Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter Donates $1M To Gassy Jack O’Lantern Donald Trump

Donald Trump held a special pity party on Thursday night after running scared from a Republican debate because he doesn't like outspoken women. Ditching the debate because broadcaster Fox refused to bow to his demands to bench moderator Megyn Kelly, the racist Cheeto bloviated to adoring fans at an event intended to raise money for wounded veterans, though the money is routed through Trump's own Donald J. Trump Foundation, which hasn't been noticeably generous to veterans in the past.

Among the chief donors to the fundraiser were billionaires Ike and Laura Perlmutter, who gave Trump $1 million, or one sixth of the total amount raised on the night. Ike Perlmutter is the reclusive CEO of Marvel Entertainment, who avoids publicity and either doesn't like having photos taken or doesn't show up in them. Trump thanked Perlmutter personally from the podum, referring to him as "Ike Perlmutter from Marvel" and calling him, "One of the great, great men of our country in terms of business and talent."

As a private citizen, Perlmutter is welcome to use his hard-earned billions however he sees fit, and the money is a charitable donation rather than a political one. It's also a de facto endorsement of Trump, as it allows Trump to cite Perlmutter as a supporter.

Marvel usually likes to put its name in front of any big production it's paying for, but on this occasion the publisher would probably rather Trump hadn't mentioned it by name, as a high profile association with Trump is likely to trouble some fans. The celebrity politician and possible future despot of America has expressed the sort of views usually reserved for the out-of-character superheroes in a Civil War comic, and his proudly petty-minded embrace of racist, sexist, xenophobic, Islamophobic ignorance makes him exactly the sort of character Marvel heroes are meant to take down.

In fact, Marvel does have a supervillain called Trump; a craven and amoral showman with wig-like hair, created by Steven Grant and Geof Isherwood in the pages of Daredevil back in 1984. The obscure also-ran has been bested by Daredevil, Captain America, Moon Knight, and even fellow villain Black Mamba, who sought revenge on him after he stuck her with the bill on their date. The two Trumps should not be confused; the real life Trump is obviously much worse.