Pow! Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion

updated 7:15 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2009
LOS ANGELES - The Walt Disney Co. is punching its way into the universe of superheroes(超级英雄) and their male fans with a deal(交易，协议) announced Monday to acquire Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, bringing characters such as Iron Man(钢铁侠) and Spider-Man(蜘蛛侠) into the family of Mickey Mouse and “Toy Story.”

The surprise cash-and-stock deal sent Spidey senses tingling in the comic book world. It could lead to new rides, movies, action figures and other outlets(经销店) for Marvel’s 5,000 characters, although Marvel already was aggressively licensing its properties for such uses.

The deal won’t have benefits right away, and Disney stock sank on the news. Disney expects a short-term profit hit, and Marvel characters from X-Men to Daredevil are locked up in deals with other movie studios and theme parks. But Disney’s CEO, Robert Iger, promised an action-packed future.