Sports and fandom go hand in hand, but it is rare when the world of professional sports collides with pursuits that stereotypically attract individuals who don’t care much for big game action (with years of Charles Atlas “sand kicked in your face” workout program advertisements in the backs of comics as proof positive of this).
While many arenas host Marvel Super Hero or Star Wars Nights these days, and many fans (especially younger ones) adore both sports and imaginary heroes, back in 1991, there was little room for his type of crossover…until Marvel Comics and the National Football League combined forces for the introduction of NFL SuperPro!
NFL SuperPro debuted shortly after Super Bowl XXV (which saw the New York Giants defeat the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in one of the best Super Bowls ever) with a prestige format Super Bowl Special one-shot (with an impressive cover by Joe Jusko for $3.95), which was later reprinted in September of 1991 with the “Super Bowl” dropped from the title (and with a more affordable $2.00 price tag).
Even before his comic debut, the NFL tried to promote the coming of SuperPro in their NFL Pro Set trading card series from 1990 with a special insert card, profiling the charging hero against a yellow background (and in case you are wondering, “Super Fans” can still pick up the rare collectible on ebay for about $3.00).
October 1991 would see the official start to an ongoing series starring former football star and current journalist Phil Grayfield who, like most Marvel heroes, gets accidentally doused in an experimental serum that triples his reflexes, speed, agility, strength and stamina, allowing the investigative reporter to assume the identity of SuperPro!
The creative team of Fabian Nicieza, Jose Delbo, Bob Hall, Mike DeCarlo, Tom Morgan and Kim DeMulder guided Grayfield over the course of the first issues, which put Grayfield on the case against steroids, gangsters, and gamblers with his new found powers, as well as his Iron Man-style football armor.
The first half of SuperPro’s run included battles with Quick Kick (a Samurai?), the time travelling Instant Replay (who sort of qualifies as his arch nemesis, appearing in the series twice), and the Head Hunters (guest starring Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and titled “Hammered by the Head Hunters (with Lawrence Taylor)” which may be an inside joke or an unfortunate title based on Taylor’s checkered past with substance abuse).
Nicieza left the book after six issues, allowing Evan Skolnick, Matthew Morra, Paula Foye, and Buzz Dixon to guide SuperPro (with Delbo and DeCarlo continuing on the comics, and other artists such as Herb Trimpe, Don Hudson, and Joe Sinnott helping out).
The first issue of the non-Nicieza run (issue seven) would see SuperPro take a page from Captain Planet and stand up against tree-chopping villain Ripsaw in the Amazon Rain Forest, showing the Pro’s dedication to righting all crimes, whether they were sports-related or not.
Speaking of other sports, SuperPro also saw the protagonist combat many villains with origins or abilities in other sports (perhaps to emphasize football and the NFL’s dominance over the competition) such as soccer, hockey, and baseball.
As far as guest stars and recognizable villains, the footballer would team-up with Spider-Man and Captain America and contend with Crossbones and the Constrictor.
The SupePro’s adventures sadly wrapped up in September of 1992 when sales, and the NFL’s contract with Marvel ended, bringing to a close one of the oddest comics in history.
Will we see a SuperPro return in the future? Highly unlikely, but the much maligned hero is an interesting footnote from a bygone era, as he continues to haunt dollar boxes and the memories of hard core comic fans everywhere.