Marvel Entertainment’s shareholders approved the company's acquisition by The Walt Disney Company on December 31, 2009 as expected. The $4.3 billion acquisition gives Disney control of Marvel’s more than 5,000 characters.

While most of the characters counted in that tally range from obscure to, well, very obscure, a select handful have been the basis for blockbuster movies, cartoons and video games in recent years. Additionally, Disney believes that if they find even a few money-makers among the second, third and fourth tier, the deal could well end up being a steal.