MARVEL COMICS: 1960 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strange Tales #73 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Xemnu the Living Titan, a powerful alien creature who would later become a recurring foe for the Hulk. | Feb 1960 |
| Tales of Suspense #7 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Spragg, the Living Hill, a classic Atlas Era monster. | Jan 1960 |
| Tales to Astonish #7 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of The Blip, a creature made of pure energy. | Jan 1960 |
| Journey into Mystery #58 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Prototype monster story featuring Klagg, an alien with immense strength and durability, foreshadowing The Hulk. | May 1960 |
| Strange Tales #75 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Dragoom, the flaming alien who would battle the Fantastic Four. | Jun 1960 |
| Tales to Astonish #10 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Orrgo, the ridiculously powerful 'God from Space' who could conquer Earth with a thought. | Jul 1960 |
| Journey into Mystery #62 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Major Hulk prototype story, "I Was a Slave of the Living Hulk!", featuring a colossal, mindless monster. | Nov 1960 |
| Strange Tales #79 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Colossus (pre-dates the X-Men character), a giant stone alien. | Dec 1960 |
| Tales to Astonish #13 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Dick Ayers | 1st appearance of Groot, the Flora Colossus from Planet X. A major character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. | Nov 1960 |
| Amazing Adventures #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | New series launch. 1st appearance of Dr. Droom, a psychiatrist who gains mystical powers and is considered the prototype for Doctor Strange. He is later renamed Doctor Druid. | Jun 1961 |
| Tales of Suspense #9 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Chondu the Mystic, a notable supernatural character from the pre-hero era. | May 1960 |
| Journey into Mystery #65 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of The Brute That Walks, a significant pre-hero monster. | Feb 1961 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1961 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Birth of the Marvel Age; 1st appearance and origin of the Fantastic Four & Mole Man. | Nov 1961 |
| Fantastic Four #2 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Skrulls (major Marvel cosmic antagonists). | Dec 1961 |
| Tales of Suspense #13 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Groot, the Monarch of Planet X (Original Monster version). | Jan 1961 |
| Strange Tales #89 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Fin Fang Foom, the legendary Makluan dragon. | Oct 1961 |
| Amazing Adventures #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Doctor Droom; Marvel’s first magic-based hero of the era. | Jun 1961 |
| Linda Carter, Student Nurse #1 | Stan Lee, Al Hartley | 1st appearance of Linda Carter, who later becomes the Night Nurse. | Sep 1961 |
| Journey Into Mystery #69 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the "Hulk" name/concept used for a monster (prototype). | Jun 1961 |
| Tales to Astonish #15 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Goom, a major recurring monster in the Marvel Universe. | Jan 1961 |
| Tales to Astonish #17 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Googam, Son of Goom. | Mar 1961 |
| Strange Tales #84 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Magneto prototype (The Magneto monster). | May 1961 |
| Amazing Adventures #3 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin of Doctor Droom; provides the narrative blueprint for Doctor Strange. | Aug 1961 |
| Tales of Suspense #14 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Colossus (not X-Men) and foundational Kirby monster art. | Feb 1961 |
| Millie the Model #100 | Stan Lee, Stan Goldberg | Centennial issue for Marvel's longest-running humor title. | Jan 1961 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1962 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Fantasy #15 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | Origin and 1st appearance of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Aunt May, and Uncle Ben. | Aug 1962 |
| The Incredible Hulk #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin and 1st appearance of the Hulk (Bruce Banner), Rick Jones, and General Ross. | May 1962 |
| Journey Into Mystery #83 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin and 1st appearance of Thor (Donald Blake). | Aug 1962 |
| Fantastic Four #5 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin and 1st appearance of Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom). | Jul 1962 |
| Tales to Astonish #27 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Henry Pym (pre-Ant-Man identity). | Jan 1962 |
| Journey Into Mystery #85 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Loki, Heimdall, and the first mention of Asgard. | Oct 1962 |
| Fantastic Four #3 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st Fantastic Four costumes and 1st appearance of the Fantasti-Car. | Mar 1962 |
| Fantastic Four #4 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st Silver Age appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner. | May 1962 |
| Tales to Astonish #35 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Henry Pym as Ant-Man (costume and helmet). | Sep 1962 |
| The Incredible Hulk #2 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Hulk's skin color changes from Grey to Green; 1st appearance of the Toad Men. | Jul 1962 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1963 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of Suspense #39 | Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck | Origin and 1st appearance of Iron Man (Tony Stark) in his gray armor. | Mar 1963 |
| The Avengers #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin and 1st appearance of The Avengers (Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp). | Sep 1963 |
| X-Men #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin and 1st appearance of the X-Men (Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman, Marvel Girl) and Magneto. | Sep 1963 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man #1 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | First issue of solo series; 1st appearance of J. Jonah Jameson and The Chameleon; 1st Fantastic Four crossover. | Mar 1963 |
| Strange Tales #110 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Doctor Strange and The Ancient One. | Jul 1963 |
| Tales to Astonish #44 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of The Wasp (Janet van Dyne). | Jun 1963 |
| Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos. | May 1963 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man #3 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius). | Jul 1963 |
| Fantastic Four #19 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Rama-Tut (Nathaniel Richards/Kang variant). | Oct 1963 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man #4 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of The Sandman (Flint Marko). | Sep 1963 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1964 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daredevil #1 | Stan Lee, Bill Everett | Origin and 1st appearance of Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page. | Apr 1964 |
| The Avengers #4 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | First Silver Age appearance of Captain America; he joins the Avengers. | Mar 1964 |
| Tales of Suspense #52 | Stan Lee, Don Heck | 1st appearance of the Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff). | Apr 1964 |
| The X-Men #4 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. | Mar 1964 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man #14 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn). | Jul 1964 |
| Tales of Suspense #57 | Stan Lee, Don Heck | 1st appearance of Hawkeye (Clint Barton). | Sep 1964 |
| The Avengers #8 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Kang the Conqueror. | Sep 1964 |
| Strange Tales #126 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Dormammu and Clea. | Nov 1964 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man #9 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Electro (Max Dillon). | Feb 1964 |
| Tales of Suspense #50 | Stan Lee, Don Heck | 1st appearance of the Mandarin. | Feb 1964 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1965 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #45 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Inhumans (Black Bolt, Crystal, Triton, Karnak) and Lockjaw. | Dec 1965 |
| X-Men #12 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin of Professor X and 1st appearance of the Juggernaut (Cain Marko). | Jul 1965 |
| Strange Tales #135 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of SHIELD, Hydra, and LMDs; Nick Fury becomes agent of SHIELD. | Aug 1965 |
| X-Men #14 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Sentinels and Bolivar Trask. | Nov 1965 |
| Avengers #16 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Major Lineup Change: Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch join Captain America ("Cap's Kooky Quartet"). | May 1965 |
| Fantastic Four #36 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of the Frightful Four and Medusa (Madam Medusa). | Mar 1965 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #25 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st cameo appearance of Mary Jane Watson (face obscured) and 1st appearance of Spencer Smythe. | Jun 1965 |
| Daredevil #7 | Stan Lee, Wally Wood | Daredevil debuts his iconic red costume; Battle vs. Sub-Mariner. | Apr 1965 |
| Journey Into Mystery Annual #1 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Hercules (Marvel version) and Zeus. | Oct 1965 |
| Strange Tales #138 | Stan Lee, Steve Ditko | 1st appearance of Eternity (Cosmic Entity). | Nov 1965 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1966 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantastic Four #48 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of The Silver Surfer and Galactus (cameo). | Mar 1966 |
| Fantastic Four #52 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of The Black Panther (T'Challa) and Wakanda. | Jul 1966 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #39 | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr. | Green Goblin revealed as Norman Osborn; 1st John Romita Sr. art on title. | Aug 1966 |
| Fantastic Four #49 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st full appearance of Galactus. | Apr 1966 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #41 | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr. | 1st appearance of The Rhino. | Oct 1966 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #42 | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr. | 1st full appearance of Mary Jane Watson (face revealed). | Nov 1966 |
| Tales of Suspense #75 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Sharon Carter (Agent 13). | Mar 1966 |
| X-Men #28 | Roy Thomas, Werner Roth | 1st appearance of Banshee (Sean Cassidy). | Jan 1966 |
| Thor #126 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Title changes from Journey Into Mystery to The Mighty Thor; Hercules vs Thor. | Mar 1966 |
| Fantastic Four #53 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | Origin of Black Panther; 1st appearance of Klaw. | Aug 1966 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1967 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Spider-Man #50 | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr. | 1st appearance of The Kingpin (Wilson Fisk); Iconic "Spider-Man No More" cover. | Jul 1967 |
| Marvel Super-Heroes #12 | Stan Lee, Gene Colan | 1st appearance and origin of Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). | Dec 1967 |
| Fantastic Four #67 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Him (Adam Warlock) in cocoon/cameo form. | Oct 1967 |
| Tales to Astonish #90 | Stan Lee, Gil Kane | 1st appearance and origin of The Abomination (Emil Blonsky). | Apr 1967 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #46 | Stan Lee, John Romita Sr. | 1st appearance of The Shocker (Herman Schultz). | Mar 1967 |
| Fantastic Four #65 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st appearance of Ronan the Accuser and the Kree Supreme Intelligence. | Aug 1967 |
| Tales of Suspense #94 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st full appearance of M.O.D.O.K. | Oct 1967 |
| The Avengers #43 | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | 1st appearance of The Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov). | Aug 1967 |
| Strange Tales #157 | Stan Lee, Marie Severin | 1st appearance of The Living Tribunal. | Jun 1967 |
| Ghost Rider #1 | Gary Friedrich, Dick Ayers | 1st appearance of Carter Slade (The Phantom Rider/Western Ghost Rider). | Feb 1967 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1968 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Surfer #1 | Stan Lee, John Buscema | Origin retold and 1st issue of the Silver Surfer's first ongoing solo series. | Aug 1968 |
| Iron Man #1 | Archie Goodwin, Gene Colan | 1st issue of Iron Man's first ongoing solo series (continued from Tales of Suspense). | May 1968 |
| Captain America #100 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st Silver Age solo title issue (series retitled from Tales of Suspense). | Apr 1968 |
| Avengers #57 | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | 1st appearance of The Vision (Silver Age). | Oct 1968 |
| Sub-Mariner #1 | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | 1st issue of Namor the Sub-Mariner's first ongoing solo series. | May 1968 |
| Marvel Super-Heroes #13 | Roy Thomas, Gene Colan | 1st appearance of Carol Danvers (later Ms. Marvel/Captain Marvel). | Mar 1968 |
| Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 | Jim Steranko | 1st issue of Nick Fury's solo series; iconic Steranko cover art. | Jun 1968 |
| Doctor Strange #169 | Roy Thomas, Dan Adkins | 1st solo title issue (series retitled from Strange Tales). | Jun 1968 |
| Avengers #55 | Roy Thomas, John Buscema | 1st full appearance of Ultron (as Ultron-5). | Aug 1968 |
| The Incredible Hulk #102 | Gary Friedrich, Marie Severin | 1st issue of the Hulk's solo title (series retitled from Tales to Astonish). | Apr 1968 |
MARVEL COMICS: 1969 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel Super-Heroes #18 | Arnold Drake, Gene Colan | Origin and 1st appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy (Vance Astro, Yondu, Martinex, Charlie-27). | Jan 1969 |
| Captain America #117 | Stan Lee, Gene Colan | Origin and 1st appearance of The Falcon (Sam Wilson) and Redwing. | Sep 1969 |
| Thor #165 | Stan Lee, Jack Kirby | 1st full appearance of "Him" (later known as Adam Warlock). | Jun 1969 |
| Amazing Spider-Man #78 | Stan Lee, John Buscema | 1st appearance of The Prowler (Hobie Brown). | Nov 1969 |
| The Avengers #69 | Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema | 1st appearance of The Grandmaster; 1st mention of the Squadron Sinister. | Oct 1969 |
| Silver Surfer #4 | Stan Lee, John Buscema | Iconic cover featuring Silver Surfer vs. Thor; classic battle issue. | Feb 1969 |
| X-Men #58 | Roy Thomas, Neal Adams | 1st appearance of Havok (Alex Summers) in costume. | Jul 1969 |
| Captain America #110 | Stan Lee, Jim Steranko | 1st appearance of Madame Hydra (Ophelia Sarkissian). | Feb 1969 |
| X-Men #60 | Roy Thomas, Neal Adams | Origin and 1st appearance of Sauron (Karl Lykos). | Sep 1969 |
| The Avengers #70 | Roy Thomas, Sal Buscema | 1st full appearance of the Squadron Sinister (Hyperion, Dr. Spectrum, Nighthawk, Whizzer). | Nov 1969 |
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journey into Mystery #62 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | 1st Appearance of Xemnu | November 1960 |
| Tales to Astonish #13 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | 1st Appearance of Groot | November 1960 |
| Rawhide Kid #17 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | Revamped Origin/1st Modern Appearance of Rawhide Kid | August 1960 |
| Strange Tales #73 | Stan Lee (W), Don Heck (A) | 1st Appearance of the Scarecrow | June 1960 |
| Strange Tales #78 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | Pre-Fantastic Four - Prototype for The Thing | February 1960 |
| Journey into Mystery #59 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | Pre-Hulk - Prototype for The Hulk | August 1960 |
| Tales of Suspense #7 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | 1st Appearance of Colossus (named on cover) | January 1960 |
| Tales of Suspense #9 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | Pre-Fantastic Four - Prototype for Diablo | May 1960 |
| Amazing Adventures #1 | Stan Lee (W), Jack Kirby (A) | 1st Issue of Amazing Adventures; 1st Appearance of Dr. Droom | June 1960 |
| Life With Millie #8 | Stan Lee (W), Dan DeCarlo (A) | Classic Romance/Humor - Early Marvel Character | February 1960 |