Summary

• Marvel celebrates Howard the Duck's 50th anniversary with a nutty one-shot that captures his satirical and surreal charm.
• Howard the Duck broke new ground in the Marvel Universe as an outsider character who criticizes and pokes fun at society.
• The one-shot tribute hits on Howard's infamous presidential run and interactions with other Marvel heroes, honoring his darkly humorous tone.

Warning: contains spoilers for Howard the Duck #1!

Marvel has given Howard the Duck an appropriately nutty celebration for his 50th anniversary. A cult icon since his debut, Howard the Duck has wandered the Marvel Universe, trapped in a world he never made, as his tagline goes. Howard’s profile has increased in recent years, thanks in large part to an MCU cameo. Now, on the occasion of Howard’s golden anniversary, Marvel has released a special one-shot to celebrate—and it perfectly captures what makes him great.

Howard the Duck is a “jam” issue, featuring multiple creators telling special “What If?” stories from Howard’s life. The Peeper, a low-rent version of the Watcher, offers Howard glimpses of his other selves throughout the multiverse. Readers see a world where Howard ed the Guardians of the Galaxy and another where he won his infamous run for president. The stories keep the satirical and surreal tones of Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik’s original stories and reinforce what made Howard the Duck such a fascinating character in the first place.

Among the creators assembled for the book include Chip Zdarsky, Daniel Kibblesmith, and Annie Wu.

Howard the Duck Broke New Ground in the Marvel Universe

When Howard the Duck arrived on the scene in 1973’s Adventure Into Fear #19, he was unlike any other character in the Marvel Universe. Introduced as a one-off character in the book’s Man-Thing story, fan response to Howard was so strong that Marvel brought him back. Howard was given his own book, written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Val Mayerik, and it became an instant hit. Fans searching for something beyond capes and tights found much to like in Howard’s adventures. Howard traveled all over the Marvel Universe, making pointed comments about society and pop culture along the way. Howard the Duck also starred in the first Marvel movie.

Taken together, this gives Howard the Duck a unique spot in the Marvel canon. A perpetual outsider, Howard is in a position to criticize and poke fun at the world around him. Gerber and Mayerik made extensive use of satire throughout their run, pairing it up with surreal, out of left-field characters such as Doctor Bong. This created a mixture that was irresistible to fans in the 1970s, and fans today. Howard returned in a post-credit scene in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, which led to a new series. While it did not last long, it was enough to endear Howard to a new generation.

Howard the Duck Gets a Pitch-Perfect 50th Anniversary Celebration

Marvel has created an excellent tribute to Howard the Duck. The one-shot is a ride through Howard’s history, hitting on his presidential run (which Gerber used to savagely critique politics) as well as his interactions with other Marvel heroes. The book’s creators acknowledge the darkly humorous tone that was a hallmark of Gerber and Mayerik’s classic Howard the Duck stories. Howard the Duck celebrates the character’s 50th anniversary fittingly.

Howard the Duck #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!