Iron Maiden and comic book powerhouse Marvel have joined forces to release a unique new merchandise collection.

Launching in time for Christmas, the assortment of apparel and accessories intertwines the universes of both brands, highlighting iconic Marvel characters and the classic rock band’s notorious Eddie character.

Designs pay tribute to Wolverine, Venom, Thanos and Deadpool in unique variations of some of Iron Maiden’s iconic album and single covers, such as ‘Fear Of The Dark’, ‘The Trooper’ and ‘Killers’.

“Eddie has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest super-heroes and we’re also pretty proud of the Worlds we created for his many incarnations – from battlefields to Egyptian tombs to frozen icescapes or futuristic cities,” Rod Smallwood, Iron Maiden’s manager, said in a statement.

“Juxtaposing some of the most recognisable characters in pop art and comic book culture into planet Maiden has been an ambition of ours for years and working with Marvel and their unparalleled character-based IP is the perfect fit in this day & age.”

He added: “To see such iconic characters alongside Eddie is something our fans have discussed for years and we think that the twist of placing Venom, Thanos, Thor or Deadpool in our Maiden worlds will excite fans of both cultures.”

You can see some of the designs below:

“Marvel is cool and aspirational, and has inspired the greatest artists, musicians and creators for more than 80 years,” said Paul Gitter, SVP of Marvel Licensing. “This collaboration offers another exciting example of how the Marvel brand continues to push into lifestyle areas, with music being a top priority, and the collection allows fans to pay tribute to our iconic characters, while celebrating the legendary, Iron Maiden.”

Meanwhile, a Canadian high school principal who recently made global headlines after exposing herself as an Iron Maiden fan will keep her job, despite “concerned parents” calling for her removal.

Sharon Burns – principal of Eden High School in St. Catherines, Ontario – was recently criticised after sharing two images on social media, one of which showed her posing in-front of an Iron Maiden banner and license plate whilst throwing a ‘horns up’ gesture, and the other featuring a figure of the band’s mascot, Eddie, sitting alongside a handwritten note saying “Eddie 666” inside a love heart.

As previously reported, a group of parents started a Change.org petition to transfer Burns to another school, writing that they were “deeply disturbed that the principal assigned to the school blatantly showed Satanic symbols and her allegiance to Satanic practices on her public social media platforms where all the students can see them under.”

A counter-petition titled ‘We need Mrs. Burns’ amassed over 24,500 signatures at the time of writing. A representative of Burns has since confirmed that the principal will remain in her role.