The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, financially recovering from the lean years and creatively flourishing. This period, fueled by iconic storylines, irrevocably altered the comic book landscape. 1984's Secret Wars, while controversial, served as a seismic shift, sending ripples through the Marvel universe and the industry itself.

This era also saw the release of other seminal works, including Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor. This article delves into these pivotal narratives and other significant stories from this era, continuing our exploration of essential Marvel issues (Part 8).

More Essential Marvel

1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe 1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws 1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever 1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died 1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime 1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy 1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?

Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga

Frank Miller's Born Again (Daredevil #227-233), a collaboration with artist David Mazzuchelli, is widely considered a definitive Daredevil story. Karen Page's betrayal and the Kingpin's subsequent decimation of Matt Murdock's life create a harrowing narrative. Murdock's descent and eventual redemption, alongside the Kingpin's descent into fanaticism, form a powerful and enduring tale. This storyline heavily influenced Netflix's Daredevil Season 3 and the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.

Simultaneously, Walt Simonson redefined Thor, beginning in 1983 (#337), introducing Beta Ray Bill and infusing the title with mythic fantasy. The year-long Surtur Saga (#340-353) remains a high point, depicting Surtur's attempt to unleash Ragnarok. The epic confrontation between Thor, Loki, Odin, and Surtur influenced both Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

As discussed in Part 4, the 1973 Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossover model. Secret Wars (1984), a 12-part miniseries by Jim Shooter (writer), Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton (artists), solidified this trend. Born from a marketing tie-in with Mattel, the story features a cosmic being, the Beyonder, forcing heroes and villains to battle on Battleworld.

While Secret Wars is a mixed bag—criticized for uneven character portrayals—its impact is undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II and, alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, cemented the event comic as the industry standard.

Spider-Man's Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories

Roger Stern's run on Amazing Spider-Man, starting with #224, revitalized the title. His introduction of the Hobgoblin in #238 created a formidable new villain, though editorial interference prematurely ended his initial saga. Stern eventually concluded the Hobgoblin storyline in the 1997 miniseries, Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

Amazing Spider-Man #252 introduced the black symbiote costume, later revealed to originate in Secret Wars #8. This storyline, featuring the symbiote's transformation into Venom, has been widely adapted across various media.

Peter David and Rich Buckler's The Death of Jean DeWolff (Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110) is a dark, gritty tale exploring Spider-Man's grief and conflict with Daredevil.

Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks

The mid-80s also saw significant mutant milestones. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch's father (later retconned). X-Men #171 marked Rogue's heroic turn, while #200 saw Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School. This storyline was adapted in X-Men '97.

Jean Grey's resurrection (Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286) and the introduction of Apocalypse (X-Factor #5-6) are arguably the most important mutant events of this period. Apocalypse, an ancient mutant enhanced by Celestial technology, became a major X-Men antagonist, appearing in various adaptations, including X-Men: Apocalypse.