History Creator / MarvelComics

See [[Characters/MarvelComics here]] for an index of the characters in the Universe, and check [[ComicBook/MarvelComicsSeries here]] for an index of all the series published by Creator/MarvelComics, both inside and outside the larger continuity. For the films and [[AnimatedAdaptation Animated Adaptations]] produced by the company, see the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, WesternAnimation/MarvelUniverse and Creator/MarvelAnimation. For the anime series produced by Creator/{{Madhouse}} using Franchise/MarvelUniverse characters, see Anime/MarvelAnime.

See [[Characters/MarvelComics here]] for an index of the characters in the Universe, and check [[Series/MarvelComics here]] for an index of all the series published by Creator/MarvelComics, both inside and outside the larger continuity. For the films and [[AnimatedAdaptation Animated Adaptations]] produced by the company, see the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, WesternAnimation/MarvelUniverse and Creator/MarvelAnimation. For the anime series produced by Creator/{{Madhouse}} using Franchise/MarvelUniverse characters, see Anime/MarvelAnime.

See MarvelComicsCharacters for an index of the characters in the Universe, and check MarvelComicsSeries for an index of all the series published by Creator/MarvelComics, both inside and outside the larger continuity. For the films and [[AnimatedAdaptation Animated Adaptations]] produced by the company, see the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, WesternAnimation/MarvelUniverse and Creator/MarvelAnimation. For the anime series produced by Creator/{{Madhouse}} using Franchise/MarvelUniverse characters, see Anime/MarvelAnime.

Despite early successes in those decades, Marvel began losing sales to DC after 1986, both as a result of many of its writers and artists defecting to the latter, and DC's shocking deconstructions ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', as well as the epic ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. The flop of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse New Universe]]'' line led to the firing of editor-in-chief Creator/JimShooter, whose continuity-driven editorial style had led to some of those defections to DC and the company's sale to New World Pictures (founded by Creator/{{RogerColeman}}) and later [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Perelman Ronald Perelman]]'s Andrews Group. The company suffered a further setback in 1992, when seven of its top writers and artists left to found Creator/ImageComics. The subsequent increase in ExecutiveMeddling led to Marvel having a major contributing role in [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 the bursting of the collector bubble]], and in 1996, Marvel was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Despite early successes in those decades, Marvel began losing sales to DC after 1986, both as a result of many of its writers and artists defecting to the latter, and DC's shocking deconstructions ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', as well as the epic ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. The flop of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse New Universe]]'' line led to the firing of editor-in-chief Creator/JimShooter, whose continuity-driven editorial style had led to some of those defections to DC and the company's sale to New World Pictures (founded by Creator/RogerColeman) and later [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Perelman Ronald Perelman]'s Andrews Group. The company suffered a further setback in 1992, when seven of its top writers and artists left to found Creator/ImageComics. The subsequent increase in ExecutiveMeddling led to Marvel having a major contributing role in [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 the bursting of the collector bubble]], and in 1996, Marvel was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Despite early successes in those decades, Marvel began losing sales to DC after 1986, both as a result of many of its writers and artists defecting to the latter, and DC's shocking deconstructions ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', as well as the epic ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. The flop of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse New Universe]]'' line led to the firing of editor-in-chief Creator/JimShooter, whose continuity-driven editorial style had led to some of those defections to DC. The company suffered a further setback in 1992, when seven of its top writers and artists left to found Creator/ImageComics. The subsequent increase in ExecutiveMeddling led to Marvel having a major contributing role in [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 the bursting of the collector bubble]], and in 1996, Marvel was forced to file for bankruptcy.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarvelLogo.jpg]]

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarvelLogo.jpg]]

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 American, 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.

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."

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.

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 current contract with Creator/DarkHorseComics ended.

Marvel's big innovation was introducing characterization and personal problems to a greater extent than had ever been done with superheroes. Franchise/SpiderMan in particular suffered from insecurity, teenage {{angst}}, and trying to pay the bills in addition to fighting bank robbers. While this caused [[{{Antihero}} controversy at first]], it ultimately proved popular with readers, with the result that Marvel ended up massively exceeding DC in popularity, as well as drawing in teenagers and, later, adults who would previously have been considered too old to read comics. Incidentally, DC was completely baffled by Marvel's success, outside of the writers Creator/ArnoldDrake (''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'') and a teenage Creator/JimShooter (''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''), would have to adapt to the competition when Ditko and then Kirby started contributing to it.

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 trying something his way before quitting Lee, in cooperation with Jack Kirby who liberally borrowed from his ComicBook/ChallengersOfTheUnknown, 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. It was during this time that many of their most popular characters were introduced.

Goodman later sold Magazine Management to the Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation in 1968, which renamed itself Cadence Industries in 1973, at the same time renaming its magazine subsidiary as the Marvel Comics Group. The latter was the first step taking into turning Marvel into the comic book giant it is today. The next step was to find a new distributor who was obviously open to carrying as many titles as Marvel was in the mood to publish.

Marvel's big innovation was introducing characterization and personal problems to a greater extent than had ever been done with superheroes. Franchise/SpiderMan in particular suffered from insecurity, teenage {{angst}}, and trying to pay the bills in addition to fighting bank robbers. While this caused [[{{Antihero}} controversy at first]], it ultimately proved popular with readers, with the result that Marvel ended up massively exceeding DC in popularity, as well as drawing in teenagers and, later, adults who would previously have been considered too old to read comics. DC would later experience similar success when Kirby and Ditko started contributing to it.

In 1956, Atlas switched from distributing comics itself to going via the American News Company, the biggest and most powerful magazine and comic distributor in the USA. Unfortunately, ANC was shortly thereafter forced out of business due to unlawful business practices, and Atlas was forced to turn to Independent news, owned by their rival, National Periodical Publications, now known as Creator/DCComics, for distribution. This drastically reduced the number of comics Atlas was able to get onto shelves. This, plus a recession in 1957, forced Atlas to retrench, and for a time relied on art they had commissioned but not yet published. The fact that Goodman's long-serving editor/writer, Stan Lee, had to be the one to break this bad news to the staff that they were all dismissed outside himself was just one of the grievances that was driving him to consider quitting himself. The fact that Lee had to obey Goodman's relentless FollowTheLeader dictates of genre trends was another frustration to him.

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]]).

In 1956, Atlas switched from distributing comics itself to going via the American News Company, the biggest and most powerful magazine and comic distributor in the USA. Unfortunately, ANC was shortly thereafter forced out of business due to unlawful business practices, and Atlas was forced to turn to Independent news, owned by their rival, National Periodical Publications, now known as Creator/DCComics, for distribution. This drastically reduced the number of comics Atlas was able to get onto shelves. This, plus a recession in 1957, forced Atlas to retrench, and for a time relied on art they had commissioned but not yet published.

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 one of his staff writers, Creator/StanLee, come up with 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. It was during this time that many of their most popular characters were introduced.

In 1956, Atlas switched from distributing comics itself to going via the American News Company, the biggest and most powerful magazine and comic distributor in the USA. Unfortunately, ANC was shortly thereafter forced out of business due to unlawful business practices, and Atlas was forced to turn to National Comics, owned by their rival, [[Creator/DCComics DC]], for distribution. This drastically reduced the number of comics Atlas was able to get onto shelves. This, plus a recession in 1957, forced Atlas to retrench, and for a time relied on art they had commissioned but not yet published.

Goodman later sold Magazine Management to the Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation in 1968, which renamed itself Cadence Industries in 1973, at the same time renaming its magazine subsidiary as the Marvel Comics Group. The latter was the first step taking into turning Marvel into the comic book giant it is today.

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 ''Marvel Mystery Comics''. 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]]).

[[quoteright:208:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MarvelLogo.jpg]]

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

Due to Lee's busy schedule, he implemented a manner of writing comics known as the ''Marvel Method'', in which the writer, rather than writing a full script, just gave the artist a story synopsis, and left details like pacing and panel layout to the penciller. Afterward, Lee would receive the finished pencils from the artists and write (or rewrite if the artist added a preliminary draft) the dialogue and/or captions. This, coupled with Marvel's seemingly more respectful treatment of artists, served to further bolster its popularity with fans. However, Ditko in 1966 and Kirby in 1970 eventually came to the end of their patience with being relegated to work for hire contracts that seemed to grow increasingly unfair while Lee got all the plaudits, and jumped ship.

* ComicBook/MarvelKnights

* Marvel Knights

Despite early successes in those decades, Marvel began losing sales to DC after 1986, both as a result of many of its writers and artists defecting to the latter, and DC's shocking deconstructions ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'', as well as the epic ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''. The flop of Marvel's ''[[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse New Universe]]'' line led to the firing of editor-in-chief Creator/JimShooter, whose continuity-driven editorial style had led to some of those defections to DC. The company suffered a further setback in 1992, when seven of its top writers and artists left to found Creator/ImageComics. The subsequent increase in ExecutiveMeddling led to Marvel having a major contributing role in [[UsefulNotes/TheGreatComicsCrashOf1996 the bursting of the collector bubble]], and in 1996, Marvel was forced to file for bankruptcy.