Spider-Man still backs Colbert

Stephen Colbert’s presidential bid was never truly serious stuff in the real world, but in the pages of Marvel Comics, the Comedy Central parodist’s campaign is alive and well.

And next month, in issue No. 573 of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” candidate Colbert not only will meet the world-famous web slinger but also will swing from the rooftops of Manhattan with the hero, according to a page of preview art released by Marvel.

Colbert campaign signs and logos have been popping up in the background of Marvel Comics stories since the company’s editor in chief, Joe Quesada, appeared on “The Colbert Report” in January and announced a plan to weave Colbert’s White House bid into the superhero universe. That playful stunt will peak with the Oct. 15 issue that has the company’s flagship character crossing paths with a dejected Colbert, who is badly rattled by the state of his flagging campaign.

The issue, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Patrick Olliffe, continues a long tradition of television comedy stars appearing in Marvel adventures. Johnny Carson made a cameo in a classic Spider-Man story in 1967; John Belushi and the cast of “Saturday Night Live” teamed with the wall-crawler in 1978; and David Letterman met the Avengers in 1984.

-- Geoff Boucher