Year: 1994

Major Events:

  • Foreshadowing the company’s bankruptcy, Marvel cancels over a dozen titles–several have been very long running titles (such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Alpha Flight, Marvel Comics Presents, and Avengers West Coast) in favor of short miniseries.
  • Wolverine and Deadpool meet for the first time
  • The Clone Saga, which goes on for three terrible years
  • Siege of Darkness–the Ghost Rider Universe event–was major in that it led to some books being cancelled and others launched.  But it was not memorable.
  • Rick Jones gets married, and so do Jean Grey and Scott Summers
  • Fabian Nicieza leaves the New Warriors, which he has written from the beginning
  • Captain America is dying so he starts wearing armor. 
  • So does Daredevil, but he’s not dying.
  • Doctor Strange splits into three personae.
  • Jeph Loeb starts writing Cable, which will eventually lead to a terrific run with Deadpool.
  • Speaking of Deadpool, he gets his first solo series–a miniseries, but he’s the title character for the first time.
  • Punisher meets Archie and Batman, but not at the same time.

Important Deaths: Peter Parker’s “parents” (not really them though), Reed Richards and Madrox (not really dead), Revanche (dead but absorbed by Psylocke or something like that), Hellcat (dead but she comes back), Jim Wilson and Wraith (actually and permanently dead).

Best New Series: Generation X.  A great and wonderful bright spot in a year of meh-to-bleh miniseries and titles.

Top New Characters: Chamber.  Maybe Grim Hunter.  This was a terrible year for new characters.  The only one really worth mentioning is Chamber.  But there were name changes: Daytripper (Amanda Sefton), Brittanic (Captain Britain), Kymaera (Namorita), Douglock (a meld of Warlock and Cypher), and Strange/Paradox (two Doctor Strange alter-personae).

Top 10 Stories 

  1. Daredevil: Man Without Fear
  2. Marvels
  3. Doctor Strange #64-66
  4. Strange Tales #1
  5. New Warriors #51
  6. Hellstorm #12-14
  7. Archie Meets Punisher
  8. Uncanny X-Men #318
  9. Generation X #1-3
  10. Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights