What would you say are the underrated Marvel gems of the '80s?

[K7P5V]

Wasn't G.I. Joe even outselling X-Men at marvel for a period of time?

Transformers was also shockingly more dark than the animated cartoon series for a child. (Issue 4 ended with 98% of the heroes dead, and their leader Optimus Prime's head severed from his body and held captive. A later issue had a woman left paralyzed from a Decepticon attack.)

Totally agree with every dark moment you mentioned. But, at least, the cartoon had Doctor Arkeville being turned into a cyborg. Kinda creepy, IMHO.

I haven't read them myself, but I have heard good things about "Elfquest" (an indie comic that was reprinted by Marvel in the 80's), "the Nam" (about the Vietnam War), and "Groo the Wanderer" (A barbarian comic parody).

I liked "The New Mutants" and "Solo Avengers/ Avengers Spotlight" at the time.

Totally agree with you about Solo Avengers/Avengers Spotlight. The first year's worth is still the best.

[Panic]

Claremont's New Mutants
Ann Nocenti's Daredevil
Stern's Dr. Strange

Claremont's New Mutants was fantastic. I didn't list it because I lump it in with his X-Men run, but you're right, it should stand apart because you don't have to have read X-Men to follow this.

I really liked the Thomas/Guice Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme that started at the tail-end of the eighties and finished in 1990.

[Electricmastro]

Dennis O'Neil's work on Iron Man doesn't get talked about enough (#182, 1984).