With the release last week of his debut, Marvel Comics' Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1, Lindelof joins a growing fraternity of television and movie writers and directors — as well as best-selling authors — eagerly taking Spider-Man and his brethren for a spin. It's a welcome boost for the comic book industry, which is hoping these new authors' mainstream audiences will come along for the ride.

"It's been a life-long dream of mine to write a comic book and I'm sure it would've been much harder for me to do it the way I did it if not for 'Lost,'" says Lindelof. Among the Hollywood heavyweights living out their cartoon fantasies: "Clerks" director Kevin Smith, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon, "House Party" director Reginald Hudlin, "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer, and "Carnivale" creator Daniel Knauf for Marvel; best-selling novelist Brad Meltzer, "Pi" director Darren Aronofsky — who just released a "director's cut" graphic novel of his latest movie — and "Oz" creator Tom Fontana for DC Comics.

*****

Lindelof, like Heinberg, lets his love of comics influence his television writing, littering his show with comic-book references. (On one episode of "Lost," castaway Hurley can be seen reading a comic book in a flashback sequence; the comic is Incredible Hulk #181, featuring the first appearance of Wolverine — both title characters of Lindelof's comic miniseries.) Industry insiders are banking that some of that fanboy love rubbed off on their viewers.

*****

Lindelof, however, says he writes his comic book scripts from 1 to 5 a.m. on Sundays — the only free time he has from "Lost" — to make sure he meets his deadlines.