Empire State University (also known as
ESU) is a
fictional university in the
Marvel Comics Universe, modeled after
Columbia University. It is located somewhere in
New York City, likely in
Greenwich Village near the site of
New York University. Many Marvel Comics characters, especially those associated with
Spider-Man, have either attended or worked at the university. It first appeared in
Amazing Spider-Man #31.
Fictional history
Notable students
Victor von Doom was invited to come from
Latveria to study at Empire State, where he met
Reed Richards. He was expelled after the accidental explosion that scarred his face.
Johnny Storm, the
Human Torch, attended Empire State University. He was expelled and then
sued after he accidentally burned part of a building down while engaged in a battle with supervillains.
A young
Emma Frost also attended ESU in her late teens. She was there when an anti-
mutant strike broke out.
Later,
X-Man Chamber enrolled briefly at ESU in order to investigate a bombing that killed six people. Chamber's findings resulted in ESU closing their main mutant program, and creating a new human/mutant student exchange program with the
Xavier Institute. The first participants of this program were Walter—Chamber's paraplegic, human dorm-mate—and Amber, a reptilian mutant student who assisted...
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