The full name of an unsung hero of the Marvel Cinematic Universehas been officially confirmed, as the Howard the Duckanniversary special reveals the character's legal name to be: Howard Duckson. Though his true role in the battle at the climax of Avengers: Endgame is known only to a few, Howard has nevertheless proved to be one of Marvel's most enduring, and amusing characters. 6f21u

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Disney was so outraged by one MCU hero, it redesigned the character on Marvel’s behalf. In 1973, Howard the Duck entered the Marvel Universe. At the time, there was no other character like him–a talking, cynical, anthropomorphic duck who wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Not everyone was amused by Howard, including Disney, who took Marvel to court over the character.

Howard the Duck is a Marvel character like no other. A talking, anthropomorphic duck from another dimension, Howard is the brainchild of writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. From the get go, Howard’s solo title pits the fowl against a wide variety of screwball characters, in a variety of outlandish situations. From Regency-era real estate agents to vampire cows, Howard the Duck gave the Marvel Universe a number of kooky characters, and here are the 10 best, ranked.

Howard the Duck first waddled into the Marvel Universe in 1973, and brought with him a unique sensibility that has yet to be duplicated in American comics. The creation of Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik, Howard the Duck’s earliest adventures were a mixture of heavy social commentary and surreal, laugh out loud moments. Here are 10 of the funniest moments from the Gerber era of Howard the Duck.

Howard the Duck has always had a biting satirical bent, so it makes sense that his 50th anniversary special wouldn't pull any punches. Despite starring in the first ever Marvel theatrical movie, Howard has been relegated to cameo appearances and Easter eggs in the years since. That may be why the special's first "What If..." story goes straight for the MCU's nonstop content machine.

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Howard the Duckwill ascend to the highest office in the land this fall, as Marvel Comics celebrates the half-centennial of its most iconic duck with Howard The Duck #1: 50th Anniversary Special, which will feature Howard getting acclimated to the Oval Office after he is elected President of the United States.

An awesome new piece of Howard the Duck cosplay shows why his most recent comic design can't be beaten. A cult figure in the Marvel Universe, Howard the Duck has flirted with the mainstream on a few occasions, most notably in the end-credits scene of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Howard has appeared in the background of the MCU several times since, as well as the animated What If...? series, but has yet to achieve the charm of the comic incarnation.In a universe full of colorful and epic characters, Howard the Duck still stands out. A talking, anthropomorphic duck from another dimension, Howard found himself stranded in the human world. Created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik, Howard is the quintessential stranger in a strange land. As befitting such a character, Howard became a cult figure among the counterculture, and his stories remain a high mark of 1970s mainstream comics. Howard was also the first Marvel character to receive his own feature film in the mid-1980s. Howard underwent something of a renaissance in the early 2010s and received a beloved ongoing series, written by Chip Zdarsky and drawn by Joe Quinones. Now, as Howard the Duck celebrates his 50th anniversary, an epic new cosplay celebrates one of Marvel’s most unique characters.