Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the property of The Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin Goodman as Timely Comics, and by 1951 had generally become known as Atlas Comics. The Marvel era began in June 1961 with the launch of The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and many others. The Marvel brand, which had been used over the years and decades, was solidified as the company's primary brand.
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist/co-writer Jack Kirby and editor/co-writer Stan Lee, the team first appeared in The X-Men #1. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to low sales, following its 1975 revival and subsequent direction under writer Chris Claremont, it became one of the most recognizable and successful franchises of Marvel Comics. They have appeared in numerous books, television shows, Disney's 20th Century Studios X-Men films, and video games. The X-Men title may refer to the superhero team itself, the eponymous comic series, or the broader franchise including various solo titles and team books such as the New Mutants, Excalibur, and X-Force.
Crystal is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Crystal first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.
The Avengers is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team the Avengers and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original The Avengers comic book series which debuted in 1963.
Uncanny X-Men, originally published as The X-Men, is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics since 1963, and is the longest-running series in the X-Men comics franchise. It features a team of superheroes called the X-Men, a group of mutants with superhuman abilities led and taught by Professor X.
Tsunami was an imprint of Marvel Comics founded on January 1, 2003.
Black Bolt is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #45. Black Bolt is the ruler of Attilan, and a member of the Inhumans, a reclusive race of genetically altered superhumans. Black Bolt's signature power is his voice, as his electron-harnessing ability is linked to the speech center of his brain. Speaking triggers a massive disturbance in the form of a highly destructive shockwave capable of leveling a city. Due to the extreme danger posed by this power, the character has undergone rigorous mental training to prevent himself from uttering a sound, even in his sleep, and he usually remains completely silent and speaks through sign language or via a spokesperson.
The Bronze Age of Comic Books is an informal name for a period in the history of American superhero comic books, usually said to run from 1970 to 1985. It follows the Silver Age of Comic Books and is followed by the Modern Age of Comic Books.
Marvel Masterworks is an American collection of hardcover and trade paperback comic book reprints published by Marvel Comics, with the main goal of republishing classic Marvel Comics storylines in a hardcover, premium edition, often with restored artwork and better graphical quality when compared to other Marvel collected editions. The collection started in 1987, with volumes reprinting the issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, and The Avengers. The Masterworks line has expanded from such reprints of the 1960s period that fans and historians call the Silver Age of Comic Books to include the 1930s–1940s Golden Age; comics of Marvel's 1950s pre-Code forerunner, Atlas Comics; and even some reprints from the 1970s period called the Bronze Age of Comic Books.
Wolverine is a number of Marvel Comics comic book series starring the X-Men member Wolverine. As of April 2013, 323 issues and 11 annuals have been published. It is the original flagship title created for the character.
The Mighty Avengers is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of New Avengers, the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered superheroes, residing in New York City as part of the Fifty State Initiative, as opposed to the unlicensed team featured in The New Avengers. This first incarnation of the team is led by Iron Man and Ms. Marvel, with the second lineup featuring Hank Pym as the leader, and the third led by Luke Cage and Monica Rambeau.
Essential X-Men was a 76-page comic book published by Panini Comics UK, as part of their Collectors' Edition range. Beginning in 1995, the title reprinted Marvel US's range of X-Men comics; three per issue. The comic is produced on higher quality paper than the US originals, and the covers are composed of card, which helps to preserve the comic. Also unlike the US originals, advertisements are kept to a minimum, with most simply promoting the other comics in the Collectors' Edition range or Marvel DVDs or video games. The comics it reprints are generally about two years behind comics in the US. It retails at the price of £3.99.
Fantastic Four is the name of several comic book titles featuring the team the Fantastic Four and published by Marvel Comics, beginning with the original Fantastic Four comic book series which debuted in 1961.
Marvel Now! is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including Uncanny Avengers and All-New X-Men. Described as a shifting of the Marvel Universe following the conclusion of the "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Marvel Now! entailed changes to both the publishing format and the universe to attract new readers. Publishing changes included new creative teams for each of the titles and the in-universe changes included changes to character designs and new storylines. It marked the next stage of the Marvel ReEvolution initiative, which began in March 2012. The original run went through several waves before coming to an end in May 2015 at the start of the "Secret Wars" storyline. A second Marvel Now!, Marvel Now! 2.0, debuted in 2016 following the "Civil War II" storyline. Marvel Now! 2.0 was followed in 2017 by Marvel Legacy.
A+X is a monthly comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics from October 2012 to March 2014 as part of the company's Marvel NOW! initiative. Each issue includes two stories by different creative teams featuring a different team-up of an Avenger and an X-Man.
All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched with first issues, with a total of 76 issues. Marvel NOW! 2.0 and Marvel Legacy are concurrent with it.
Death of X is a 2016 crossover miniseries published by Marvel Comics. Death of X is part of a series of story arcs that have impacted the Inhumans and X-Men titles after Secret Wars ended and Earth 616 was restored along with being related to the events of the Infinity, Inhumanity, and Inhuman story arcs. This miniseries event answers the question about what really happened between Cyclops and the Inhumans in the eight-month gap between Secret Wars and the All New, All Different lineup of comics. This limited series event serves as a prequel to the series Uncanny Inhumans, Extraordinary X-Men, and Volume 4 of Uncanny X-Men, along with impacting the plot to Civil War II: X-Men and ultimately serving as a precursor to lead into the major crossover event Inhumans vs. X-Men.
"ResurrXion" was a 2017 relaunch by the American publisher Marvel Comics of various comic book series related to the Inhumans and the X-Men franchises. This was intended to establish a new status quo for both franchises after the events in the 2016 "Inhumans vs X-Men" storyline, which concluded a number of then-ongoing storylines that followed the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline.
A line is a concept in western comic books which denotes a specific group of publications by a publisher. Sometimes taking place in a separate continuity or more loose continuity or exploring a kind of subject matter and or genre which the publisher does not want to involve in their main franchise or so called "universe".