Origins of Marvel Comics [First Printing]
(1974)

Simon and Schuster, 1974 Series
Published in English (United States) United States
 
Price
5.95 USD
Pages
264
On-sale Date
1974-09-30
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Brand
A Fireside Book [later emblem]
ISBN
0-671-21863-8 Search at WorldCat
Editing
Linda Sunshine (credited) (editor)
Color
color
Dimensions
standard Modern Age US
Paper Stock
cardstock cover
Binding
squarebound; trade paperback
Publishing Format
collected edition

Issue Notes

Stories with the origins of various Marvel heroes, and the occasional second story. There is also a Revised Edition with different content, published in 1997.

The on-sale date is the publication date reported on the copyright registration. Registration number A611463.
This issue has variants:

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents)

Doctor Strange; Fantastic Four; Hulk; Namor the Sub-Mariner; Spider-Man; Thor / cover / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
John Romita (painting)
Inks
John Romita (painting)
Colors
John Romita (painting)
Letters
?
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Fantastic Four [Human Torch; Thing]; Spider-Man; Doctor Strange; Thor; Sub-Mariner; Hulk; Stan Lee (hands at typewriter)

Indexer Notes

Cover credits confirmed by John Romita via email 6/2015.

Cover Thumbnail for Origins of Marvel Comics (Simon and Schuster, 1974 series) [First Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Origins of Marvel Comics (1974 series) [Third Printing] Cover Thumbnail for Origins of Marvel Comics (1974 series) [Sixth Printing]
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Origins of Marvel Comics (Table of Contents: 1)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Letters
typeset

Indexer Notes

Title page.

Prologue (Table of Contents: 2)

foreword, introduction, preface, afterword / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset

Part One: If One Is Good, Four Will Be Better (Table of Contents: 3)

text article / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan describes his early career and his creation, with Jack Kirby, of the Fantastic Four.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4)

Fantastic Four / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
George Klein
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Reprints

The Fantastic Four! (Table of Contents: 5)

Fantastic Four / comic story / 13 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
George Klein; Sol Brodsky ? (alterations)
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Fantastic Four [Mr. Fantastic [Reed Richards]; Thing [Ben Grimm]; Invisible Girl [Susan Storm]; Human Torch [Johnny Storm]]
Synopsis
Dr. Reed Richards takes his friends on a rocket trip that changes their lives forever.
Reprints

The Fantastic Four Meet the Mole Man! (Table of Contents: 6)

Fantastic Four / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
George Klein; Sol Brodsky ? (alterations)
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Moleman [a.k.a. Mole Man] (intro and origin); Fantastic Four [Mr. Fantastic; Human Torch; Invisible Girl; Thing]
Reprints

The Moleman's Secret! (Table of Contents: 7)

Fantastic Four / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
George Klein; Sol Brodsky ? (alterations)
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Moleman [a.k.a. Mole Man] (intro and origin); Fantastic Four [Mr. Fantastic; Human Torch; Invisible Girl; Thing]
Reprints

[Introduction to Fantastic Four #55] (Table of Contents: 8)

Fantastic Four / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 9)

Fantastic Four / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero
Characters
Thing; Silver Surfer
Reprints

When Strikes the Silver Surfer! (Table of Contents: 10)

Fantastic Four / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero
Characters
Fantastic Four [Mr. Fantastic; Invisible Girl; Thing; Human Torch]; Silver Surfer; Wyatt Wingfoot; Lockjaw
Reprints

Part Two: There Shall Come a Jolly Green Giant (Table of Contents: 11)

Hulk / text article / 9 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan discusses the creation of The Hulk and his inspirations.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12)

Hulk / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Jack Kirby ?
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Bruce Banner; Thunderbolt Ross; Betty Ross
Reprints

Part 1: The Coming of the Hulk (Table of Contents: 13)

Hulk / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Paul Reinman
Colors
?
Letters
Ray Holloway; Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk [Bruce Banner]; Rick Jones; Thunderbolt Ross; Betty Ross; Igor; Gargoyle
Synopsis
Scientist Bruce Banner saves a young boy from being killed by a nuclear blast but absorbs deadly amounts of gamma radiation which transforms him into a monster dubbed the Hulk.
Reprints

Part 2: The Hulk Strikes! (Table of Contents: 14)

Hulk / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Paul Reinman
Colors
?
Letters
Ray Holloway; Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Rick Jones
Synopsis
Rick accompanies The Hulk until he reverts back to Bruce Banner.
Reprints

Part 3: The Search for the Hulk (Table of Contents: 15)

Hulk / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Paul Reinman
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek; Ray Holloway
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Rick Jones; Betty Ross
Synopsis
Rick helps cover for Banner and explains to the scientist what happened.
Reprints

Part 4: Enter...the Gargoyle (Table of Contents: 16)

Hulk / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Paul Reinman
Colors
?
Letters
Ray Holloway; Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Rick Jones; Betty Ross; General Thunderbolt Ross; Gargoyle
Synopsis
The Gargoyle hears about The Hulk and heads out to find and capture him.
Reprints

Part 5: The Hulk Triumphant! (Table of Contents: 17)

Hulk / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Paul Reinman
Colors
?
Letters
Ray Holloway; Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Rick Jones; Betty Ross; General Thunderbolt Ross; Gargoyle
Synopsis
Banner helps restore the Gargoyle, who turns against his masters.
Reprints

[Introduction to The Incredible Hulk #118] (Table of Contents: 18)

Hulk / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 19)

Hulk / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Herb Trimpe
Inks
Herb Trimpe
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Namor, the Sub-Mariner; Dorma
Reprints

A Clash of Titans (Table of Contents: 20)

Hulk / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Herb Trimpe (credited as Herbie Trimpe)
Inks
Herb Trimpe (credited as Herbie Trimpe)
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Hulk; Namor, the Sub-Mariner; Lord Vashti; Lady Dorma; Fara
Synopsis
Dorma finds Bruce Banner floating in the ocean and brings him down to Atlantis where, inevitably, the Hulk and the Sub-Mariner battle.
Reprints

Part Three: The World's Best-Selling Swinger (Table of Contents: 21)

Spider-Man / text article / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan describes the improbable creation of Spider-Man.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 22)

Spider-Man / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Spider-Man
Reprints

Spider-Man! (Table of Contents: 23)

Spider-Man / comic story / 11 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Steve Ditko
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero
Characters
Spider-Man; Aunt May; Uncle Ben; Flash Thompson
Synopsis
Peter Parker finds that with great power comes great responsibility.
Reprints

[Introduction to The Amazing Spider-Man #72] (Table of Contents: 24)

Spider-Man / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 25)

Spider-Man / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
John Romita
Inks
John Romita
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero
Characters
Shocker
Reprints

Rocked by..the Shocker! (Table of Contents: 26)

Spider-Man / comic story / 20 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee; John Buscema (plot)
Pencils
John Buscema (layouts); John Romita (finishes)
Inks
Jim Mooney
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero
Characters
Spider-Man; Shocker; Gwen Stacy; Captain George Stacy; Aunt May; J. Jonah Jameson; Lizard (flashback); Flash Thompson
Reprints

Part Four: Meanwhile, Back in Asgard... (Table of Contents: 27)

Thor / text article / 9 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan describes the creation of Thor and the involvement of his brother Larry Lieber, along with Jack Kirby.

Introducing... the Mighty Thor! (Table of Contents: 28)

Thor / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Editing
Stan Lee (original editor)
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor
Reprints

The Stone Men from Saturn! (Table of Contents: 29)

Thor / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (plot); Larry Lieber (script)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-786
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor (introduction, origin); Don Blake (introduction); Gorr (introduction)
Synopsis
After witnessing the beginnings of an alien invasion, Don Blake discovers the hammer of Thor, and becomes the Norse god.
Reprints

Part 2: The Power of Thor! (Table of Contents: 30)

Thor / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (plot); Larry Lieber (script)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Job Number
V-786
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor; Don Blake; Gorr
Synopsis
Don Blake explores his new abilities.
Reprints

Part 3: Thor the Mighty Strikes Back! (Table of Contents: 31)

Thor / comic story / 3 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee (plot); Larry Lieber (script)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Joe Sinnott
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor; Gorr
Synopsis
Thor repels the alien invasion.
Reprints

[Introduction to Thor #143] (Table of Contents: 32)

Thor / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 33)

Thor / cover reprint (on interior page) / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Vince Colletta
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Editing
Stan Lee (original editor)
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor; Balder; Sif; Brona; Magnir
Reprints

--And, Soon Shall Come: the Enchanters! (Table of Contents: 34)

Thor / comic story / 16 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Bill Everett
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Editing
Stan Lee (original editor)
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Thor; Heimdall; Don Blake; Mr. Markham; Balder; Sif; Enchanters Three [Magnir; Forsung; Brona] (introduction); Living Talisman (introduction)
Synopsis
Sif and Balder face The Enchanters Three, possessors of the Living Talismen.
Reprints
Keywords
Ringsfjord

Indexer Notes

First appearances of the land of Ringsfjord.

Part Five: Mainly about a Master of the Mystic Arts (Table of Contents: 35)

Doctor Strange / text article / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Reprints

Indexer Notes

Stan describes the genesis of Dr. Strange.

Dr. Strange Master of Black Magic! (Table of Contents: 36)

Doctor Strange / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Steve Ditko (plot); Stan Lee (dialogue)
Pencils
Steve Ditko
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
?
Letters
Terry Szenics
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Doctor Strange; Nightmare; Ancient One
Synopsis
Dr. Strange enters a man's dreams.
Reprints

The Origin of Dr. Strange (Table of Contents: 37)

Doctor Strange / comic story / 8 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Pencils
Steve Ditko
Inks
Steve Ditko
Colors
?
Letters
Sam Rosen
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Doctor Strange; Ancient One; Baron Mordo
Synopsis
Seeking healing, Stephen Strange stumbles onto the Ancient One and studies with him.
Reprints

[Introduction to "--The Fearful Finish--!"] (Table of Contents: 38)

Doctor Strange / text article / 1 page (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Reprints

The Fearful Finish..! (Table of Contents: 39)

Doctor Strange / comic story / 10 pages (report information)

Script
Marie Severin (co-plot); Stan Lee (co-plot, dialogue)
Pencils
Marie Severin
Inks
Marie Severin
Colors
?
Letters
Artie Simek
Genre
superhero; fantasy-supernatural
Characters
Dr. Strange; Clea; Umar; Ancient One
Synopsis
Dr. Strange saves Clea.
Reprints

Epilogue (Table of Contents: 40)

Origins of Marvel Comics / text article / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Stan Lee
Letters
typeset
Genre
superhero

Indexer Notes

Stan talks about the current new wave of Marvel talent.

Editing
Issue at my.comics.org
Related Scans
Table of Contents
  1. 0. [no title indexed]
    Doctor Strange; Fantastic Four; Hulk; Namor the Sub-Mariner; Spider-Man; Thor
  2. 1. Origins of Marvel Comics
  3. 2. Prologue
  4. 3. Part One: If One Is Good, Four Will Be Better
  5. 4. [no title indexed]
    Fantastic Four
  6. 5. The Fantastic Four!
    Fantastic Four
  7. 6. The Fantastic Four Meet the Mole Man!
    Fantastic Four
  8. 7. The Moleman's Secret!
    Fantastic Four
  9. 8. [Introduction to Fantastic Four #55]
    Fantastic Four
  10. 9. [no title indexed]
    Fantastic Four
  11. 10. When Strikes the Silver Surfer!
    Fantastic Four
  12. 11. Part Two: There Shall Come a Jolly Green Giant
    Hulk
  13. 12. [no title indexed]
    Hulk
  14. 13. Part 1: The Coming of the Hulk
    Hulk
  15. 14. Part 2: The Hulk Strikes!
    Hulk
  16. 15. Part 3: The Search for the Hulk
    Hulk
  17. 16. Part 4: Enter...the Gargoyle
    Hulk
  18. 17. Part 5: The Hulk Triumphant!
    Hulk
  19. 18. [Introduction to The Incredible Hulk #118]
    Hulk
  20. 19. [no title indexed]
    Hulk
  21. 20. A Clash of Titans
    Hulk
  22. 21. Part Three: The World's Best-Selling Swinger
    Spider-Man
  23. 22. [no title indexed]
    Spider-Man
  24. 23. Spider-Man!
    Spider-Man
  25. 24. [Introduction to The Amazing Spider-Man #72]
    Spider-Man
  26. 25. [no title indexed]
    Spider-Man
  27. 26. Rocked by..the Shocker!
    Spider-Man
  28. 27. Part Four: Meanwhile, Back in Asgard...
    Thor
  29. 28. Introducing... the Mighty Thor!
    Thor
  30. 29. The Stone Men from Saturn!
    Thor
  31. 30. Part 2: The Power of Thor!
    Thor
  32. 31. Part 3: Thor the Mighty Strikes Back!
    Thor
  33. 32. [Introduction to Thor #143]
    Thor
  34. 33. [no title indexed]
    Thor
  35. 34. --And, Soon Shall Come: the Enchanters!
    Thor
  36. 35. Part Five: Mainly about a Master of the Mystic Arts
    Doctor Strange
  37. 36. Dr. Strange Master of Black Magic!
    Doctor Strange
  38. 37. The Origin of Dr. Strange
    Doctor Strange
  39. 38. [Introduction to "--The Fearful Finish--!"]
    Doctor Strange
  40. 39. The Fearful Finish..!
    Doctor Strange
  41. 40. Epilogue
    Origins of Marvel Comics
This issue was modified by, among others
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  • Jerry Hillegas (R.I.P.)
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  • Darrel McCann
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