The Notorious B.I.G.’s Marvel Comics debut is officially here! Born Christopher Wallace, the Brooklyn, New York native has posthumously arrived on the limited-edition “Deadpool #1” variant cover. The issue dropped Wednesday (Nov. 2).
Deadpool’s official Twitter account celebrated the exciting collaboration with a tweet. “Is Biggie stealing my thunder?” the post read, along with a photo of the legendary rapper sitting in a golden chair fit for a king. On the comic cover, the slain hip hop icon is pictured next to a boom box wearing a crown. Wade Wilson stands behind him in full battle gear and with blades drawn. This super-limited collector’s item was written by Alyssa Wong.
Comic book artist Ken Lashley is responsible for designing the eye-catching variant cover. He teamed up with hustl., a sports and entertainment agency, for the collaboration. The agency prides itself on the ability to “[amalgamate] their passions to create innovative solutions and products including limited-edition, one-of-a-kind collectibles.” The cover featuring The Notorious B.I.G. was done to celebrate a very special milestone.
“Biggie and hip hop turned 50 this year, so we at hustl. were absolutely thrilled to work with his team and Marvel to create this variant as our way of paying tribute to one of the greatest and [most] influential hip hop icons of all time,” hustl. COO Keri Harris said in a statement. “Next month, we will follow this up with another all-time great, which we cannot wait to share with pop culture fans,” the COO added. As previously reported by REVOLT, in May, New York City honored The Notorious B.I.G. with several massive birthday tributes — including lighting up the Empire State Building and having video montages of the MC at the Barclays Center.
The concept was created by Elliot Osagie and the design was ushered through by longtime comic enthusiast Mark Pitts, who also was Biggie’s manager, collaborator and friend. As the President of RCA Records, Pitts had this to say: “It’s amazing. As a Marvel head, seeing B.I.G. on the cover is surreal. This moment is just another example of the impact B.I.G. has made in the world and now with this incredible collaboration with Marvel, I can’t wait to see what’s next for the MCU and B.I.G.”
As for the storyline of the comic, Deadpool is looking to become a member of an elite group of assassins called the Atelier. To gain entry, the former Special Forces operative must “kill one of the Marvel Universe’s most famous supervillains within 48 hours.” Adventure awaits. Are you ready? Get your limited-edition copy, featuring The Notorious B.I.G., now, exclusively at www.thehaul.com.
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