In the mid-1980s, Marvel Comics was riding a wave of success, both creatively and financially. Having overcome the financial struggles of the late 1970s, bolstered by the success of Star Wars, Marvel was poised to make a significant impact on the comic industry with the release of Secret Wars in 1984. This event not only reshaped the Marvel Universe but also set new standards for the industry. Its impact was profound, steering Marvel's heroes and villains into new narrative territories for years to come.
This period was also marked by other iconic storylines such as Frank Miller's Born Again in Daredevil, the resurrection of Jean Grey in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor. In this article, we delve into these groundbreaking stories and more, as we continue our exploration of Marvel's essential issues in Part 8 of our series.
More Essential Marvel
- 1961-1963: The Birth of a Universe
- 1964-1965: The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws
- 1966-1969: How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever
- 1970-1973: The Night Gwen Stacy Died
- 1974-1976: The Punisher Begins His War on Crime
- 1977-1979: Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy
- 1980-1982: Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?
Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga
For some of the most celebrated narratives of the era, one need only look at Born Again, where Frank Miller returned to writing Daredevil. This arc, illustrated by David Mazzuchelli and spanning Daredevil #227-233, is often hailed as the quintessential Daredevil story. It follows Karen Page, who, in a desperate state of addiction, sells Daredevil's secret identity for heroin. The information reaches the Kingpin, who uses it to dismantle Matt Murdock's life, leaving him homeless and jobless. Matt's journey back to becoming Daredevil, and the Kingpin's descent into fanaticism, crafts a compelling narrative. This story inspired Season 3 of Netflix’s Daredevil and will influence the upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.
Walt Simonson's tenure on Thor, starting with issue #337 in 1983, introduced Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Simonson's work revitalized Thor's mythic fantasy roots, culminating in the epic Surtur Saga from #340-353. This saga features the fire demon Surtur's quest to bring about Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword, sending Malekith the Accursed to battle Thor. The climax sees Thor, Loki, and Odin united against Surtur. Elements of this saga were later adapted into the films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever
As discussed in Part 4 of this series, the Avengers/Defenders War of 1973 foreshadowed the event crossovers that would dominate Marvel and DC's publishing strategies. This trend fully emerged with the 1984 release of Secret Wars, a 12-issue miniseries by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton. Conceived as a marketing tie-in with Mattel, the story sees the Beyonder transporting Marvel's heroes and villains to Battleworld to determine the supremacy of good or evil. While the series is known for its large cast and universe-altering effects, it often lacks depth in character development. The 2015 version by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić offers a more nuanced take, but the original Secret Wars undeniably transformed the comic industry, leading to Secret Wars II and influencing DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories
Following the foundational runs by Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Roger Stern revitalized Amazing Spider-Man starting with issue #224. His tenure introduced the Hobgoblin in #238, a formidable new villain for Spider-Man. Although Stern's original Hobgoblin saga was cut short due to editorial interference, he later resolved the villain's identity in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.
Simultaneously, Amazing Spider-Man #252 introduced Spider-Man's black symbiote costume, which originated in Secret Wars #8. This costume sparked a significant subplot leading to the emergence of one of Spider-Man's most iconic foes. The symbiote saga has been adapted across various media, including Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2. Another notable story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a darker tale involving Spider-Man's pursuit of the Sin-Eater and his conflict with Daredevil.
Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks
The mid-1980s were also a pivotal time for Marvel's mutants. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 confirmed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a revelation that stood for decades. X-Men #171 saw Rogue join the X-Men, cementing her status as a beloved heroine. Magneto's trial in X-Men #200 led to his leadership of Xavier's School, marking a significant shift in his character.
The resurrection of Jean Grey in Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, and her subsequent formation of X-Factor with the original X-Men, was a major event. X-Factor #5-6 introduced Apocalypse, an ancient mutant who became a central antagonist in the X-Men universe. Apocalypse's influence extended beyond comics into various adaptations, including the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.
