Marvel comics Continue Company that publishes comics and related media This article is about the comic book company using this name from 1961. For the previous comic book series, see Marvel Mystery Comics. Marvel ComicsParent companyMarvel Entertainment, LLCStatusActiveFounded1939; 81 years ago (1939) (as Timely Comics)1947; 73 years ago (1947) (as Magazine Management)1961; 59 years ago (1961) (under the name Marvel Comics)FounderMartin GoodmanCountry of originUnited StatesHeadquarters location135 W. 50th Street, New York CityDistributionDiamond Comic DistributorsHachette Client Services[1]Key peopleC. B. Cebulski (EIC)John Nee (Editor)Stan Lee (Former EIC, Editor, Writer)Publication typesComics/See List of Marvel Comics publicationsFiction genres Superhero Science Fiction Adventure Imprintsimprint listOfficial websitewww.marvel.com Marvel Comics is the brand name and primary imprint of Marvel Worldwide Inc., formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, a publisher of American comic books. In 2009, The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment, the parent company of Marvel Worldwide. Marvel was launched in 1939 by Martin Goodman under a number of companies and footprints, but now known as Timely Comics,[2] and in 1951 had generally become known as Atlas Comics. The Marvel era began in 1961, the year the company launched The Fantastic Four and other superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and many others. The Marvel brand, which had been used over the years, has been solidified as the company's main brand. Marvel's characters include well-known superheroes such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, the Wasp, Black Widow, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Blade, Daredevil, the Punisher and Deadpool. Superhero teams exist such as the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Guardians of the Galaxy as well as supervillains like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Thanos, Loki, Green Goblin, Kingpin, Red Skull, Ultron, Mandarin, MODOK, Doctor Octopus, Kang, Dormammu, Annihilus and Galactus. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single reality known as the Marvel Universe, with most places reflecting real locations; many of the main characters are based in New York. In addition, Marvel has released several properties under license from other companies. This includes The Star Wars comics twice from 1977 to 1986 and again since 2015. History Timely Publications Main article: Timely Comics Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), the first Marvel comic time forerunner Timely Comics. Frank R. Paul's pocket. The publisher of pulp, Martin Goodman, later founded the company known as Marvel Comics as Timely Publications in 1939. [4] Goodman, which had begun with a western pulp in 1933, stretched into the by then already very popular, new way of comics. Launching his new line from his company's offices at 330 West 42nd Street, New York City, he officially held the titles of editor, editor and business manager, with Abraham Goodman (Martin's brother)[6] officially registered as publisher. Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics #1 (cover dated October 1939), included the first appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero, Human Torch, and the first appearances of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner,[7] among other features. [7]. [4] The issue was a great success; it and a second print the following month sold nearly 900,000 copies. [8] Although its content came from an external packer, Funnies, Inc.[4] Timely had its own staff in place the following year. The company's first true publisher, writer-artist Joe Simon, teamed up with artist Jack Kirby to create one of the first patriotic- themed superheroes,[9] Captain America, in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941). It was also a success, with sales of nearly one million. Goodman formed Timely Comics, Inc., beginning with comics in April 1941 or the spring of 1941. [2] Although no other timely character achieves the success of these three characters, some notable heroes, many of whom continue to appear in modern retcon apparitions and flashbacks, include the Whizzer, Miss America, the Destroyer, the Original Vision and the Angel. [ Timely also released one of cartoonist Basil Wolverton's best-known feature films, Powerhouse Pepper[11][12] as well as a line of children's comics featuring characters such as Super Rabbit and the duo Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal. Goodman hired his wife's cousin,[13] Stanley Lieber, as general office assistant in 1939. When publisher Simon left the company at the end of 1941,[15] Goodman made lieber — by writing pseudonymously as Stan Lee — acting editor of the comic line, a position Lee held for decades, except for three years during his military service during World War II. [15] Lee has written extensively for Timely, contributing to a number of different titles. Goodman's business strategy was to have his various magazines and comics published by a number of companies, all operating from the same office and with the same staff. [2] One of those screen companies through which Timely Comics was published was named Marvel Comics by at least Marvel Mystery Comics #55 (May 1944). In addition, some comic book covers, such as All Surprise Comics #12 1946-1947), were labeled A Marvel Magazine many years before Goodman would officially adopt the name in 1961. Atlas Comics Main Article: Atlas Comics (1950s) The American postwar comic book market has seen superheroes fall out of fashion. [17] Goodman's comic line has abandoned them for the most part and has expanded into a wider variety of genres than even had published, featuring horror, westerns, humor, funny animal, adventure of men-drama, giant monster, crime, and war comics, and later the addition of jungle books, romance titles, espionage, and even medieval adventure, biblical stories and sports. Goodman began using the globe logo of the Atlas News Company, the newsstand distribution company he owned,[18] on the comic strip dated November 1951, although another company, Kable News, continued to distribute his comics through the August 1952 issues. [19] This brand globe has united a line put by the same publisher, staff and freelancers across 59 screen companies, from Aanimirth Comics to Zenith Publications. Atlas, rather than innovating, has taken a tried and tested path to follow popular trends in television and movies - westerns and war dramas that prevail for a while, drive-in movie monsters another time - and even other comics, especially the EC's horror line. Atlas also publishes a plethora of children's and teens' comedy titles, including Dan DeCarlo's Homer the Happy Ghost (similar to Casper the Friendly Ghost) and Homer Hooper (at Archie Andrews). Atlas tried unsuccessfully to revive the superheroes of late 1953 in mid-1954, with the human torch (art of Syd Shores and Dick Ayers, variously), the Sub-Mariner (drawn and most stories written by Bill Everett), and Captain America (writer Stan Lee, artist John Romita Sr.). Atlas has not been successful and, according to Stan Lee, Atlas has survived mainly because he has produced works quickly, cheaply and at a fair quality. The Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961). Jack Kirby's pocket (pencil) and unreased inker. The first modern comics under the Marvel Comics brand were the sci-fi anthology Journey into Mystery #69 and the title of the teen humor Patsy Walker #95 (both covers dated June 1961), which each displayed an MC box on its cover. Then, in the wake of DC Comics' success in reviving superheroes in the late 1950s and early 1960s, especially with the Flash, Green Lantern, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and other members of the Justice League of America team, Marvel followed suit. [No. 1] In 1961, writer-editor Stan Lee revolutionized superhero comics by introducing superheroes designed to appeal to older readers than the medium's mostly childish audience, ushering in what Marvel later called the Marvel age of comics. Modern Marvel's first superhero team, the stars holding the Fantastic Four #1 (November broke the convention with other comic book archetypes of the time by bickering, holding deep and petty grudges, and avoiding anonymity or secret identities in favor of celebrity status. Subsequently, marvel comics developed a reputation for focusing on characterization and adult issues to a greater extent than most superhero comics before them, a quality that the new generation of readers appreciated. This applies to The Amazing Spider-Man title in particular, which turned out to be Marvel's most successful book. His young hero suffered from self-doubt and worldly problems like any other teenager, something that many readers could relate to. Stan Lee and the independent and eventual co-plotter artist Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four was born out of a Cold War culture that led their creators to revise the superhero conventions of previous eras to better reflect the psychological spirit of their age. [27] Avoiding these comic book tropes as secret identities and even early costumes, having a monster as one of the heroes, and having his characters bicker and complain in what was later called a uper-hero in the er world, the series represented a change that turned out to be a great success. Marvel often featured imperfect superheroes, monsters and misfits, unlike the perfect, handsome and athletic heroes found in previous traditional comics. Some Marvel heroes looked like villains and monsters such as hulk and the thing. This naturalistic approach has even extended to current policy. Comic historian Mike Benton also noted: In the world of Superman comics [DC Comics rivals], communism did not exist. Superman rarely crossed national borders or got involved in political conflicts. From 1962 to 1965, there were more communists [in Marvel Comics] than on Pravda's subscription list. Communist agents attack Ant-Man in his lab, the red minions jump the Fantastic Four on the moon, and the Viet Cong guerrillas take pot shots at Iron Man.