Source: comicbook.com

3. NFL Superpro

(Marvel Comics)

Twelve issues. TWELVE Issues. THAT’S MORE THAN STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK HAD!

In the ’90s, Marvel and the National Football League stuck a deal to create a new comic book character to sway comic book fans toward football and vice versa. It didn’t work.

Phil Grayfield’s promising football career ended with an injury, so he switched to the lucrative career of sports reporting. But after a violent incident, Phil found himself in possession of an enhanced supersuit that boosted his abilities to a superheroic degree.

In short, he's now a super powerful Football Man named The Superpro, which is a misnomer since he's…y'know, not a pro football player? But whatever. The comic added NFL branding, and there's your silly branded comic character. Sadly, we haven't seen much – or any – of Superpro in decades, but I'm holding out hope.

Why He Wasn't Bigger: Look, the crossover audience isn't there. There are tons of football fans who love comics but none of them want to read about a superhero football player. And it turns out that people who aren't into football also don't want that.