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Year: 1981

Major Events: 

  • Spider-Man teams up with Superman and Batman meets Hulk
  • Hank Pym gets courtmartialed
  • Chris Claremont takes over Spider-Woman and JM DeMatteis begins a long run on Captain America, with Mike Zeck as artist
  • Ms. Marvel loses her powers to Rogue and a brand-new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants debuts
  • Moon Knight gets a Moon Copter
  • Dazzler defeats Galactus (yes, really)
  • Iron Man goes time-traveling trip with Doctor Doom

Best New Series: Ka-Zar (it was a bad year for new series)

Top 10 New Characters:

  1. Rogue
  2. Elektra
  3. Stick
  4. The Hand (ninjas)
  5. Caliban
  6. Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)
  7. Madelyn Pryor
  8. Blacklash
  9. Firebird
  10. Aunt Petunia.  OK not really.  She’s only used one more time.  Let’s go with Belasco.

Top 10 Stories:

  1. Avengers Annual #10
  2. Uncanny X-Men #141-142
  3. Uncanny X-Men #143
  4. Daredevil #169
  5. Daredevil #168
  6. Fantastic Four #236
  7. The Avengers #213-214
  8. Captain America #255
  9. The Avengers #214
  10. Batman vs. Incredible Hulk (one-shot)

 INCREDIBLE HULK #262 (1981)

 She-Hulk #17 (1981): 1st Man-Elephant

Amazing Spider-Man #211-212 (1980-1981): 1st Hydro Man

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #213-215 (1981)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #216 (1981)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #217-218 (1981)

Amazing Spider-Man #219 (1981)

Amazing Spider-Man #220 (1981): Moon Knight!

Amazing Spider-Man #221 (1981)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #15 (1981): How Strong is Spider-Man?

AVENGERS #204-205 (1981)

AVENGERS #206 (1981)

Avengers #207-208 (1981)

AVENGERS #209-210 (1981)

AVENGERS #211 (1981): The Old Order Changeth!

AVENGERS #212-213 (1981): Hank Pym court-martialed

AVENGERS #214 (1981): vs Ghost Rider

BATMAN VS INCREDIBLE HULK #1 (1981)

BIZARRE ADVENTURES #25 (1981): “Lethal Ladies”

BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27 (1981): Secret Lives of X-Men

BIZARRE ADVENTURES #28 (1981)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #255 (1981): 40th Anniversary Issue

See why captain america wears a cowl!

Captain America #256 (1981)

Captain America #257 (1981)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #258 (1981): Mike Zeck run starts; 1st Blockbuster

CAPTAIN AMERICA #259 (1981): vs Doc Octopus

Captain America #260 (1981)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #264 (1981)

CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #5 (1981)

DAREDEVIL #168 (1981): 1st Elektra

DAREDEVIL #169 (1981)

DAREDEVIL #170-172 (1981) 1st “Wilson Fisk”

DAREDEVIL #173 (1982)

DAREDEVIL #174-175 (1981): 1st Hand ninjas

DAREDEVIL #176 (1981): 1st Stick

DAREDEVIL #177 (1981)

Dazzler #3-4 (1981)

DAZZLER #5 (1981): 1st Blue Shield

DAZZLER #6-7 (1981)

DAZZLER #8-9 (1981)

DAZZLER HOUSE AD (1981)

DEFENDERS #101-102 (1981)

DEFENDERS #88-91 (1980-1981): Ed Hannigan’s Run Ends…Finally

DEFENDERS #93 (1981): Nighthawk paralyzed

DEFENDERS #94 (1981): 1st Gargoyle; Six-Fingered Hand Saga begins

Defenders #95 (1981): Dracula

DEFENDERS #96 (1981): Ghost Rider

DEFENDERS #97-100 (1981): Conclusion of Six-Fingered Hand

Mephisto dishes the sarcasm with Son of Satan and Silver Surfer. More after the cut.

DOCTOR STRANGE #45 (1981): Claremont’s last issue

DOCTOR STRANGE #48 (1981): The Stern/Rogers Run Begins!

DR. STRANGE #46 (1981)

DR. STRANGE #47 (1981): Roger Stern begins; Dr. Strange Files His Taxes!

FANTASTIC FOUR #227 (1981)

Fantastic Four #228 (1981)

FANTASTIC FOUR #229-231 (1981)

FANTASTIC FOUR #232 (1981): Byrne run starts

FANTASTIC FOUR #233 (1981): Origin of Baxter Building

FANTASTIC FOUR #234 (1981)

FANTASTIC FOUR #235 (1981)

Fantastic Four #236 (1981): Terror in a tiny town

Fantastic Four Annual #16 (1981)

Ghost Rider #52 (1981)

Ghost Rider #53 (1981)

Ghost Rider #54 (1981)

Ghost Rider #55 (1981): Werewolf by Night

Ghost Rider #56 (1981): 1st Night Rider

Ghost Rider #57 (1981)

GHOST RIDER #58 (1981)

Ghost Rider #59 (1981)

Ghost Rider #60 (1981)

Ghost Rider #61-62 (1981): Arabian Knight

Ghost Rider #63 (1981)

HOUSE AD FOR X-MEN #142 (1981)

HOUSE AD: POWER! (1981)

INCREDIBLE HULK #255: Can Hulk Lift Thor’s Hammer? (1981)

Incredible Hulk #256-257 (1981): Sabra, Arabian Knight

Incredible Hulk #258-259 (1981): 1st Ursa Major

Incredible Hulk #260 (1981): Colonel Talbot Dies

Incredible Hulk #261 (1981): Absorbing Man becomes an island

Incredible Hulk #263 (1981)

INCREDIBLE HULK #264-265 (1981): 1st Texas Rangers

INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #10 (1981)

IRON MAN #142-143 (1981)

IRON MAN #144 (1981): The Origin Reboot

Iron Man #145 (1981): 1st Raiders

IRON MAN #146-147 (1981): 1st Blacklash

Iron Man #148 (1981)

Iron Man #149-150 (1981): Doomquest

Iron Man #151 (1981)

Iron Man #152-153 (1981): 1st Stealth Armor

KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #1 (1981)

KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #2-4 (1981)

KA-ZAR THE SAVAGE #5-12 (1981-1982): 1st Belasco

MACHINE MAN #19 (1981): Series ends

Man-Thing #7-11 (1980-1981)

MARVEL BULLPEN SOFTBALL TEAM (1981)

MARVEL PREMIERE #61 (1981): STAR-LORD; series ends

Marvel Spotlight #9-11 (1980-1981): Captain Universe; series ends

MARVEL TEAM UP #102 (1981): Doc Samson

MARVEL TEAM-UP #101 (1981): Nighthawk

MARVEL TEAM-UP #103 (1981): Ant-Man

MARVEL TEAM-UP #104 (1981): Hulk and Ka-Zar vs. MODOK

MARVEL TEAM-UP #105 (1981): Power Man, Iron Fist, Hulk

Marvel Team-Up #106 (1981): Captain America

Marvel Team-Up #107 (1981): She-Hulk

Marvel Team-Up #108-109 (1981): 1st Thermo

Marvel Team-Up #110 (1981): 1st Magma

Marvel Team-Up #111-112 (1981): Defenders and Kull

Marvel Team-Up Annual #4 (1981)

MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #25 (1981)

MARVEL TREASURY EDITION #28 (1981): Superman and Spider-Man

Marvel Two-In-One #71-72 (1980-1981): 1st Maelstrom, Deathurge

MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #73 (1981): Quasar

Marvel Two-In-One #74 (1981)

Marvel Two-In-One #75 (1981): The Avengers

Marvel Two-In-One #76 (1981): Origin of Ringmaster; 1st Fire-Eater

Marvel Two-In-One #77 (1981): Man-Thing

Marvel Two-In-One #78 (1981): Wonder Man

Marvel Two-In-One #79 (1981)

Marvel Two-In-One #80 (1981): Ghost Rider

Marvel Two-In-One #81-82 (1981): Sub-Mariner, Captain America

Marvel Two-In-One Annual #6 (1981): 1st American Eagle

MARVEL’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY by FRANK MILLER and TERRY AUSTIN

MASTER OF KUNG FU #100-107 (1981)

MASTER OF KUNG FU #108-115 (1981-1982)

MICRONAUTS #25-29 (1981): Nick Fury

Micronauts #30-35 (1981)

MICRONAUTS #36 (1981)

Moon Knight #11 (1981)

Moon Knight #12 (1981):1st Morpheus

MOON KNIGHT #13 (1981): Daredevil

MOON KNIGHT #14 (1981): New Moon Copter

MOON KNIGHT #6 (1981)

MOON KNIGHT #7-8 (1981): 1st Moon Copter

Moon Knight #9-10 (1981)

MOON KNIGHT MARVEL HOUSE AD (1981)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACTULAR SPIDER-MAN #59-60 (1981)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #53 (1981)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #54 (1981)

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #55 (1981): Nitro

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #56 (1981)

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #57 (1981)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #61 (1981)

Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #3 (1981): Man-Wolf cured

Power Man & Iron Fist #74-75 (1981)

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #67-68 (1981)

Power Man and Iron Fist #69 (1981)

Power Man and Iron Fist #70 (1981)

Power Man and Iron Fist #71 (1981): 1st Montenegro

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #72 (1981)

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #73 and ROM #23 (1981)

Power Man and Iron Fist #76 (1981)

ROM #14 (1981)

ROM #15 (1981)

ROM #16 (1981)

ROM #17-19 (1981): X-Men

ROM #20 (1981)

ROM #21-22 (1981): Torpedo moves to Clairton

ROM #24 (1981): Crimebuster dies

ROM #25 (1981)

She-Hulk #11-12 (1980-1981)

She-Hulk #13-14 (1981)

SHE-HULK #15 (1981)

She-Hulk #16 (1981)

She-Hulk #18-25 (1981-1982): Series ends

SPIDER SUPER STORIES #55

SPIDER-WOMAN #33 (1980): 1st Turner D Century

SPIDER-WOMAN #34-35 (1981): Claremont run begins

Spider-Woman #36 (1981)

Spider-Woman #37-38 (1981): 1st Siryn

Spider-Woman #39 (1981)

Spider-Woman #40 (1981): 1st Flying Tiger

Spider-Woman #41 (1981)

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #50 (1981)

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #51 (1981)

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #52 (1981)

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #53 (1981)

SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #54 (1981)

STAN LEE in 1981

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #222 (1981): 1st Speed Demon

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #223 (1981)

THE STORY OF THE DIAMOND BOX (1981)

THOR #303 (1981)

THOR #304 (1981)

THOR #305-306 (1981): Air-Walker dies

Thor #307 (1981)

THOR #308 (1981)

Thor #309 (1981)

Thor #310 (1981)

THOR #311 (1981)

Thor #312-313 (1981)

THOR #314 (1981)

THOR ANNUAL #9 (1981)

UNCANNY X-MEN #141-142 (1981): Days of Future Past; 1st Rachel Summers, Avalanche, Destiny, Pyro

UNCANNY X-MEN #143 (1981)

UNCANNY X-MEN #144 (1981): Man-Thing

UNCANNY X-MEN #145-147 (1981): Dr. Doom

UNCANNY X-MEN #148 (1981): 1st Caliban; Siryn is Banshee’s daughter

UNCANNY X-MEN #149 (1981)

UNCANNY X-MEN #150 (1981): I, Magneto!

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Ekko I got the crazy idea to read and review every single Marvel 616 Universe comic. This is where I do that. Contact me at: [email protected] I also blog about music HERE

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