One Surprising Marvel Hero Is Beating Spider-Man & X-Men 2 Weeks Into Its Release

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Aug 12, 2026, 8:10 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account The mightiest defenders and antiheroes of Marvel's vast comic book favorites are so plentiful they couldn't hope to be contained to just one Earth. They come in all shapes, sizes, and species, with one surprisingly popular addition that enjoyed particular stardom was the adorable Jeff the Land Shark, whose stardom quickly grew immense following his playable character debut in Marvel Rivals. But beyond behind Jeff's cute, puppy-like facade is a shadow even he can't control in one story that's been trending above all other Marvel properties including Spider-Man and X-Men on one particular platform. The series in question is 2025's limited-run series Jeff the Land Shark which, while already complete, is enjoying renewed popularity with its MAKMA-reformatted vertical-scroll edition on Webtoon. Originally written by the character's co-creator Kelly Thompson with the help of manga artist Tokitokoro, Jeff the Land Shark is the perfect bite-sized adventure making waves internationally thanks to his instant appeal for casual readers and far-reaching presence for Marvel fans, too, a solid fit for the biggest webcomic app of its kind. Now, just shy of two weeks since dropping on July 31, Jeff the Land Shark appears ready to finish his first of hopefully many adventures hosted by the platform. A Returning Marvel Hit Has Been Dominating Mainstay Superheroes For 2 Weeks Straight Despite enjoying acclaim and strong charting presence for its original print release, the broader readership clearly either didn't get a chance or can't get enough of Jeff the Land Shark, with Webtoon's users providing an impressive influx of attention. Quick to garner 100,000 views ahead of paid chapters releasing and costing a fraction of the price of corresponding full issues such as on Globalcomix, the series quickly leaped up the Superhero charts on Webtoon. It has and continues to rank above all other Marvel properties in the category, including Miles Morales: Spider-Man, Daredevil and Ultimate X-Men. The series is now seen frequently hovering at #2 or #3 behind the platform's native #1 hits like unOrdinary or The Superhuman Era. It's hard to see why Jeff the Land Shark wouldn't be popular with this latest accessible option, for that matter. The series features Jeff unwittingly releasing a Shadow Demon who, upon escaping, seizes Jeff's shadow, takes on a dark, mischievous copycat form, and causes mayhem across the Marvel universe. It's a perfect blend of the goofy, chaotic adventures with Jeff, with enough input from regular Marvel heroes to keep the story focused and enhance Jeff's interactions. For fans, it means fun bite-sized exchanges between Rogue and Gambit, with the latter trying on various casual Louisiana French nicknames for the little creature. It also includes surprisingly insightful moments early on with Deadpool, a frequent caregiver for Jeff, along with encounters featuring others close to Jeff like Elsa Bloodstone or the one who adopted and named him, Gwenpool, with half the battle being Jeff trying, and frequently failing, to communicate with the heroes. It's a fun exercise in fan service, especially for other characters who gained notably more popularity from Marvel Rivals like Luna Snow, who appears in a chapter which happens to feature Wolverine trying to cooperate with the critter. Starting in Sanctum Sanctorum, and going to a chaotic array of familiar Marvel locales, Jeff the Land Shark is a totally approachable comic, with its latest charting success being thoroughly unsurprising. His cuteness factor and proximity to some of Marvel's most fun and recognizable legends makes for a wide net to attract Webtoon audiences, especially as other gimmicks come along, including his cartoonish appetite drawing him to consume numerous power-bearing MacGuffins akin to turning Jeff into a food-motivated Rogue. But Jeff's current run may come to a close with its next installment. Jeff The Land Shark's First Webtoon Appears To Be The Last (For Now) With roughly half an issue per episode apparent in the Webtoon formatting courtesy of MAKMA, Kelly Thompson and Tokitokoro's 2025 Jeff the Land Shark series will likely conclude this coming Saturday, August 15. With his latest collaboration including Magik, Scarlet Witch and Doctor Voodoo, Jeff's latest story is set for its conclusion on episode 10's release. But it doesn't have to be the end for the Webtoon run, much like other properties on the platform and how they've brought various print stories to new life there. After all, the Stranger Things addition has completed one limited series and seamlessly moved onto another in what appears to be a months-long push to bring each of Dark Horse Comics' Stranger Things stories to Webtoon. Beyond various one-shots starring everyone's favorite aquatic Marvel pet, one likely reasonable candidate to feature for Marvel's Webtoon collaboration would be the Jeff the Land Shark: Superstar series featuring Thompson and Tokitokoro again. Given Tokitokoro's increasingly growing profile across both major IPs and emerging original content such as VIZ Media's recent release of Lynx, it'd be a great way to bring more voracious viewers' eyeballs to the pair's combined work. Earth-1610 · Multiverse Edition How Well Do You KnowMarvel’s Ultimate Universe? 🌏OriginsEarth-1610 ⚡HeroesUltimates 💥EventsUltimatum ☠VillainsThe Maker 💫LegacyReborn ENTER THE ULTIMATES! → 01 The Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) was launched in 2000 with a reimagined version of Marvel’s most popular teenage superhero. Which comic series kicked off the Ultimate line? AThe Ultimates BUltimate X-Men CUltimate Spider-Man DUltimate Fantastic Four ✓ Correct! Ultimate Spider-Man #1, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Mark Bagley, launched in October 2000 and retold Peter Parker’s origin for a modern audience. It became the flagship title of the Ultimate line and ran for 160 issues. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Ultimate Spider-Man. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, it was the first Ultimate title, debuting in 2000. The Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men followed in 2001, while Ultimate Fantastic Four didn’t launch until 2004. NEXT → 02 In the Ultimate Universe, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man eventually died heroically. A new character then took up the Spider-Man mantle and later crossed over into the main Marvel universe. Who is this character? ABen Reilly BMiguel O’Hara CMiles Morales DGwen Stacy ✓ Correct! Miles Morales debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011) after Peter Parker’s death in the “Death of Spider-Man” storyline. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles became one of Marvel’s most beloved characters and later migrated to Earth-616 after Secret Wars (2015). ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Miles Morales. Ben Reilly is the Scarlet Spider clone from Earth-616, Miguel O’Hara is Spider-Man 2099, and while Gwen Stacy existed in the Ultimate Universe, she didn’t become Spider-Woman there — that’s Earth-65’s Spider-Gwen. NEXT → 03 The Ultimates was the Ultimate Universe’s version of the Avengers. This series reimagined the team as a government-sponsored superhero squad. Who wrote the influential first two volumes of The Ultimates? ABrian Michael Bendis BMark Millar CJeph Loeb DJonathan Hickman ✓ Correct! Mark Millar, alongside artist Bryan Hitch, created The Ultimates (2002) and The Ultimates 2 (2004). Their cinematic, widescreen approach to superhero storytelling heavily influenced the Marvel Cinematic Universe, particularly the first Avengers film. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Mark Millar. Bendis wrote Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men, Jeph Loeb took over the Ultimates later with volume 3, and Jonathan Hickman wrote the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch. Millar and Bryan Hitch defined The Ultimates. NEXT → 04 In the Ultimate Universe, many characters were dramatically different from their main universe counterparts. Ultimate Reed Richards underwent a shocking transformation, becoming a major villain. What villain name did Ultimate Reed Richards adopt? AThe Thinker BThe Maker CDoctor Doom DMolecule Man ✓ Correct! The Maker is one of the most terrifying villains to come out of the Ultimate Universe. After being rejected by Sue Storm and experiencing a mental breakdown, Ultimate Reed Richards turned evil, stretching his brain to enhance his already genius-level intellect and becoming a multiversal threat. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker. The Thinker is a different FF villain, Doctor Doom is a separate character entirely (though Ultimate Doom was Victor Van Damme), and Molecule Man is an Earth-616 entity. The Maker survived Secret Wars and became a major threat across the multiverse. NEXT → 05 The Ultimate Universe suffered a catastrophic event that killed off many major characters and dramatically changed the line’s direction. What was this controversial crossover event called? AUltimatum BCataclysm CSecret Wars DUltimate Fallout ✓ Correct! Ultimatum (2008–2009), written by Jeph Loeb, saw Magneto use Thor’s hammer to reverse Earth’s magnetic poles, causing massive global devastation. Characters like Wolverine, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many others were killed, making it one of the most controversial Marvel events ever. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is, ironically, Ultimatum itself. Cataclysm was a later event involving Galactus attacking the Ultimate Universe, Secret Wars (2015) ended the Ultimate Universe entirely, and Ultimate Fallout dealt with the aftermath of Peter Parker’s death. NEXT → 06 Ultimate Nick Fury was redesigned to look very different from his main universe counterpart. His new appearance was so popular that it influenced a major casting decision in the MCU. Who was Ultimate Nick Fury visually modeled after? ADenzel Washington BWesley Snipes CSamuel L. Jackson DLaurence Fishburne ✓ Correct! Artist Bryan Hitch, with Mark Millar’s approval, deliberately modeled Ultimate Nick Fury after Samuel L. Jackson in The Ultimates. Jackson himself gave permission for his likeness to be used, and was later cast as Nick Fury in the MCU — one of the most perfect comics-to-film casting decisions ever. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Samuel L. Jackson. Bryan Hitch specifically used Jackson’s likeness when redesigning Nick Fury for The Ultimates. Jackson actually gave his blessing, reportedly in exchange for first refusal on any film role — which led to his iconic MCU casting. NEXT → 07 The Ultimate Universe was eventually destroyed during Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars (2015) event, with some characters migrating to the main Marvel universe (Earth-616). Which of these characters did NOT originate in the Ultimate Universe? AMiles Morales BThe Maker (Reed Richards) CKamala Khan DJimmy Hudson ✓ Correct! Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) was created for the main Earth-616 universe, debuting in Captain Marvel #14 (2013) and getting her own series in 2014. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Wolverine’s son) all originated in the Ultimate Universe before crossing over. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is Kamala Khan. She was created by G. Willow Wilson and Sana Amanat for the main Marvel universe (Earth-616), not the Ultimate Universe. Miles Morales, The Maker, and Jimmy Hudson (Ultimate Wolverine’s son) all came from Earth-1610. NEXT → 08 In 2024, Marvel relaunched the Ultimate Universe with a new line of comics set on a reimagined Earth-6160. This new Ultimate Universe features a world where who has secretly controlled everything from behind the scenes? AThanos BThe Maker (Reed Richards) CDoctor Doom DMagneto ✓ Correct! In Jonathan Hickman’s 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch, The Maker (Ultimate Reed Richards) has secretly reshaped Earth-6160 from behind the scenes, preventing many heroes from ever gaining their powers and manipulating global events. The new Ultimate line follows heroes discovering and resisting his hidden influence. ✗ That answer didn’t survive Ultimatum! The answer is The Maker (Reed Richards). In the 2024 Ultimate Universe relaunch by Jonathan Hickman, The Maker has been secretly pulling strings on Earth-6160, suppressing the emergence of superheroes and reshaping the world to his design. He is the central antagonist of the new Ultimate line. REVEAL MY SCORE → Briefing Complete Your Ultimate Clearance / 8 Are you an Ultimate expert — or still reading Earth-616? ↻ TRY AGAIN This all comes before mentioning another solid candidate, It's Jeff by Thompson and Gurihiru, which ultimately won the Eisner Award in 2024 for Best Humor Publication. Its vertical-scrolling format makes it an easy transition, provided Disney and Marvel's continuous partnership with the Webtoon platform enables it. After all, one can reasonably see Marvel's Infinity Comics at one point as the competition, so to have an award-winning hit from its service featured via third-party might be a difficult pill to swallow. But for Jeff, who deserves the widest adoring audience possible, the ball is in Marvel and Webtoon's court on how many stories of his will surface there. Marvel Rivals Systems 8/10 Released December 6, 2024 ESRB T For Teen // Violence Developer(s) NetEase Games Publisher(s) NetEase Games Engine Unreal Engine 5 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op Cross-Platform Play Limited - console crossplay, no PC crossplay Genre(s) Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer A mobile-first digital comics hub that helped popularize the vertical scroll webtoon format. Webtoon mixes professionally-produced Originals with an open self-publishing space where creators can upload episodes, build communities, and earn through programs like ad revenue sharing. It first launched in South Korea under Naver in 2004 and later expanded worldwide, turning serialized comics into an always on pipeline for new stories and breakout creators.