Marvel's 1980s: Greatest Decade Ever?

The 1970s were a turbulent era for Marvel Comics. While significant characters and storylines like "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" and Doctor Strange's encounter with God emerged, the 1980s witnessed a surge of legendary creators launching landmark runs on Marvel's most popular titles. This period saw the rise of Frank Miller's Daredevil, John Byrne's Fantastic Four, David Michelinie's Iron Man, and the pinnacle of Chris Claremont's X-Men, with Roger Stern's Amazing Spider-Man and Walt Simonson's Thor soon to follow. These creators profoundly shaped the enduring legacy of these characters.

Considering Marvel's history, the 1980s arguably represent the company's true golden age. Join us for Part 7 of our exploration of essential Marvel 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

The Dark Phoenix Saga and Other All-Time X-Men Stories

Chris Claremont's transformative run on X-Men, beginning in 1975, saw some of its greatest stories unfold in the early 1980s. The Dark Phoenix Saga (X-Men #129-137) stands as arguably the most famous X-Men story, and for good reason. Years after Jean Grey became the Phoenix, this cosmic entity corrupts her, aided by the Hellfire Club, transforming her into the Dark Phoenix, a formidable foe. This cosmic saga, penciled and co-plotted by John Byrne, is not only a compelling narrative but also introduces Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Emma Frost, and Dazzler. Jean Grey's sacrifice after regaining her senses remains one of the most poignant moments in X-Men history, despite her eventual return. While film adaptations haven't always done it justice, the saga has been better represented in animated series like X-Men: The Animated Series and Wolverine & the X-Men.

Shortly after, Days of Future Past (X-Men #141-142) emerged, a seminal story featuring the Sentinels, first introduced by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1965. This arc depicts adult Kitty Pryde traveling back in time to prevent the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly, an event triggering a dystopian future ruled by Sentinels. Despite its brevity, this arc is incredibly influential, revisited by numerous creators. It was adapted into the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past and served as the basis for a season arc in Wolverine & the X-Men.

Another pivotal X-Men story from this era is X-Men #150, showcasing a battle between the X-Men and Magneto, nearly resulting in Kitty Pryde's death. This conflict reveals Magneto's backstory as a Holocaust survivor, a defining moment shaping his subsequent character development into a more morally complex figure.

The First Appearances of Rogue, She-Hulk, and the New Mutants

The 1980s also introduced several major characters, including prominent female heroes. Rogue, a popular X-Men member, debuted as a villain in Avengers Annual #10, part of Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This issue features Rogue draining Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) of her powers, significantly impacting both characters. This issue also highlights Carol's confrontation with the Avengers for their inaction in saving her from Marcus Immortus, as revealed in Avengers #200. Carol would later become more affiliated with the X-Men before rejoining the Avengers.

Savage She-Hulk #1 marked the debut of another significant Marvel heroine, Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk), the last character co-created by Stan Lee during his original Marvel tenure. She's Bruce Banner's cousin, gaining similar powers after an emergency blood transfusion. While her first solo series wasn't highly acclaimed, She-Hulk's character evolved significantly after joining the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Tatiana Maslany later portrayed She-Hulk in the MCU series of the same name.

This period also saw the launch of The New Mutants, the first X-Men spin-off series. Debuting in Marvel Graphic Novel #4 before getting their own series, this team of teenage mutants included Cannonball, Sunspot, Karma, Wolfsbane, and Dani Moonstar (Mirage). Illyana Rasputina (Magik), Colossus's younger sister, joined in issue #15, with many of her most significant storylines occurring during her time on the team.

Iconic Storylines for Daredevil, Iron Man, and Captain America

Daredevil #168 marks a pivotal moment, initiating Frank Miller's writer-artist run. This issue introduces Elektra and Miller's reimagining of Daredevil's mythology. Over the next two years, Miller crafted a gritty, crime noir saga establishing Kingpin as Daredevil's nemesis, adding the blind sensei Stick to Matt Murdock's backstory, and featuring his first encounter with the Punisher. The iconic issue #181 sees Bullseye kill Elektra. This run heavily influenced the 2003 film and the 2015 Netflix series, and its impact continues with the upcoming MCU show, Daredevil: Born Again.

David Michelinie and Bob Layton's run on Iron Man culminated in Doomquest (Iron Man #149-150). This storyline features Iron Man's first solo battle with Doctor Doom, sending them back to Arthurian times. Iron Man allies with King Arthur, while Doom teams up with Morgan le Fay. This arc solidified Doom's place in Iron Man's rogues gallery.

Another notable arc is Captain America's confrontation with Baron Blood in Captain America #253-254, a darker tale than usual for the character, featuring stellar artwork and a powerful conclusion.

Moon Knight Becomes a Hero and Marvel Helps Create the G.I. Joe Mythology

Two more #1 issues round out this influential period: Moon Knight #1 and G.I. Joe #1. While Moon Knight first appeared in Werewolf by Night #32, his own series solidified his heroic identity, developing his backstory and introducing his alternate personalities. All subsequent Moon Knight stories built upon this foundation.

Although Marvel didn't own the G.I. Joe franchise, it played a crucial role in its creation. The Real American Hero toy line's tie-in comic, starting in 1982, saw Marvel editor Archie Goodwin conceive Cobra, with Larry Hama developing most of the characters, including iconic figures like Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Lady Jaye, and the Baroness. Hama's work made G.I. Joe one of Marvel's most popular titles, particularly appealing to female readers due to the equal portrayal of female characters.