The Simpsons Just Joined The Marvel Comics Universe

This month has been a big one for Simpsons/Marvel crossovers. Earlier in March, The Simpsons aired an episode, titled “Bart the Bad Guy,” featuring a parody of the Avengers movies, guest starring directors Anthony and Joe Russo and Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige as Thanos-like villain Chinnos. This week, it seems Marvel Comics has decided to return the favor as Bart Simpson and friends have made a surprise cameo in the latest issue of Immortal Hulk. 

First, some context: Immortal Hulk #32 continues the threat of the Living Hulk Xemnu as he manipulates the general public into believing that he’s the beloved star of children’s show Magic Planet and the world’s favorite version of the Green Goliath, with the actual Hulk painted as a feared monster. This issue opens with random folks being interviewed and talking about how much they love Xemnu and among these people are a group of elementary school kids who should look very familiar.

Yes, it’s only Bart, Lisa, Milhouse and Nelson from TV’s The Simpsons. Though the characters have been rendered more realistically than we’re used to, there’s no mistaking Bart’s spiky hair, Nelson’s grin, Milhouse’s geeky appearance or Lisa in the background, with her distinctive pearl necklace. Just in case we didn’t get it, though, the dialogue makes it clear, too, as Bart mentions how he witnessed Xenmu “embiggen.” Embiggen is a word popularized by the animated show, first appearing in season 7’s “Lisa the Iconoclast.”

Now that The Simpsons recently joined the extended Disney family, thanks to the Fox merger, it’s weird to think that we could actually have an official Simpsons/Marvel crossover some day. This cameo in Immortal Hulk – from writer Al Ewing and Joe Bennett – was likely just intended as a fun easter egg, but it does tell us that a more grounded version of the Simpsons family exists within the Marvel universe. And who wouldn’t want a solo comic based on that?