Marvel has signed a multi-year licensing deal with construction toy manufacturer Mega Bloks, Inc., which will enable the Montreal-based toy company to create a comprehensive line of toy products featuring Marvel superheroes.  Mega Bloks has obtained the rights to develop an assortment of playsets, vehicles, and other building-themed products featuring several premiere Marvel classic and movie-based properties including Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America, Daredevil, Silver Surfer, Punisher, Blade and Namor.  The first wave of licensed product offerings is expected to be available at retail in time for the 2004 holiday season.

The fate of LEGO's Spider-Man toys is not known, though Marvel did not use the word 'exclusive' in the Mega Bloks press release.  Like its construction toy competitor LEGO, which has a Hogwarts Castle set and numerous Disney-themed sets, Mega Bloks is adding more licensed items to its lineup -- the latest being a snap-together block kit for the U.S.S Enterprise 1701-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation.