Marvel, a name known in the world of comics and around the world. It is a name recognized by young and old, men and women, and people of all ethnic groups. Whether it's comics, movies, toys, the Internet, or any other type of media, Marvel is known on a global scale. Above all it is a brand recognized by many in the United States. But just because it's popular, does it make it appropriate to buy their products? Just because Marvel is a big name, is it a name that Americans should associate themselves with? Marvel represents an economic value to America with its activities spanning across the globe, as well as a representative of the American dream. What makes the brand more unique is that its core product establishes a constructive and dignified impact on American consumers. Many would think that such a well-known name would start out big and then become big, but that wasn't the case. Marvel actually struggled with its creation, but managed to make it into the smash hit it is today. The name initially recognized was what one would call an imitator; whatever story sold, Marvel would sell too. As the company's founder stated "whatever other people sold, we would do the same thing... I liked making up my own stuff, but I got paid" (qtd. in Lacter). If originality wasn't a conflict, competition certainly was. During the 1940s, DC Comics was the American point of reference in the comics industry with the creation of superheroes and original plots, such as Superman. However, Marvel wasn't crushed so easily, thanks to one man's dream of creating his own characters. Stan Lee was born during the Depression, a time when many were struggling to make it. “My earliest memory… middle of paper… the most enduring of men, but he was the most thoughtful and courageous. Like the X-Men storyline; those with the mutant gene had special abilities and were seen as inhuman and were therefore discriminated against by other humans. This story was told through the eyes of mutant characters like Wolverine or Strom, who in reality were as human as possible, giving a moral that one should not be judged for what they are, but for who they are. A morality influenced by America's diversity of ethnic groups, religions and beliefs. Marvel also shows that no one is truly perfect and no one is truly corrupt, as in the case of the mighty Thor and his brother Loki, a scenario where the hero is flawed and the villain is heroic. Thor is the hero but has the flaw of being too proud, while Loki, despite being the villain, is not truly evil but simply chooses to attract attention by using the wrong methods.