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Publication history of Marvel Comics crossover events

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For decades Marvel Comics has been telling noteworthy fictional stories. The following is a list of the major plotlines, detailing such things as first appearances of characters, character deaths (though those tend to be less permanent in superhero comics) and other important developments. It is important to note that a number of events from the Golden Age (eg: the formation of The Invaders and the death of Bucky) have been retconned by later writers. Also, events in the Silver Age and beyond are assumed to take place within a sliding timescale, which means that they are assumed to have taken place in a period of up to fifteen years before the current date, regardless of when they were actually published.

For a list of events before the "Modern Era" see Timeline of the Marvel Universe.

Events

Golden Age

Event Date Developments
Emergence of the Original Human Torch 1939 The Original Human Torch appears. (Marvel Comics #1 , October 1939)[1]
Emergence of Namor 1939 Namor makes his first appearance '(Marvel Comics #1, October 1939) [2]
Emergence of Captain America 1941 Steve Rogers receives the Super Soldier Serum, his first shield, and a partner by the name of Bucky, becoming the first and the most famous incarnation of Captain America.(Captain America Comics #1, March 1941)[3]
World War II and the emergence of the Invaders 1941-45 Captain America, Bucky Barnes, the Original Human Torch and his mutant ally Toro, and Namor form the primary members of the Invaders (Giant-Size Invaders#1, June 1975) with later additions of British heroes Union Jack (Invaders #8, September 1976)[4] and Spitfire(Invaders #11,December 1976)[5]. Back in America, the Liberty Legion protects the homeland from incursion and Axis plots (Marvel Premiere #29/30, April/June 1976)[6]. In the final days of the Second World War, Steve and Bucky attack an island stronghold held by Baron Zemo and are apparently killed(The Avengers #4, 1964)[7].
Emergence of the All-Winners Squad 1946 A short lived creation, this team was comprised of Captain America, Bucky, The Original Human Torch, Toro, Sub-Mariner, The Whizzer, and Miss America (All Winners #19-21, Fall-Winter 1946)[8]. As President Harry S. Truman does not wish the American people to know of the death of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes following the recent death of President Roosevelt, Captain America and Bucky are actually the Spirit of '76 and a young man named Fred Davis.
Namor Hurt 1958 An incident causes Namor to lose his memory, which he will not regain until soon after the formation of the Fantastic Four (Fantastic Four #4, May 1962)[9].

1960s

Event Date Developments
Emergence of the Fantastic Four 1961 After a trip to space, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm develop fantastic powers (Fantastic Four #1, November 1961)[10].
Re-emergence of Namor 1962 The Sub-Mariner gets his memories back after a meeting with the Human Torch and vows to destroy the human race after discovering the ruins of Atlantis and believes his race to be dead. The Fantastic Four manage to stop him on this and several occasions(Fantastic Four #4, May 1962)''[11].
Emergence of Doctor Doom 1962 Victor von Doom makes his first appearance and threatens the Fantastic Four (Fantastic 4 #5 1962)[12], later teaming up with Namor in an attempt to destroy Reed Richards, the man he blames for forcing him to hide his face under his metal mask.
Emergence of the Hulk 1962 After being bombarded by gamma rays in a nuclear explosion, Dr. Bruce Banner becomes a rampaging creature.
Emergence of Spider-Man 1962 Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and embraces a super-hero career.
Emergence of Thor 1962 The thunder god Thor awakens inside the body of mortal Donald Blake.
Emergence of Iron Man 1963 Tony Stark creates his first suit of Iron Man armor following capture and a piece of shrapnel becoming dangerously close to his heart.
Emergence of Doctor Strange 1963 After years of mystical training following a quest to repair his broken hands, Stephen Strange becomes Earth's greatest defender against supernatural threats.
Emergence of the X-Men and Magneto 1963 Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast, and Angel are brought together for the first time by Professor X. They go public while fighting mutant criminal Magneto for the first time, who soon after will forge the Brotherhood of Mutants.
Emergence of the Avengers 1963 Iron Man, Thor, Ant Man, the Wasp and Hulk assemble for the first time in an effort to stop Loki.
Emergence of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. 1963 Colonel Nick Fury and his espionage agency get involved in super-human affairs for the first time.
Re-emergence of Captain America 1964 Steve Rogers is awakened from suspended animation by the Sub-Mariner and found by the Avengers following their battle with Namor and a now enraged Hulk. He becomes a member of the team.
Emergence of Daredevil 1964 As a young boy, Matthew Murdock was blinded in a tragic accident, which also honed his senses to super-human levels. Now an adult, he embraces a super-hero career.
The New Avengers 1965 With the exception of Captain America all of the Avengers resign, and he recruits a new team consisting of the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver (both former members of the Brotherhood of Mutants), and Hawkeye, a mistaken villain by Iron Man.
The Galactus Trilogy 1966 The Silver Surfer arrives on Earth with plans for his master Galactus to destroy it, forcing the Fantastic Four to stop him and the Watcher to seriously break his code for the first time.
Emergence of Captain Marvel 1967 The Kree Empire sends Captain Mar-Vell to Earth as a spy. Coming to empathize with humanity, Mar-Vell betrays his orders and is welcomed as a hero by the people of Earth.

1970s

Event Date Developments
Emergence of The Defenders 1971 The Defenders are first organized, originally led by Dr. Strange and including The Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer.
Emergence of Ghost Rider 1971 Johnny Blaze summons Mephisto and makes a deal with him to save his mentor's life.
Kree-Skrull War 1971 - 1972 The Avengers are involved in a millennia-old interstellar war.
Death of Gwen Stacy 1973 During a fight with the Green Goblin, Gwen Stacy is killed when Spider-man is unable to save her.
Secret Empire 1974 Captain America follows a conspiracy all the way to the White House.
Emergence of Wolverine 1974 Wolverine first appears. He attacks the Hulk, but is knocked out.
The Celestial Madonna Saga 1974 Kang the Conqueror invades Earth in an attempt to find the woman destined to birth the savior of the universe.
Giant-Size X-Men 1975 Professor X assembles a new team to rescue the original X-Men. First appearance of several major characters.
The Magus Saga 1975 - 1976 The Magus first appears as an evil future version of Adam Warlock.
Phoenix Saga 1976 - 1977 The Phoenix is released for the first time in the Marvel Universe, in the form of Jean Grey.
The Korvac Saga 1978 The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy track down a mysterious threat from the future.
The Proteus Saga 1979 Proteus, the son of Moira McTaggart, attempts to escape his imprisonment on Muir Island in order to find his father.

1980s

Event Date Developments
Dark Phoenix Saga 1980 Jean Grey becomes the Dark Phoenix after being controlled by the Hellfire Club.
The Kingpin Must Die 1981 The former Spider-Man villain the Kingpin encounters Daredevil for the first time.
Days of Future Past 1981 Kitty Pryde from a dystopian future travels back in time to prevent the event that created her timeline.
Contest of Champions 1982 The Grandmaster and Death manipulate the heroes of Earth in a game to decide the fate of The Collector.
Death of Captain Marvel 1982 The original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) falls victim to what the Kree call "the Blackend", or what is called Cancer on Earth.
Secret Wars 1984 - 1985 The Beyonder kidnaps selected heroes and villains of Earth to battle on a planet of his creation. Spider-Man finds his Symbiote costume. Doctor Doom steal the powers of the Beyonder, becoming almost god-like in the process, but is ultimately defeated by the present heroes.
Hulk in Exile 1985 The Hulk had come to control his rage, but when it begins to slip away from him and he goes on an uncontrollable rampage, Dr. Strange banishes him to another dimension, while the Hulk and Bruce Banner become separated.
Surtur Returns 1985 Surtur forges a powerful mystic sword and returns to destroy Asgard against Thor, Loki, Beta Ray Bill, and Odin.
Secret Wars II 1985 - 1986 The Beyonder heads to Earth in a bid to understand humanity, creating a human form for himself in the process.
Daredevil: Born Again 1986 Karen Page returns as a heroin addict and the Kingpin learns of Daredevil's secret identity.
Mutant Massacre 1986 The Marauders kill most of the Morlocks. This event saw the first encounter between Wolverine and Sabretooth, though the pair had battled many times before.
The Fall of the Mutants 1987 The X-Men are slain in Dallas during a cataclysmic battle against the Adversary; Cypher (of the New Mutants) dies battling the Ani-Mator; X-Factor (the original X-Men) battles Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen.
Kraven's Last Hunt 1987 The final battle between Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man.
Armor Wars 1988 Iron Man embarks on a mission to destroy armored suits that were created from his own stolen technology.
The Evolutionary War 1988 The High Evolutionary unleashes attacks all over the world to guide the way of human evolution.
Inferno 1988 - 1989 Demons from Limbo invade earth.
Atlantis Attacks 1989 Under the influence of Set the Serpent God, the Atlanteans launch a massive assault on the surface world.
Acts of Vengeance 1989 - 1990 Major villains unite to fight each others' enemies.

1990s

Event Date Developments
The X-Tinction Agenda 1990 The New Mutants and the X-Men are kidnapped and taken to Genosha, which culminates in their escape; the Genoshan government is overthrown.
Infinity Gauntlet 1991 Thanos uses the power of the Infinity Gems to become Supreme Being.
Thor gains the Odin Force 1991 At long last Thor becomes the Ruler of Asgard, but at the cost of his father Odin who dies in a final battle with Surtur.
Operation: Galactic Storm 1992 The Avengers become involved in a war between the Kree and the Shi'ar.
Infinity War 1992 Magus, Adam Warlock's "Evil Side", creates evil doppelgangers of Earth's heroes to gain ultimate power.
X-Cutioner's Song 1992 Stryfe arrives in the present to take vengeance against Cable & the X-Men. The Legacy Virus is released during its epilogue.
Infinity Crusade 1993 Goddess, Adam Warlock's "Good Side", recruits an army of heroes to fight her holy war. Thanos and Adam Warlock unite to stop her.
Maximum Carnage 1993 The Carnage Family massacres downtown New York only to have Spider-Man and Venom in their way.
Fatal Attractions 1993 Magneto returns more powerful and determined than ever, ripping the adamantium from Wolverine's bones and enraging Professor X. Colossus defects to Magneto's side.
Phalanx Covenant 1994 The Phalanx race attacks Earth. Generation X is founded in its aftermath.
Clone Saga 1994 - 1996 The clone of Spider-Man, who was long thought dead, returns. His creator, the Jackal also returns to wreak havoc in Spider-Man's personal life.
Age of Apocalypse 1995 Legion travels back in time to kill Magneto, but accidentally kills his own father, Charles Xavier, creating a dystopian alternative timeline in which Apocalypse rules the world.
Atlantis Rising 1995 The Fantastic Four and others battle against forces who are literally raising the city of Atlantis from the depths of the ocean.
Avengers: The Crossing 1995 One of the Avengers is brainwashed and turns into a murderer.
Ultimate Nullification 1995 The Silver Surfer battles his own demons, while Morg, Tyrant, and Galactus head towards a showdown with the Ultimate Nullifier.
Onslaught 1996-1997 The seed was planted when Xavier mind-wiped Magneto during Fatal Attractions, and he was born by the time warp of the Age of Apocalypse. Onslaught has arrived.
Operation: Zero Tolerance 1997 In the aftermath of Onslaught, the U.S. government begins to round up mutants.
Heroes Reborn 1997 The heroes who died during the Onslaught saga return from a Limbo created by Franklin Richards.
The Hunt for Xavier 1998 Xavier has gone missing after he was imprisoned following Operation: Zero Tolerance. The X-Men move to find him, but so does a rogue Cerebro.
The Magneto War 1999 Magneto's destiny is determined when his mindless body goes missing, and a mysterious man arrives by the name of Joseph.
Contest of Champions II 1999 Earth's heroes are abducted and brainwashed with nanoprobes to participate in a fighting competition.
Avengers Forever 1998 - 2000 Avengers from different time periods are assembled to participate in the Destiny War, a conflict between Kang the Conqueror and his future self, Immortus.

2000s

Event Date Developments
Apocalypse: The Twelve 2000 Apocalypse emerges once more, along with a mysterious prophecy of 12 powerful mutants capable of destroying him.
Maximum Security 2000 Fed up with Earth's interference in intergalactic affairs, the starfaring alien community quarantines the Sol System and turns Earth into a prison for the universe's worst criminals.
Dream's End 2001 Mystique, leading the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, plots an assassination against anti-mutant presidential candidate Robert Kelly, and releases a new strain of the Legacy Virus.
Eve of Destruction 2001 A cure for the Legacy Virus has been released, providing Magneto with a brand new army of healthy mutants ready to wage a final battle against humanity.
The Kang Dynasty 2001-2002 Kang and his son Marcus declare war on present-day Earth, killing everyone in Washington DC and briefly taking over the planet.
Infinity Abyss 2002 Mad partial-clones of Thanos try to destroy the universe.
Avengers Disassembled 2004 Scarlet Witch goes insane and kills or incapacitates the current Avenger-roster, bringing to an end the Avengers as we knew them. In addition Captain America and Iron Man face individual crises, while Thor brings about the end of Asgard
Secret War 2004 - 2005 Nick Fury brainwashes several heroes in secret to start a secret war against Latveria, who he believes has been selling high-tech weaponry to super villains.
Planet X 2004 The mutant Xorn lauches attacks on New York City, culminating in the death of Jean Grey, and prompting Professor-X to step down as leader of the X-Men.
New Avengers 2005 Captain America reforms the Avengers after a mysterious attack at The Raft, a supermax prison, which freed dozens of super powered criminals.
House of M 2005 The Scarlet Witch alters reality, creating a world in which mutants are in charge.
Decimation 2005 The Aftermath of House of M, wherein the population of the world's mutants is brought near extinction.
Spider-Man: The Other 2005 Spider-Man goes through a mysterious, life changing event after facing the super villain Morlun.
Annihilation 2006 - 2007 Silver Surfer, Super-Skrull, Nova, and Ronan face the Annihilation Wave.
Civil War 2006 - 2007 Heroes are divided when the U.S. government passes the Super-human Registration Act. Captain America seeks freedom, while Iron Man seeks to institute The 50 State Initiative.
Annihilation: Conquest 2007 - 2008 Nova, Starlord, Wraith, & a new Quasar (Phyla-Vell) lead a group of cosmic heroes against the Phalanx, who threaten to conquer and annihilate all of Kree space.
World War Hulk 2007 The Hulk returns to Earth to exact revenge on those who exiled him.
Messiah Complex 2007 - 2008 When the first new mutant since M-Day is suddenly born, the X-Men, Purifiers, and Mister Sinister go after it.
One More Day 2007 - 2008 Spider-Man accepts a devilish choice to rewrite his own history in order to save Aunt May while sacrificing the greatest love of his life in the process.
Secret Invasion 2008 A stealthy invasion by the Skrull race has gone unnoticed for years, but there is an even more secret purpose behind it.
Dark Reign 2009 In the aftermath of Secret Invasion, Norman Osborn grows to new heights of power as a beloved public figure, taking over shield, and even founding his own team of Dark Avengers.
War of Kings 2009 Vulcan is rapidly expanding the Shi'ar Empire, while Black Bolt and the Inhumans become active following the events of Secret Invasion, and a cosmic war begins, drawing in Nova, Darkhawk, the Starjammers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Messiah War 2009 X-Force and Cable race against time to save the mutant messiah from Bishop and his allies.
Utopia 2009 Norman Osborn births a new team of Dark X-Men to go along with his Dark Avengers. His plan; to create havok in San Francisco, casting the legitimate X-Men as villians, and his own team as the new public heros of the mutant world.
Captain America: Reborn 2009 Steve Rogers did not die; the gun used on him instead transported him to a fixed position in space and time.
  1. ^ Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-1-4053-3263-7. p10.
  2. ^ Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-1-4053-3263-7 p11.
  3. ^ The Marvel Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the Marvel Universe (2006) Dougall, Alastair (ed), Dorling Kindersley, New York. ISBN 13 978-0-7566-2358-6
  4. ^ The Invaders Classic: Volume 1 (2007), Thomas, Roy. Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 0-7851-2706-2 pp2-32, 223.
  5. ^ The Invaders Classic: Volume 2 (2008), Thomas, Roy. Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 978-0-7851-3120-5. p40.
  6. ^ The Invaders Classic: Volume 1 (2007), Thomas, Roy. Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 0-7851-2706-2. pp131-186
  7. ^ Marvel Masterworks:The Avengers Volume 1 (2002)Lee, Stan., Kirby, Jack. Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 0-7851-0883-1
  8. ^ Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-1-4053-3263-7 pp32-33
  9. ^ Grandson of Origins (1998), Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN0-7851-0593-x. pp5-28.
  10. ^ Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 978-1-4053-3263-7 p81.
  11. ^ Grandson of Origins (1998), Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 0-7851-0593-x. pp5-28.
  12. ^ Marvel Encyclopedia: Volume 1(2003) Beazley, Mark., Youngquist, Jeff., Brady, Matt. Marvel Comics, New York. ISBN 0-7851-0984-6 pp86-89
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