Sets a new standard for exploring the government-Hollywood relationship as it persuasively documents the critical role different government agencies have played in shaping characters, stories, and even the ideas behind the hottest entertainment products.

A highly original exploration of how the government-entertainment complex has influenced the world's most popular movie genre--superhero films. This book documents the critical role the Department of Defense, NASA, the Science and Entertainment Exchange and, to a lesser extent, the FBI and the CIA play in shaping characters, stories, and even the ideas behind the hottest entertainment products.