WHAT IF MARVEL MASTERWORKED THE GOLDEN AGE?

From its inception, Marvel Comics was more than just the standard comic book company. Sure, it offered costumed mystery-men, detectives, jungle heroes, and the other typical features of the era, but it offered them with a bit of an edge.

The company's very first book, Marvel Comics #1 (which would change its name to Marvel Mystery Comics with its second issue) reflected this with two of its main features. The Human Torch was a creature of fire who, at first, couldn't even control his own flame, and the Sub-Mariner was the first of comics' anti-heroes, actually murdering two innocent men in his first story! The Torch quickly learned to control his flame, and became a great boon to mankind, prodiving a great contrast to the increasingly hostile Sub-Mariner, who the "surface dwellers" went so far as to try to put to death in the electric chair for his war on mankind. Later, the "big two" of Marvel Mystery Comics finally battled it out - a true rarity of the time - in the ninth issue! Slowly after the battle, Prince Namor mellowed a bit and began to battle alongside the Torch against the Axis powers (but not without slugging it out with the Torch three more times in the pages of Human Torch Comics #5(b), 8, and 10!) Timely/Marvel continued on through the war and into the 1950s after adding a third heavy hitter to its stable of heroes, the one and only Captain America, and also added a couple of rare early teams - the Young Allies and the All-Winners Squad. Along with consistently good but largely obscure back-ups like the Vision, the Angel, Miss America, and the Whizzer, Timely/Marvel was doing something DC couldn't do - maintain a consistent quality of art and story.

The series that are mapped below show the beginnings of one of the great comic companies, and as with the Silver and Bronze Age maps, these are only possibilities based on the information available - they will change if Marvel's Masterworks plans do. Accompanying all the maps are some lush mockup images of possible Masterworks covers, from the valuable skills of guys like David Spofforth. Feast your eyes on some of them and ponder the question...What If? So for now just sit back, relax, and enjoy pondering on the future of Masterworks through its glorious past.

-- by Steve Rogers, aka srca1941

PLEASE NOTE: Many creator credits found within the maps may not be entirely accurate. Creator credits will be updated as more accurate information comes in. All maps are preliminary and subject to change. Maps will be taken down once volumes are officially on store shelves.

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Website design by Doug Roberts and John Thomas. All images on this site are copyright of Marvel Comics. This site is for reference purposes and promotion of the Masterworks line of books as well as Marvel Comics and their properties.