Marvel Comics is one of the largest American publishers of comic books. It is part of Marvel Entertainment, LLC, which also produces motion pictures, television shows, and other materials based on Marvel comic book characters. Marvel Comics is known for developing fantastic characters that live in real world places. Many of these characters are flawed heroes who struggle with personal and social issues, such as racial prejudice and drug abuse. Marvel’s most famous superheroes include Captain America, Deadpool, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, the Hulk, the X-Men, and Black Panther.
Marvel Comics began in 1939 as Timely Comics, created by the American publisher Martin Goodman. Some of the first heroes created by Timely Comics included the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner. During World War II (1939-1945), Timely published comics about Captain America, a U.S. hero who fought the Nazis. During the 1950’s, the company became known as Atlas Comics.
In 1961, the American writer and editor Stan Lee—who had joined Timely Comics in 1939—partnered with the American artist Jack Kirby to create the Fantastic Four. The Fantastic Four was a superhero team that included a new version of the Human Torch. The series debuted with The Fantastic Four #1. The series began what became known as the “Marvel Universe” of comics. Marvel Universe comics feature characters, settings, and storylines that frequently overlap from series to series.
Also in 1961, the company changed its name from Atlas Comics to Marvel Comics. The name came from “Marvel Mystery Comics” (1939-1949), one of the first anthology series published by Timely Comics. An anthology comic features several titles gathered together by theme or target audience. In 1962, Lee and the American artist Steve Ditko created Spider-Man. Throughout the 1960’s, Lee worked with various artists, creating the superheroes Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and Ant-Man, among many others. Several heroes from Timely Comics were revived with new series, including Captain America. In 1963, Lee and Kirby combined several of these characters to form a team of superheroes known as the Avengers. Over the years, many Marvel characters have appeared in various Avengers line-ups.
Lee became Marvel’s editorial director and publisher in 1972. After years of decline in comic book sales, Marvel declared bankruptcy in 1996. As part of the bankruptcy, Marvel sold the movie rights to many of its characters. Sony Pictures bought the rights to create Spider-Man movies, and 20th Century Fox purchased the rights to create movies based on the X-Men. Lee left Marvel in 1998, but he continued to promote the company.
In 1996, Marvel Entertainment launched Marvel Studios to make motion pictures and television shows based on Marvel characters. In 2005, Marvel Studios made a deal with the studio Paramount Pictures to distribute their films. The first movie from Marvel Studios was Iron Man (2008). In 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment.
