First cover appearance, the Sub-Mariner: Marvel Mystery Comics #4 (Feb. 1940). Art by Alex Schomburg.

Marvel Mystery Comics (first issue titled simply Marvel Comics) is an American comic book series published during the 1930s-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. It was the first publication of Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics.

[edit] Publication history

[edit] Premiere issue: Marvel Comics #1

In 1939, pulp-magazine publisher Martin Goodman expanded into the newly emerging comic book field by buying content from comics package Funnies, Inc.. His first effort, Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939), featured the first appearances of writer-artist Carl Burgos' android superhero, the Human Torch, and Paul Gustavson's costumed detective The Angel who was to last to issue 79, even gaining the power of flight for a few issues. As well, it contained the first generally available appearance of Bill Everett's mutant anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, created for the unpublished movie-theater giveaway comic, Motion Picture Funnies Weekly earlier that year, with the eight-page original story now expanded by four pages.

Also included was Al Anders' Western hero the Masked Raider; the jungle lord Ka-Zar the Great, with Ben Thompson adapting over the first five issues the story "King of Fang and Claw" by Bob Byrd in Goodman's eponymous pulp magazine Ka-Zar #1; (Oct. 1936)^[1] the non-continuing-character story "Jungle Terror," featuring an adventurer named Ken Masters, written by the quirkily named Tohm Dixon^[2]; "Now I'll Tell One", five single-panel, black-and-white gag cartoons by Fred Schwab, on the inside front cover; and a two-page prose story by Ray Gill, "Burning Rubber", about auto racing. A painted cover by veteran science fiction pulp artist Frank R. Paul featured the Human Torch, looking much different than in the interior story.

That initial comic, cover-dated October 1939, quickly sold out 80,000 copies, prompting Goodman to produce a second printing, cover-dated November 1939 and identical except for a black bar in the inside-front-cover indicia over the October date, and the November date added at the end. That sold approximately 800,000 copies.^[3] With a hit on his hands, Goodman began assembling an in-house staff, hiring Funnies, Inc. writer-artist Joe Simon as editor. Simon brought along his collaborator, artist Jack Kirby, followed by artist Syd Shores.

[edit] As Marvel Mystery Comics

The Torch and the Sub-Mariner would continue to star in the long-running title even after receiving their own solo comic-book series shortly afterward. The Angel, who was featured on the covers of issues 2 and 3, would appear in every issue through #79 (Dec. 1946).

Other characters introduced in the title include the aviator the American Ace (#2, Dec, 1939), with part one of his origin reprinted, like the first part of the Sub-Mariner's, from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1; the Ferret; and writer-artist Steve Dahlman's robot hero Electro (appearing in every issue from #4-19, Feb. 1940 - May 1941). Issue #13 saw the first appearance of the Vision, the inspiration for the same-name Marvel Comics superhero created in 1968. The original Vision appeared in solo stories through Marvel Mystery Comics #48.

[edit] As Marvel Tales

In 1949, with the popularity of superheroes having waned, the book was converted into the horror anthology Marvel Tales from issue #93-159 (Aug. 1949 - Aug. 1957), when it ceased publication. Note: This is a different Marvel Tales than that published by Marvel in starting in the 1960s and primarily reprinting Spider-Man stories.

[edit] Bibliography

• Marvel Comics #1 (Oct. 1939)
• Marvel Mystery Comics #2-92 (Dec. 1939 - June 1949)
• Marvel Tales #93-159 (Aug. 1949 - Aug. 1957)

[edit] Reprints

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics, Vol. 1-4 (reprints #1-16, 2004-9)

Marvel Comics #1: 70th Anniversary Edition (reprints #1 with modern coloring, 2009)

Golden Age Marvel Comics Omnibus (reprints #1-12, 2009)

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• The Grand Comics Database