Marvel Comics Presents


Marvel Comics Presents is an American comic book anthology title that was published in three series by Marvel Comics: from 1988 to 1995; 2007 to 2008; and in 2019.

Volume 1

The first volume was released on a bi-weekly basis and lasted for 175 issues. Each issue had four eight-page stories, of which generally three were episodes in ongoing serials and one was a standalone story, though many issues featured two standalone stories and some featured only serials. The standalone stories generally featured obscure or little-seen characters from the Marvel Universe, and often featured work by creators previously unpublished in the comics field, including Scott Lobdell, who started work under the editorship of Tom DeFalco.
The original plan was for the lead story to feature different members of the X-Men in solo adventures. The first ten issues featured Wolverine; others featured were Colossus, Cyclops, Havok, and the members of Excalibur, whose solo adventures were incorporated into an 8-part serial bookended by chapters staring the entire team. From issues #38 through #142, a story featuring Wolverine was in every issue of the series. This was due to a mandate from Marvel's sales department, which noticed that sales of the series were always higher for issues in which Wolverine was featured. Particularly notable during this run was "Weapon X" in issues #72–84, which revealed the origin of how Wolverine received his adamantium-laced skeleton and claws, with story and art by Barry Windsor-Smith.
For the first 89 issues the series used wraparound covers which illustrated all four features in each issue, usually but not always with the lead feature on the front and the other three on the back. Starting with issue #90, the Ghost Rider was added to the series as a "co-lead" feature, and the book adopted a "flip-book" format, allowing only the two lead features to appear in the cover illustration, though the other two features usually received cover billing.
Issues #143-146 were wholly devoted to the "Siege of Darkness" crossover, dropping the regular Wolverine feature. Staring with issue #147 Ghost Rider was dropped as well, and from then on until the end of the series Vengeance was the new regular character, while the covers rotated between the various features.
Wolverine once more appeared in features from issues #150 through #155, but this time it was strictly to burn off two inventory stories. Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle had already started work on a sequel to their acclaimed story "Typhoid's Kiss" from issues #109-116 before Wolverine was dropped as the regular feature, so Vengeance was worked into the story and it was published. Dwight Jon Zimmerman had submitted the plot for the first installment of a sequel to "Sign of the Beast" from issues #62-63, and Paul Ryan had penciled it, but Zimmerman left Marvel without finishing the project. It was shelved for years, but with Zimmerman not returning, it was turned over to writer Nel Yomotov, penciller Phil Hugh Felix, and inker Rey Garcia to finish.
Several of the Wolverine storylines have since been collected and reprinted in trade paperback format. The first volume features Wolverine's first adventures in Madripoor, a fictional island that became Wolverine's second home during the late 1980s.
Other notable highlights include the first appearance of Ramonda, mother to Shuri and step-mother to T'Challa, the first appearance of Damage Control, a wrestling match between the Hulk and Hulk Hogan, the first appearance of Siege, the first appearance of Cyber, and the first meeting of Wolverine and Venom.

Stories in volume 1

Volume 2

In 2007 the anthology series returned, also including work by creators previously unpublished in the comics field. The series' editors were Warren Simons, Nick Lowe, Andy Schmidt, and John Barber. The series hosted two 12-part stories and a host of short one-part to five-part stories involving a variety of characters within the Marvel Universe. The series was cancelled with issue #12.

Stories in volume 2

Volume 3

In 2019, the anthology series returned.

Stories in volume 3

Collected editions

  • Wolverine: Save the Tiger!/''Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 1 #1–10
  • The Man-Thing by Steve Gerber Vol. 3 #1-12
  • Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu Omnibus Vol. 4 #1–8
  • Colossus: God's Country #10–17
  • Black Panther: Panther's Quest #13–37
  • Speedball Classic #14, 56
  • Cyclops: Retribution #17–24
  • The Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne #18
  • Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1 #26
  • Excalibur Epic Collection: The Sword is Drawn #31–38
  • Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 2 #39–50
  • Hercules: Full Circle #39-41
  • Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1 #45
  • Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Thanos Quest #50
  • Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 3 #51–61
  • Avengers: Scarlet Witch #60-63, 143-144
  • Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 4 #62–71
  • Wolverine and Ghost Rider in Acts of Vengeance #64–70
  • Silver Surfer Epic Collection: The Infinity Gauntlet #69, 93–97
  • Wolverine: Weapon X #72–84
  • Excalibur Epic Collection: Girls' School From Heck #75
  • X-Men Origins: Firestar #82-87
  • Wolverine: Blood Hungry #85–92
  • Wolverine: Prehistory #93–98
  • Infinity War #108-111
  • Wolverine: Typhoid's Kiss #109–116
  • Daredevil: Typhoid's Kiss #109–116, 123–130, 150–151
  • Iron Fist: Book of Changes #111, 113–118, 125–137, 140–141
  • Wolverine vs. the Marvel Universe #117–122
  • Avengers: Hawkeye - Earth's Mightiest Marksman #159-161
  • War Machine/The Invincible Iron Man: Hands of the Mandarin #169-172
  • Patsy Walker: Hellcat #1–4
  • Marvel Comics Presents Weapon Omega'' #1–12