Disney have today confirmed the purchase of in a deal worth an eye-watering 4 billion USD. That represents about 50 USD per share for the comic book giant; a premium of some 30 percent.

The deal gives access to Marvel's library of some 5,000 comic book characters - many of which have been put to work on big-name films and games. Spider-Man and X-Men count among the more impressive game-translations, then there's Iron Man, of course.

"This transaction combines Marvel's strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," enthuses Disney chief Robert A Iger.

"Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney."

This deal is bound to have eventual significance to video games, but perhaps not until Marvel's existing relationships have been wrapped-up. Activision, for example, are responsible for a number of big Marvel games. More on this very soon.

By Luke Guttridge