Journey into Mystery was initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it segued to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s. Beginning with issue #83 (cover dated August 1962), it ran the superhero feature “The Mighty Thor“, created by writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber and artist Jack Kirby, and inspired by the mythological Norsethunder god. The series, which was renamed for its superhero star with issue #126 (March 1966), has been revived three times: in the 1970s as a horror anthology, and in the 1990s and 2010s with characters from Marvel’s Thor mythos.
Journey into Mystery #120 FN+ $39Journey into Mystery #122 VG $24Journey into Mystery #123 VF- $65
Tower of Shadows was re titled Creatures on the Loose with issue #10 (March 1971), this version led off with a seven-page King Kull story by Thomas and artist Bernie Wrightson. The book then became all-reprint until issue #16 (March 1972), when writer Thomas and the art team of Gil Kane and Bill Everett introduced the series “Gullivar Jones, Warrior of Mars”, starring an interplanetary Earthman created by author Edwin L. Arnold in his 1905 book Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation. Following another issue by Thomas and one by Gerry Conway, science fiction novelist George Alec Effinger wrote the final three installments.
Effinger continued as writer for the series that immediately followed, in issue #22 (March 1973): “Thongor! Warrior of Lost Lemuria!”, adapting asword-and-sorcery barbarian character created by author Lin Carter. Following writers Tony Isabella and Gardner Fox, Carter himself co-wrote (with Steve Gerber) the final two installments.
Thomas, Marvel’s associate editor at the time, recalled in 2007 that Thongor had been the company’s first choice when Marvel decided to published a licensed fantasy character, rather than the eventual hit Conan the Barbarian. Publisher Martin Goodman “authorized us to go after a character. I first went after Lin Carter’s Thongor, who was a quasi-Conan with elements of John Carter of Mars, partly became editor-in-chiefStan Lee liked that name the most … I soon got stalled by Lin Carter’s agent on Thongor (he was hoping I’d offer more than the $150 per issue I was authorized to offer), and I got a sudden impulse to go after Conan”.
Creatures on the Loose #11 FN+ $15Creatures on the Loose #12 FN+ $12Creatures on the Loose #14 FN $9Creatures on the Loose #18 FN $5Creatures on the Loose #22 FN+ $14Creatures on the Loose #24 FN-VF $7Creatures on the Loose #30 VG $18
In May 2015, Marvel published a new Secret Wars miniseries, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Esad Ribić, that picked up from where the “Time Runs Out” storyline running in Avengers and New Avengers at the time had ended. The storyline involved the Marvel Universe combining with other alternate universes, including the Ultimate Universe, as well as the 2099 Universe, to form Battleworld, a world which exhibits aspects of the various universes. The core limited series was nine issues long, and ran for eight months, ending in January 2016. One of the core miniseries, Ultimate End, had ended the Ultimate Marvel imprint after 15 years at the time. Ultimate End is written by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley, the team that began the Ultimate Marvel universe with Ultimate Spider-Man.
X-Men: The End is a 2004-2006 trilogy of miniseries published by Marvel Comics, detailing the last days of the X-Men and their adventures in an alternative future. The series, which was part of Marvel’s The End line of books, was written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Sean Chen, with cover art by Greg Land and Gene Ha.
The first part of the miniseries is titled Dreamers and Demons, the second Heroes and Martyrs, and the third Men and X-Men. As it was originally conceived, several years before its actual debut, this series would have re-teamed Chris Claremont and John Byrne, with Byrne providing plots and art and Claremont providing dialogue. Yet after a dispute with Marvel following the cancellation of Byrne’s ongoing series X-Men: The Hidden Years, Byrne left the publisher.
The story of X-Men: The End continues in the 2008 GeNext mini-series, then again in the 2009 mini-series, GeNext: United.
X-Men – The End #1 NM $6X-Men The End #2 NM $5X-Men The End #3 NM $4X-Men The End #4 NM $5X-Men The End #5 NM $5X-Men The End #6 NM $4
The Incredible Hulk travels to an apocalyptic future to face his ultimate challenge…himself. Meet the Maestro, the Hulk’s future imperfect self. Approximately a hundred years into the future, a nuclear war has killed almost all of Earth‘s superhumans and has taken the world to the brink of extinction. A future version of the Hulk called Maestro has seized control after being driven insane by the nuclear radiation he has absorbed and the bitterness he feels towards the world at his continued treatment. He has the intelligence of Bruce Banner and the absorbed radiation has significantly enhanced his strength. Can even the Green Goliath defeat a foe whose strength rivals his own? A foe who knows his every move before he even makes it?
Incredible Hulk – Future Imperfect #1 Signed Set NM $159Incredible Hulk – Future Imperfect #2 Signed Set NM $159Incredible Hulk – Future Imperfect #1 NM $39
Fresh from returning from his travels in space, Black Panther receives an unexpected and urgent message from a Wakandan secret agent! Now T’Challa must race the clock not only to save his agent, but also to keep his true agenda under wraps. Because if the truth comes out, it could cost T’Challa everything…
After issue #99 (March 1968), the Tales of Suspense series was renamed Captain America. An Iron Man story appeared in the one-shot comic Iron Man and Sub-Mariner (April 1968), before the “Golden Avenger”] made his solo debut with The Invincible Iron Man #1 (May 1968). The series’ indicia gives its copyright title Iron Man, while the trademarked cover logo of most issues is The Invincible Iron Man. Artist George Tuska began a decade long association with the character with Iron Man #5 (Sept. 1968). Writer Mike Friedrich and artist Jim Starlin‘s brief collaboration on the Iron Man series introduced Mentor, Starfox, and Thanos in issue #55 (Feb. 1973). Friedrich scripted a metafictional story in which Iron Man visited the San Diego Comic Convention and met several Marvel Comics writers and artists. He then wrote the multi-issue “War of the Super-Villains” storyline which ran through 1975.
Iron Man #6 VF- $45Iron Man #11 VF+ $75Iron Man #12 VF+ $129Iron Man V1 #16 FN $27Iron Man V1 #20 VF+ $49
Nova was created by Marv Wolfman and Len Wein in the fanzine Super Adventures in 1966. Seven years later John Romita, Sr. tweaked the design of the character’s uniform. Nova debuted in Nova #1 in 1976, written by Wolfman and drawn by John Buscema. Wolfman intended the teenage character to be an homage to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko‘s Spider-Man, down to his humble working-class roots and alliterative alter-ego. The original Nova series, The Man Called Nova, lasted 25 issues from September 1976 to May 1979. Dangling plot lines were resolved in issues 206-214 of Fantastic Four (also by Wolfman) and issue 24 of Rom the Spaceknight. The character then disappeared into obscurity until returning as a member of the original New Warriors team debuting in The Mighty Thor #411 (December 1989), and continuing through New Warriors #1-75, Annual #1-4 (July 1990—September 1996).
Nova V1 #5 VF-NM $7Nova V1 #8 VF-NM $8Nova V1 #9 NM- $9Nova V1 #10 VF-NM $6Nova V1 #12 VF- $6Nova V1 #14 NM- $14The Man Called Nova #16 VF $6Nova V1 #17 VF-NM $6Nova V1 #20 F-VF $3
John Byrne revitalized the slumping title with his run. Originally, Byrne was slated to write with Sienkiewicz providing the art. Sienkiewicz left to do Moon Knight, and Byrne subsequently became writer, artist, and inker. Various editors were assigned to the comic; eventually Bob Budiansky became the regular editor. Byrne told Jim Shooter that he could not work with Budiansky, although they ultimately continued to work together. In 2006, Byrne said “that’s my paranoia. I look back and I think that was Shooter trying to force me off the book”. Byrne left following issue #293 (Aug. 1986) in the middle of a story arc, explaining he could not recapture the fun he had previously had on the series. One of Byrne’s changes was making the Invisible Girl into the Invisible Woman: assertive and confident. During this period, fans came to recognize that she was quite powerful, whereas previously, she had been primarily seen as a superpowered mother and wife in the tradition of television moms like those played by Donna Reed and Florence Henderson.
Fantastic Four #218 VF-NM $5Fantastic Four #220 VF $3Fantastic Four #222 FN+ $2Fantastic Four #232 VF-NM $9Fantastic Four #235 CGC 9.8 White Pages $89Fantastic Four #239 VF+ $3Fantastic Four #242 VF+ $3Fantastic Four #244 VF $29Fantastic Four #245 VF+$9Fantastic Four #248 Newstand VF+$4Fantastic Four #248 VF-NM $4Fantastic Four #249 Newstand VF+ $3Fantastic Four #249 VF-NM $3Fantastic Four #250 NM $6Fantastic Four #251 Newstand VF-NM $5Fantastic Four #251 VF-NM $4Fantastic Four #252 VF- $8Fantastic Four #253 Newstand VF+ $4Fantastic Four #253 VF-NM $4Fantastic Four #254 Newstand VF+ $4Fantastic Four #254 VF-NM $4Fantastic Four #256 VF+ $3Fantastic Four #257 FN+ $4Fantastic Four #258 FN $6Fantastic Four #262 Newsstand VF-NM $6Fantastic Four #273 VF-NM $4Fantastic Four #274 VF- $3Fantastic Four #277 NM- $8Fantastic Four #278 Newsstand VF-NM $7Fantastic Four #279 NM- $4Fantastic Four #280 VF $5Fantastic Four #281 VF+ $3Fantastic Four #282 VF $2Fantastic Four #283 VF $2Fantastic Four #286 Newsstand NM- $12Fantastic Four #286 NM $12Fantastic Four #289 VF $3Fantastic Four #290 VF $2Fantastic Four #292 Newsstand VF+ $9Fantastic Four #293 Newsstand VF+ $6Fantastic Four #299 VF+ $5Fantastic Four #303 VF-NM $2Fantastic Four #308 VF+ $3Fantastic Four #314 NM- $4Fantastic Four #316 VF-NM $3Fantastic Four #323 NM- $4Fantastic Four #324 VF-NM $3Fantastic Four #326 VF-NM $2