HIT MARVEL SERIES "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN" THWIPS INTO SEASON TWO WITH A SPECIAL ONE-HOUR PRIMETIME PREMIERE ON MONDAY, JANUARY 21 ON DISNEY XD

-- "Marvel Comics Close-Up" Interstitials Promoting Literacy To Debut --

Hit Marvel animated series "Ultimate Spider-Man" thwips into season two with a special one-hour primetime premiere on MONDAY, JANUARY 21 (7:00 - 8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD, it was announced today by David Levine, Vice President and General Manager, Disney XD Worldwide and Jeph Loeb, Executive Vice President, Marvel Television. The thrilling two part premiere introduces fans to two of Spider-Man's most iconic villains - the Lizard (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker of Disney's "Phineas and Ferb") and Electro. As Spidey and his team - Nova, White Tiger, Iron Fist and Power Man - battle these menacing super villains, a sinister force is secretly assembling to try and spell their defeat. New episodes of Marvel's "Ultimate Spider-Man" will premiere Sundays at 11:00 a.m., ET/PT on Marvel Universe on Disney XD.

"Marvel Comics Close-Up," a series of interstitials hosted by Joe Quesada (Marvel's Chief Creative Officer) and Dylan Riley Snyder ("Kickin' It") encouraging kids to read, will debut during the premiere of "Ultimate Spider-Man" on Disney XD with free digital Marvel comics available on DisneyXD.com/comics. The interstitials will take fans deeper into the Marvel Universe by giving viewers an inside look at 10 compelling Marvel Comics, featuring popular Marvel characters, including Spider-Man and the Avengers, and acclaimed comic book creators and artists. The legendary Marvel Comics span iconic super hero comics such as "Ultimate Spider-Man #7," "Invincible Iron Man #7," "Hulk #3," "Thor #364" and "Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #16."

Season two of Marvel's "Ultimate Spider-Man" will follow Spidey and the young heroes as they encounter the ultimate battle between good and evil. But they're not alone, as Spider-Man unites with the stars of the upcoming animated series "Marvel's Avengers Assemble"-- Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Hulk and, for the very first time, Hawkeye. For the first time, they will confront the most threatening assembly of super villains ever seen in animation, the Sinister Six -- uniquely comprised of Rhino, Kraven The Hunter, Lizard, Electro, Beetle and a secret sixth member. Our heroes will also face the return of Loki as he seeks revenge on the web-crawler after their previous unforgettable encounter. Spidey's limits will be tested in this inevitable collision course with his greatest foes, both old and new.

On DisneyXD.com/Marvel, an "Ultimate Spider Cycle" game will be unveiled, where players navigate bustling city streets to find antidote vials in a race against time to catch up to Venom and save Spider-Man's best friend, Harry.

2012 to date, "Ultimate Spider Man" is Disney XD's #1 animated series in Boys 6-14 (205,000/1.1 rating), Boys 9-14 (132,000/1.1 rating) and Boys 2-11 (211,000/1.0 rating). [Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, 12/26/11-12/9/12, trackage data, most current]

"Ultimate Spider-Man" is produced by Marvel Animation and carries a TV-Y7-FV parental guideline.

The award-winning creative team consists of executive producers: Alan Fine, Dan Buckley, Joe Quesada and Jeph Loeb; co-executive producers: Stan Lee, Eric Radomski, Man of Action - Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau and Steven T. Seagle, Dana Booton and Cort Lane; creative consultant: Paul Dini; and consulting producer: Brian Michael Bendis.

"Ultimate Spider-Man" stars Drake Bell as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride as Nick Fury, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, Steven Weber as Norman Osborn, Greg Cipes as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, Ogie Banks as Luke Cage/Power Man, Caitlyn Taylor Love as Ava Ayala/White Tiger, Logan Miller as Sam Alexander/Nova, Tom Kenny as Doctor Octopus, Matt Lanter as Harry Osborn/Flash Thompson, Tara Strong as Mary-Jane Watson, Misty Lee as Aunt May and recurring guest star, Stan Lee, as Stan the Janitor.

Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. For more information, visit http://www.DisneyXD.com/.

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit http://www.marvel.com/.