Major events of the Marvel Universe

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For decades Marvel Comics has been telling noteworthy fictional stories. The following is a list of the major plotlines, detailing such things as first appearances of characters, character deaths (though those tend to be less permanent in superhero comics) and other important developments. Note that all of these events take place within a sliding timescale, which means that they are assumed to have taken place in a period of up to fifteen years before the current date, regardless of when they were actually published.

For a list of events before the "Modern Era" see Timeline of the Marvel Universe.

Contents 1 Events 1.1 Golden Age 1.2 1960s 1.3 1970s 1.4 1980s 1.5 1990s 1.6 2000s

[edit] Events

[edit] Golden Age

Event	Date	Developments
First Appearance of the Original Human Torch	1939	The Original Human Torch appears in Marvel Comics #1
First Appearance of Namor	1939	Namor appears as a back up feature in Marvel Comics #1
First Appearance of Captain America	1941	Captain America arrives in a real life protest against the actions of Adolf Hilter leading up to WWII with the cover showing Cap punching Hitler in the Jaw. Meanwhile in the comic world Steve Rogers receives the Super Soldier Syrum, his classic shield, and a partner by the name of Bucky.
World War 2	1945	Captain America, The Original Human Torch, and Namor enter German Concentration Camps
Formation of the All Winners Squad	1946	A short lived creation this team was the inspiration for the Invaders, Fantastic Four, and Avengers, and was comprised of Captain America, Bucky, The Original Human Torch, Toro, Sub-Mariner, The Whizzer, and Miss America.
First Issues of Journey Into Mystery, Tales of Suspense, and Tales to Astonish	1950's	Super heroes nearly died out in the 1950's but these books kept the idea of the Marvel Universe alive, and became the future homes of Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk respectively.
Namor Hurt	1955	Namor is injured during WWII and doesn't reappear until after the formation of the Fantastic Four.

[edit] 1960s

Event	Date	Developments
Emergence of the Fantastic Four	1961	After a trip to space, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm develop fantastic powers.
Re-emergence of Namor	1962	the Sub-Mariner gets his memories back after a meeting with the Human Torch.
Emergence of the Incredible Hulk	1962	After being bombarded by gamma rays in a nuclear explosion, Dr. Bruce Banner becomes a rampaging creature.
Emergence of Spider-Man	1962	Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and embraces a super-hero career.
Emergence of Thor	1962	The thunder god Thor awakens inside the body of mortal Donald Blake.
Emergence of Iron Man	1963	Tony Stark creates his first suit of Iron Man armor.
Emergence of Doctor Strange	1963	After years of mystical training, Stephen Strange becomes Earth's greatest defender against supernatural threats.
Emergence of the X-Men and Magneto	1963	Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Beast, and Angel are brought together for the first time by Professor X. They go public while fighting mutant criminal Magneto for the first time.
Emergence of the Avengers	1963	Iron Man, Thor, Ant Man, the Wasp and Hulk assemble for the first time.
Emergence of Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.	1963	Colonel Nick Fury and his espionage agency get involved in super-human affairs for the fist time.
Re-emergence of Captain America	1964	Steve Rogers is awakened from suspended animation by the Sub-Mariner and found by the Avengers. He becomes a member of the team.
Emergence of Daredevil	1964	As a young boy, Matthew Murdock was blinded in a tragic accident, which also honed his senses to super-human levels. Now an adult, he embraces a super-hero career.
New Avengers	1965	With the exception of Captain America al of the Avengers resign, and he recruits a new team consisting of the Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Hawkeye.
The Galactus Trilogy and the debut of the Silver Surfer	1966	Galactus and his herald, the Silver Surfer, plan to destroy Earth. The Fantastic Four fight them off, The Silver Surfer rebels against his master and, as punishment, remains a prisoner of earth's atmosphere.
Emergence of Captain Marvel	1967	The Kree Empire sends Captain Mar-Vell to Earth as a spy. Coming to empathize with humanity, Mar-Vell betrays his orders and is welcomed as a hero by the people of Earth.

[edit] 1970s

Event	Date	Developments
Emergence of Ghost Rider	1971	Johnny Blaze summons Mephisto and makes a deal with him to save his mentor's life.
Kree-Skrull War	1971 - 1972	The Avengers are involved in a millennia-old interstellar war.
Death of Gwen Stacy	1973	During a fight with the Green Goblin, Gwen Stacy is killed when Spider-man is unable to save her.
Secret Empire	1974	Captain America follows a conspiracy all the way to the White House.
Emergence of Wolverine	1974	Wolverine appears to attack the Hulk but is knocked out.
Giant-Size X-Men	1975	Professor X assembles a new team to rescue the original X-Men. First appearance of several major characters.
Phoenix Saga	1976 - 1977	The Phoenix is released for the first time in the Marvel Universe, in the form of Jean Grey.
The Korvac Saga	1978	The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy track down a mysterious threat from the future.

[edit] 1980s

Event	Date	Developments
Dark Phoenix Saga	1980	Jean Grey becomes the Dark Phoenix after being controlled by the Hellfire Club
The Kingpin Must Die	1981	The former spiderman villian Kingpin encounters Daredevil for the first time.
Days of Future Past	1981	Kitty Pryde from a dystopic future travels back in time to prevent the event that created her timeline.
Contest of Champions	1982	The Grandmaster and Death manipulate the heroes of Earth in a game to decide the fate of The Collector.
Death of Captain Marvel	1982	The original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) falls victim to what the Kree call "the Blackend", or what is called Cancer on Earth.
Secret Wars	1984 - 1985	The Beyonder kidnaps Earth's heroes and villains to battle on a planet of his creation. Spider-Man finds his symbiote costume.
Hulk in Exile	1985	The Hulk had come to control his rage, but when it begins to slip away from him and he goes on an uncontrollable rampage, Dr. Strange banishes him to another dimension, while the Hulk and Bruce Banner become separated.
Secret Wars II	1985 - 1986	A contest of champions with the Beyonder.
Daredevil: Born Again	1986	Karen Page returns as a heroin addict and the Kingpin learns of Daredevil's secret identity.
Mutant Massacre	1986	The Marauders kill most of the Morlocks.
The Fall of the Mutants	1987	The X-Men are slain in Dallas during a cataclysmic battle against the Adversary.
Kraven's Last Hunt	1987	The final battle between Kraven the Hunter and Spider-Man.
Armor Wars	1988	Iron Man embarks on a mission to destroy armored suits that were created from his own stolen technology.
The Evolutionary War	1988	The High Evolutionary unleashes attacks all over the world to guide the way of human evolution.
Inferno	1988 - 1989	Demons from Limbo invade earth.
Atlantis Attacks	1989	Under the influence of Set the Serpent God, the Atlanteans launch a massive assault on the surface world.
Acts of Vengeance	1989 - 1990	Major villains unite to fight each others' enemies.

[edit] 1990s

Event	Date	Developments
The X-Tinction Agenda	1990	The New Mutants and the X-Men are kidnapped and taken to Genosha, which culminates in their escape; the Genoshan government is overthrown.
Infinity Gauntlet	1991	Thanos uses the power of the Infinity Gems to become Supreme Being.
Operation: Galactic Storm	1992	The Avengers become involved in a war between the Kree and the Shi'ar.
Infinity War	1992	Magus, Adam Warlock's "Evil Side", creates evil doppelgangers of Earth's heroes to gain ultimate power.
X-Cutioner's Song	1992	Strife causes trouble for the X-Men, Cable, and Apocalypse, and also finds time to release the Legacy Virus.
Infinity Crusade	1993	Goddess, Adam Warlock's "Good Side", recruits an army of heroes to fight her holy war.
Maximum Carnage	1993	The Carnage Family massacres downtown New York only to have Spider-Man and Venom in their way.
Fatal Attractions	1993	Magneto returns more powerful and determined than ever, ripping the adamantium from Wolverine's bones and enraging Professor X.
Phalanx Covenant	1994	The Phalanx race attacks earth.
Clone Saga	1994 - 1996	The clone of Spider-Man, who was long thought dead, returns. His creator, the Jackal also returns to wreak havoc in Spider-Man's personal life.
Age of Apocalypse	1995	Legion travels back in time to kill Magneto, but accidentally kills his own father, Charles Xavier, creating a dystopian alternative timeline in which Apocalypse rules the world.
Avengers: The Crossing	1995	One of the Avengers is brainwashed and turns into a murderer.
Onslaught	1996-1997	The seed was planted when Xavier mind-wiped Magneto during Fatal Attractions, and he was born by the time warp of the Age of Appocalypse. Onslaught has arrived.
Operation: Zero Tolerance	1997	In the aftermath of Onslaught the U.S. government begins to round up mutants.
Heroes Reborn	1997	The heroes who died during the Onslaught saga return from a Limbo created by Franklin Richards.
Contest of Champions II	1998	Earth's heroes are abducted and brainwashed with nanoprobes to participate in a fighting competition.
The Hunt for Xavier	1998	Xavier has gone missing after he was imprisoned following Operation: Zero Tolerance. The X-Men move to find him, but so does a rogue Cerebro.
The Magneto War	1999	Magneto's destiny is determined when his mindless body goes missing, and a mysterious man arrives by the name of Joseph.
Avengers Forever	1998 - 2000	Avengers from different time periods are assembled to participate in the Destiny War, a conflict between Kang the Conqueror and his future self, Immortus.

[edit] 2000s

Event	Date	Developments
Apocalypse: The Twelve	2000	Apocalypse emerges once more, along with a mysterious prophecy of 12 powerful mutants capable of destroying him.
Maximum Security	2000	Fed up with Earth's interference in intergalactic affairs, the starfaring alien community quarantines the Sol System and turns Earth into a prison for the universe's worst criminals.
Dream's End	2001	Mystique, leading the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, plots an assassination against anti-mutant presidential candidate Robert Kelly, and releases a new strain of the Legacy Virus.
Eve of Destruction	2001	A cure for the Legacy Virus has been released, providing Magneto with a brand new army of healthy mutants ready to wage a final battle against humanity.
The Kang Dynasty	2001-2002	Kang and his son Marcus declare war on present-day Earth, killing everyone in Washington DC and briefly taking over the planet.
Infinity Abyss	2002	Mad partial-clones of Thanos try to destroy the universe.
Avengers Disassembled	2004	Scarlet Witch goes insane and kills or incapacitates the current Avenger-roster, bringing to an end the Avengers as we knew them.
Secret War	2004 - 2005	Nick Fury brainwashes several heroes in secret to start a secret war against Latveria, who he believes has been selling high-tech weaponry to super villains.
Spider-Man: The Other	2005	Spider-Man goes through a mysterious, life changing event after facing the super villain Morlun.
House of M	2005	Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver alter reality, creating a world in which mutants are in charge, resulting in M-day, and the near extinction of their race.
Deadly Genesis	2005-2006	Secrets from Giant Sized X-men #1 are revealed, Vulcan arrives, Professor X regains his telepathy, and Cyclops claims leadership of the X-men. All of this results in the Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire.
Planet Hulk	2006	Hulk is exiled to a far-off planet of Sakaar by the mysterious Illuminati.
Annihilation	2006 - 2007	Silver Surfer, Super-Skrull, Nova, and Ronan face the Annihilation Wave.
Civil War	2006 - 2007	Heroes are divided when the U.S. government passes the Super-human Registration Act. Captain America seeks freedom, while Iron Man seeks to institute The 50 State Initiative.
Death of Captain America	2007	In the Aftermath of Civil War, Captain America is murdered by henchmen of the Red Skull.
Annihilation: Conquest	2007 - 2008	Nova, Starlord, Wraith, & a new Quasar (Phyla-Vell) lead a group of cosmic heroes against the Phalanx, who threaten to conquer and annihilate all of Kree space.
World War Hulk	2007	The Hulk returns to Earth to exact revenge on those who exiled him.
Endangered Species	2007	Beast searches for a cure to the mutant race's looming extinction.
Messiah Complex	2007 - 2008	The first new mutant since M-Day is suddenly born and the X-Men, Purifiers, and Mr Sinister go after it.
One More Day	2007 - 2008	Spider-Man accepts a devilish choice to rewrite his own history in order to save the greatest love of his life while sacrificing his other great love forever in the process.
Secret Invasion	2008	A stealthy invasion by the Skrull race has gone unnoticed for years, but there is an even more secret purpose behind it.
Wolverine Legacy	2008	This crossover features Wolverine and the Comatose Professor X seaking each other out in order to rebuild their past. It's unsure if this is qualified a "major event".
Manifest Destiny	2008	It is uncertain if this will be a "major event" for the mutant community, but it will be a story in which the x-men officially reunite, accept Cyclops' new vision and decision to move their base to San Francisco, and learn to hope for the future.
Yet to be named Secret Invasion fallout crossover	2009	After the devastation of Secret Invasion and the ongoing fallout of Civil War, Earth's heroes face their toughest delimma. How do they defend Earth in the midst of their tattered relationships? New books include a yet to be titled Nick Fury/Secret Warriors/Shield title and Spiderwoman.