Year: 1963
Overall, another great formative year–and the one where the Fourth Wall broke for the first time as Stan and Jack became characters in their own title. This kind of connectivity was part of Marvel’s brand–the creators were seen as a bridge between the world of the reader and the world of the heroes.
Major events:
- Stan Lee and Jack Kirby appear as characters in the Marvel Universe
- The FF visit 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