Avengers Assemble!

Thursday, February 8, 2018 METRO 41

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Avengers assemble! Marvel’s beloved superheroes and their foes are gathering at a museum in Seattle, says Richard Mellor

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ould that be your Spidey sensation Jessica Jones, the X-Men sense tingling? It’d better be and many other favourites. They’ll and for good reason: a be joined by dastardly deviants massive Marvel Comics such as the Green Goblin and Doctor Doom. exhibition will soon open More than 300 original in north-western America. Running from April 21 artefacts will be on show, including to January 6, 2019, Marvel: Universe Of original comics and movie props. Visitors can Super Heroes is the pose with life-size statues biggest show ever to be held at Seattle’s Museum or enter reconstructed classic locations like Tony Stark’s lab. of Pop Culture (£24, Separate sections focus on mopop.org/marvel). individual heroes. The vast influence of Marvel, ‘My favourite’s probably the which launched in 1939 as Timely Comics, will be Black Panther exhibit,’ admits museum curator Brooks Peck. ‘It chronicled and its best-loved characters celebrated. The places costumes from the film in a scene inspired by the Avengers will assemble – .Towering landmark:. “techno-jungle” look Hulk smash! – alongside .The Space Needle, Seattle. of artist Jack Kirby’s Spider-Man, Netflix

On show: More than 300 artefacts celebrating the likes of Avengers: Age Of Ultron (above) can be seen in Seattle

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original depictions of Wakanda, the most technologically advanced nation on Earth.’ That movie in question, simply called Black Panther, is meanwhile being lauded as the biggest-ever superhero picture based on ticket presales. Starring Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, it arrives in UK cinemas this Monday. ‘With the growing popularity of its films, Marvel has gone mainstream so now is the perfect time to look back at the stories behind those comics,’ continues Peck. ‘We’ll also explore how Marvel has reacted to major historical events like World War II and 9/11.’ There’s plenty more to see elsewhere in the so-called Emerald City. Visitors can wander the Fremont district for indie coffee bars and arty concept shops, or try catfish rolls and hot ricotta crumpets inside Pike Place Market (pikeplacemarket.org). Amazing views are available atop the 184m Space Needle observation tower (£16, spaceneedle.com), while trails in surrounding snowy peaks and forested hills beckon for hikers and bikers. Getting to Seattle’s a cinch too, even if you can’t fly like Iron Man. Norwegian began direct services from Gatwick in September, while British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American all also operate from London.