We’ve been writing a lot about bed bug humor (and even included a clever routine from a stand up comic in our first blog on this topic), but now we’re turning our attention to a different kind of bed bug comic: comic books!

We were big comic book fans when we were young and enjoy all the summer movie blockbusters. We confess though – we stopped reading comics in the 1980s because it was tough to follow plotlines such as having the the X-Men die and move to Australia.

Comic book writers have always stayed topical with references to World War II in the 1940s to the Cold War (The Watchmen)  and of all things the controversy as to whether Paul McCartney was dead. (Batman was on the case.)  Comics have also long been a source for social commentary, most prominently the X-Men, the same heroes who died and moved to Australia.

Now we’re quite interested that Bed Bugs have become a significant plot point and part of some of our favorite comics.

Marvel Comics bit with its plotline in which the Jackal unleashed genetically-engineered bed bugs to pass on Spider-Man-like powers to thousands of citizens in Manhattan, building up to the “Spider-Island” storyline.

See the Wikipedia entry on this villain and the Spider Island plot line for an explanation.

DC Comics created Bedbug as a villain in Batman.  Bedbug is able to control people or “Sleepers” by using bedbug insects to infect their minds while they sleep. Once the insects have latched onto the victim, Bedbug then directs the Sleeper to perform various tasks such as robberies. The Sleeper does this while in a sleep walking state and remembers nothing afterwards.  Using the bedbugs, Bedbug is able to create an army of mindless drones by taking over the minds of civilians.

DC also rebooted it’s entire universe, and two writers pointed out that Bed Bugs will be a new villain or at least a source of trouble in the new Superman series.

Jurgens: It is worth noting we are introducing — and we probably should have mentioned this right off the get-go — in terms of a heavy-hitting new villain within the DC Universe, all I can say is: bed bugs.

Giffen: There we go! [Laughs]

I can already hear the Internet trying to figure out what that means!

Giffen: And that’s an ongoing plotline. That’s not one issue, we’re done!

Jurgens: No, that’s an arc in of itself!

See the whole interview here.

Yes, Bed Bugs are top of mind for all consumers of pop culture, and even made appearances on Simon Cowell’s X-Factor, and The Office earlier this year, but we don’t expect their reach to go as far as a plot point in The Dark Knight Rises.