History TakeThat / MarvelUniverse

'''Marlo:''' Not a dollar a copy. A dollar for the whole box. And frankly, [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks it's guys like you who ruined the fun of comic reading for everybody else]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Quasar}}'': The first issue featured a pretty blatant CaptainErsatz of [[ComicBook/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] as a test pilot who ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} assigned to wear the Cosmic Bracelets. The poor guy ended up being vaporized as soon as he put the damn things on, allowing the title character to use them instead. Another issue featured a LawyerFriendlyCameo from Franchise/TheFlash, who had died in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' just a few years earlier. Marvel [[WritingAroundTrademarks got around trademark issues]] by claiming he couldn't remember his name, but thought it was something like "Buried Alien" (a [[PunnyName play on "Barry Allen"]]). Buried Alien showed up in a later issue, where he stated he had no desire to return to his old universe since his comrades [[AudienceAlienatingEra had all become]] [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks dark]] [[NinetiesAntiHero perversions]] of their former selves.

-->'''Guy:''' I have here an entire box of ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}} [[Creator/RobLiefeld #1]]'' special collector's editions. How much'll you give me?\\

* During Creator/RogerStern's run on ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', a construction worker asked why heroes don't use phone booths to change or shout "UpUpAndAway" anymore. ComicBook/SheHulk coyly responded by saying [[Franchise/{{Superman}} such things]] went out of style in TheSixties. The same run had an issue where ComicBook/MonicaRambeau, while reading mail from various politicians requesting that the Avengers relocate to their city, stated "Detroit? They've gotta be kidding!" This was a dig at the [[AudienceAlienatingEra reviled]] Detroit-era ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' that was still being published at the time.

* ''Marvel: NOW What?!'' Is a big TakeThat to the ComicBook/MarvelNow relaunch, but particularly scathing is ComicBook/TheWatcher going through exposure therapy to cure him of his addiction to [[AlienNonInterferenceClause meddling with events]]. As another watcher bars him from interfering we see many things which the Watcher desperately tries to stop from happening: ComicBook/SpiderMan [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 revealing his identity to the world]], ComicBook/ScarletWitch [[ComicBook/HouseOfM saying "No more mutants"]], Creator/RobLiefeld's [[OffModel drawing of]] ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, a clapperboard for the ComicBook/NickFury movie with Creator/DavidHasselhoff, [[ReplacementScrappy H.E.R.B.I.E.]], ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'s bestial redesign from the late [[UsefulNotes/TheNineties 90's]], and more divisively, ComicBook/JeanGrey returning as The Phoenix and the introduction of the ComicBook/ScarletSpider.

** There was also "What if Internet existed in" segment, showing posts which would be written if Internet was around in TheSixties, TheSeventies and TheEighties. Here's few of them:

* ''ComicBook/UncannyAvengers Annual'' had Mojo being told by his producers that modern audiences prefer stories that, instead of having "structured character arcs" and "something to say" are "[[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible artsy and indecipherable]]", "[[TheChrisCarterEffect spinning an endless web of strange mysteries]]" that keeps the "feeble-minded viewers lost and guessing" and will get critical praise because "[[TakeThatCritics reviewers won't want to admit not understand it, even when there is nothing to understand]]". For many it appears to be jab at both ''Avengers'' [[ComicBook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman books written at the time by Jonathan Hickman]] and [[TakeThatAudience fans who preferred them to]] ''Uncanny Avengers''.

* The ''ComicBook/GreatLakesAvengers'' mini-series has a TakeThat at ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' when Monkey Joe's remains are examined, revealing a footprint that says -eebok.

** DC was hit with an ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis'' parody with Impossible Man turning evil and murdering Aunt Petunia for [[CListFodder being a character without a movie deal]] and then being killed by Identity Girl -- "a new character you've never heard of that's just watered down version of a bunch of characters you have heard of." It was also featuring ''What if DC would let us do Franchise/{{Batman}}[=/=]ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' by Brian Bendis and David Mack, which was a picture of frozen Hell.

** The first issue of ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' is one massive jab at ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott'', particularly everything after ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Peter admits he should ''never'' have had taken ''anything'' Otto had built up while he was running around in his body (he even admits that the subject that Otto did his thesis on that Peter got caught "plagiarizing" with was something he knew about), thus he wasn't taking responsibility for the great power he had that he never should have had in the first place. He later comes crawling back to Mary Jane, admits how stupid he's been and that he needs her, bringing the two together again for the first time since ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', something Slott constantly teased, but never did.

* In the second issue of ''ComicBook/DamageControl'', comptroller Albert Cleary confronts ComicBook/DoctorDoom regarding an outstanding bill. Doom agrees to pay the bill, stating "Doom always pays his debts," and even fires his majordomo for refusing to pay Damage Control in the first place. [[WordOfGod According to writer Dwayne McDuffie]], this was a direct Take That against a classic story from ''ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire'' when Doom hired Luke Cage for a job and left town without paying him, and Luke had to follow Doom all the way to Latveria to get paid. [=McDuffie=] didn't think that Doom's refusal to pay Cage went against his more common "Doom's word is his bond" treatment.
* When Matt Murdock needs to make everyone forget he's been publicly outed as ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} ([[RecycledScript ...again]]), he goes to ComicBook/DoctorStrange, and Stephen point blank says he can't help. Then Damien Hellstorm offers to contact ComicBook/{{Mephisto}}, but Matt decides he's not ''that'' desperate. These are, of course, jabs at Spider-Man's DealWithTheDevil in ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' and the resulting retcon in ''ComicBook/OneMomentInTime''.
** Speaking of, one issue of the 2019 ''Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man'' run had the webhead run to Strange begging to help heal up a kid he accidentally broke his arm. While he's there, he admits that he also wants him to [[spoiler:save his Aunt May, who has been diagnosed with cancer]]. Strange calmly tells Spidey that there are things he just can't do and to spend what time they have left together just in case. Strange does mention summoning a demon, but both agree that that's a really bad idea.

* Brian Bendis wrote a few take thats towards ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', not only having Franchise/SpiderMan reveal his secret identity to the ComicBook/NewAvengers as soon as he could and having ComicBook/SpiderWoman, who never has any [[NoFourthWall fourth wall breaking moments]], asking if Peter wasn't married.

** In the second issue of Vol. 7, the ComicBook/{{Champions|2016}} try to get Richard up to speed on what happened in the Marvel Universe while he was dead. He expresses surprise at a lot of the changes (such as there now being a new [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Ms. Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/MilesMorales Spider-Man]]), but doesn't really take the news negatively. Then he finds out that [[ComicBook/AllNewXMen the original five X-Men have been brought to the present]] and that ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} [[ComicBook/DeathOfX has died after becoming a villain and declaring war on the Inhumans]]. His only response to that little tidbit?

* The first issue of ''ComicBook/{{Quasar}}'' featured a pretty blatant CaptainErsatz of [[Franchise/GreenLantern Hal Jordan]] as a test pilot who ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} assigned to wear the Cosmic Bracelets. The poor guy ended up being vaporized as soon as he put the damn things on, allowing the title character to use them instead. Another issue featured a LawyerFriendlyCameo from Franchise/TheFlash, who had died in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' just a few years earlier. Marvel [[WritingAroundTrademarks got around trademark issues]] by claiming he couldn't remember his name, but thought it was something like "Buried Alien" (a [[PunnyName play on "Barry Allen"]]). Buried Alien showed up in a later issue, where he stated he had no desire to return to his old universe since his comrades [[AudienceAlienatingEra had all become]] [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks dark]] [[NinetiesAntiHero perversions]] of their former selves.

* The first issue of ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManNickSpencer'' is one massive jab at ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott'', particularly everything after ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Peter admits he should ''never'' have had taken ''anything'' Otto had built up while he was running around in his body (he even admits that the subject that Otto did his thesis on that Peter got caught "plagiarizing" with was something he knew about), thus he wasn't taking responsibility for the great power he had that he never should have had in the first place. He later comes crawling back to Mary Jane, admits how stupid he's been and that he needs her, bringing the two together again for the first time since ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', something Slott constantly teased, but never did.
** Speaking of ''OMD'', the issue also takes a jab at it with a woman mentioning a story about a student at ESU selling his soul to Mephisto for a passing grade, calling it "the saddest story of all".
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMansTangledWeb'' #13 has the Vulture thinking of getting some armor like ComicBook/TheFalcon. Kraven and Green Goblin criticize the idea, with Goblin in particular commenting that 'armor is a little much' and he's not a fan of it, in a possible jab at his look in the [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Sam Raimi trilogy]]. Ironically enough, [[Film/SpiderManHomecoming the movie Vulture]] himself would wear a suit of armor much like Sam Raimi's Green Goblin did.

* In a ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' comic, featuring a cameo by Creator/StephenColbert, Creator/JoeQuesada is on his "On Notice" list.
* Almost every ''Spider-Man'' writer since 1996 thinks making at least one joke about ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'' (sometimes really funny, more often not) to be his holy duty.
* ''Spider-Man'' [[https://www.cbr.com/meta-messages-spider-man-makes-fun-of-superman-vs-muhammad-ali/ had one]] at the expense of DC for the time they took to release Franchise/{{Superman}} vs. UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli.
* Spider-Man found himself up against the Hobgoblin not so long ago, and was at a disadvantage due to the villain's mind-scrambling laughter attack. Spidey's salvation came when a co-worker played "Bad Romance" by Music/LadyGaga from her phone over the lab's speakers, cancelling out the laughter's vibration. Spider-Man responded with:

* ''ComicBook/SpiderManDeadpool'' #6 shows a [[http://media.comicbook.com/2016/06/cmjkkgbwiaqnlfg-188077.jpg poster]] for a movie called ''[[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Nighthawk v. Hyperion: Yawn of Boredom]]'', which has the tagline "You won't believe their mothers share a first name."

** They then take a jab at ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'' by Spidey saying they'll keep rebooting the same idea over and over til they get the characters ''right'' (especially with the former's version of Deadpool.)
* During ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'', there was one story where ComicBook/SpiderGirl is trying to be consoled by an alternate universe Uncle Ben after [[spoiler:the Inheritors kidnapped her brother]], the culmination of a TraumaCongaLine for her. Despite this, Mayday calls out Ben's hypocrisy and declares that there's probably a universe where she woke up that morning everything went to hell and just had her wheatcakes breakfast with her parents and brother, a jab at Dan Slott, who ended up taking a crap over May's happy ending just so she can participate in the storyline.

* ''ComicBook/TheSuperiorFoesOfSpiderMan'': Following being double-crossed by Boomerang and escaping the Owl, the three remaining members of the Sinister Six go over their options. Speed Demon suggests getting another member and calling themselves the [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Frightful Four]]. Beetle rejects the idea, saying "That's just a name for guys who had their widdle feewings hurt by Reed Richards."
* In ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' #3, J. Jonah Jameson creates a huge ''[[BatSignal "spider-signal."]]''
--> '''Spider-Man (then ''ComicBook/DoctorOctopus'') :''' A giant beacon in the sky, announcing to all my enemies where they can find me. Only an idiot would put that into effect.
* During the 90's, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] started wearing a new costume after becoming part of a team known as the Godpack. Creator/WarrenEllis (like many people) thought the new look was stupid, so one of the first things he did when he started writing the book was have Thor stop wearing a costume altogether (instead opting for a shirtless look).

* In Kyle Higgins' ''The Winter Soldier'', Bucky is suggesting new names for RJ. Bucky suggests the name 'Ric' to replace the 'R', and RJ gives Bucky a look like he'd just made the stupidest comment ever and asks how nobody has killed him yet. This issue came out around the time Nightwing was going through a very disliked story arc where he was going by 'Ric Grayson' rather than Dick Grayson, and Kyle Higgins' had previously written ''Nightwing'' in a run that was filled with ExecutiveMeddling and that was cut short, so it's pretty obvious he was taking a jab at DC.