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Entertainment

Howard The Duck

What is howard the duck?

· James MacDonald

Key facts

Name Howard the Duck[1]
Type Fictional character[1]
Publisher Marvel Comics[1]
First appearance Adventure into Fear #19[1]
First appearance date December 1973[2]
Creators Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik[1]

Howard the Duck is a Marvel Comics fictional character: an anthropomorphic duck from the fictional world Duckworld. He first appeared in *Adventure into Fear* #19 in December 1973, created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik. His stories chronicle his misadventures on a human-dominated Earth after being pulled there by mystical means. His character is known for its satirical tone and cult following.

Context

Howard the Duck is a Marvel Comics character who first appeared in December 1973. He is an anthropomorphic duck from Duckworld, a fictional world, and was created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik [1]. Howard's stories follow his misadventures on a human-dominated Earth after being mystically pulled there [3]. He was originally intended as a throwaway character but became a cult figure [4]. The character is sometimes confused with the 1986 film *Howard the Duck*, which was based on him [5]. Unlike other anthropomorphic ducks like Darkwing Duck, Howard's tone is more satirical and adult-oriented.

Documented claims

  • Howard is an anthropomorphic duck from Duckworld. [1]
  • Howard was pulled to Earth-616 by mystical means. [3]
  • Howard was originally intended as a throwaway or one-off character. [4]

Related

Questions and answers

Is Howard the Duck the first Marvel movie?

No, the 1986 film *Howard the Duck* was not the first Marvel movie; it was an early Marvel film adaptation, but not the first [5].

Why did Howard the Duck flop?

The 1986 film *Howard the Duck* was a critical and commercial failure, though the sources provided do not detail specific reasons for its flop [5].

Was Howard the Duck rated R?

The film *Howard the Duck* was rated PG, not R, according to common knowledge, but the provided sources do not specify its rating [5].

How is Howard the Duck part of Marvel?

Howard the Duck is a Marvel Comics character, published by Marvel Comics, and is part of the Marvel Universe, specifically Earth-616 [1] [3].

Sources

  1. Meet Howard the Duck, the Marvel Universe's Unlikeliest ... — marvel.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. The History of Howard the Duck: Part One — mouseplanet.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. The Untold Truth Of Howard The Duck - Looper — looper.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. A Brief Introduction to Howard the Duck — mentalfloss.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. Howard the Duck — en.wikipedia.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Entertainment