The Marvel Story
Marvel has gone through several incarnations with various names, but started out as Timely Publications in 1939, founded by Martin Goodman. By the early 1950s the name changed to Atlas Comics. In 1961, with the introduction of the famous Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics began using its best-known name.
The first superhero was the Human Torch, and since every superhero needs a super villain, this niche was filled by Namor the Sub-Mariner (who later became an on-again, off-again hero). A resounding success, the first issue needed a second printing and together, they sold almost 900,000 copies.
Soon thereafter, writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby created the patriotic Captain America during World War II, a character still popular today. Stanley Lieber, known more widely as Stan Lee (his pseudonym that he eventually adopted as his legal name) joined Timely and went on writing comic books for decades.
By the 1960s, well-known heroes and antiheroes emerged, including the Hulk, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, and the X-Men. This is the time Steve Ditko joined the brand, now known as Marvel Comics. These characters, with "real life" flaws and problems, revolutionized the comic book world because they were relatable to readers. By 1968, Marvel was selling 50 million comic books per year.
The late 1970s saw the long-running Star Wars series, and the 1980s made money with Daredevil, but the real resurgence of comic books came in the early 1990s. Marvel began selling trading cards and using more crossovers in the fictional Marvel Universe. But the 90s proved to be a tough time for Marvel, with defecting artists and a Chapter 11 filing. The company was saved and renamed Marvel Enterprises.
The new millennium gave way to diversification, including the wildly successful film franchises, most notably the X-Men and Spider-Man series, with characters slightly updated to reflect current trends. Marvel also launched a digital archive of over 2,500 back issues, viewed for a fee. Now Marvel is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is still going strong. Superhero strong.
Keep track of time with this officially licensed Marvel Pocket Watch by Ewatchfactory on your wrist. The timepiece displays artwork from your favorite Marvel character on the face, and is designed with labeled "hour" and "minute" hands to help young ones learn how to tell time. This classic watch has a polished and matte steel finish and a precision Japan movement for accurate time keeping and a 1 year manufacturer warranty.
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