Sep. 3--If Marvel Entertainment found inspiration in Silicon Valley, perhaps we'd thrill to the adventures of Appleman, the Oracle and the Dynamically Googly Duo. Entrepreneurs, as venture capitalists seem trained to say, are the true heroes of technology and deserve the glory.

VCs are more interested in the money, but they don't mind the glory part, either.

This week, SuperVC Vinod Khosla wowed the valley with the announcement of two new funds totaling more than $1 billion, with an emphasis on clean tech. Meanwhile, in the less-flashy realm of corporate boardrooms, Accel Partners' Jim Breyer burnished his own alpha dude reputation. He was a player in Disney's $4 billion blockbuster acquisition of Marvel and Raytheon's purchase of Internet pioneer BBN Technologies. The two deals closed within a span of 24 hours.

Breyer may be best known these days for his association with Facebook. He smartly guided Accel's early investment in the social-networking Web site and wrote a hefty personal check, too. As a member of Facebook's board, he's helped steer its business strategy, including its alliance with Microsoft.

He's on the board of directors at such heavyweight companies as Dell and Wal-Mart Stores and he was involved in the creation of Walmart.com in 2000. His portfolio of notable investments also includes Brightcove, an online video platform, and Etsy, the popular online marketplace for handcrafted

goods.

He's a busy guy. But whenever I've encountered him, he's seemed affable and thoroughly enjoying himself. Then again, what's not to like about playing in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am? Or being a part owner of the Boston Celtics?

Marvel, the creator of comic-book heroes like Spider-Man, the Hulk, Ironman and the Fantastic Four, seems like fun, too. The company has been around for ages. It's hardly a tech startup, so how did Breyer become not only a Marvel director but also the board's founding chairman of its Strategic Planning Committee?

It's all about executing a strategy, evidently. And first comes some strategic thinking about strategy.

Breyer told the Mercury News that Accel has for several years taken a "proactive" approach to online investments. In developing what he called a "prepared mind," Breyer said the firm has looked for "media and entertainment companies that could use social networks and the consumer Internet for additional leverage in the distribution of their content.