Last night as I was brushing my teeth I was thinking about Marvel Comics. Specifically, I was wondering just who is the most famous of the 5000 characters.

While older folks might remember the Lou Ferrigno The Incredible Hulk series, I bet the kids today skipped the two sub-par Hulk showings to re-watch one of the X-Men movies.

And then, of course, everyone knows Spider-Man.

But wait, does Joe Q. Public even know which super heroes are from Marvel, and which are from DC? (Of course, they're the only two companies who can even make "Super Heroes" - since the 1960s they've co-held the trademark on the phrase).

All this, and I was still brushing.

I climbed into bed and asked my wife, "so do you know the difference between Marvel super heroes and DC super heroes?"

She laughed at me.

And here I thought that was a valid question.

I brought up how Batman and Superman exist in the same universe. Apparently she never gave that idea much thought. My counter argument? The Hanna-Barbera Superfriends show.

"Oh, the one with the Wonder Twins."

(shudder)

"Yeah, but that also had Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman - they're all DC super heroes".

"Oh."

"Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man, they're all from Marvel."

"Do you have a point?"

"Um, I guess I don't. Love you. Good night."

But in truth, I do. Someone, somewhere, must know the Q Score for each of the Marvel characters - if people are aware that say, the Scarlet Witch exists, but also how they feel about her.

Marvel, I'd assume, has a handful of high scores, and a whole ton of low Q Score characters.

Of course, with good coaching these can go up - think Iron Man before Jon Favreau's movie. Shoot, I'm a comic book nerd, and I'd never even read a Iron Man book. But here I am at the movie, cheering.

My wife too.

So maybe it doesn't matter if she doesn't know that Spider-Man and Tony Stark live in the same world (they were supposed to live in the same city, until Favreau moved Shellhead to Malibu). And shoot, because of studio licensing, I doubt Spidey will show up in next year's Iron Man 2.

Maybe it's more important to get the characters out there, often, repeatedly - even if it's just Lou Ferrigno in body paint. Even if there are new, non-canon characters with the power to turn into, say, water, and, the form of a bucket.

Instead of looking for the next Lost maybe ABC could go old school, how about an Avengers show. X-Men, the series? Beat Heroes at their own game (which would be, quite honestly, rather easy).

And just plaster the Disney XD airwaves with old, new, shoot, even paper-cut out episodes of Marvel heroes.

Because without awareness there can't be popularity.

The more I think about it, I think Disney is sitting on a gold mine here.