Irving Forbush

Irving Forbush is Marvel's long-running in-house joke mascot, a hapless everyman office worker who became the bumbling alter ego of the satirical superhero Forbush Man, first featured in Marvel's humor anthology Not Brand Echh.

Few characters embody Marvel's irreverent Silver Age spirit quite like Irving Forbush, the lovable everyman who shuffled onto the scene in Not Brand Echh #5 in 1967, courtesy of a stellar creative team including Roy Thomas, Marie Severin, and Gary Friedrich. Born into Marvel's gleefully self-mocking humor line, Irving has rubbed elbows with the publisher's biggest icons — Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man have all shared his pages — making him a surprisingly well-connected figure in the Marvel universe despite his decidedly un-superheroic reputation. His appearances across Not Brand Echh, Marvel Age Annual, and even She-Hulk speak to a stubborn, charming staying power, with three collector-recognized key issues to his name and a publication history stretching nearly six decades from the Silver Age all the way to 2026. For fans who love Marvel's wit and self-awareness as much as its heroics, Irving Forbush is an absolute treasure worth tracking down.