Paramount Comics
Encyclopedia
Paramount Comics is a former comic book
imprint
of Marvel Comics
that was active for about two years beginning in 1996.
The imprint was the result of a deal between Marvel and Paramount Pictures
to produce licensed comic book series based upon the entertainment company's franchises Mission: Impossible
(in particular the soon-to-be-launched film series) and Star Trek
. The agreement resulted in DC Comics
and Malibu Comics
abruptly losing the rights to publish their own Star Trek comics series.
The first comic published under the Paramount Comics banner was a prequel
to the first Mission: Impossible film
(and the first M:I comic since Dell Comics
ended their series in the early 1970s). This was followed soon after by a one-shot crossover between Star Trek
and Marvel's superhero team, the X-Men
. After that, Marvel launched a series of comics based upon all four Trek series produced to that time, including Star Trek: Voyager
, a title Malibu had been scheduled to produce but was unable to due to the change of license.
Marvel also launched an original series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, as well as Star Trek: Early Voyages
which featured the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike
and his crew.
The agreement between Paramount and Marvel hit some major snags after about a year, resulting in Paramount withdrawing support for non-series based characters and storylines. As a result, both Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy were abruptly cancelled in the midst of their respective story arcs. Marvel phased out the Paramount Comics banner and their remaining Star Trek titles lasted for about another year before ending in 1998. The Star Trek license was subsequently picked up by DC's WildStorm Productions imprint.
Besides Trek, Mission: Impossible and a one-shot starring Snake Plissken
, Paramount Comics published The Mighty Heroes
, a one-shot based on the animated series. An ongoing Mission: Impossible series had been announced, but only the one-shot was ever published.
Years after the demise of Paramount Comics, Marvel again made a deal with the studio - this time, Paramount would be the distributor for a number of feature films produced by Marvel's film production unit. The first film in this deal was Iron Man
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
that was active for about two years beginning in 1996.
The imprint was the result of a deal between Marvel and Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
to produce licensed comic book series based upon the entertainment company's franchises Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
(in particular the soon-to-be-launched film series) and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
. The agreement resulted in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
abruptly losing the rights to publish their own Star Trek comics series.
The first comic published under the Paramount Comics banner was a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the first Mission: Impossible film
Mission: Impossible (film)
Mission: Impossible is a 1996 action thriller directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise. Following on from the television series of the same name, the plot follows a new agent, Ethan Hunt and his mission to uncover the mole within the CIA who has framed him for the murders of his entire...
(and the first M:I comic since Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
ended their series in the early 1970s). This was followed soon after by a one-shot crossover between Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and Marvel's superhero team, the X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
. After that, Marvel launched a series of comics based upon all four Trek series produced to that time, including Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, a title Malibu had been scheduled to produce but was unable to due to the change of license.
Marvel also launched an original series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, as well as Star Trek: Early Voyages
Star Trek: Early Voyages
Star Trek: Early Voyages was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics in the United States, running for 17 issues from February 1997 until June 1998...
which featured the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike (Star Trek)
Christopher Pike is a character in the Star Trek franchise. He was portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in the original Star Trek pilot episode, "The Cage", as captain of the USS Enterprise. The pilot was rejected, and the character was dropped during development of the second pilot when Hunter decided that...
and his crew.
The agreement between Paramount and Marvel hit some major snags after about a year, resulting in Paramount withdrawing support for non-series based characters and storylines. As a result, both Early Voyages and Starfleet Academy were abruptly cancelled in the midst of their respective story arcs. Marvel phased out the Paramount Comics banner and their remaining Star Trek titles lasted for about another year before ending in 1998. The Star Trek license was subsequently picked up by DC's WildStorm Productions imprint.
Besides Trek, Mission: Impossible and a one-shot starring Snake Plissken
Snake Plissken
S.D. Bob "Snake" Plissken is a fictional character in John Carpenter's films Escape from New York and Escape from L.A., played by Kurt Russell. He is an ex-special forces commando/war hero in World War III turned criminal...
, Paramount Comics published The Mighty Heroes
The Mighty Heroes
The Mighty Heroes was an animated television series created by Ralph Bakshi for the Terrytoons company. The original show debuted on CBS, on Oct. 29, 1966, and ran for 1 season for 21 episodes....
, a one-shot based on the animated series. An ongoing Mission: Impossible series had been announced, but only the one-shot was ever published.
Years after the demise of Paramount Comics, Marvel again made a deal with the studio - this time, Paramount would be the distributor for a number of feature films produced by Marvel's film production unit. The first film in this deal was Iron Man
Iron Man (film)
Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
.