Disney shows comic belief with Marvel buy-up

Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk are to be housed with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck under a deal which sees Disney acquire the rights to some of the world's best known superheros.

The Walt Disney Company announced today that it was buying Marvel Entertainment in a stock and cash deal worth four billion dollars (£2.5 billion).

As a result, Disney will have control of 5,000 of the comic giant's best-selling and most marketable characters, including The Fantastic Four and Captain America.

Both boards approved the deal, but the move requires the green light from an anti-trust review and a Marvel shareholders vote before it can be completed.

The buy-out by Disney follows a succession of comic hero hits at the cinema in recent years, a trend the entertainment giant will hope to see continue.

News of the deal saw investors push shares in Marvel to 48.82 dollars - an increase of 25% - today. Disney shares slipped by 1.8%, to 26.37 dollars.