The first red flag should’ve been Stan Lee’s involvement with something new.

A Santa Monica judge has ruled in favor of a company that was defrauded for $500,000 by a producer who tricked it into investing in a bizarre failed marketing scheme for the National Hockey League. Filmula Entertainment was approached by Aldo LaPietra in 2012, with promises that the NHL’s “Guardian Project”—a Stan Lee-fronted effort to give each team in the league its own Lee-derived superhero—was alive and well, with involvement from NBCUniversal and funding for a potential feature film. In truth, the project had flopped months earlier, hence the court order today that Filmula’s money be returned.

All the characters are centered around each team’s name, not leaving much wiggle-room for creativity. The Blackhawk has the power to control wind, The King has the ability to cause earthquakes, which Californians must love, and The Penguin has the power to nearly chop off opponent’s fingers and not be penalized. Looking at you, Crosby.

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