Year: 1972
Major Events: This was a VERY good year…
- Beast turns blue and hairy
- Death of Harry Osborn
- “Him” becomes Adam Warlock
- Stan writes his last Fantastic Four and Steve Englehart writes his first Captain America
- Johnny Storm gets a red costume
- High Evolutionary creates Counter-Earth, with different versions of 616 characters
- The Avengers fight the Greek Gods
- The Book of the Darkhold is introduced, which will be the focus of multiple 1990s series
Important Deaths: Guardsman.
Best New Series: Defenders and Tomb of Dracula (based solely on quality), Marvel Team-Up (based on it being fun!) and Luke Cage (not a great book, but notable as 1st black title character). Like I said, a very, very good year.
Top 20 New Characters: Note the emphasis on horror this year…
- Luke Cage
- Ghost Rider
- Misty Knight
- Dracula
- Werewolf by Night
- Tigra
- Shaper of Worlds
- Hammerhead
- 1950s Captain America (William Burnside)
- Shanna the She-Devil
- H.E.R.B.I.E.
- Thundra
- Man-Bull
- Namorita
- Rachel Van Helsing
- Griffin
- The Night Nurse team
- Dr. Jonas Harrow
- Thog
- Gibbon
Top 10 Stories:
- Avengers #87-97 (Kree Skrull War)
- Amazing Adventures #14
- Amazing Spider-Man #122 (Green Goblin dies)
- Captain America and Falcon #153-156
- Defenders #1
- Incredible Hulk #151-153
- Defenders #2
- Marvel Premiere #3
- Amazing Adventures #15
- Thor #196-198