Marvel Comics has created some of the greatest heroes of all time. The House of Ideas were around in the Golden Age, jumping onto the superhero bandwagon, but wouldn’t become the force they are today until the Silver Age. The publisher has always been able to create characters that truly connected with readers and an integral part of that has been their debuts. A debut is one of the most important moments in their existence, if not the most important. Not every character needs a great debut to become a great character, but the ones who do have amazing debuts have a leg up on the ones who don’t.
Over the years, Marvel has given readers some of the best hero debuts imaginable. These debuts presaged the massive success these characters would have, allowing readers to immediately empathize with and connect to the hero. Here are Marvel’s ten best hero debuts, amazing beginnings that helped them become legends.
10) Thor
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Thor is Marvel’s mightiest god and has become one of its most stalwart heroers. Co-creator Jack Kirby loved mythology, always trying to modernize it and give readers their own versions. Journey Into Mystery #83, by Kirby and Stan Lee, told the story of the God of Thunder, an arrogant warrior who only cared about himself. His father Odin decides to teach him a lesson and bonds him to Donald Blake, a human doctor with a bad leg, to teach him humility and humanity. Lee and Kirby could have just made the Thor of myth into a superhero, but instead found an interesting way to debut the character and give him the beginnings of his character arc. It’s fantastic, full of that Kirby energy that made Silver Age Marvel so awesome.
9) The Vision
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The Vision has become a legend and is an integral part of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Avengers (Vol. 1) #57, by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, introduced the synthezoid Avenger to the world in this brilliant issue. The android was created by Ultron to destroy the team, but the group was able to make an impact on the synthetic man and he ended up joining them. This book was sensational. Thomas is the greatest Avengers writer ever (I like others more than him, but he defined what the team could be after taking over from Stan Lee and everyone who came after him followed his example), and this is one of the finest moments of his time with them. Add in Buscema’s amazing art and you get a book that has gone down in the annals of the comic industry.
8) Silver Surfer
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Silver Surfer was Stan Lee’s favorite character to write and that was apparent right away. The Sentinel of the Spaceways first appeared in “The Galactus Trilogy”, which ran through Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #48-50, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (yeah, you’re going to see that a lot on this list; also, I know Surfer first appeared in #48 and this is the cover to #49, but it was the only one with him on the cover). This story is widely considered the greatest Fantastic Four story ever, with Lee and Kirby firing on all cylinders creatively presenting the battle against Galactus. This is one of Marvel’s best stories, bar none, and was the perfect introduction to Norrin Radd.
7) Nightcrawler
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Nightcrawler is an X-Men stalwart and has one of the best debuts of any mutants out there. Giant-Size X-Men #1, by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, introduced Storm, Colossus, Thunderbird, and Kurt Wagner to the world, presaging the rise of the team. His origin is easily the best, with Cyclops and Xavier finding him in Germany being chased by bigots who thought he was a demon. This was the perfect way to introduce the character, showing readers the kind of life he has been forced to live. It contrasted wonderfully with his happy go-lucky personality, and allowed him to become one of the best members of the team.
6) Fantastic Four
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The Fantastic Four were the first heroes of Marvel’s Silver Age and made a massive splash immediately thanks to Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue tapped into Cold War anxieties about the space race, with Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, and Sue and Johnny Storm stealing Richards’s special ship to go to space and beat those pesky Russkies (sorry, the Cold War language is rubbing off on me). They gained their powers, changing their lives forever, and ended up battling the Mole Man, saving New York City for the first time. This is one of the most important Marvel comics ever and it’s, well, fantastic. It grabbed readers’ attention immediately and it still stands up 65 years later.
5) Wolverine
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Wolverine is the best there is, having become one of the most popular characters in the history of superheroes. His introduction in The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #181, by Len Wein and Herb Trimpe, set the stage for his success. Sent by the Canadian government to stop Hulk and Wendigo, he jumped into battle with two of the most dangerous beings on Earth like he was going to pulverize him; it was perfect. This comic is an awesome slobberknocker, laying the groundwork for the ol’Canucklehead. Wein’s affection for the character he co-created (we’re not counting Roy Thomas among them no matter how much he wants us to) is obvious and Trimpe, one of the greatest Hulk artists ever, gives readers the kind of action that would define Logan in the years to come.
4) The Hulk
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The Hulk is the strongest one there is, a character who has went from humble beginnings (his first book was cancelled) to one of the most popular fictional characters on the planet. The Incredible Hulk (Vol. 1) #1, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, was one of the best horror comics of the ’60s. It told the story of Bruce Banner, a physicist who had created a new bomb, all while dating the daughter of the general in charge of the project. When a teen boy is found on the bombing range, Banner leaps into action and the most powerful human ever was born. This is perfect Cold War horror storytelling, a man transformed into a beast because of the war of ideologies. It’s one of the best single issue stories ever.
3) Iron Man
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Iron Man has become one of the most popular superheroes of all time. In the comics, he was at the height of his popularity in the Silver and Bronze Ages, all of which stemmed from his first appearance in Tales of Suspense #39, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Don Heck. This issue told the story of Tony Stark, out selling his weapons and getting captured by vaguely-Vietnamese bad guys. Injured by his own weaponry, he’s forced to build a new weapon. However, they never said who the weapon was for and he uses it to break out. This issue was perfect for its time; Lee and Lieber played into the Cold War/American exceptionalism that informed so much of the early Marvel Universe beautifully. Heck is an underrated artist and his pencils give this story’s action and bombast a lot of heft.
2) Captain America
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Captain America is Marvel’s patriotic icon, something readily apparent when you see the cover to his first appearance. Captain America Comics #1, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, grabbed attention immediately with its controversial cover, coming at a time before the US was in World War II and many Americans had German sympathies (Kirby was called out by these Nazis and they didn’t even wait for him to come fight them; they’ve always been cowards). This issue told the story of Steve Rogers becoming the icon that was locked inside of his frail body thanks to the super soldier serum, introducing readers to his sidekick Bucky, and giving readers their first adventures. 85 years later, this book is still a treasure, a slice of Golden Age perfection that lived up to its legendary cover.
1) Spider-Man
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Spider-Man has become the most popular superhero not named Batman or Superman, which was made possible by having one of the best debuts ever. Amazing Fantasy #15, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, gave readers the story of young Peter Parker, a nerdy teen bit by a radioactive spider. After hitting it big as a wrestler, he lets a burglar go and his uncle is killed. This timeless story is basically a part of the DNA of pop culture, with Lee and Ditko putting all of their considerable powers into making this story pop. It’s a true legend, a story that never goes out of fashion.
What’s your favorite Marvel hero debut? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
