The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, a period of both creative peaks and financial success. Having overcome the financial struggles of the late '70s, Marvel was poised to reshape the comic book industry. 1984's Secret Wars served as a pivotal moment, impacting both the Marvel universe and the industry as a whole, setting the stage for significant changes in storytelling and character arcs. This era also saw the release of other iconic stories, including Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc, the return of Jean Grey in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga in Thor. This article explores these pivotal storylines and other significant events from this period.

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

Among the era's most acclaimed storylines are Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga. Born Again, running in Daredevil #227-233, is widely considered a definitive Daredevil story. This arc depicts the Kingpin's devastating destruction of Matt Murdock's life after Karen Page reveals his secret identity. Matt's subsequent fall and eventual redemption, alongside Kingpin's descent into fanaticism, creates a powerful and unforgettable narrative. This story served as inspiration for Season 3 of Netflix's Daredevil and the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.

Simultaneously, Walt Simonson's run on Thor, beginning in 1983 with #337, introduced Beta Ray Bill and redefined the character. Simonson's Surtur Saga (#340-353), a year-long epic, features the fire demon Surtur's attempt to bring about Ragnarok. This saga, culminating in a massive battle between Thor, Loki, Odin, and Surtur, became a landmark story, influencing later Thor films like Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

As discussed in Part 4 of this series, 1973's Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossover model. Secret Wars (1984), a 12-part miniseries written by Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, solidified this model. Born from a marketing collaboration with Mattel, the story involves the Beyonder teleporting heroes and villains to Battleworld for a massive conflict.

While Secret Wars is a mixed bag critically, its impact on the industry is undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II and, alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, established the event comic as a dominant force in mainstream publishing.

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 most significant contribution was the introduction of the Hobgoblin in #238. While Stern's original Hobgoblin storyline was cut short due to editorial interference, its impact remains substantial. The story's conclusion came much later in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

Stern's run also included Amazing Spider-Man #252, marking the debut of Spider-Man's black symbiote costume. Although its origin was later revealed in Secret Wars #8, this moment had a lasting impact on Spider-Man's mythology. The symbiote storyline has been adapted numerous times across various media.

Another significant Spidey story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, a dark and impactful tale featuring Spider-Man's confrontation with the Sin-Eater and Daredevil.

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

The mid-1980s also saw major developments in the X-Men universe. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as the father of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, a detail later retconned but impactful for many fans. X-Men #171 saw Rogue's heroic turn, while X-Men #200 featured Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School.

Jean Grey's resurrection, spanning Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286, and the introduction of Apocalypse in X-Factor #5-6, stand out as pivotal moments. Apocalypse, a powerful ancient mutant, became a major X-Men antagonist, appearing in various adaptations.