Ron Perlman intended to acquire Marvel, but this news did not create much of a stir in the market. Everyone knew comic companies could make money; it was just too bad there was no second Viking Comics.
Stan Lee was quite depressed. Years ago, when DC was struggling, he hoped it would be sold. He believed DC was practically worthless.
Now, it seemed that bad luck had befallen Marvel. If it was sold again, it would be like a second divorce; in just a few years, it faced collapse twice. One had to say that the former king of the comic industry was really living a tough life.
Stan Lee had no intention of challenging Viking Comics anymore; it was simply an impossible task.
He hoped that guy on Wall Street would be a bit more reliable. There was a consensus in the comic industry: without strong capital support, comics simply couldn't thrive. The Viking Comics model looked very simple; if you tried to imitate it, Marvel's current predicament was the best illustration of that.
"Acquire Marvel? What's that guy's deal? Go tell Goldman Sachs I want Marvel for $150 million, all in. What is Ron really? He dares to go toe-to-toe with me?"
"Sir, is this going to trigger another antitrust investigation?" Filson was quite speechless. He really didn't understand why his boss was so fired up over a company of little value. $150 million? Eighty million would be exceptional.
"Heh, comic companies can leave America much easier than game companies," William White laughed at Filson's hesitance.
"Do you know what? Filson, Marvel isn't as pathetic as you think. Its most valuable assets are those comic characters. Whether it's the Hulk or Iron Man, each one is worth a million. Where are we? This is Hollywood; just because they can't make decent adaptations doesn't mean I can't."
Filson paused, immediately understanding his boss's intentions; or rather, William White had been holding back on adaptation movies simply to avoid imitation.
"I got it, sir. I'll take care of it right away."
"And get a dossier on Ron Perlman ready. I want to see who has the guts for this. Also, reach out to Stan Lee and tell him that he is fully responsible for Marvel's content. There won't be any mergers or splits; the condition is, I want him to stay with Marvel and never leave."
"Understood, sir. As you wish. Stan will be pleased."
Of course, Stan Lee would be pleased. He really didn't care about who was in charge; how much money he could make was also not his main concern. What was hard for him to accept was the constant turmoil at the company.
...
"Ron, let me give you a piece of advice: your chances aren't good. Is it really worth it for a nearly bankrupt comic company?"
"Damn it, does William White know Marvel's worth? Of course, I do! Just package it right, and it looks like an attractive public company. With William White's price reference, this could be a very good deal."
"Heh, Ron, you might not be wrong, but there's a prerequisite: how much are you willing to pay? Furthermore, if William White is interested in acquisition, Marvel's insiders would be quite hopeful."
Ron Perlman sighed, feeling defeated. He wasn't a comic fan; his expertise was in public offerings. To make big bucks, you had to acquire firms with hidden value.
There was a prerequisite, which was to avoid competing in a bidding war. If not handled well, it could easily backfire.
As for William White, while he wasn't tangled up with Wall Street, rumors about him circulated there daily.
William understood that if he didn't acquire Marvel at this juncture, trouble would follow. The current state of Marvel was in disarray; if that guy destroyed it, he would never get the Marvel Universe together.
Although Ron Perlman felt resentful, the fact remained that they were all billionaires, and William was in the tens of billions range. Perlman's funds weren't even enough for comparison. So it was best to tread carefully.
...
If future Marvel fans had a vendetta, Ron Perlman would undoubtedly be the top villain. The entire Marvel structure fell apart under his watch, which was simply tragic.
Marvel was well aware that if they wanted a good life, they'd better align with William White. During their time under New World Pictures, they could say they fought hard but, regrettably, their globalization failed; Europe wasn't backing them, and their ventures overseas fell flat on their face.
In fact, Viking Comics didn't really fit in as a standard American comic. To please the overseas comic fans, over half of their planning staff was from there, which created a detailed style that was worlds apart from American comics.
William White had extended an olive branch; whether to accept it was something their board needed to ponder.
It was truly disheartening to see the former behemoth of the comic industry regress to this state. In sharp contrast, DC, after being acquired, seemed to revive mysteriously; while still nowhere near Viking Comics, it was enough to overshadow Marvel.
Some might ask, "Aren't you challenging the Justice Department? If Marvel gets acquired by you again, who will still be a rival?"
This wasn't quite accurate. A company valued at under $100 million couldn't be tied to monopoly issues. Though Viking Comics was strong in America, it was just that way. The overseas market comprised seventy percent of their revenue, which was their real foundation.
Furthermore, while Viking Comics was publicly traded in the U.S., it wasn't registered as such in the States. If anything went wrong, he might just delist here.
...
"Acquire Marvel? That guy is just a small company."
"Sir, it seems Ron Perlman is still a bit reluctant."
"Heh, a tiny fish. What can he do? No need for William White to step in; Goldman Sachs will shred him apart."
The old man was correct; at the level of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, they wouldn't tolerate a small player challenging them. Did they really think everyone was William White?
...
"Sir, Stan Lee wants to talk to you."
"Sure, have him come here. The old man is a comic fan; he's going to love my comic studio."
Filson smiled silently. Stan just didn't want to be tossed around anymore. With the company in such turmoil, there wouldn't be any creative inspiration left.
William White really liked that old man. He believed that with his protection, Stan Lee could focus on his work even more.
He enjoyed cameo appearances in movies and loved tinkering away in the comic studio. One couldn't help but admire the persistence of that old man. Liking something is one thing; sticking with it over decades is another. While William White could create numerous comic characters thanks to his advantages, Stan Lee didn't have any such shortcuts.
William White greatly respected capable people. If he could endure Steve Jobs's arrogance, he surely wouldn't mind Stan Lee's little quirks. The old man's lifelong wish was simply to rub DC's face in the dirt.
Alright, even though William White did not support this idea, he didn't mind the DC versus Marvel battle.
*****
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