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Year: 1986

Major Events: 

  • Frog Thor!
  • Secret Wars II crosses into every Marvel series, and Mutant Massacre hits a whole bunch too
  • The New Universe is launched, starting up a half-dozen new titles.
  • Weddings: Betty Ross and Bruce Banner; Namor and Marrina; Johnny Storm and Alicia Masters (who is really a skrull).
  • Punisher becomes a headlining character
  • Major runs begin by Ann Nocenti (Daredevil) and Louise Simonson (X-Factor), and Frank Miller returns briefly to write the best Daredevil story of all time.
  • Beast loses his fur.
  • Major runs end by John Byrne (Hulk, F4) and Roger Stern (Doctor Strange).
  • The Power Pack kids switch powers among themselves
  • Series cancellation: Cloak and Dagger, Power Man and Iron Fist, The Defenders, Micronauts, Thing, Howard the Duck, Doctor Strange, Dazzler.

Important Deaths: MODOK, Beyonder (kind of), Death Adder, Scourge, Porcupine, Arnim Zola, Blizzard, Valkyrie, Manslaughter, Moondragon, Gargoyle, and Space Phantom.

Best New Series: Elektra: Assassin (miniseries); Classic X-Men (reprints with original back-up material).

Top 20 New Characters: Not a great year for new characters, but look how many females made my favorites!

  1. Apocalypse
  2. Psylocke
  3. Vindicator (was Heather Hudson)
  4. Deathstrike (was Yuriko)
  5. Firestar (joins the 616 Universe)
  6. Justice Peace and the Time Variance Authority
  7. Nuke
  8. Star Brand
  9. Scarlet Witch and Vision’s twin babies
  10. Dakota North
  11. Council of Kangs
  12. Jubilee
  13. X-Babies
  14. The Death Throws gang of jugglers
  15. Artie Maddicks
  16. Ms. Marvel II (Sharon Ventura takes the name
  17. Rusty Collins
  18. Cameron Hodge
  19. Kara “Purple Girl” Killgrave
  20. Yellow Jacket II

Top 10 Stories  

  1. Daredevil #227-233
  2. Doctor Strange #66
  3. Thor #364-366
  4. Daredevil: Love and War (Graphic Novel)
  5. Punisher: Circle of Blood (miniseries)
  6. Classic X-Men #4
  7. Avengers #273-277
  8. Iron Man #205
  9. Classic X-Men #1
  10. Avengers #266

 

D.P.7 (New Universe) (1986-1989)

West Coast Avengers #33-36 (1989)

Doctor Strange #66 (1984) and 77 (1986)

Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #5 and 6 (1985-1986)

 Defenders #151-152 (1986): Secret Wars II, Series Ends and Everyone Dies

Alpha Flight #31 (1986)

Alpha Flight #32 (1986)

Alpha Flight #33-34 (1986): Heather becomes Vindicator

Alpha Flight #35-38 (1986): 1st Pestilence

ALPHA FLIGHT ANNUAL #1 (1986)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #272 (1986): 1st Slyde

Amazing Spider-Man #273 and Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #111 (1986): Secret Wars II

Amazing Spider-Man #274 (1986): Zarathos is freed

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #275-276 (1986)

At first, I was all “Oh my God Flash Thompson is Hobgoblin” and the I was like “No, he’s not.”

Nobody was fooled by this.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #277 (1986)

Amazing Spider-Man #278 (1986): Wraith dies

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #279 (1986)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #280-282 (1986): 1st Sinister Syndicate

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #20 (1986): Iron Man 2020 kills Blizzard

AN ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE FROM D.C. COMICS (1986)

AVENGERS #263 & FANTASTIC FOUR #286: Jean Grey Returns…For realsies

Avengers #264 (1986): 1st new Yellow Jacket; Wasp has wings at full-size

Avengers #266 (1986): Secret Wars II Epilogue

Avengers #267-269 (1986): 1st multiple Kangs; Space Phantom dies

AVENGERS #270-271 (1986)

AVENGERS ANNUAL #15/WEST COAST AVENGERS ANNUAL #1 (1986)

Balder the Brave #1-4 (1985-1986)

BULLPEN BULLETINS: THE NEW UNIVERSE! (1986)

BULLPEN CHRISTMAS PARTY (1986)

Captain America #313 (1986): MODOK dies

Captain America #314 and Squadron Supreme #1-12 (1985-1986)

Captain America #315 (1986): Porcupine dies

CAPTAIN AMERICA #316-317 (1986): Bernie and Cap Break Up; 1st Death Throws

Captain America #318-320 (1986): Death Adder, Scourge die

CAPTAIN AMERICA #321-322 (1986): Cap kills

CAPTAIN AMERICA #323 (1986)

Captain America #324 (1986): 1st Slug

Captain America annual #8 (1986)

CLASSIC X-MEN #1 (1986)

CLASSIC X-MEN #2 (1986)

CLASSIC X-MEN #3 (1986)

CLASSIC X-MEN #4 (1986)

CLOAK AND DAGGER #4 (1986): Secret Wars II

Cloak and Dagger #5-6 (1986): 1st Mayhem

CLOAK AND DAGGER #7-8 (1986)

CLOAK AND DAGGER #9-10 (1986)

DAKOTA NORTH #1-5 (1986-1987)

DAREDEVIL #226 (1986): Frank Miller returns

DAREDEVIL #234 and 235 (1986)

DAREDEVIL #235-236…NOT! (1986)

DAREDEVIL #236 (1986): Ann Nocenti run begins

DAREDEVIL #237 (1986)

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN (#227-233) (1986): 1st Nuke

Dazzler #41-42 (1986): Series ends

DOCTOR STRANGE #75-76 (1986): Roger Stern’s Run Ends

DOCTOR STRANGE #78 (1986): 1st Ecstasy

Elektra: Assassin #1 (1986)

Elektra: Assassin #2-3 (1986)

ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN #4-5 (1986)

ETERNALS #1-12 (1985-1986)

FANTASTIC FOUR #287-288 (1986)

Fantastic Four #289-292 (1986): Another Negative Zone Epic

FANTASTIC FOUR #293-295 (1986): Goodbye, John Byrne

Fantastic Four #296 (1986): 25th Anniversary Issue

Firestar #1-4 (1986)

HOUSE AD FOR FIRESTAR (1986)

HOWARD THE DUCK #32-33 (1986): Series ends

HULK #314-315 (1985-1986)

Incredible Hulk #316-317 (1986)

INCREDIBLE HULK #318-319 (1986): Betty and Bruce Marry; Byrne leaves

Incredible Hulk #320-324 (1986): Banner/Hulk reunited; Hulk is Gray

INCREDIBLE HULK #325-327 (1986-1987): Rick becomes Hulk; Ross becomes Zzzax

INCREDIBLE HULK ANNUAL #15 (1986)

Iron Man #202 (1986)

Iron Man #203-204 (1986)

Iron Man #205 (1986): Zombie MODOK

Iron Man #206 (1986)

Iron Man #207 (1986)

Iron Man #208 (1986)

IRON MAN #209-214 (1986-1987): 1st Seekers, Dominic Fortune Jr

IRON MAN ANNUAL #8 (1986)

JUSTICE #1-32 (New Universe) (1986-1989)

Kickers, Inc. #1-12 (New Universe) (1986-1987)

Longshot #4-6 (1985-1986)

MARK HAZZARD: MERC #1-12 (New Universe) (1986-1987)

MARVEL AGE ANNUAL #2 (1986): Englehart’s Daredevil

MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #41 (1986)

MARVEL FANFARE #24-26 (1986): Weirdworld

MARVEL FANFARE #27 (1986)

Marvel Fanfare #28 (1986): Alpha Flight

MARVEL FANFARE #29 (1986): Hammer/Anvil die

Marvel Graphic Novel #22: Spider-Man: Hooky (1986)

Marvel Graphic Novel #23: Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa (1986)

Marvel Graphic Novel #24: Daredevil: Love and War (1986)

MERRY MARVEL BULLPEN CHRISTMAS (1986)

MICRONAUTS #17-20 (1986): Series Ends

MICRONAUTS: THE NEW VOYAGES #16 (1986): Secret Wars II

New Mutants #35 (1986)

New Mutants #36 (1986): Secret Wars II; Sunspot quits

New Mutants #37-38 (1986): Secret Wars II

New Mutants #39-40 (1986)

NEW MUTANTS #41 (1986)

NEW MUTANTS #42 (1986)

NEW MUTANTS #43 (1986)

New Mutants #44 (1986)

New Mutants #45 (1986)

NEW UNIVERSE HOUSE AD (1986)

NIGHTCRAWLER #1-4 (1985-1986)

NIGHTMASK #1-12 (1986-1987)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #107-110 (1985-1986): Death of Jeanne DeWolff

The story that put Peter David on the map, and one of the greatest Spider-Man stories of all time.

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #112: 1st Canon Santa

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #113 (1986)

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #114 (1986)

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #115-117 (1986): 1st Ashcan

PETER PARKER THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #118 (1986): Ashcan “dies”

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #119 (1986)

Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #121 (1986)

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #120 (1986)

Power Man & Iron Fist #123-124 (1986)

Power Man and Iron Fist #121 (1986): Secret Wars

Power Man and Iron Fist #122 (1986)

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #125 (1986): Series ends

The death of Iron Fist was only part of what made this issue great.

Power Pack #19 (1986): Thanksgiving Issue

Power Pack #20 (1986)

Power Pack #21 (1986)

Power Pack #22-26 (1986): The kids switch powers

PSI-FORCE (New Universe) (1986-1989)

PUNISHER #1-5 (aka CIRCLE OF BLOOD) (1986)

ROM #73-75 (1985-1986): Series Ends

Secret Wars II #7 (1986)

Secret Wars II #8 (1986)

Secret Wars II #9 (1986): Beyonder dies; It’s over

Spitfire and the Troubleshooters #1-13 (1986-1987)

STAR BRAND #1-19 (1986): 1st New Universe

THE COLOSSUS MINISERIES (1986)

THE MUTANT MASSACRE: DAREDEVIL #238, NEW MUTANTS #46, POWER PACK #27, THOR #373-374, UNCANNY X-MEN #210-213, X-FACTOR #9-11 (1986-1987)

THE NEW NO-PRIZE RULES (1986)

THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE (1985-1986)

THE THING #32 (1986)

Thing #31 (1986)

Thing #33 (1986): 1st Battleaxe

Thing #34 (1986): Sphinx dies

Thing #35-36 (1986): 1st Ms. Marvel 2; Series Ends

Thor #364-366 (1986): Frog Thor

Thor #367-369 (1986)

THOR #370 (1986)

Thor #371-372 (1986): 1st Justice Peace, Time Variance Authority

Uncanny X-Men #204 (1986): Secret Wars II

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #10 (1986)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #11 (1986)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #12 (1986): Scarlet Witch gives birth; series ends

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 (1986)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #5 (1986)

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #6-7 (1986): Thanksgiving

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #8 (1986): MLK day

Vision and the Scarlet Witch #9 (1986)

Web of Spider-Man #10 (1986): 1st Simon Steele

Web of Spider-Man #11-12 (1986)

Web of Spider-Man #13 (1986)

Web of Spider-Man #14-15 (1986): 1st Chance

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #16-17 (1986): Spidey “dies”

Web of Spider-Man #18 (1986)

Web of Spider-Man #19 (1986): 1st Solo, Humbug

Web of Spider-Man #20-22 (1986-1987)

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #2 (1986)

WEST COAST AVENGERS #10 (1986): 1st Headlok

WEST COAST AVENGERS #11 (1986)

WEST COAST AVENGERS #14-15 (1986)

West Coast Avengers #4 (1986): 1st Master Pandemonium

WEST COAST AVENGERS #5 (1986)

WEST COAST AVENGERS #6 (1986): Tigra origin retcon

West Coast Avengers #7 (1986)

West Coast Avengers #8-9 (1986): Thing joins

WONDER MAN #1 (1986)

X-Factor #1 (1986): 1st Rusty Collins, Cameron Hodge

X-Factor #4 (1986): 1st Frenzy

X-FACTOR #5-6 (1986): 1st Apocalypse; L Simonson run begins

X-FACTOR ANNUAL #1 (1986)

ALPHA FLIGHT #41-42 (1986-1987): 1st Kara Killgrave

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #283-288 (1986-1987): Gang War; 1st Mongoose

The Hobgoblin is revealed to be Flash Thompson! No!

Of course not.

AVENGERS #273-277 (1986-1987): Under Siege; Arnim Zola dies

Doctor Strange #79-81 (1986-1987): 1st Rintrah; series ends

FANTASTIC FOUR #297-298 (1986-1987): Johnny proposes to “Alicia”

About this site

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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