Marvel Monstergeddon: Super Hero Smash Up

***Marvel Monstergeddon: Super Hero Smash Up***, tentatively titled ***Marvel Monster Trucks Live***, was a canceled monster truck exhibition event planned for July 14, 2012, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Operated by Feld Motor Sports and licensed by Marvel Entertainment, it would've featured monster trucks designed after popular Marvel superheroes and villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Wolverine, the Hulk, Doctor Doom, and many more, reenacting “classic Marvel hero-villain rivalries” in a dirt track resembling a city.

*Marvel Monstergeddon* was promoted separately from Feld's Monster Jam series, though some preexisting Marvel-themed trucks were planned to participate in the event.

## History

### Background and development

On October 22, 2009, Feld Motor Sports announced its renewed partnership with Marvel Entertainment, six years after the expiration of Marvel’s first licensing contract with Monster Jam (then owned by SFX Entertainment) and the retirement of the Spider-Man and Wolverine monster trucks. "The partnership with Feld Motor Sports and their Monster Jam arena shows underscores our strategy to expand the reach and exposure of our brands into new entertainment formats such as live arena shows," said the president of consumer products for Marvel Entertainment, Paul Gitter. Around the same time, Marvel was in the process of being acquired by The Walt Disney Company for $4 billion; the merger was completed by the end of the year.

The new Iron Man and Spider-Man trucks made their Monster Jam debuts in Atlanta and Colombus, respectively, in January 2010; both were designed by Neil Vandenberg, Monster Jam’s then-lead illustrator and graphic designer. Later that year, he and “a small group of colleagues” conceptualized, wrote, and storyboarded a motorsports show themed around the Marvel Universe, with monster trucks as the focus, and held in Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. He pitched the concept to the C-suites of Feld, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, Disney, and even Marvel Comics figurehead and former writer Stan Lee. In a later promotional interview, Lee said:

> I wanna tell you, I have seen many things in my life that have impressed me... I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed than what [*sic*] I have seen about this Marvel truck show. These monsters, these vehicles, and the story that [Feld’s] got, and the action, and all of the scenes that you’ve laid out, I think it’s absolutely incredible. It’s much more than I would’ve expected. I have a feeling this will be one of the *biggest*—I mean it’s certainly, physically, is the biggest show I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how you get it all into one arena! I was not prepared for anything like what I’ve seen, and I only saw it on a computer screen! In real life, it must be *awesome*.
>
>

### Announcement and promotion

On April 21, 2011, a news article teasing the event was posted on Marvel’s website. Under the title *Marvel Monster Trucks Live*, it pitched the show as “the greatest Marvel live event of all time” with “amazing motorsports stunts and the loudest, most destructive monster truck battles between heroes and villains with the fate of the entire world at stake!”. Included in the article were a poster image, a Flash video, and a feedback survey. On July 1, 71 days later, another article on Marvel’s website formally announced *Marvel Monstergeddon: Super Hero Smash Up*; tickets went on sale the same day. A unique variant of *Captain America* Vol. 6 #1, signed by Lee, would be included with all purchases up until July 24.

As part of San Diego Comic-Con, Feld rented the Culy Warehouse (335 Sixth Ave) and transformed it into a marketing display for *Marvel Monstergeddon* for July 20-23. The exterior was adorned with custom signage and an inflatable Spider-Man truck, while the interior had large banners with stock artwork of Marvel characters by Scott Johnson. A brand-new Captain America truck, designed by Vandenberg, was unveiled in the warehouse on July 21, one day before the release of the *Captain America: The First Avenger* film; other display trucks included Iron Man, Spider-Man (with a specially-built chassis meant to stand on its nose), and a new, Ford-bodied version of the Wolverine truck from 2001. Motocross vehicles based on the X-Men and concept art for other new trucks were displayed. Red and yellow comic-styled signs were hung on the ceiling, reading:

* See the Marvel Universe COME TO LIFE like never before
* Witness the complete destruction of entire cities!
* Can Iron Man and Marvel's mightiest heroes stop the villains [*sic*] deadliest machines before they destroy the world?
* ONE TIME EVENT! Never before and never again!
* Where else can 50,000 Marvel fans come together in one place?
* A show for YOU… the GREATEST Marvel fans EVER!
* Watch Wolverine UNLEASH it's [sic] inner ANIMAL!
* Can Spider-Man save Mary Jane from the clutches of the evil Green Goblin?
* Captain America will have to use all of the Avengers [*sic*] combined power to defeat the greatest threat the world has ever faced!

A second Iron Man display truck rode on the back of a hauling trailer around San Diego Comic-Con. Stan Lee and Marvel artist John Romita Jr. appeared in the warehouse for signings while Vandenberg gave interviews. A promotional video created for the event featured some of the highest-positioned people in Marvel at the time, including Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, and Alex Alonso, all endorsing the show—Brevoort described it as “taking these larger-than-life adventures that we depict every month in the comics and that you’ve seen on film or on television, and dramatizing them right in front of your eyes.” The preview event wasn’t open on June 24 for unknown reasons.

## Event premise and format

*Marvel Monstergeddon: Super Hero Smash Up* would've featured numerous monster trucks based on Marvel superheroes and villains, participating in choreographed "battles" and destroying the environment around them. While scripted elements have appeared in monster truck shows in the past (such as the rivalry between Bigfoot and Snake Bite in the 1990s), *Marvel Monstergeddon* was unique for being more akin to a theatrical production than anything else as it would've told an original story comparable to one of Marvel’s major crossover events. Alongside the trucks, it would have incorporated costumed actors, lighting effects, props, pyrotechnics, set design, video displays, and other vehicles. Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld described it as "the largest spectacle show ever created" and "logistically, one of the most complex events ever to produce."

According to an official plot synopsis, Nick Fury would’ve been the main protagonist, enlisting the help of the Avengers and many other superheroes to defeat the villains and “protect the Earth from its impending doom.” Physical actors would play out major story beats before running offstage, seemingly "transforming" into their character’s respective truck and driving onto the track for fight scenes. The conflict between the heroes and villains would escalate until the climax, a massive final battle between every character and truck in the show; Brevoort described it as "an orgy of destruction." The Green Goblin truck would be the first seen in the show, with his arch-rival Spider-Man in hot pursuit following a human cannonball stunt involving Mary Jane Watson. If a truck were to crash or break, a group of menacing "Doombots" would come out to disguise the track crew as they flipped it back over and dragged it offstage, acting as if they captured it.

Vandenberg designed all of Marvel Monstergeddon's new trucks, nicknamed "monsters of mass destruction." Each had a custom body and giant 3D accessories that greatly resembled the characters they personified. Feld's three preexisting Marvel trucks (Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Wolverine) would also run at the event. Captain America was the only planned truck that came to fruition, while the rest remained as merely concept art.

"One of the driving forces behind the show," Vandenberg said, "was to create the feeling when you walked into the stadium you [*sic*] were entering into the Marvel Universe." As such, *Marvel Monstergeddon*'s dirt track would've been themed to resemble a city, with painted roads and iconic landmarks from various Marvel locations; concept and promotional art included the Four Freedoms Plaza, the Daily Bugle, a damaged Sentinel head, the remains of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Stark Tower, a Latverian castle (belonging to Doctor Doom), and some generic skyscrapers. The trucks would destroy these props throughout the show, akin to the paperboard skyscrapers in the Monster Jam World Finals 19 Rampage encore from 2018. Qualcomm Stadium’s massive size would’ve provided ample room for the show’s stunts and faux buildings.

*Marvel Monstergeddon* would take place on the night of July 14, 2012, as a one-time-only event. Before the show, a massive pit party would feature driver signings, up-close views of the trucks, Marvel-themed stunt acts, ride trucks, character meet-and-greets, costume contests, Marvel movie props on display, and more. Marvel comic artists and writers would also appear as special guests, including Stan Lee.

### Lineup

Though a full lineup was not released, the following trucks appeared in promotional material and/or concept art.

Iron ManSpider-Man
## Legacy

On December 8, 2011, Feld Motor Sports revealed that the Captain America and Wolverine trucks made for Marvel Monstergeddon would enter Monster Jam competition the following year, driven by Chad Fortune and Alex Blackwell, respectively. The banners and signage from the San Diego Comic-Con display were reused for the Monster Jam World Finals 13 pit party in March 2012, still having the Marvel Monstergeddon branding. The vertical Spider-Man display truck has been reused several times, including as Megalodon Fire in the 2018 Monster Jam Season Kickoff.

In September 2012, trucks based on the Hulk and Thor debuted in Gothenberg; neither truck competed outside international tours. From 2012 to 2014, Team Marvel vs. Team Destruction events took place in Arnhem and Stockholm. These pitted all six Marvel trucks against a team of some of Monster Jam’s most popular trucks, including Grave Digger and El Toro Loco. Team Marvel won three of these eight shows.

Marvel's second licensing contract with Feld Motor Sports expired in late 2014; coincidentally, rival comic publisher DC’s contract with Feld also terminated the same year, retiring all superhero-themed Monster Jam trucks. As a sponsorship for the Punisher television series on Netflix, an SUV-based truck of the same name ran at a single Monster Jam show in Houston in October 2017. In September 2022, the contract between Marvel and Feld Motor Sports was renewed yet again; new versions of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Thor, alongside a new Black Panther truck, debuted in London in July 2023.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 “Marvel Monstergeddon - Preview Event Video.” *Vimeo*, uploaded by Neil Vandenberg 7 years ago (at time of citation). Accessed 3 Oct. 2023. https://vimeo.com/162233701.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 “Marvel Super Heroes Roar Into Monster Jam”. *Monsterjam.com*. 23 Oct. 2009. Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
3. ↑ Steinberg, Brian. “Marvel Teams with Harley Davidson, Orange County Chopper, Monster Jam”. Ad Age (Advertising Age). 22 Oct. 2009. Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
4. ↑ Barnes, Brooks and Cieply, Michael. “Disney Swoops Into Action, Buying Marvel for $4 Billion”. *The New York Times: Media & Advertising*. 31 Aug. 2009. Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
5. ↑ https://www.nvart-portfolio.com/#/monster-jam-trucks/
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Vandenberg, Neil. “MARVEL MONSTERGEDDON - SUPER HERO SMASH UP.” *NVART*, Squarespace, 2016. https://www.nvart-portfolio.com/#/marvel-monstergeddon/
7. ↑ “Stan Lee Talks About Show.” *Vimeo*, uploaded by Neil Vandenberg 7 years ago (at time of citation). Accessed 6 Oct. 2023. https://vimeo.com/161882099.
8. ↑ “Marvel Monster Trucks Live”. *Marvel.com*. Archived 6 October, 2023 at the Wayback Machine
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 “Marvel Monstergeddon Tickets Available Now”. *Marvel.com*. 14 July 2012. Archived October 6, 2023, at the Wayback Machine
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 File:Marvel monstergeddon preview event sign.jpg
11. ↑ https://twitter.com/Monstergeddon/status/95208438862319617
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Feld Entertainment (2011, July). Marvel Monstergeddon: Super Hero Smash Up [Advertorial]. *Captain America*, vol. 6 #1 (SDCC 2011 variant) and pamphlet. 18 June 2011. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56fb383dd210b891156b7736/1460295710500-RGHFFTSZ2CLKY3WSHGIE/image-asset.jpeg?format=2500w.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 “Marvel Monstergeddon - Stan Lee Presentation By Lead Designer.” *YouTube*, uploaded by FELDMotorSports, 13 Jul. 2011. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023. https://youtu.be/x2cmpg8ZsGU. “...The characters run out of the scene, and then you hear off-screen some dialogue of them continuing their banter… The first monster truck you see is Green Goblin, followed closely behind by the Spider-Man truck.” - Neil Vandenberg
14. ↑ “Monstergeddon - Lead Designer Presents Concept to Stan Lee.” *YouTube*, uploaded by FELDMotorSports, 19 Jul. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ffoMxf0JM. “...When a monster rolls over and we have to go and excavate it off the floor, it’s these Doombots that come out… a couple of them have guns, they’re pointing it at the monster and it’s very menacing…” - Neil Vandenberg.