• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, August 7, 2014

Last fall, Gatorade teamed with DC Entertainment to create "Freaks," digital comics featuring the NFL's J.J. Watt and Cam Newton. The athletes were reimagined as superhero characters dubbed "MegaWatt" and "The Blender," respectively. 

Now, in a new iteration of the campaign, three more NFL star characters have been added — Robert Griffin III ("Triiiple Impact"), Peyton Manning ("The Sheriff") and Eli Manning ("Big Easy") — and the five are collectively being promoted as the "League of Captains."

This time, in addition to their comic books, each superhero character will be featured on his own limited-time Gatorade bottle. The bottles have now been rolled out nationwide at grocery and convenience stores, according to Gatorade.

The digital comics are available on Gatorade.com, along with an area where fans can create their own athlete superheroes, choosing from among various sports, jerseys, hair styles and other options.  

There's also an online contest in which fans can vie to win their own comic cover, drawn by a DC Entertainment artist, by submitting photos of themselves in action during a game or practice that illustrate how they "win from within."  

In addition, limited-edition hard-copy comics featuring Cam Newton as "The Blender" will be passed out at the pre-season Panthers vs. Bills game on Aug. 8.