The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, a period of both creative peak and financial success. Recovering from the lean years of the late '70s, Marvel was poised to reshape the comic book landscape. 1984's Secret Wars stands as a pivotal moment, a seismic shift with far-reaching consequences for the Marvel universe and the industry as a whole, impacting heroes and villains alike for years to come.
This era also boasted other iconic storylines: Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc, Jean Grey's return in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor, to name a few. This article explores these pivotal narratives and other significant stories from this era. This is Part 8 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
- 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
Among the era's most acclaimed storylines are Born Again, Frank Miller's triumphant return to Daredevil (with David Mazzuchelli's art), and Walt Simonson's Thor run. Born Again (Daredevil #227-233) is a strong contender for the definitive Daredevil tale. A tragically addicted Karen Page betrays Matt Murdock, selling his secret identity to Kingpin, who uses this knowledge to systematically dismantle Matt's life. Reduced to rock bottom, Matt's eventual salvation comes from his mother, Maggie. Matt's arduous journey back as Daredevil, alongside Kingpin's descent into obsessive fanaticism, creates a true masterpiece. This story was loosely adapted in Netflix's Daredevil Season 3 and inspired the title of the Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.
Simultaneously, Walt Simonson revitalized Thor, beginning in 1983 with #337, introducing Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Widely considered the definitive Thor creator, Simonson infused the title with mythic fantasy, culminating in the year-long Surtur Saga (#340-353). Surtur, the fire demon ruler of Muspelheim, aims to trigger Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword, sending Malekith the Accursed to battle Thor. The saga culminates in an epic confrontation featuring Thor, Loki, and Odin against Surtur. Elements of Simonson's saga were incorporated into Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever
As discussed in Part 4 of this series, 1973's Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossovers that would become a staple of Marvel and DC. This trend fully materialized in 1984 with Secret Wars, a 12-part miniseries written by Jim Shooter (then Editor in Chief), with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. Born from a marketing collaboration with Mattel for a toy line, the premise is simple: The Beyonder teleports Marvel heroes and villains to Battleworld, pitting them against each other. The series features large-scale battles, plot setups for ongoing series, and some notably out-of-character moments (like Magneto and the Wasp… really).
Secret Wars is a mixed bag; its popularity stems from its large cast and impact on the wider Marvel universe, but it lacks narrative depth. While Shooter effectively portrays Doctor Doom, his understanding of other characters' arcs falters, creating inconsistencies. Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić's 2015 Secret Wars offers a more satisfying interpretation, but the original's influence on the comics industry remains undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II, and alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, solidified the event comic model for decades.
Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories
Following Stan Lee and Gerry Conway's foundational runs, Amazing Spider-Man found its next iconic writer in Roger Stern. Taking over with #224, Stern revitalized the title, introducing the Hobgoblin in #238, instantly establishing him as one of Spider-Man's most dangerous foes. Stern's Hobgoblin saga was unfortunately cut short due to editorial interference, leaving the villain's identity unrevealed until Stern's 1997 miniseries, Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.
Stern's departure coincided with another landmark event: the debut of Spider-Man's black symbiote costume in Amazing Spider-Man #252. While Secret Wars #8 revealed its Battleworld origin, the symbiote's introduction here launched a significant subplot, leading to the creation of one of Spider-Man's most popular antagonists. The black suit remains Spider-Man's most famous alternate look, adapted numerous times in various media. Another key story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a dark tale featuring Spider-Man hunting the Sin-Eater and clashing with Daredevil.
Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks
The mid-1980s also brought significant developments for the X-Men. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a retconned detail but a long-standing element in fan perception. X-Men #171 saw Rogue join the X-Men, becoming a beloved heroine, while X-Men #200 featured Magneto's heroic turn, adapted in X-Men '97.
Two monumental mutant events were Jean Grey's resurrection and Apocalypse's introduction. Jean returned in Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, forming X-Factor with other original X-Men. X-Factor #5-6 introduced Apocalypse, an ancient mutant merged with Celestial technology, becoming a prominent X-Men villain, frequently appearing in various adaptations.
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