BABYMETAL are going on a Marvel comic. The agency hustl. announced that the Japanese trio will appear alongside the Marvel Zombies on a limited-edition variant cover marking the release of "Marvel Zombies: War Zone" (2026) #1.
The collaboration traces back to Marvel Animation's "Marvel Zombies" on Disney+, whose trailer used BABYMETAL's "From Me To U". That song came from "Metal Forth", the band's fourth studio album, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 9 last year — their first US Top 10 record, and the first time any all-Japanese-fronted act has managed it.
The cover is drawn by Phil Noto and limited to 3,500 copies. Pre-orders are open through the Capitol Records online store and, for the hobby market, through hustl. Japanese pre-orders open on September 7. The standard-cover issue reaches comic shops on September 2.
"We are truly honored to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Marvel, a beloved around the world for so many years," the band said. "Gracing a comic book cover alongside Marvel's characters is the best surprise we could have asked for. We hope our fans are as excited as we are!"
hustl. CEO Keri Harris said the fit came from both directions. "BABYMETAL's connection with Marvel and hustl.'s ongoing efforts to authentically connect music, sports, and Marvel drove this collaboration. Phil Noto's art style was perfect for this cover and we are really excited that we were able to work though making this available to fans in the U.S. and Japan."
The comic itself is a siege story. A zombie outbreak overruns Manhattan, Earth's mightiest heroes fall to the virus, and a barrier goes up in haste to contain it — inside which survivors fight a growing horde. One man is not looking to survive but to find out what happened, and he is cutting his way through the city to do it. He is the Punisher, and he has plenty of lead the zombies can eat.
BABYMETAL formed in 2010 and effectively invented kawaii metal, welding J-pop to heavy riffs in a combination nobody had asked for and a great many people turned out to want. Their live shows made their name in Japan first; by 2013 they were opening for RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, KORN and Lady Gaga and carrying that noise to audiences well outside metal. Fronted by Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal, they have widened who gets to stand on a metal stage, and who sees themselves there.
This year brought "Metal Forth (Deluxe Edition)", and a world tour starts this month with stops across major North American cities.