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Marvel Entertainment Inc., home of famed comic book characters such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four, was purchased by Walt Disney Co. today.

The deal did not come cheap – Walt Disney Studios shelled out $4 billion in cash and stock to own the comic book catalogue consisting of more than 5,000 characters, some of which were created by legendary Stan Lee.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters . . . with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company in a press release.

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BMG and Warner have been secretly discussing a possible merger for the two music giants, according to Reuters.

If the two companies were to merge, it would create the world’s second largest music company, behind Universal Music, and include artists such as Britney Spears, Madonna, and Santana.

“Both sides still want to do the deal and are moving ahead with talks,” said one source familiar with the negotiations to Reuters.

Currently, BMG has 11.1% of the market, while Warner Music has 11.9%. It is rumoured that if the merger were to happen, it will be completed by the end of the month.