8 Times The Marvel Vs. DC Rivalry Turned Ugly
6. Jack Kirby's Brutal Stan Lee Parody
Creative talent has often jumped ship in both directions between Marvel and DC, but rarely under circumstances as controversial as Jack Kirby's defection.
The legendary artist left the House of M for DC in 1970 after becoming embroiled in a dispute with then editor Stan Lee. Chief among Kirby's gripes was the amount of credit Lee was given for the creation of iconic characters they had dreamed up together, including the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men.
The illustrator took out his frustration on Marvel and Lee by brutally parodying them in a title he was working on for DC, Mister Miracle. In issue #6, he depicted Marvel as a former slave plantation run by a money-hungry villain called Funky Flashman, who bore an uncanny resemblance to his former collaborator.
Word has it that Lee was deeply hurt by Kirby's takedown. Not so much his portrayal as a manipulative bad guy, more the fact the artist poked fun at his toupeed appearance. Lee is said to have changed his image after this, shaving his beard off in a conscious effort to look less like Funky Flashman.