Year: 1963
Major events:
- Stan Lee and Jack Kirby appear as characters in the Marvel Universe
- the FF go to Atlantis
- The Avengers form
- Sgt Nick Fury joins the 616 Marvel Universe and SHIELD is introduced
- Thing and Hulk fight for the first time
- Marvel innovates the cover “corner box”
- Iron Man gets red armor
- Doctor Strange gets an origin
Best new series: Amazing Spider-Man. Runner up: Avengers.
Best new characters: Way too many mention, including Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Wasp, Baron Mordo, Sandman, J Jonah Jameson, Vulture, Pepper Potts, Doctors Strange and Octopus, Lizard, Wasp, The Watcher, Molecule Man, Surtur, Cobra and Hyde.
The Top 10 comics of 1963
- The Amazing Spider-Man #1: 1st Chameleon; meets Fantastic 4, introducing idea of “shared universe”
- Fantastic Four #12: 1st Thing vs Hulk Fight
- The Amazing Spider-Man #3: 1st Doctor Octopus
- Fantastic Four #13: 1st Watcher
- Fantastic Four #10: 1st Stan and Jack
- The Amazing Spider-Man #7: 1st Vulture
- Fantastic Four #11: 1st Impossible Man and Willie Lumpkin
- Strange Tales #115: Origin of Dr. Strange
- The Amazing Spider-Man #5: vs Doctor Doom
- Avengers #1: 1st “assembled” team