In the mid-1980s, Marvel was riding high on a wave of success, both creatively and financially. Having weathered the financial storms of the late '70s, thanks in part to the lucrative Star Wars licensing deal, Marvel was poised to revolutionize the comic book industry with the launch of Secret Wars in 1984. This event not only reshaped the Marvel Universe but also set a new standard for the industry, leading to a plethora of new directions for Marvel's iconic heroes and villains.
This period also saw the release of other landmark stories, such as Frank Miller's Born Again arc in Daredevil, the return of Jean Grey in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor, among others. In this article, we'll delve into these pivotal narratives and other significant stories from the same era. Join us for Part 8 of our exploration of Marvel's essential issues!
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 storylines of this era, look no further than Born Again, Frank Miller's return to writing Daredevil, this time with David Mazzuchelli on art. Spanning Daredevil #227-233, this arc is often hailed as the definitive Daredevil story. It follows Karen Page, who, in a desperate state of addiction, sells Daredevil's secret identity for heroin. The information eventually reaches the Kingpin, who uses it to systematically dismantle Matt Murdock's life, leaving him homeless, jobless, and isolated. Matt hits rock bottom before being rescued by his mother, a nun named Maggie.
Matt's gradual resurgence as Daredevil, coupled with the Kingpin's descent into fanaticism, crafts a compelling narrative. This story was loosely adapted in Season 3 of Netflix's Daredevil and will inspire 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 year-long Surtur Saga from #340-353. This epic tale sees the fire demon Surtur, ruler of Muspelheim, attempting to bring about Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword. He sends Malekith the Accursed to battle Thor, buying time to forge the sword. The saga concludes with a monumental battle involving Thor, Loki, and Odin against Surtur. Elements of this story were later incorporated into the films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever
In Part 4 of this series, we explored how the 1973 Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossovers that would become a staple for Marvel and DC. This trend fully materialized in 1984 with Secret Wars, a 12-issue miniseries crafted by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. Conceived as a marketing tie-in with Mattel's toy line, the story revolves around the Beyonder, a cosmic entity who transports a group of Marvel heroes and villains to Battleworld to determine the supremacy of good or evil. The series is filled with large-scale battles and setups for future plotlines, though it faced criticism for its handling of character arcs and the X-Men's portrayal. Despite its flaws, Secret Wars had a profound impact on the comic industry, leading to a sequel, Secret Wars II, and influencing DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, solidifying the event story model in comic publishing.
Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories
Following the foundational runs by Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Amazing Spider-Man found its next iconic writer in Roger Stern. Starting with issue #224, Stern's two-year run revitalized the series, introducing the Hobgoblin in #238, who quickly became one of Spider-Man's most formidable adversaries. Stern's original Hobgoblin saga was cut short due to editorial interference, leaving the villain's identity unrevealed until Stern's return in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.
Just as Stern departed, Amazing Spider-Man #252 introduced Spider-Man's black symbiote costume, which debuted on Battleworld in Secret Wars #8. This costume sparked a long-running subplot leading to the emergence of one of Spider-Man's most popular villains. The symbiote saga has been adapted numerous times, including in Spider-Man 3, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Insomniac's Spider-Man 2. Another significant story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a darker tale where Spider-Man hunts the Sin-Eater, who killed his ally Jean DeWolff, leading to a conflict with Daredevil.
Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks
The mid-1980s were also a transformative 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 until a 2015 retcon. X-Men #171 saw Rogue join the X-Men after leaving the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, becoming a beloved heroine. X-Men #200 marked Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School, a storyline adapted in X-Men '97.
The most significant mutant developments were Jean Grey's resurrection and the introduction of Apocalypse. After the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean returned in a two-part story across Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, with the Phoenix Force's role explained by future writer Kurt Busiek. Jean reunited with the original X-Men to form X-Factor, where Apocalypse, created by Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice, debuted in issues #5-6. This ancient Egyptian mutant, enhanced by Celestial technology, became a central antagonist in the X-Men universe, appearing in various media, including the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.
