History Creator / MarvelComics

Marvel began its life as Timely Comics, founded in 1939 by Martin Goodman as the comic branch of his {{pulp|Magazine}} empire. It began by publishing scifi, horror, and {{western}} [[AnthologyComic anthologies]], one of which happened to be named ''ComicBook/MarvelMysteryComics''. Timely's biggest sellers at this time were the {{superhero}}es ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/SubMariner, and the Android Human Torch (predecessor to the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' character who would later go on [[TropeCodifier to take the same name to new heights]]). To achieve this, Goodman had stellar talents such as Creator/JoeSimon and Creator/JackKirby who created Captain America, although he also indulged in some nepotism such as hiring his nephew, [[Creator/StanLee Stanley Martin Lieber]] as the office boy, although he got to write the token text stories under the pen name, Stan Lee.

Atlas changed its name to Marvel Comics in 1961, and the first comic published under the new name was issue 3 of the scifi anthology ''Amazing Adventures''. Following DC's successful revival of superheroes in 1958--1960, Goodman had Creator/StanLee, follow the SuperHero trend again. On the advice of his wife, Joanne Lee, to try writing something the way he liked before quitting, Lee, in cooperation with Jack Kirby who liberally borrowed from his older ComicBook/ChallengersOfTheUnknown concept, took his notions of deeper characterisation and created their own superhero team, the ComicBook/FantasticFour. This team {{subverted}} many existing superhero tropes by eschewing secret identities (and, for some time, costumes), having a monster as a member of the team, and having the personalities of the members clash regularly. With UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode in full force, Marvel began aggressively creating more and more superheroes, drawn from the considerable energy and talents of Creator/StanLee, Creator/JackKirby, and Creator/SteveDitko.[[note]]Who took to the new approach more easily than Kirby.[[/note]] It was during this time that many of their most popular characters were introduced.

-->--'''Creator/{{Seanbaby}}'''

Marvel Comics is one of the two biggest comic publishers active in the United States today, the other being Creator/DCComics.

Marvel began its life as Timely Comics, founded in 1939 by Martin Goodman as the comic branch of his {{pulp}} empire. It began by publishing scifi, horror, and {{western}} [[AnthologyComic anthologies]], one of which happened to be named ''ComicBook/MarvelMysteryComics''. Timely's biggest sellers at this time were the {{superhero}}es ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, ComicBook/SubMariner, and the Android Human Torch (predecessor to the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' character who would later go on [[TropeCodifier to take the same name to new heights]]). To achieve this, Goodman had stellar talents such as Creator/JoeSimon and Creator/JackKirby who created Captain America, although he also indulged in some nepotism such as hiring his nephew, [[Creator/StanLee Stanley Martin Lieber]] as the office boy, although he got to write the token text stories under the pen name, Stan Lee.

Following several reorganizations, buyouts, and layoffs, Marvel emerged from bankruptcy in 2000, and has been reasonably successful since then. In late 2009, it was bought out by Creator/{{Disney}} for $4 billion. Despite that, some of the only changes to the company's business structure included becoming the publishing arm for the comic versions of a few of Disney's properties, including once again becoming the comic book publishing home of the Franchise/StarWars franchise in 2015, Disney's high profile purchase of 2012, when its contract with Creator/DarkHorseComics ended.

Marvel expanded its line with licensed properties throughout the '70s and '80s, and was instrumental in the development of [[MerchandiseDriven toy-based fiction]]. ''ComicBook/{{Micronauts}}'' and ''ComicBook/RomSpaceKnight'' significantly outlasted their original toylines, and led to a partnership with Creator/{{Hasbro}} to relaunch ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and create the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''. {{Comic Book Adaptation}}s were also a staple from Marvel in this period, as the cable TV and home video markets were in their infancy. Marvel also promoted creator-owned work through its Epic Comics imprint, and kid-friendly fare under the Star Comics banner. They also helped to pioneer the CrisisCrossover with the twelve-issue limited series ''[[ComicBook/SecretWars1984 Secret Wars]]''.

* Creator/MarvelGraphic Novel

* ComicBook/TheUltraverse

* Creator/MalibuComics / ComicBook/TheUltraverse

]

* Creator/MalibuComics

->''"One of the things Stan Lee is credited with in Marvel comics is how he made superheroes relatable... Before Stan Lee, comics related to kids by just having the heroes hang out with kids, [[{{HoYay/Batman}} usually without pants.]]"''

Marvel expanded its line with licensed properties throughout the 70s and 80s, and was instrumental in the development of [[MerchandiseDriven toy-based fiction]]. ''ComicBook/{{Micronauts}}'' and ''ComicBook/RomSpaceKnight'' significantly outlasted their original toylines, and led to a partnership with Creator/{{Hasbro}} to relaunch ''Franchise/GIJoe'' and create the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''. {{Comic Book Adaptation}}s were also a staple from Marvel in this period, as the cable TV and home video markets were in their infancy. Marvel also promoted creator-owned work through its Epic Comics imprint, and kid-friendly fare under the Star Comics banner. They also helped to pioneer the CrisisCrossover with the twelve-issue limited series ''[[ComicBook/SecretWars1984 Secret Wars]]''.

* ComicBook/MarvelAdventures
* Marvel Illustrated
* Creator/MarvelKnights
* Creator/MarvelMAX
* Creator/MarvelUK

* Creator/StarComics
* Creator/CrossGen
* ComicBook/DisneyKingdoms

* Creator/MarvelEpicComics

Atlas changed its name to Marvel Comics in 1961, and the first comic published under the new name was issue 3 of the scifi anthology ''Amazing Adventures''. Following DC's successful revival of superheroes in 1958--1960, Goodman had Creator/StanLee, follow the SuperHero trend again. On the advice of his wife, Joanne Lee, to try something writing something the way he liked before quitting, Lee, in cooperation with Jack Kirby who liberally borrowed from his older ComicBook/ChallengersOfTheUnknown concept, took his notions of deeper characterisation and created their own superhero team, the ComicBook/FantasticFour. This team {{subverted}} many existing superhero tropes by eschewing secret identities (and, for some time, costumes), having a monster as a member of the team, and having the personalities of the members clash regularly. With UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode in full force, Marvel began aggressively creating more and more superheroes, drawn from the considerable energy and talents of Creator/StanLee, Creator/JackKirby, and Creator/SteveDitko.[[note]]Who took to the new approach more easily than Kirby.[[/note]] It was during this time that many of their most popular characters were introduced.

See [[Characters/MarvelComics here]] for an index of the characters created by Creator/MarvelComics, See [[MarvelComicsSeries here]] for an index of all the series published by Creator/MarvelComics, See [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsEvents here]] for an index of all the events in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, And see [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsEditorsInChief here]] for an index of all the Editors-In-Chief for Creator/MarvelComics.

Has [[http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Marvel_Database wikis]] [[https://marvel.com/universe/Main_Page here]].

See [[Characters/MarvelComics here]] for an index of the characters created by Creator/MarvelComics, See [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsSeries here]] for an index of all the series published by Creator/MarvelComics, See [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsEvents here]] for an index of all the events in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, And see [[UsefulNotes/MarvelComicsEditorsInChief here]] for an index of all the Editors-In-Chief for Creator/MarvelComics.

Around 1947, it became part of a holding company founded by Goodman known as [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magazine_Management Magazine Management,]] which also published men's adventure and erotic magazines, some of which later became pornographic magazines, as well as humor, celebrity and movie magazines. This company, although later important, was obscure to the public and even its employees; as one-time Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas once said: "I was startled to learn in '65 that Marvel was just part of a parent company called Magazine Management."

* ComicBook/MarvelNoir

* Marvel Noir