Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the most dominant film franchise in the history of Hollywood, even before lower tier movies like 1989’s The Punisher and 1990’s Captain America, there was still an appetite for seeing the characters from Marvel comics on more than just ink on paper. As you prepare to watch this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (which sadly does not feature any Marvel characters this year), flash back to a simpler time when a special Marvel Universe float made its debut on the parade route back in 1987 and was ripped straight out of the pages of Marvel Comics.
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Introduced by Willard Scott, the Marvel Universe parade float was almost a miniature stunt-show for the viewers on the parade route and at home. The event begins with none other than Doctor Strange summoning Captain America from a giant comic book and recruiting him to help Wolverine in a fight against Polaris and Magneto, all while the theme to Back to the Future blasts through the speakers.
Other Marvel character that make an appearance on the float include heroes like Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Man, and The Hulk, who manages to bring down a major portion of the float in the climax of the “story.” Additional villains that appear on the float include the likes of Green Goblin and Emma Frost. The most peculiar addition on the float that might leave some scratching their heads is none other than RoboCop. The half-man/half-machine’s inclusion wasn’t that much of a stretch at the time as Marvel Comics had just published a one-shot adaptation of the feature film from writer Bob Harras and artists Alan Kupperberg and Javier Saltares.
You can watch the full Marvel Universe float show in the player above, and be sure to click here to learn how to watch this year’s Macy’s parade.
AP News reports that 8,000 people are expected to march in the parade this year, and the event will include big-name performers such as Billy Porter, Celine Dion, Ciara, Kelly Rowland, and Idina Menzel. Some of the balloons fans can expect to see today are Olaf from Frozen, Astronaut Snoopy, Pikachu, Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger, SpongeBob SquarePants, Dreamworks Trolls, Ronald McDonald, and more.
As always, ComicBook.com will be covering the parade live so be sure to check with us as well as on Facebook and Twitter @ComicBook. And be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you’ll be looking forward to at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
