First 50 years of Marvel appreciation (1939-1989)

An appreciation thread for the material Marvel published in their first half-century of existence.

Their comics published during this time include:

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963)

Fantastic Four (1961)

The X-Men/The Uncanny X-Men (1963)

The Avengers (1963)

Daredevil (1964)

Journey into Mystery/Thor (1952)

Tales to Astonish/The Incredible Hulk (1959)

Tales of Suspense/Captain America (1959)

Iron Man (1968)

Marvel Tales Annual/Marvel Tales (1964)

Conan the Barbarian (1970)

The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976)

The Savage Sword of Conan (1974)

Kid Colt/Kid Colt Outlaw (1948)

Wolverine (1988)

Marvel Comics Presents (1988)

Strange Tales/Doctor Strange (1951)

G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero (1982)

The Defenders (1972)

Marvel Team-Up (1972)

X-Factor (1986)

Silver Surfer (1987)

Millie the Model Comics/Millie the Model (1945)

Marvel Age (1983)

Rawhide Kid/The Rawhide Kid (1955)

Alpha Flight (1983)

Web of Spider-Man (1985)

Excalibur (1988)

Two-Gun Kid/Two Gun Kid (1948)

Patsy Walker (1945)

Sergio Aragonés Groo the Wanderer (1985)

Sgt. Fury/Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos (1963)

What If...? (1989)

Patsy and Hedy (1952)

Special Marvel Edition/Master of Kung Fu (1971)

Star Wars (1977)

The Punisher (1987)

Ideal/Love Romances (1948)

Marvel Two-in-One (1974)

The New Mutants (1983)

Conan Saga (1987)

Crazy Magazine (1973)

Fantasy Masterpieces/Marvel Super-Heroes (1966)

Marvel Comics/Marvel Mystery Comics/Marvel Tales (1939)

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme (1988)

The 'Nam (1986)

Miss America Comics/Miss America Magazine/Miss America (1944)

Doctor Strange (1974)

Ghost Rider (1973)

The Punisher War Journal (1988)

The Transformers (1984)

ROM (1979)

Ok, but they published way more than that.

Here are the early Marvel Titles, before it was called Marvel but Timely Comics, Then Atlas, from 1939 to 1961, when it the became Marvel:

[URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Timely_and_Atlas_Comics_publications"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Timely_and_Atlas_Comics_publications[/URL]

Here are more lesser known titles by Marvel from the 70's

[URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_comics_magazines_published_by_Magazine_Management_in_the_1970s"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_comics_magazines_published_by_Magazine_Management_in_the_1970s[/URL]

And for all the Marvel main hereos early titles from Marvel:

[URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Ultimate_Collection,_Complete_Epic_and_Epic_Collection_lines"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Ultimate_Collection,_Complete_Epic_and_Epic_Collection_lines[/URL]

[CENTER][SIZE=4][COLOR="#0000FF"]How fans of comics from the 80s and 90s built decades of readers[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[video=youtube;culoAdYuGrM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=culoAdYuGrM[/video][/CENTER]

[CENTER][SIZE=5][COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Tales of Suspense #64[/I] Apr 1965[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]"Among Us, Wreckers Dwell!"[/SIZE]
The combo of Omar and Sando have become a popular stage performance,
with their ability to not only predict the future, but also have it appear in a crystal ball.
During a recent show, they predict that an envoy of US tanks
will be destroyed, a prediction that apparently comes true.

This catches the attention of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes
who decide to investigate the show further by sneaking back stage.
Finding Omar and Sando's refusal to speak to the press curious, they notice that
one female reporter manages to sneak into Sando and Omar's dressing room.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/HhgPL-R6EyRol_lTJSa9CzVwPNDvvyNVDlRK_ZGUPno4lf2ieNuSDXIWrCUQiH1IXK7v5ngaF6R3=s1600[/IMG]
Changing into Captain America and Bucky in order to snoop further, they find that all
the images sent to the crystal ball come from a projection booth, realizing the show is a hoax.
Cap and Bucky attack Sando and Omar and soon find themselves fighting Nazi spies as well and having to protect the female reporter.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/tu2KIhftOBS0J4kXen_66_6rXdDYwUcyRvM5QEwImamEAGINggvWJmDQGzjEJAqC6X9RXK_kWscO=s1600[/IMG]
Defeating them all, and learning that Omar was a helpless victim being used by Sando, Captain America
also learns that the woman in peril wasn't a reporter at all but a government agent known only as Agent 13.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/8SS5dVgYz3hTnrw9eNfPlGi__QDD7YbSW_yAiYQMu0LOVTDQJMf0WgTcPqIMc_svg6OWs5y7uyHk=s1600[/IMG]
With the enemy agents all rounded up, Captain America and Bucky resume their civilian guises and return back to base.

[B][SIZE=1]NOTE: [COLOR="#A52A2A"]This is a re-telling of "Case No. 2" from[/COLOR] [COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Captain America Comics #1[/I] March 1941[/COLOR].
Dialogue and scenes have been altered from its original story. [COLOR="#FF0000"]Agent 13's real name is Betsy Ross.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

[B]Script[/B] by Stan Lee, [B]pencils[/B] by Jack Kirby, [B]inks[/B] by Frank Giacoia (as Frank Ray)[/CENTER]

[QUOTE=616MarvelYear is LeapYear;4925342][CENTER][SIZE=5][COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Tales of Suspense #64[/I] Apr 1965[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]"Among Us, Wreckers Dwell!"[/SIZE]
The combo of Omar and Sando have become a popular stage performance,
with their ability to not only predict the future, but also have it appear in a crystal ball.
During a recent show, they predict that an envoy of US tanks
will be destroyed, a prediction that apparently comes true.

This catches the attention of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes
who decide to investigate the show further by sneaking back stage.
Finding Omar and Sando's refusal to speak to the press curious, they notice that
one female reporter manages to sneak into Sando and Omar's dressing room.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/HhgPL-R6EyRol_lTJSa9CzVwPNDvvyNVDlRK_ZGUPno4lf2ieNuSDXIWrCUQiH1IXK7v5ngaF6R3=s1600[/IMG]
Changing into Captain America and Bucky in order to snoop further, they find that all
the images sent to the crystal ball come from a projection booth, realizing the show is a hoax.
Cap and Bucky attack Sando and Omar and soon find themselves fighting Nazi spies as well and having to protect the female reporter.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/tu2KIhftOBS0J4kXen_66_6rXdDYwUcyRvM5QEwImamEAGINggvWJmDQGzjEJAqC6X9RXK_kWscO=s1600[/IMG]
Defeating them all, and learning that Omar was a helpless victim being used by Sando, Captain America
also learns that the woman in peril wasn't a reporter at all but a government agent known only as Agent 13.
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/8SS5dVgYz3hTnrw9eNfPlGi__QDD7YbSW_yAiYQMu0LOVTDQJMf0WgTcPqIMc_svg6OWs5y7uyHk=s1600[/IMG]
With the enemy agents all rounded up, Captain America and Bucky resume their civilian guises and return back to base.

[B][SIZE=1]NOTE: [COLOR="#A52A2A"]This is a re-telling of "Case No. 2" from[/COLOR] [COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Captain America Comics #1[/I] March 1941[/COLOR].
Dialogue and scenes have been altered from its original story. [COLOR="#FF0000"]Agent 13's real name is Betsy Ross.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

[B]Script[/B] by Stan Lee, [B]pencils[/B] by Jack Kirby, [B]inks[/B] by Frank Giacoia (as Frank Ray)[/CENTER][/QUOTE]

Ah, didn’t know about this re-telling. Thanks!

[CENTER][SIZE=5][COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Avengers #134[/I] Apr 1975[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]"The Times That Bind!"[/SIZE]
Continuing from last issue... Mantis, Thor, Iron Man and Hawkeye
continue to learn the early history of the Kree and Cotati races.
How the Cotati survived the genocide created by the Kree,
and that a pacifist sect of the Kree called the Priests of Pama were formed
and would eventually care for the now immobile Cotati.

Elsewhere the Vision continues to see the history of the Human Torch.
How a nuclear bomb explosion soon was bringing the Torch's life to an end,
and so after one last mission with his partner Toro,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/mVYadZRtSNGOKMsJepOXM2IqIEqNfG-xEUwciRpNbbS_u4n4l9221GhfD4bS_LLbbXHKm5UUvWZ3=s1600[/IMG]
went out to the desert where his flame finally burned out of control and his body was lost.

Back on Earth, Moondragon has arrived at Avengers Mansion, answering the Avengers summons of Captain Mar-Vell.
Upon her arrival she learns that the other Avengers were last seen in Viet Nam.
When trying to get the Scarlet Witch to help, the Witch instead attacks Moon Dragon
to a standstill before returning to her room to study magic further.

Back in time, Vision sees recent history where the Mad Thinker came across the body
of the Human Torch and repaired it and used it as a weapon against his foes the Fantastic Four,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/KUNxHsv5Xk1rtMOj2J4nsDT3Hb5s26gwaMcoq-_toX52q2Yx4oZ_55E-ilwAzBnMoAKnMME0PZ2K=s1600[/IMG]
putting the android Human Torch up against his successor, the young Johnny Storm.
A battle that eventually saw the defeat of the Mad Thinker and the Human Torch android,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/rnDA4ennH0Id0HrfFafOpzeQv9eZkIAJLSHqkhvw6GkyEleB243j-uN-Jt1i7_a_uAYczNnpDZ6Q=s1600[/IMG]
which was left behind in the Thinkers lab and presumed dead.

While the other Avengers learn of the Priests exile from Hala,
and their discovery of the creature known as Star Stalker,
and how they used their knowledge on how to defeat the Stalker
to appeal to the Supreme Intelligence to allow them to travel the universe
and setup on planets likely to be targets of the Star Stalker,
using the time back on Hala to collect the Cotati of Hala and transplant them on different worlds.

After this final revelation is made the Avengers are returned to Viet Nam where they are
informed by Libra and the spectre of Swordsman that the coming of the Celestial Madonna is neigh.

[B]Script[/B] by Steve Englehart. [B]Art[/B] by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finishes).[/CENTER]

[QUOTE=616MarvelYear is LeapYear;4932880][CENTER][SIZE=5][COLOR="#0000FF"][I]Avengers #134[/I] Apr 1975[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]"The Times That Bind!"[/SIZE]
Continuing from last issue... Mantis, Thor, Iron Man and Hawkeye
continue to learn the early history of the Kree and Cotati races.
How the Cotati survived the genocide created by the Kree,
and that a pacifist sect of the Kree called the Priests of Pama were formed
and would eventually care for the now immobile Cotati.

Elsewhere the Vision continues to see the history of the Human Torch.
How a nuclear bomb explosion soon was bringing the Torch's life to an end,
and so after one last mission with his partner Toro,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/mVYadZRtSNGOKMsJepOXM2IqIEqNfG-xEUwciRpNbbS_u4n4l9221GhfD4bS_LLbbXHKm5UUvWZ3=s1600[/IMG]
went out to the desert where his flame finally burned out of control and his body was lost.

Back on Earth, Moondragon has arrived at Avengers Mansion, answering the Avengers summons of Captain Mar-Vell.
Upon her arrival she learns that the other Avengers were last seen in Viet Nam.
When trying to get the Scarlet Witch to help, the Witch instead attacks Moon Dragon
to a standstill before returning to her room to study magic further.

Back in time, Vision sees recent history where the Mad Thinker came across the body
of the Human Torch and repaired it and used it as a weapon against his foes the Fantastic Four,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/KUNxHsv5Xk1rtMOj2J4nsDT3Hb5s26gwaMcoq-_toX52q2Yx4oZ_55E-ilwAzBnMoAKnMME0PZ2K=s1600[/IMG]
putting the android Human Torch up against his successor, the young Johnny Storm.
A battle that eventually saw the defeat of the Mad Thinker and the Human Torch android,
[IMG]https://2.bp.blogspot.com/rnDA4ennH0Id0HrfFafOpzeQv9eZkIAJLSHqkhvw6GkyEleB243j-uN-Jt1i7_a_uAYczNnpDZ6Q=s1600[/IMG]
which was left behind in the Thinkers lab and presumed dead.

While the other Avengers learn of the Priests exile from Hala,
and their discovery of the creature known as Star Stalker,
and how they used their knowledge on how to defeat the Stalker
to appeal to the Supreme Intelligence to allow them to travel the universe
and setup on planets likely to be targets of the Star Stalker,
using the time back on Hala to collect the Cotati of Hala and transplant them on different worlds.

After this final revelation is made the Avengers are returned to Viet Nam where they are
informed by Libra and the spectre of Swordsman that the coming of the Celestial Madonna is neigh.

[B]Script[/B] by Steve Englehart. [B]Art[/B] by Sal Buscema (layouts) and Joe Staton (finishes).[/CENTER][/QUOTE]

Interesting.

Nobody could draw faces like Ditko and Kirby. And man oh man could they tell some stories.