When it launched in 2008 with ‘Iron Man’, the Marvel Cinematic Universe began paying homage to Marvel Comics stories throughout the decades, giving us new spins on familiar ideas. Over time, the translations have become less direct and are now more of a nod and a wink to the comics. But those core influences can still be seen as they call back to some recognisable stories (and some less so) to move the MCU forward and introduce cinematic versions of the characters we’ve loved on the printed page for so many years.
Below is a list of the comic book stories that influenced the core stories from the MCU films and TV shows over the course of all the Phases of the MCU to date, including the Netflix, ABC and other relevant TV shows. This isn’t about hitting every little reference, it’s a guide to the key events from the comic universe of Earth-616 that inspired the events on Earth-199999, the MCU (don’t listen to Mysterio – he lies!) And it’s all in chronological order based on when it took place in the comics!
Make a Request: If you feel we’ve missed something, let us know and we’ll consider including it! We’ll expand on the references from each Phase – including first appearances, as well as the influences on other comic-related films – in future entries.
Recommend Reading: Story arcs marked with a ✔ are the stories that had the biggest impact on the MCU, centering predominantly around the films and Disney+ shows; I’ve included some references to Agents of SHIELD and the Netflix shows, too.
Anthology Issues: When an issue contains multiple stories, the relevant story is denoted with square brackets. For example, [2/5] refers to the second story of the five stories in that issue, so you don’t need to read the other four.
Chronology: Every story is included in chronological order, laying out the comic book version of the Marvel Universe’s timeline.
Events/Crossovers: Some stories are part of an even larger story, so you can find out more by clicking along to the events we’ve covered so far.
Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| Captain America Comics #1 (1941) An experiment turns Steve Rogers into super-soldier Captain America; Cap and his sidekick Bucky fight the Nazis during World War II. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) | |
| Invaders #7-12 (1976-1977) Circa 1942, Jaqueline ‘Jackie’ Falsworth – daughter of Lord James Montgomery Falsworth (Union Jack) and Lady Jane Falsworth – is drained of blood by Baron Blood; a transfusion from the android Human Torch grants her superhuman powers, transforming her into Spitfire. Inspiring elements of… Secret Invasion, Season 1 (2023) | |
| Tales of Suspense #66 [2/2] (1965) Johann Shmidt reveals how Adolf Hitler transformed him from a meek bellboy into the ultimate Nazi soldier, giving him the mask and identity of the Red Skull. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) | |
| Marvel Boy #2 (1950) The Quantum Bands first appear, initially empowering the Golden Age hero Marvel Boy. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | |
| Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) After Bruce Banner is transformed into the monstrous grey Hulk, General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross begins his obsessive pursuit of the rage-fuelled behemoth. Inspiring elements of… Incredible Hulk (2008) Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | |
| Journey into Mystery #83 [1/3] (1962) Thor emerges on Earth for the first time in the modern age. Inspiring elements of… Thor (2011) | |
| ✔ | Tales of Suspense #39 [1/4] (1963) Tales of Suspense #40 [1/3] (1963) Industrialist Tony Stark is trapped behind enemy lines in the Vietnam war after he triggers a landmine; Professor Ho Yinsen helps him build a suit of armour that facilitates his escape from the guerrilla fighter Wong Chu; Stark returns to the US and upgrades the armour to keep the shrapnel in his chest from piercing his heart; he pretends Iron Man is his bodyguard. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man (2008) |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #2 (1963) Spider-Man encounters a costumed criminal who uses an anti-gravity harness to commit robberies, calling himself the Vulture. Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) |
| ✔ | Avengers #1 (1963) Loki’s attempt to manipulate Thor into fighting the Hulk also attracts the attention of Iron Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp; the heroes join forces against Loki and decide to stay together as a team, marking the birth of the Avengers. Inspiring elements of… Avengers (2012) |
| Tales of Suspense #46 [1/3] (1963) Russian electricity expert Anton Vanko creates a suit of armour that he believes is more powerful than the Iron Man armour created by American industrialist Tony Stark; the Russian Government send Vanko to the US where he attacks Stark Industries as the Crimson Dynamo. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 2 (2010) | |
| ✔ | Strange Tales #115 [3/3] (1963) Doctor Strange recalls how his arrogance as a surgeon led to him losing the use of his hands in a car accident; Strange went on to tracks down the Ancient One but, instead of returning to his career as a surgeon, he becomes the Master of the Mystic Arts. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange (2016) |
| ✔ | Avengers #4 (1964) Captain America recovers from stasis after being trapped in ice since World War II; Cap recalls how he was trying to disarm a bomb created by Baron Zemo, only to witness Bucky’s death and to fall to his own apparent demise; revived in the present day, Captain America joins the Avengers. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Avengers (2012) |
| ✔ | Tales of Suspense #50 [1/2] (1964) Tales of Suspense #51 [1/2] (1964) Tales of Suspense #52 [1/2] (1964) Tales of Suspense #53 [1/2] (1964) Tales of Suspense #54 [1/2] (1964) Tales of Suspense #55 [1/2] (1964) The US Government send Iron Man to investigate the Mandarin – a would-be conqueror who uses the power of his ten rings; Iron Man reclaims missiles stolen by the Mandarin. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 3 (2013) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #13 (1964) When Spider-Man goes on a crime-spree, a new hero calling himself Mysterio steps up to apprehend him; Mysterio reveals that he framed Spider-Man before he’s defeated. Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: Far From Home (2017) |
| Avengers #8 (1964) The time-travelling Kang the Conqueror arrives in the 20th Century, intent on battling the Avengers in the hope of proving himself. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| Strange Tales #126 [3/3] (1964) Strange Tales #127 [2/2] (1964) Doctor Strange travels to the Dark Dimension to stop Dormammu from crossing over to the Earthly plane. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange (2016) | ||
| ✔ | Tales to Astonish #62 [2/2] (1964) Tales to Astonish #63 [2/2] (1965) The Leader emerges as the Hulk’s latest nemesis, using his gamma-enhanced intelligence to pit various foes against the Hulk’s game-enhanced strength. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | TRAPPED IN THE LAIR OF THE LEADER |
| Strange Tales #135 [2/2] (1965) Kaecilius, a minion of Baron Mordo, is upgraded with power granted to Mordo by Dormammu and attacks Doctor Strange; Strange easily defeats Kaecilius. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange (2016) | ||
| Strange Tales #135 [1/2] (1965) By the time Nick Fury is recruited into SHIELD (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division), Tony Stark is already heading up their Special Weaponry Section, creating gadgets for the agents to use against Hydra. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man (2008) | ||
| Avengers #15-16 (1965) Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are given the opportunity to make up for their past associations with the terrorist group known as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants when they are invited to join the Avengers; Hawkeye is given the same shot at redemption. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) | THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH | |
| ✔ | Journey into Mystery #118 [1/2] (1965) Journey into Mystery #119 [1/2] (1965) Loki activates the Destroyer armour hidden away in Odin’s Temple of Darkness to use against Thor. Inspiring elements of… Thor (2011) | |
| Avengers #23-24 (1965) Kang decides not to conquer the future Earth ruled by King Carelius when he becomes infatuated with Carelius’ daughter, Ravonna Renslayer; Kang and the Avengers defend the kingdom from an uprising in which Ravonna is killed. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 2 (2023) | ||
| Tales of Suspense #79 [2/2] (1966) Tales of Suspense #80 [2/2] (1966) The Red Skull obtains the Cosmic Cube to make himself all-powerful; Captain America opposes him. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) | T.H.E.M. | |
| ✔ | Thor #134 [1/2] (1966) Thor #135 [1/2] (1966) The High Evolutionary’s experiments to create the perfect lifeforms are revealed to have led to the creation of the New Men by super-evolving animals; the Evolutionary and his New Men leave Earth by transforming the Citadel of Science into a spacecraft. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | |
| ✔ | Tales to Astonish #90 [2/2] (1967) Tales to Astonish #91 [2/2] (1967) Russian spy Emil Blonsky breaks into Gamma Base and accidentally activates Bruce Banner‘s Gamma Ray Projector, transforming himself into the hideous Abomination; clashing with the Hulk, the Abomination realises he’s stronger than the Green Goliath and retains Emil Blonsky’s intelligence. Inspiring elements of… Incredible Hulk (2008) | |
| ✔ | Avengers #43-44 (1967) The Black Widow is taken prisoner by the Red Guardian who is unmasked and revealed to the the Black Widow’s husband, Alexei Shostakov, who she believed was dead. Inspiring elements of… Black Widow (2021) | |
| Thor #159 (1968) Odin reveals he sent Thor to Earth in order to teach him humility. Inspiring elements of… Thor (2011) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #57-58 (1968) Ultron creates the Vision to infiltrate and assassinate the Avengers; after the Vision joins the team, Goliath (Hank Pym) admits to Avengers that he created Ultron. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) | |
| Captain Marvel #15-18 (1969) Captain Marvel’s long-running enmity with Yon-Rogg comes to a head when he returns to the Kree planet Hala; after he’s gifted with a new uniform by the Supreme Intelligence, Mar-Vell returns to Earth to face Yon-Rogg in a battle to the death which leaves Carol Danvers exposed to the unleashed power of the Psyche-Magnitron. Inspiring elements of… Captain Marvel (2019) | ||
| Avengers #66 (1969) It’s revealed that American scientist Dr Myron MacLain accidentally created an alloy made of steel, vibranium and something dubbed Proto-Adamantium into a process that created Captain America’s shield; attempts to replicate this led to the creation of True Adamantium which is virtually indestructible but incredibly expensive to make. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | ||
| Captain America #133 (1971) Captain America’s recurring foe MODOK reveals he was once lowly AIM scientist George Tarleton; he was cruelly transformed into MODOK (initially MODOC) by the organisation’s Scientist Supreme. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) | ||
| Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1-2 (1972) Carl Lucas is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, gains superhuman powers while being experimented on in prison; he escapes, renames himself Luke Cage, meets Claire Temple and comes into conflict with other escaped inmates Diamondback (Willis Stryker), Comanche & Shades. Inspiring elements of… Luke Cage, Season 1 (2016) | ||
| ✔ | Marvel Premiere #1 [1/2] (1972) Marvel Premiere #2 [1/2] (1972) Warlock #1 (1972) The High Evolutionary locates the synthetic man Him – originally created by the trio of Earthly scientists called the Enclave – grants him the Soul Gem, renames Him as Warlock and sends him to his newly-birthed Counter-Earth to save it from corruption by his own creations; Warlock takes the full name Adam Warlock. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | COUNT-DOWN TO COUNTER-EARTH |
| Adventure into Fear #11 (1972) Teenager Jennifer Kale gets to lean into her magical family heritage when an opportunity to study witchcraft presents itself. Inspiring elements of… Agatha All Along, Season 1 (2024) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| Avengers #114 (1973) After years of working as a villain and missing an opportunity to join the Avengers, the Swordsman is finally given a chance to prove himself as a crimefighter. Inspiring elements of… Hawkeye Season 1 (2021) Daredevil: Born Again, Season 1 (2025) | ||
| ✔ | Iron Man #55 (1973) Thanos and his beloved lady Death make their debut, along with their nemesis Drax the Destroyer! Inspiring elements of… Avengers (2012) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Agatha All Along, Season 1 (2024) | THE THANOS WAR |
| ✔ | Jungle Action #6 [1/2] (1973) Jungle Action #7 [1/2] (1973) Jungle Action #8-18 (1974-1975) Years after N’Jadaka escapes Wakanda after surviving death at the hands of Klaw’s mercenaries, he returns to his homeland as Erik Killmonger and makes his bid to destabilise Wakanda; the Black Panther is defeated by Killmonger, only for him to be pushed over the edge of Warrior Falls by the son of one of his Wakandan victims. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther (2018) | |
| Captain America #170 (1974) The Black Panther upgrades the Falcon’s wings with Wakanadan technology, allowing him to fly. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | SECRET EMPIRE | |
| Marvel Premiere #15-19 (1974) Danny Rand leaves the mystical K’un-Lun having gained the power of the Iron Fist and returns to America, where he reunites with Joy & Ward Meachum and learns the role their father Harold Meachum played in his parents’ death. Inspiring elements of… Iron Fist, Season 1 (2017) | ||
| Incredible Hulk #180-181 (1974) Wolverine makes his debut appearance, sporting his yellow and blue costume and facing off against the incredible Hulk. Inspiring elements of… Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | ||
| Marvel Spotlight #24 (1975) Daimon Hellstrom – the Son of Satan – encounters the demon Kthara who manipulates him into fighting his sister, Satana. Inspiring elements of… Helstrom, Season 1 (2020) | ||
| ✔ | Ms Marvel #1-4 (1977) Carol Danvers experiences blackouts and is initially unaware that she’s also active as the costumed hero Ms Marvel; Carol learns that the Psyche-Magnitron explosion gave her half-Kree superhuman physiology. Inspiring elements of… Captain Marvel (2019) | |
| What If? 3 (1977) What if the Avengers had never been? Inspiring elements of… What If?, Season 1 (2021) | ||
| Omega the Unknown #8-9 (1977) Greg Salinger becomes the extremist vigilante Foolkiller, killing those he believes lack poetry in their souls. Inspiring elements of… Jessica Jones, Season 3 (2019) | ||
| ✔ | Fantastic Four #185-186 (1977) Agatha Harkness’ son, Nicholas Scratch, sends the Witches of New Salem to kidnap his mother; Scratch pits Salem’s Seven against the Fantastic Four. Inspiring elements of… Agatha All Along, Season 1 (2024) | |
| Marvel Team-Up #63-64 (1977) The Steel Serpent (Davos) initiates his plan to steal the power of the Iron Fist from Danny Rand, clashing with the Daughters of the Dragon – Misty Knight & Colleen Wing – in the process. Inspiring elements of… Iron Fist, Season 2 (2018) | ||
| Power Man #48-49 (1977) Bushmaster clashes with Luke Cage; Cage clears his name. Inspiring elements of… Luke Cage, Season 2 (2017) | FREEDOM! | |
| ✔ | Marvel Premiere #47-48 (1979) Despite landing a job with Stark International after only just serving his time for burglary, Scott Lang breaks into Hank Pym’s home and steals his Ant-Man suit; he uses the suit to rescue kidnapped heart surgeon Erica Sondheim – the only specialist who can cure is daughter’s condition – from corrupt (and monstrously-mutated) Darren Cross, president of Cross Technologies; as Ant-Man, Scott is determined to turn himself in, but Yellowjacket (Hank Pym) convinces him to keep the costume and Ant-Man identity. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man (2015) | |
| Iron Man #118-129 (1979) SHIELD threaten to take control of Stark International away from Tony Stark so they can benefit directly from the technology he creates; Stark’s main competitor Justin Hammer makes a bid to sabotage Stark International and hires a number of costumed villains – including Whiplash – to attack Iron Man; Stark descends into alcoholism; Avengers butler Edwin Jarvis helps Tony Stark win back control of Stark International. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 2 (2010) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | Eternals #1-19 (1976-1978) Ikaris and Zuras publicly reveal the existence of the Eternals to humanity; Arishem of the Celestials comes to Earth to stand in judgement, while the Eternals battle the Deviants; as more Celestials arrive on Earth, the Eternals form the Uni-Mind to study them while Druig learns how to kill them. Inspiring elements of… Eternals (2021) | |
| Avengers 185-187 (1979) Aside from originally being the base of operations for the High Evolutionary, Mount Wundagore is revealed to have links to magic; the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were born on Wundagore, where the demon Chthon granted Wanda magic potential; the Scarlet Witch’s return to Wundagore allows Chthon to use her as his Earthly vessel, turning her against the Avengers. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1 (2022) Agatha All Along Season 1 (2024) | ||
| Thor #282-293, 300-301 (1979-1980) The Eternals and Asgardians stand together against the Celestials ‘from’s judgement of Earth. Inspiring elements of… Eternals (2021) | ||
| ✔ | Savage She-Hulk #1 (1980) Lawyer Jennifer Walters is shot by thugs hired by a crime lord; her cousin, Bruce Banner, gives her a blood transfusion that transforms her into the She-Hulk. Inspiring elements of… She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1 (2022) | |
| ✔ | Moon Knight #1 (1980) Mark Spector is a member of Raul Bushman’s pack of mercenaries who raid an archaeological dig; Spector turns against Bushman, but is shot; when he enters the chamber of Khonshu, he’s granted abilities which save his life and he becomes Khonshu’s avatar, Moon Knight. Inspiring elements of… Moon Knight, Season 1 (2022) | |
| Daredevil #168-182 (1981-1982) Elektra Natchios returns to Daredevil’s life as he’s drawn into the criminal machinations of the Kingpin of Crime (Wilson Fisk) for the first time; both Bullseye and Elektra vie for the role of the Kingpin’s primary assassin; Ben Urich’s life is threatened as he tries to expose the Kingpin’s connections; the arrival of the Hand ninja clan brings Daredevil’s mentor Stick back to Hell’s Kitchen. Inspiring elements of… Daredevil, Seasons 1-2 (2015-2016) | ||
| ✔ | Master of Kung Fu #114-118 (1982) Shang-Chi has his final confrontation with this father, criminal mastermind and terrorist Fu Manchu, encountering his minion Death Dealer before the final battle. Inspiring elements of… Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) | |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #271 (1982) Debut of Rocket Raccoon of Earth-616; Rocket hails from Halfworld in the Keystone Quadrant; on this planet, machines experiment on and enhance animals with cybernetic parts, and granting them speech; among Rocket’s other cybernetically-enhanced friends are the otter Lylla and the walrus Wal Rus. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | |
| Uncanny X-Men #163-164 (1982) The alien Brood experiment on the now-powerless Carol Danvers in their lab on Sleazeworld; Wolverine frees Carol who discovers new abilities have been activated when she transforms into Binary. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | THE BROOD SAGA | |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982) Avengers #227 (1983) Monica Rambeau absorbs cosmic energies while investigating Roxxon Oil’s San Francisco rig; she uses her powers to continue her investigation as Captain Marvel and becomes a provisional member of the Avengers. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) The Marvels (2023) | CALL HER… CAPTAIN MARVEL |
| Daredevil #183-191 (1982-1983) Daredevil attempts to apprehend the gun-toting vigilante known as the Punisher; Daredevil clashes with the Hand while on a crusade to resurrect Elektra. Inspiring elements of… Daredevil, Season 2 (2015-2016) | ||
| Fantastic Four #257 (1983) The Skull throne world Tarnax IV is destroyed when it’s consumed by Galactus. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | THE ANNIHILATION GAMBIT THE TRIAL OF REED RICHARDS | |
| Cloak and Dagger #1-4 (1983-1984) Cloak & Dagger’s origins are explored; police detective Brigid O’Reilly initially pursues the duo, intent on bringing them to justice. Inspiring elements of… Cloak & Dagger, Season 1 (2015-2016) | ||
| Avengers #246 (1984) Avengers Compound is set up by Hawkeye and Mockingbird in California when they set up the West Coast Avengers. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | ||
| ✔ | Thor #344-352 (1984-1985) Loki makes a deal with the Dark Elf known as Malekith the Accursed who unleashes the magical Casket of Ancient Winters on the Nine Realms; Malekith’s actions lead to Surtur escaping Musspelheim and attacking Asgard, threatening to bring about Ragnarok; Odin makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Asgard. Inspiring elements of… Thor: The Dark World (2013) Thor: Ragnarok (2017) | THE SURTUR SAGA |
| ✔ | Iron Man #199-200 (1985) Obadiah Stane successfully steals Tony Stark’s company out from under him; Stane dons his massive Iron Monger armour when he faces Stark in his new Iron Man in a battle to the death. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man (2008) | |
| Fantastic Four #282 (1985) After years of believing the Microverse exists in the molecules of planet Earth, Mister Fantastic reveals it to be a parallel world that can be accessed by shrinking small enough to break through the barrier between it and Earth. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) | SECRET WARS II WITH MALICE TOWARDS ALL | |
| Avengers #255-260 (1985) Nebula takes advantage of the unrest in the Skrull Empire in the hopes of ruling over it; her campaign is opposed by the Avengers, but they fail to prevent her from destroying Xandar; Nebula reveals herself to be the granddaughter of Thanos. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) | THE WAR TO END ALL SKRULLS | |
| Captain America #310 (1985) Former-Serpent Squad member Sidewinder gathers a number of snake-themed villains to form the Serpent Society. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Brave New World (2025) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| Thor #360-363 (1985) Following the death of Odin, Thor and his allies head into Hel to confront Hela; though Thor overcomes Hela, Skurge the Executioner sacrifices his life to ensure their escape. Inspiring elements of… Thor: Ragnarok (2017) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #267-269 (1986) The existence of the Council of Kangs is revealed; Kang kills divergent versions of himself to become the one-true Kang; he saves Ravonna Renslayer moments before her death in his timeline; Immortus reveals himself to be a future version of Kang, initiating a war between them both. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 1 (2021) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) | |
| Cloak and Dagger #5-7 (1986) Brigid O’Reilly is transformed into Mayhem and begins taking a much more aggressive stance on ending crime in New York; Mayhem is opposed by Cloak & Dagger. Inspiring elements of… Cloak & Dagger Season 2 (2019) | ||
| Daredevil #227-233 (1986) The Kingpin learns Daredevil’s secret identity and makes every effort to ruin his life until he wishes he was dead. Inspiring elements of… Daredevil, Season 3 (2015-2016) | BORN AGAIN | |
| ✔ | Captain America #333-335 (1987) When Steve Rogers quits being Captain America, John Walker is given the mantle by the Commission on Superhuman Activities with Lemar Hoskins as his partner; the new Captain America very quickly proves to be unstable. Inspiring elements of… The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Season 1 (2021) | |
| Solo Avengers #14 (1989) Following up on their fights on Battleworld, Titania comes looking for a rematch with She-Hulk while she’s in the middle of a court case. Inspiring elements of… She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1 (2022) | ||
| ✔ | Nick Fury vs SHIELD #1-6 (1988) Nick Fury uncovers a conspiracy within SHIELD, learning the organisation has been corrupted from within by Life-Model Decoys. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) | |
| Captain America #354 (1989) The US Government agency called the Commission on Superhuman Affairs grant John Walker a new costume and identity, turning him into their USAgent. Inspiring elements of… The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Season 1 (2021) | VISION QUEST | |
| ✔ | West Coast Avengers #42-45 (1989) The Vision is dismantled, causing his wife, the Scarlet Witch, to have a complete breakdown; the Vision is rebuilt in a ghostly new form. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) | VISION QUEST |
| ✔ | West Coast Avengers #51-52 (1989) The Scarlet Witch learns her twin sons, Billy & Tommy Maximoff, are artificial constructs created by her powers and slivers of Mephisto’s essence. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) | |
| Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #1-6 (1989) Werner von Strucker, son of Wolfgang von Strucker, tries to rebuild Hydra in his deceased father’s honour, allying with the alien Gnobians in an attack on SHIELD. Inspiring elements of… Agents of SHIELD, Season 4 (2016) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers West Coast #56-57, 60-61 (1990) After the mind-wiping of the Vision and the loss of her children, the Scarlet Witch’s grief tips her over the edge as she sides with Magneto against the Avengers. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) | |
| ✔ | The Thanos Quest #1-2 (1990) Silver Surfer #44-45 (1990-1991) The origin of the Infinity Gems is revealed; Thanos obtains all six Infinity Gems to form the Infinity Gauntlet. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Infinity War (2018) | REBIRTH OF THANOS |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 (1991) Krugarr is the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth-691 in the 22nd century; Krugarr assists the Guardians of the Galaxy against the cosmic-level threat of the time-travelling Michael Korvac. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | THE KORVAC QUEST |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | The Infinity Gauntlet #1-6 (1991) As requested by his mistress, the personification of Death, Thanos uses the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half the living beings in the universe; the remaining heroes gather and oppose Thanos, but the Gauntlet is retrieved by Nebula who undoes Thanos’ cull. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Avengers: Endgame (2019) | THE INFINITY GAUNTLET |
| Silver Surfer #53 (1991) After deposing the alien Clumsy Foulup from the Kree throne, Dar-Benn takes over the Empire along with his accomplice, Ael-Dan. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | THE INFINITY GAUNTLET | |
| ✔ | What If #35-39 (1992) The Time Variance Authority register a Timequake when Immortus kills the Time-Keepers; it’s revealed that He Who Remains was/will become the last ever director of the Time Variance Authority and he created the Time-Keepers as a replacement for the Time-Twisters (although a reverse version of that reality at the end of time also exists); Uatu the Watcher plucks a number of heroes from alternate Earths to save the multiverse. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 1 (2021) What If?, Season 1 (2021) | |
| Avengers Annual #21 [4/4] (1992) Kang is revealed to have travelled to Earth in the early 1900s and taken the identity of inventor ‘Victor Timely’. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 2 (2023) | THE WARLORD | |
| Iron Man #284-284 (1992) When Tony Stark dies from the stress caused by his neuro-net, James Rhodes takes up the mantle of Iron Man; Rhodes dons the War Machine suit when Blacklash (formerly Whiplash) and other costumed mercenaries try to steal files from Stark Enterprises. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 2 (2010) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #346-347 (1992) Emperors Dar-Benn and Ael-Dan are assassinated; the elite intergalactic Kree strike team Starforce make their debut, with members including Captain Atlas, Korath the Pursuer and Doctor Minerva; the Kree Supreme Intelligence is assassinated by the Black Knight. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | OPERATION: GALACTIC STORM |
| Avengers: The Terminator Objective 1, 3-4 (1993) Located in Limbo, the mist-like being Alioth the Usurper breaks free from the the constraints of time itself and threatens the borders of Kang’s realm. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 1 (2021) Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | ||
| Nova #6-7 (1994) When Agatha Harkness’ 17th century coven are targeted by the Salem Witch Trials, Harkness initially agrees with them as a way to cull the weaker sorcerers from the magical community; Firestar of the New Warriors – momentarily lost in time – convinces Agatha otherwise. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) | TIME AND TIME AGAIN | |
| Spider-Man 2099 Meets Spider-Man (1995) Spider-Man first encounters alternate universe versions of himself – specifically Spider-Man 2099 (Earth-928) and Spider-Man 2211 (Earth-9500). Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: No Way Home (2017) | ||
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #449 (1997) Thunderbolts #1 (1997) The original Thunderbolts appear for the first time, tackling the Hulk to prove their heroism in the absence of the Avengers; the Thunderbolts are all revealed to be villains – the Masters of Evil led by Baron Zemo – in a ruse to gain the public’s trust after the apparent deaths of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) | JUSTICE LIKE LIGHTNING |
| Inhumans #1-12 (1998-1999) The Inhumans are targeted for extinction by humanity, while dealing with betrayal from within by Maximus. Inspiring elements of… Inhumans, Season 1 (2017) | ||
| Black Widow #1-3 (1999) The Black Widow (Nathasha Romanova) becomes the target of a new Black Widow (Yelena Belova), another assassin trained by the Red Room. Inspiring elements of… Black Widow (2021) Thunderbolts* (2025) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #19-22 (1999) Ultron wipes out the population of Slorenia and transforms it into a country of zombie cyborg Slorenians and new Ultron robots; the Avengers oppose Ultron. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) | ULTRON UNLIMITED |
| ✔ | Daredevil #9-15 (1999-2001) The Kingpin manipulates Echo (Maya Lopez) into attacking Daredevil for him, until she finds out about the role he played in her father’s death; Maya shoots the Kingpin who survives, but is left blind. Inspiring elements of… Hawkeye, Season 1 (2021) Echo, Season 1 (2024) | |
| ✔ | Black Panther #15-22 (2000) Deadpool #44 (2000) Black Panther #23-25 (2000) Erik Killmonger returns to Wakanda, defeating the Black Panther in battle, Killinger takes both the throne and the role of the Black Panther. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther (2018) | CAT TRAP MAXIMUM SECURITY |
| Maximum Security #1-3 (2000-2001) The spore of Ego the Living Planet is imprisoned on Earth by the Kree and begins spreading his being across the planet in an attempt to terraform it into his former self. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 (2017) | MAXIMUM SECURITY | |
| ✔ | The Sentry #1-5 (2000-2001) The Sentry vs the Void #1 (2001) The return of the dark threat known as the Void prompts Bob Reynolds – a man who once took a serum that granted him the power of a million exploding suns – to become the long-forgotten hero called the Sentry; but the Sentry’s connection to the Void could force him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) | THE SENTRY |
| Black Panther #26-29 (2001) Ghaur of Deviant Lemuria incites a war with Wakanda, a conflict that draws the attention of Namor the Sub-Mariner and leads to a clash between the Black Panther and Namor. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| Incredible Hulk #34-39 (2002) Bruce Banner is on the run from the US Government, but is aided via a messaging system by the mysterious Mr Blue (later revealed to be Betty Ross-Banner). Inspiring elements of… Incredible Hulk (2008) | ||
| New X-Men #114-116 (2001) Cassandra Nova wipes out sixteen million mutants at once by sending her Wild Sentinels into Genosha – an island nation for mutants. Inspiring elements of… Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | ||
| ✔ | New X-Men #121 (2002) It’s revealed Cassandra Nova was Charles Xavier’s twin sister; Charles’ latent psychic powers send her evil nature in the womb and murdered his sister before she was born, though she eventually grew a new body for herself. Inspiring elements of… Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | ’NUFF SAID |
| Truth: Red, White and Black #1-7 (2003) It’s revealed that Isaiah Bradley was experimented on during World War II following the death of Dr Abraham Erskine cost the US their Super-Soldier Serum; Isaiah was the second Captain America, through this wouldn’t be recognised for decades. Inspiring elements of… Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Season 1 (2021) Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | ||
| Captain Marvel #15-18 (2003-2004) Phylla-Vell is the second genetically-conceived child created from the DNA of Mar-Vell and Elysius, by Elysius herself; Phylla is Genis-Vell’s sister and initially displays many of his abilities. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | ||
| Iron Man #73-78 (2004) Cross Technologies chairman Sonny Burch exploits the revelation that Tony Stark and Iron Man are one and the same, forcing Stark to lose his patents; Burch is able to apply the tech to create similar but more dangerous armour for Cross Technologies. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) | ||
| Alias #24-28 (2003-2004) The Purple Man (Zebediah Killgrave) is revealed to have used his powers to manipulate rookie crime-fighter Jewel (Jessica Jones) and turn her into his slave; in the present, private investigator Jessica Jones takes a case that forces her to relieve her experiences with the Purple Man. Inspiring elements of… Jessica Jones, Season 1 (2015) | ||
| Runaways #1-18 (2003-2004) A group of kids find out their parents are all members of the super-criminal cabal called the Pride, empowered by the Gibborim; their children become Runaways, determined to end their reign of terror in Los Angeles. Inspiring elements of… Runaways, Seasons 1-2 (2017-2018) | ||
| ✔ | Avengers #500-503 (2004) When she realises the existence of her children has been erased from her memories the Scarlet Witch goes mad and attacks the Avengers, even killing some members of the team. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) | AVENGERS DISASSEMBLED |
| ✔ | Captain America #1-14 (2005-2005) Captain America uncovers a conspiracy that leads to the shocking revelation that Bucky Barnes is still alive; now operating as the brainwashed Winter Soldier, Cap tries to help Bucky remember who is really is. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) | |
| ✔ | Young Avengers #1-6 (2005) A team of young heroes emerge, inspired by the original Avengers – Eli Bradley leads the team as Patriot; Billy Kaplan initially takes a Thor-inspired role as Asgardian, but changes his name to Wiccan; the Young Avengers are eventually joined by Kate Bishop as Hawkeye and Cassie Lang who discovers she has size-altering powers due to repeated exposure to the Pym Particles used by her father Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) Hawkeye, Season 1 (2021) Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Season 1 (2021) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) The Marvels (2023) Agatha All Along, Season 1 (2024) | |
| ✔ | Iron Man #1-6 (2005) Aldrich Killian and Maya Hansen develop Extremis – an experimental techno-organic virus that creates super-soldiers; Iron Man gains new abilities when he exposes himself to Extremis in order to take down the Extremis-infected Mallen. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 3 (2013) | |
| New Avengers #3 (2005) After a number of heroes gather to end a breakout at the Raft, Captain America and Iron Man decide to keep the group together as a completely new line-up of Avengers (referred to editorially as the New Avengers). Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) | BREAKOUT | |
| Young Avengers #10-12 (2006) The Young Avengers meet speedster Tommy Shepherd who joins the team as Speed; Wiccan (Billy Kaplan) and Speed learn they may be the lost twin sons of the Scarlet Witch. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) | ||
| ✔ | House of M #1-8 (2005) The Scarlet Witch alters reality under duress, creating a world in which she has her children back and her family are the centre of it all. Inspiring elements of… WandaVision, Season 1 (2021) | HOUSE OF M |
| ✔ | Ultimate Fantastic Four #21-23 (2005) The Fantastic Four of Earth-1610 make contact with the Fantastic Four of Earth-2149 and discover they’re infected with a zombie plague. Inspiring elements of… What If?, Season 1 (2021) | MARVEL ZOMBIES |
| Marvel Zombies #1-5 (2005) A zombie plague infects the population of Earth-2149, with only a handful of superhumans left to fight back against the superhuman zombie horde. Inspiring elements of… What If? Season 1 (2021) | MARVEL ZOMBIES | |
| She-Hulk #3 (2005) Orobourous and Paradox of the Time Variance Authority act as two of the judges at She-Hulk’s trial; Orobourous is a clone of Mr Paradox. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 2 (2023) Deadpool and Wolverine (2024) | ||
| Amazing Spider-Man #526-531 (2006) Tony Stark builds a new, hi-tech costume for Spider-Man. Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) | CIVIL WAR |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | Civil War #1-7 (2006-2007) An explosive incident involving superhumans causing the deaths of hundreds of innocent bystanders leads to the US Government insisting that all costumed ‘heroes’ register their names and powers; Captain America opposes the Superhuman Registration Act, coming into conflict with Iron Man as their two respective Avengers teams oppose each other; with Iron Man officially unmasking and working alongside the US Government, his Avengers squad officially begin operating directly under SHIELD’s oversight; Spider-Man’s secret identity becomes public knowledge. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man (2008) Avengers (2012) Captain America: Civil War (2016) Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) | CIVIL WAR |
| ✔ | Incredible Hulk #92-105 (2006-2007) The Hulk is stranded on the planet Sakaar and forced to fight in an arena; Hulk, Korg, Miek and others band together and rebel. Inspiring elements of… Thor: Ragnarok (2017) | PLANET HULK |
| Thor #1 -2 (2007) Thor rebuilds fallen Asgard in Broxton, Oklahoma. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 2 (2023) | ||
| Thor #5 (2008) Post-Ragnarok Loki returns in a female form as ‘Lady Loki’. Inspiring elements of… Loki, Season 1 (2021) | ||
| ✔ | Guardians of the Galaxy #1-3 (2008) In the wake of two major cosmic conflicts, Star-Lord brings Drax, Gamora, Groot, Rocket Racoon, Mantis, Adam Warlock and others together to form the Guardians of the Galaxy to proactively stand against future threats. Inspiring elements of… Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2 (2017) Guardians of the Galaxy vol.3 (2023) | |
| New Avengers #40 (2008) The Skrull scientist Dro’ge Fenu Edu is the Head Priest of the Sciences in the Imperial Court; Dro’ge’s study of the Illuminati leads to the creation of the army of Super-Skrulls who later invade Earth. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | SECRET INVASION | |
| ✔ | Secret Invasion #1-8 (2008-2009) The Skrulls invade Earth. Inspiring elements of… Secret Invasion (2023) | SECRET INVASION |
| Mighty Avengers #13 (2008) Nick Fury and Quake recruit young superhumans into their Secret Warriors. Inspiring elements of… Agents of SHIELD, Season 3 (2015-2016) | SECRET INVASION | |
| ✔ | Secret Warriors #1-6 (2009) Nick Fury learns Hydra have been manipulating SHIELD from within for years. Inspiring elements of… Captain: The Winter Soldier (2014) Agents of SHIELD, Season 1 (2013-2014) | DARK REIGN NICK FURY: AGENT OF NOTHING |
| ✔ | Black Panther #1-6 (2009) The Black Panther (T’Challa) is left near death following an attack on Wakandan soil by Doctor Doom, prompting his sister Shuri to take up the mantle of the Black Panther herself. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) | DARK REIGN |
| Black Panther #9-11 (2009) Shuri is duped into thinking Namor attacked T’Challa and tries to kill him. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) | DOOMWAR | |
| ✔ | Hulk #23 (2010) After months of mystery, the Red Hulk is revealed to General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, having been empowered by the Leader and MODOK. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | WORLD WAR HULKS |
| ✔ | Amazing Spider-Man #638-641 (2010) It’s revealed that Doctor Strange magically made the world forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: No Way Home (2017) | |
| Dark Avengers #13 (2010) Bob Reynolds’ dark past as an addict is revealed. Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) | SIEGE | |
| ✔ | Prelude to Deadpool Corps 1-5 (2010) The multiversal Deadpool Corps form for the first time, consisting of Deadpool (Earth-616), Lady Deadpool (Earth-3010) and Headpool (Earth-2149), as well as new incarnations Kidpool (Earth-10330) and Dogpool (Earth-103173). Inspiring elements of… Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) | DEADPOOL CORPS |
| ✔ | Captain America #606-610 (2010) Baron Zemo exposes the identity of the new Captain America to the world, revealing him to be the Winter Soldier and making his past crimes public. Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Civil War (2016) | THE HEROIC AGE |
| ✔ | Avengers vs X-Men #7-8 (2012) While under the influence of the Phoenix Force, Namor the Sub-Mariner attacks Wakanda to get to the Avengers who are hiding there, working on a means to defeat the Phoenix Five; this ignites a cold war between the two nations. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) | AVX: AVENGERS VS X-MEN |
| Avengers #31 (2012) New Avengers #31 (2012) Avengers #32 (2012) New Avengers #32 (2012) Avengers #33 (2013) New Avengers #33 (2013) Avengers #34 (2013) New Avengers #34 (2013) The Avengers learn the Wasp is trapped in the Microverse and immediately set off on a rescue mission. Inspiring elements of… Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) | END TIMES |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis | Event / Crossover |
| ✔ | New Avengers #1-3 (2013) The Illuminati discover the existence of Incursions that are destroying realties across the multiverse. Inspiring elements of… Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2021) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) | MARVEL NOW! |
| ✔ | Hawkeye #1-13 (2012-2013) Hawkeye Annual #1 (2013) Hawkeye #14-22 (2013-2015) The two Hawkeyes – Clint Barton & Kate Bishop – team up and fall out when they face the Clown (Kazi Kazimierczak) and the Tracksuit Mafia. Inspiring elements of… Hawkeye, Season 1 (2021) | |
| ✔ | Thor: God of Thunder #1-11 (2013) Gorr the God Butcher begins wiping out the gods of any pantheon he encounters, taking revenge for his own gods letting his family die; his attempted to use the Godbomb to wipe out all gods in the multiverse is opposed by Thor from three different periods in his timeline. Inspiring elements of… Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) | MARVEL NOW! |
| ✔ | New Avengers #7 (2013) Namor and the Black Panther (T’Challa) agree to a peace treaty between Atlantis and Wakanda; Shuri rejects the treaty and her Wakandan forces destroy Atlantis. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) | MARVEL NOW! INFINITY |
| ✔ | Free Comic Book Day – Infinity #1 (2013) Infinity #1-6 (2014) Thanos’ Black Order and the Outriders attack the various members of the Illuminati in search of the Infinity Gems; Namor convinces the Black Order that his Infinity Gem is in Wakanda so that they will destroy it for him, though Namor’s plan backfires. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) | INFINITY |
| ✔ | Ms Marvel #1-5 (2014) After gaining superhuman powers due to her Inhuman heritage, Kamala Khan becomes Ms Marvel a tries to adjust to life with awkward superhuman powers. Inspiring elements of… Ms Marvel, Season 1 (2022) | ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! |
| Captain America #25 (2014) Due to being rapidly aged when the Iron Nail neutralised the Super Soldier Serum in his system, Steve Rogers passes the mantle of Captain America to the Falcon. Inspiring elements of… Avengers: Endgame (2019) The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Season 1 (2021) | ||
| ✔ | Thor #5-8 (2014-2015) The new Thor finds her feet, but refrain from telling the world that she’s Jane Foster. Inspiring elements of… Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) | |
| All-New Ghost Rider #1-12 (2014-2015) Robbie Reyes is bonded with the spirit of devil worshipper Eli Morrow, becoming the new Ghost Rider; Morrow asserts more and more control over the Ghost Rider, turning him into a merciless killer until Robbie regains control. Inspiring elements of… Agents of SHIELD, Season 4 (2016) | ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! | |
| Captain Marvel #9 (2015) It’s revealed teleporting mutant rock star Lila Cheney agreed to marry Prince Yan of the planet Aladna; by helping Prince Yan, Carol Danvers almost becomes his wife, but he chooses someone else. Inspiring elements of… The Marvels (2023) | ||
| Amazing Spider-Man #9-15 (2015) Spider-Man meets numerous versions of himself from other universes when the Inheritors start wiping them out. Inspiring elements of… Spider-Man: No Way Home (2017) | SPIDER-VERSE | |
| ✔ | Captain America: Sam Wilson 3-6 (2016) Joaquin Torres is one of many immigrants experimented on by Karl Malus, making him a human/falcon hybrid; Joaquin adopts the Falcon identity and allies with Captain America (Sam Wilson). Inspiring elements of… Captain America: Brave New World (2025) | ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL |
| New Avengers #4 (2016) The Skrull called Varra is a member of the Skull/Kree hybrid group the Knights of the Infinite; Varra has no connection to Nick Fury. Inspiring elements of… Secret Invasion (2023) | ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL | |
| Thunderbolts #1 (2016) Most of the original line-up of the Thunderbolts are reassembled by the Winter Soldier. Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) | ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL | |
| ✔ | Moon Knight #1-14 (2016-2017) Khonshu manipulates Marc Spector, playing his various personas – Moon Knight, Steven Grant, Jake Lockley and Mr Knight – against each other; Marc is forced to find a way to work with his other personalities. Inspiring elements of… Moon Knight, Season 1 (2022) | ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL NOW! |
| ✔ | Exiles #3 (2018) The reality-hopping Exiles arrive on Earth-86315 where Peggy Carter became Captain America. Inspiring elements of… What If?, Season 1 (2021) | |
| Meet the Skrulls 1-5 (2019) G’iah is part of an infiltration plan by the Skrull Empire, passing her whole family off as humans. Inspiring elements of… Secret Invasion (2023) | ||
| ✔ | Thunderbolts #1-4 (2024) A Life Model Decoy of Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine forms a new incarnation of the Thunderbolts funded by OXE Group; members of this team include the the Red Guardian (Alexei Shostakov), the Revolution (Bucky Barnes, the former Winter Soldier), USAgent (John Walker) and the White Widow (Yelena Belova). Inspiring elements of… Thunderbolts* (2025) |
Find more in-depth comics chronologies on Marvel‘s heroes, villains and teams, as well as events and crossovers:
Stories retelling and modernising events listed above or reimaging versions of Earth-616 continuity.
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 (1993-1994) An alternate take on the origin of Daredevil, as Matt Murdock dons a back cowl to take on the New York’s underworld and face the Kingpin of Crime; this sits outside of regular continuity and pits Matt Murdock against the Kingpin much earlier in his career as Daredevil, before he even has a costume. Inspiring elements of… Daredevil, Season 1 (2015) |
| The Punisher: Year One #1-4 (1994-1995) The Punisher’s origin is revealed in full; the Punisher first tangles with hitman Billy Russo, turning him into Jigsaw. Inspiring elements of… Punisher, Season 1 (2018) | |
| Earth X #0 (1999) Earth X #1-12 (1999-2000) Earth X #X (2000) On Earth-9997, the world is revealed to be an incubation unit for a new Celestial, with the superhumans acting as antibodies. Inspiring elements of… Eternals (2021) What If, Season 3 (2024) | |
| ✔ | Ultimates #7-13 (2002-2004) On Earth-1610, the Ultimates (this reality’s version of the Avengers) oppose an invasion by the alien Chitauri. Inspiring elements of… Avengers (2012) |
| Must Read | Title, Issue Number & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #1-8 (2004-2005) A modernised retelling of the formation of the Avengers due to Loki’s machinations their conflicts with Kang and Baron Zemo, and the first line-up change that added Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to the roster. Inspiring elements of… Avengers (2012) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) |
| ✔ | Iron Man: Enter the Mandarin #1-6 (2007-2008) A modernised version of Iron Man’s first clash with the Mandarin expands on the villain’s origins. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 3 (2013) |
| ✔ | Black Widow: Deadly Origin #1-4 (2009-2010) The Black Widow’s origins are both modernised and assembled into a more coherent narrative, explaining the Black Widow Ops Program and how she first met Hawkeye and Nick Fury. Inspiring elements of… Iron Man 3 (2013) |
| ✔ | Killmonger #1-5 (2019) Erik Killmonger ‘s origin gets a modern retelling and expansion as we discover the real reason why he wants to make the Black Panther’s life so difficult. Inspiring elements of… Black Panther (2018) |
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