History MediaNotes / MarvelComicsEditorsInChief

* Creator/RoyThomas (1972-1974): A natural choice to follow in Lee's footsteps, as the first PromotedFanboy at the company, and was the writer with the largest pull after Lee. As editor of a rapidly-expanding comics line, he was known for hiring young creators like Creator/SteveGerber and Creator/JimStarlin, and a more ''laissez-faire'' editing style that allowed those creators to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar push the limits of the Comics Code]]. He also took advantage of the loosening of the Comics Code to launch a series of horror comics, including ''Comicbook/ManThing'', ''Comicbook/WerewolfByNight'' and ''Comicbook/TheTombOfDracula''.

* Creator/JoeQuesada (2000-2011): The second longest-serving EIC of Marvel Comics after Stan Lee himself. Like all editors, he has his detractors and admirers, but he's credited for launching a number of great talents and especially for the successful ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' line. In his time, ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' moved front and center to the Marvel line over both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. He stated once that his major goal was to put three genies back in the bottle, and before he ended his tenure, he did what he set out to do, though many of course question both the execution and the results:

** Make Marvel as unpredictable, out-of-control and lacking in status-quo as in TheSixties (which he did with ''[[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 Civil War]]'' which pit heroes against one another, ended the collegiate bonds between different superhero teams, and re-introduced the anti-establishment sensibility of the old days)

[[/index]]

* Creator/JimShooter (1978-1987): One of the longest lasting and most controversial editors not only in Marvel but superhero comics in general. He restructured Marvel's editorial department by hiring a staff of editors, each with their own portfolio of titles, and made aggressive moves to end the company's notoriety for late books and missed deadlines. Helped electrify the company after sagging sales, and spearheaded many beloved runs, but his tenure came to an end amidst micro-managing the talent, and conflicts with the powers that be. His regime oversaw the expansion of ''Franchise/XMen'' as the pre-eminent best-selling title in the Marvel stable, as well as several defining comics runs such as Walt Simonson's famous run on ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'', Creator/FrankMiller on ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'', Creator/RogerStern on ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' and ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'', Creator/JohnByrne on ''ComicBook/FantasticFour''. How much credit or blame for these runs falls on Shooter is of course contested. The likes of Stern have positive views on the man while John Byrne blames him for his shift to DC. In addition to serving as EIC, Shooter also continued writing in his time. Most notably, he was the author of ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'', the first major event comic, and an extremely profitable endeavor that many readers credit for introducing them to Marvel comics, which continue to have lasting effects on the Marvel Universe.

* C.B. Cebulski (2017 - present): Current editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Cebulski previously worked as a freelance writer and translator for Marvel, and was then promoted to associate editor under Quesada's tenure, editing titles like the original ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}''. As editor-in-chief, he heavily promoted the revamped X-Men line under Creator/JonathanHickman, as well as the (short-lived) return of Conan comics to the company.

* Bob Harras (1996-2000): Gained prominence by more or less running the ''ComicBook/XMen'' line, so that when the editor-in-chief position was consolidated again, he was pegged as the natural choice. Word is, Harras made his enemies around the office, and some were not pleased at his resolution of the ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'' (though to be fair, it was an inherited mess), but what may have ended his tenure was the inability of the X-Men comics to resemble, let alone capitalize on the upcoming film. Although a great deal of titles were bland, directionless, or even experiencing an AudienceAlienatingEra through his stewardship, a few of his efforts were positive as well. The majority of the non-mutant characters were reinvigorated and finally given top-notch creative talents in the aftermath of the ''ComicBook/HeroesReturn'' event, which was sadly at the expense of the X-Men. ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} was tested out with his own book, and has become the BreakoutCharacter of the nineties. Harras also greenlit ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'', a property that still sticks around here and there.

* C.B. Cebulski (2017 - present): Current editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Cebulski previously worked as a freelance writer and translator for Marvel, and was then promoted to associate editor under Quesada's tenure, editing titles like the original ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}''. As editor-in-chief, he heavily promoted the revamped X-Men line under Creator/JonathanHickman, as well as the return of Conan comics to the company.

* Creator/StanLee (1941-1942, 1945-1972): Certainly the most famous comic editor ever, the real founder of Marvel Comics as a brand, and as overseer of Marvel Universe and as its face, he rivals Spider-Man as the company mascot. He's also Marvel's greatest publicist ever. Even those who think Creator/JackKirby and Creator/SteveDitko did most of the hard work will acknowledge Lee's importance to the Franchise/MarvelUniverse (and the medium in general). Lee's innovations include full credits for the entire artistic team (Writer, Artist, Inker, Penciller and so on in each issue), the Marvel Bullpen, and generally encouraging and allowing writers and artists to put their spin on their stories. During his regime, the biggest titles were ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' and ''ComicBook/SpiderMan''.

** Make Marvel as unpredictable, out-of-control and lacking in status-quo as in TheSixties (which he did with ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' which pit heroes against one another, ended the collegiate bonds between different superhero teams, and re-introduced the anti-establishment sensibility of the old days)

** Reduce the number of mutants so that they feel like a persecuted vulnerable minority and ragtag group of outsiders (which he did with ''ComicBook/HouseOfM'')[[note]]The fact that this aligned with the rights for X-Men belonging to Fox and a driving need to emphasize the properties Marvel still had rights to is probably a coincidence, although the directive to push ComicBook/TheInhumans over the X-Men came from Isaac Perlmutter specifically and anteceded Quesada's storyline, though it undoubtedly benefited from it[[/note]].

* Bob Harras (1996-2000): Gained prominence by more or less running the ''ComicBook/XMen'' line, so that when the editor-in-chief position was consolidated again, he was pegged as the natural choice. Word is, Harras made his enemies around the office, and some were not pleased at his resolution of the ''ComicBook/TheCloneSaga'' (though to be fair, it was an inherited mess), but what may have ended his tenure was the inability of the X-Men comics to resemble, let alone capitalize on the upcoming film. Although a great deal of titles were bland, directionless, or even experiencing a DorkAge through his stewardship, a few of his efforts were positive as well. The majority of the non-mutant characters were reinvigorated and finally given top-notch creative talents in the aftermath of the ''ComicBook/HeroesReturn'' event, which was sadly at the expense of the X-Men. ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} was tested out with his own book, and has become the BreakoutCharacter of the nineties. Harras also greenlit ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}'', a property that still sticks around here and there.

* Creator/StanLee (1941-1942, 1945-1972): Certainly the most famous comic editor ever, the real founder of Marvel Comics as a brand, and as overseer of Marvel Universe and as its face, he rivals Spider-Man as the company mascot. He's also Marvel's greatest publicist ever. Even those who think Creator/JackKirby and Creator/SteveDitko did most of the hard work will acknowledge Lee's importance to the Franchise/MarvelUniverse (and the medium in general). Lee's innovations include full credits for the entire artistic team (Writer, Artist, Inker, Penciller and so on in each issue), the Marvel Bullpen, and generally encouraging and allowing writers and artists to put their spin on their stories, being quite a bit more laissez-faire than his successors would be. During his regime, the biggest titles were ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' and ''ComicBook/SpiderMan''.

* Creator/RoyThomas (1972-1974): A natural choice to follow in Lee's footsteps, as the first PromotedFanboy at the company, and was the writer with the largest pull after Lee. As editor of a rapidly-expanding comics line, he was known for hiring young creators like Creator/SteveGerber and Creator/JimStarlin, and a more ''laissez-faire'' editing style that allowed those creators to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar push the limits of the Comics Code]]. He also took advantage of the loosening of the Comics Code to invest heavily in horror comics, with ''Comicbook/ManThing'' and ''Comicbook/TombOfDracula'' among the most successful.

* Creator/RoyThomas (1972-1974): A natural choice to follow in Lee's footsteps, as the first PromotedFanboy at the company, and was the writer with the largest pull after Lee. As editor of a rapidly-expanding comics line, he was known for hiring young creators like Creator/SteveGerber and Creator/JimStarlin, and a more ''laissez-faire'' editing style that allowed those creators to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar push the limits of the Comics Code]].