With many of their all-time best runs in full swing, the mid-1980s marked a golden era for Marvel, not only in terms of creativity but also financially. Having overcome the financial struggles of the late '70s (thanks, Star Wars), Marvel was poised to revolutionize the comic book industry with the launch of 1984’s Secret Wars. This event had profound impacts on the Marvel Universe and the broader industry, setting the stage for new directions for Marvel's heroes and villains for years to come.

This period also saw the release of other iconic stories such as Frank Miller's Born Again arc in Daredevil, the resurrection of Jean Grey in X-Factor, Walt Simonson’s Surtur Saga in Thor, and many more. In this article, we delve into these new directions and highlight some of the significant stories from this time. Join us as we continue our exploration of Marvel's essential issues in Part 8 of our series!

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

For standout storylines from this era, look no further than Born Again, Frank Miller's return to writing Daredevil, this time with David Mazzuchelli on art. This arc, spanning Daredevil #227-233, is often hailed as the definitive Daredevil story. It begins with Karen Page, in the throes of addiction, selling Daredevil's secret identity for heroin, information that eventually falls into the Kingpin's hands. The Kingpin uses this to dismantle Matt Murdock's life, stripping him of his home, career, and social circle, driving him to rock bottom. It's only through the intervention of his mother, a nun named Maggie, that Matt begins his slow ascent back to becoming Daredevil. The narrative of Matt's resurgence and Kingpin's descent into fanaticism is a true masterwork. This story inspired Season 3 of Netflix’s Daredevil and will influence the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again

Walt Simonson's tenure as writer-artist on Thor, starting with #337 in 1983, brought the debut of Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of lifting Mjolnir. Simonson's work is considered the definitive take on Thor, reintroducing the series to its mythic roots. His most celebrated story, the year-long Surtur Saga from #340-353, follows the fire demon Surtur's quest to bring about Ragnarok with the Twilight Sword. Surtur sends Malekith the Accursed to battle Thor, buying time to forge the sword. The saga culminates in an epic confrontation with Thor, Loki, and Odin united against Surtur. Elements of this saga were later adapted into Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, albeit with significant alterations.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

In Part 4 of this series, we discussed how 1973’s Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossovers that would become a staple for Marvel and DC. This shift fully materialized in 1984 with the release of Secret Wars, a 12-part miniseries crafted by then Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. Conceived as part of a marketing strategy with Mattel for a toy line, the premise is straightforward: the cosmic entity known as the Beyonder transports a selection of Marvel heroes and villains to Battleworld to determine the supremacy of good or evil through combat. The series is filled with large-scale battles, setups for future plotlines, and some out-of-character moments for the X-Men, including an unexpected pairing of Magneto and the Wasp.

Secret Wars #1

Secret Wars is a mixed bag. While popular due to its expansive cast and significant impact on the Marvel Universe, it lacks depth in character development. Shooter's portrayal of Doctor Doom is commendable, but his handling of other characters often feels disconnected from their ongoing narratives. The 2015 Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić offers a more cohesive and satisfying take on the concept. Nonetheless, the original Secret Wars' success led to a sequel, Secret Wars II, and alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, it established the event story model as a dominant format in comic publishing.

Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories

Following the foundational runs by Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Amazing Spider-Man found its next iconic writer in Roger Stern. After a stint on Spectacular Spider-Man, Stern took over the main title with #224, revitalizing the series for over two years. His most significant contribution was the introduction of the Hobgoblin in Amazing #238, who quickly became one of Spider-Man's most formidable adversaries. Stern's original Hobgoblin saga, though cut short by his departure after #251 due to editorial interference, remains a fan favorite. Stern later returned to the character in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives, finally revealing the villain's identity as intended.

Just as Stern left, Amazing #252 introduced Spider-Man's black symbiote costume, which debuted in Secret Wars #8 on Battleworld. This alien symbiote sparked a long-running subplot that eventually introduced one of Spider-Man's most popular villains. The black costume became Spider-Man's most iconic alternate look, inspiring numerous adaptations, including Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, various animated series, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2. Another significant story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 by Peter David and Rich Buckler. This dark tale follows Spider-Man's pursuit of the Sin-Eater, who murdered his ally Jean DeWolff, and his subsequent conflict with Daredevil over how to seek justice.

Spectacular Spider-Man #107

Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks

The mid-1980s were also a pivotal time for Marvel's mutants. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 confirmed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a revelation that remained canon for decades until a 2015 retcon. X-Men #171 saw Rogue leave the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to join the X-Men, cementing her status as a beloved heroine. X-Men #200 featured Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School for the Gifted, marking his transition to a heroic figure, which was later adapted in X-Men '97.

X-Factor #1

The most significant mutant developments of this period were Jean Grey's resurrection and the introduction of Apocalypse. Five years after the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean Grey returned in a two-part story across Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, where her body was recovered from an underwater capsule. With no memory of her time as the Phoenix, Jean's return was explained as the Phoenix Force creating a duplicate body. This concept, devised by future Marvel writer Kurt Busiek, led to Jean reuniting with the original X-Men to form X-Factor. In X-Factor #5-6, Louise Simonson and Jackson Guice introduced Apocalypse, an ancient Egyptian mutant enhanced by Celestial technology. Apocalypse became a central antagonist for X-Factor and a recurring villain in the X-Men universe, appearing in various media, including the 2016 film X-Men: Apocalypse.