U.N. to team up with Marvel Comics

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Marvel Comics and the United Nations are teaming up to create comic books to show superheroes working with the agency to rid the world of conflict and disease.

The United Nations and Marvel Comics are working together to develop a comic book set in a fictional war-torn country with superheroes working alongside UNICEF aid workers and U.N peacekeepers, the Financial Times said Thursday.

Camilla Schippa with the U.N. Office for Partnerships told the Times the pro-bono artists and collaborators would deliver a final script by February.

A French film-maker, Romuald Sciora, presented the idea while working with U.N. officials to develop a DVD about U.N. activities targeted for school-aged children.

The United Nations hopes to bolster its international image damaged by the unilateral diplomatic efforts of some Western countries by teaching children the value of international cooperation.

The United Nations said it will distribute the comics to nearly 1 million U.S. children initially, but hopes to reach a broader international audience following the initial release.

There was a similar initiative during World War II when Marvel Comic's Captain America was pitted against Germany's Adolf Hitler.