Empire State University

:"for the actual colleges with similar names, see also Empire State College and Emporia State University"Infobox comics location


imagesize =
caption =
publisher = Marvel Comics
debut = "The Amazing Spider-Man" #31
creators =
type =
university=y
residents =
races =
locations =
subcat = Marvel Comics
altcat =
sortkey = PAGENAME

Empire State University (also known as ESU) is a fictional university in the Marvel Comics Universe, modeled after Columbia University [cite web|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/06/12/spider-man-meets-the-hulk-the-cross-over-that-almost-was-but-wasnt/|title=Spider-Man Meets the Hulk|publisher=MTV.com|accessdate=2008-06-15] . It is located somewhere in New York City, likely in Greenwich Village near the site of New York University.cite book | last = Sanderson | first = Peter | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City | publisher = Pocket Books | date = 2007 | location = New York City | pages = 30-33 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 1-14653-141-6] Many Marvel Comics characters, especially those associated with Spider-Man, have either attended or worked at the university. It first appeared in "Amazing Spider-Man" #31.

Fictional history

Notable students

Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, attended Empire State University. He was expelled and then sued after he accidentally burned part of a building downComic book reference | Writer = Tom DeFalco & Paul Ryan | Penciller = Paul Ryan | Inker = Danny Bulanadi | Story = This Flame, This Fury | Title = Fantastic Four | Issue = 371 | Date = December 1992 | Publisher = Marvel Comics | ] while engaged in a battle with supervillains.

A young Emma Frost also attended ESU in her late teensComic book reference | Writer = Karl Bollers | Penciller = Adriana Melo | Inker = Eric Cannon, Sean Parsons & Andrew Pepoy | Story = Bloom Part 1 | Title = Emma Frost | Issue = 13 | Date = September 2004 | Publisher = Marvel Comics | ] . She was there when an anti-mutant strike broke out.

Later, X-Man Chamber enrolled briefly at ESU in order to investigate a bombing that killed six people. Chamber's findings resulted in ESU closing their main mutant program, and creating a new human/mutant student exchange program with the Xavier Institute. The first participants of this program were Walter—Chamber's paraplegic, human dorm-mate—and Amber, a reptilian mutant student who assisted Chamber in his investigationComic book reference | Writer = Brian K. Vaughan | Penciller = Lee Ferguson | Inker = Norm Rapmund | Story = The Hollow Man Chapter 1 | Title = X-Men Icons: Chamber | Issue = 1 | Date = October 2002 | Publisher = Marvel Comics | ] .

taff, students, and faculty

taff

tudent body

Current

Location

Depictions of the university's location have been vague, although maps published in the "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" depict the university as being near Washington Square Park, on or near the site of New York University. In the 2002 "Chamber" miniseries, the main character dorms in Empire State's Brittany Hall, the name of a real dorm at NYU.

In other media

Television

In "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends", the university is sometimes shown as Empire State University and sometimes shown as Eastern State University.

Empire State is featured in "The Spectacular Spider-Man" as the college where Eddie Brock attends and works as a lab assistant under Dr. Curt Connors.

Films

*In the film "Spider-Man 2", Peter Parker attends Columbia University and not ESU, although in "", which is set in between the first two Spider-Man movies, he, Mary Jane and Harry attend ESU. In "Spider-Man 3", Robbie Robertson declares that the "Empire State Photography Department" confirms that Eddie Brock's picture of Spider-Man stealing money from a bank in black clothing is a fake.

*In the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner and Betty Ross meet researcher Samuel Sterns at ESU, where Sterns has been working on a possible cure for Banner's transformations into the Hulk.

Games

*In the game "", Doctor Octopus kidnaps Aunt May and holds her hostage in the university.

*In "The Incredible Hulk" (2008), the subplot with Samuel Sterns at ESU is adapted from the film that the game is based on. Empire State University is also a marked location on the game's map screen, one of many that the player must destroy to earn certain collectible items.

*In the game adaptions of the first two Spider-Man films, the Empire State Building can be seen and visited. In the first movie-based game, a boss battle must be fought with the Vulture. In the second, feathers from the fight can be found atop the building when climbed.

References