Ralston Foods Summons Spider-Man

Ralston Foods hopes its new Spider Man cereal will take on supermarkets like a true superhero.

Ralston Foods, a subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings Inc., will bring Spider-Man cereal to supermarket shelves in August. The product is a mixture of web-shaped sweetened rice cereal and marshmallow pieces in four shapes familiar to Spider-Man fans.

While Ralston captured more than 6 percent of the cereal market in the past with a lineup of licensed cereal brands ranging from Batman to Barbie, most of the products disappeared from the supermarket shelves in under six months.

The company is planning an all-out promotion to help ensure that Spider-Man will last longer.