The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, a period of both creative flourishing and significant financial success. Having overcome the financial struggles of the late 1970s, Marvel was poised to reshape the comic book industry. 1984's Secret Wars stands as a pivotal moment, impacting the Marvel universe and the industry as a whole in profound ways, setting the stage for new narrative directions and character arcs.
This era also saw the publication of other iconic stories, including Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc, Jean Grey's return in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor. This article explores these landmark stories and other significant events of the period. This is Part 8 of our exploration of essential Marvel comics.
More Essential Marvel
1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe 1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws 1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever 1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died 1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime 1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy 1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?
Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga
Among the era's most acclaimed storylines are Born Again, marking Frank Miller's return to Daredevil (with David Mazzuchelli on art), and Walt Simonson's Thor run. Born Again (#227-233), a contender for the definitive Daredevil story, depicts Karen Page's betrayal, leading to Matt Murdock's complete downfall. His subsequent redemption and Kingpin's descent into fanaticism create a powerful narrative. This story's influence is evident in Netflix's Daredevil Season 3 and the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.
Walt Simonson's Thor run, beginning in 1983 with #337, introduced Beta Ray Bill and revitalized the series with a strong mythic fantasy feel. The Surtur Saga (#340-353), considered Simonson's best work, features Surtur's quest for Ragnarok and the epic battle against Thor, Loki, and Odin. Elements of this saga influenced Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.
Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever
As discussed in Part 4, the 1973 Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossover model. Secret Wars (1984), a 12-part miniseries by Jim Shooter (writer), Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton (artists), solidified this model. Born from a marketing collaboration with Mattel, the story features dozens of heroes and villains battling on Battleworld at the behest of the Beyonder. While the story itself is a mixed bag, its impact on the industry is undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II and, alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, established the event comic as a dominant publishing strategy.
Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories
Following Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Roger Stern's run on Amazing Spider-Man (#224 onwards) revitalized the title. His introduction of the Hobgoblin in #238 created a formidable new villain, though his departure left the identity unresolved until 1997. Amazing Spider-Man #252 marked the debut of Spider-Man's black symbiote suit, later revealed to originate in Secret Wars. The symbiote saga has had a lasting impact, influencing numerous adaptations. Peter David and Rich Buckler's The Death of Jean DeWolff (Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110) stands as a dark and impactful Spider-Man story.
Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks
The mid-1980s also saw significant developments in the X-Men universe. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. X-Men #171 featured Rogue's heroic turn, and #200 saw Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School. Jean Grey's resurrection (Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286) and the introduction of Apocalypse (X-Factor #5-6) are arguably the most important events of this period.
