animated version). The longer version can be considered extinct; it was mainly used on early 90's video releases of Marvel material (such as segments from the 60's Marvel Superheroes show, and the various other Marvel cartoons made up to that point).

Scare Factor: Minimal, just very good computer animation.

4th Logo (1992-1997)

Nickname: "The Weird Thing"

Logo: On a black/gray gradient background, a yellow "starburst" appears. Inside it is the former Marvel Comics logo, consisting of a large "M" design with "MARVEL" embedded into it. Across the "M" is the word "COMICS" scrawled in Marvel Entertainment Group (1991)a graffiti-like font. Next to the logo is a larger blue sunburst with the stacked words, "MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP" inside of it in a plain font.

Variant: Later on, the copyright stamp appears on the bottom left of the logo.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: None. It's only a cheaply done logo looking like it's done in Windows Movie Maker. But the design of the entire logo is cool.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show, usually.

Availability: Most 1992-1997 Marvel shows have it, but X-Men's logo has been updated with the current Marvel Studios logo. Currently seen on Spider-Man: The Animated Series and Iron Man on Disney XD. (All Marvel shows that used this on Netflix have it plastered with the 8th logo.)

Scare Factor: None.

5th Logo (1992-1997)

Nicknames: "The Marvel Filmstrip", "The Spider-Man Logo III (Spider-Man variant only)"

Logo: On a black background, in a white rectangle, a logo similar to the Marvel Comics logo is seen, but the "M" now has squares cut out on either side of it and "Films" written in red script across it. The dot of the "i" may shine with a "ping". The byline, "A Division of New World Entertainment" appears below.

Trivia: The Spidey logo was a motion graphic that was done by Michael Bayouth of Bayouth Productions.

Variants:

Sometimes, a copyright stamp for Marvel Entertainment Group was seen below. A different logo was used on Spider-Man: The Animated Series since the second season. It featured the "Marvel/M" combination tilting and zooming out to face us. In the "M", is an animation footage of Spider-Man on three squares each. Once the "M" reaches its position, it flashes and "Films" is written, in script. The background is a space BG and the New World byline and the copyright stamp appear below once the logo forms.

FX/SFX: Just the "pinging" for the regular, but the Spidey logo had the tilting and flash.

Cheesy Factor: The tilting and flash on Spidey's logo look kind of fake.

Music/Sounds: The end of the show's theme.

Availability: Most Marvel shows from this period keep this logo on Disney XD such as Spider-Man: The Animated Series and Iron Man. The versions of these shows on Netflix plaster them with the 8th logo.

Scare Factor: None, more effort was spent on this.

6th Logo (1997-1999)

Nicknames: "The Marvel Globe", "Marvel Filmstrip II"

Logo: In space, a globe of the Earth spins around. From the bottom of the screen, a red, bold "MARVEL" zooms up, and from the top, the Marvel "M" made out the same way as the Marvel Films logo but with nothing written across it, zooms towards the bottom. When they both reach their respective points, both logo flashes, and the words "ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC." appear under the Marvel logo, and the word "Studios" appears on the Marvel "M". After the flash, the countries on the globe are now filled in with pictures of the Marvel Comics characters.

Variant: On Silver Surfer, the text "Based on the Marvel Comics Characters" appears below this logo.

FX/SFX: The spinning globe, the flying words and flashing logos

Cheesy Factor: Pretty low budget, although not as bad as the Marvel Entertainment logo.

Music/Sounds: End of the show's theme.

Availability: Rare. It was only seen on two Marvel shows: Silver Surfer on Fox Kids, and the second season of The Incredible Hulk (a.k.a. The Incredible Hulk and She Hulk) on UPN. Therefore, it was only used for two years. Reruns of both these shows on Disney XD keep this, but Netflix prints plaster this with the 8th logo.

Scare Factor: None.

7th Logo (1999-2002)

Nickname: "The Marvel Filmstrip III"

Logo: On a blue shiny background, we see a backlit Marvel "M", with nothing written across it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a red "Studios", written in script, zooms out and plasters itself on top of the "M". As it plasters itself on top of the "M", the Marvel "M" shines and lights up, revealing the same granite-like finish in the previous two logos.

Variants:

The logo would remain still on some shows. On Mutant X, the logo appears to be stretched out by width.

FX/SFX: Nifty CGI.

Cheesy Factor: Not as much cheesy as confusing-it's kinda hard to tell what's going on as the animation goes by so fast.

Music/Sounds: A loud phaser-like sound. On X-Men: Evolution, it's the finishing of the end title theme.

Music/Sounds Variant: One version has a 5-note piano theme with the sound of wind blowing.

Availability: Rare. Could be seen on The Avengers: United They Stand and Spider-Man Unlimited when Fox ran them (as well as reruns on Disney XD), Mutant X, and can be seen on Disney XD broadcasts of X-Men (with Saban's twirly-doo logo) and the DVD releases of X-Men Evolution. Again, when on Netflix, the 8th logo plasters this.

Scare Factor: Medium. The loud phasing sound could get to some. None for the still shot.

8th Logo (2000)

Logo: A print version of the next logo on the left, with copyright information next to it, and the print version of the 20th Century Fox logo on the right.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of X-Men.

Scare Factor: None.

9th Logo (May 3, 2002- )

Nicknames: "The Flipbook", "The Zoom Out"

Logo: On a red-filtered background, we see a series of Marvel comic book panels flipping downward second by second like a flipbook. "MARVEL", now in its current logotype, zooms out, fading in as a black outline. As the panels fade into a simple red gradient background, the "MARVEL" logo fades into a solid white color. As the background is finished, "MARVEL" continues to zoom away as the logo fades out.

Trivia: This logo was made by Prologue Studios and Imaginary Forces.

Variants:

Sometimes this logo is customized for whichever Marvel character(s) is/are shown, such as Hulk, Fantastic Four, and The Punisher (a la Hanna-Barbera's All-Stars logo). In addition, again depending on whichever character(s) are shown, the background is sometimes a different color other than red (i.e., on Hulk, the background is green, and on the Fantastic Four movies, the background is blue). A short/sped-up version of this logo was seen at the end of MTV's Spider Man: The New Animated Series from 2003. Marvel video games even use this variant. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, the logo was given an "enhanced" look, and more animation was added: A line draws itself underneath the logo, which then splits into another line and the word "STUDIOS", spreads out. The line and the word lower themselves below the original line. On any Marvel-made show on Netflix, and Disney XD reruns of X-Men: Evolution, it's the same as the Marvel Studios logo, but "STUDIOS" is replaced with "ANIMATION". There is a warp-speed version on Iron Man: Armored Adventures. There is also a variant for Marvel Knights Animation on a black background. Starting with Marvel's The Avengers in 2012, "MARVEL" is enclosed in a white rectangle. A closing variant was introduced at the end of The Avengers, which has the logo zoomed in and completely still.

FX/SFX: The pages flipping downward, the forming and zooming of the Marvel logo.

Music/Sounds: None, the movie's opening theme, the end title theme from any show, or the sound of pages flipping.

Availability: Common. It's seen on all Marvel-based movies, TV shows, and video games from 2002 onward, beginning with the Spider-Man series.

Scare Factor: None.

10th Logo (2013-)

Nicknames: "The Flipbook II", "The Zoom Out II", "The 3D/CGI Flipbook", "The 3D/CGI Zoom Out", "The Letters"

Logo: Same concept as the previous logo. Red-filtered Marvel comic book panels are still flipping downward, only this time it zooms out to reveal white shapes. The comic panels fade into white and the shapes are flipped 180 degrees upward to reveal the white shapes are the letters of "MARVEL" in its current logotype. The letters are in CGI and the word "STUDIOS" appears below in silver.

Variant: A shortened version, with an enclosed white rectangle replacing "STUDIOS", appears on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

FX/SFX: The pages flipping downward, the zooming, and the CGI letters.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic fanfare composed by Brian Tyler.

Availability: Brand new. Debuted on Thor: The Dark World and is expected to appear on future Marvel Studios-based movies, TV shows and video games.

Scare Factor: May surprise you if you were expecting the previous logo, but otherwise it's harmless.