Avaitor's Top 25 Marvel Stories

[Avaitor]

Okay, let's get right down to business There's over 70 years worth of stories I could have gone through, but cutting down to just the best of the best in a measly 25, I left out a lot of great stuff. I might pull out an honorable mentions list later, but for now, this is what we're getting.

Anyway, here's my first 5.

25-

Thor #136 "To Become an Immortal"

The relationship between Thor and Jane Foster was one of the most well-developed in the earlier days of super heroes. While it took over half a century for Lois Lane to put two and two together and realize that "Smallville" is the guy who has been saving her in more ways than one for all these years, Jane's affections for Donald Blake slowly started to shift to the mighty Thor, which eventually lead to Blake not only revealing his identity to Ms. Foster, but even proposing to her. Of course she accepted and the rest should be history, right?

Not during the days of Stan Lee. The story starts off well enough, with Thor taking Jane to Asgard, making her be in awe of the mythical land. In a romantic gesture that Grant Morrison would rip-off decades later in All-Star Superman, Odin, who seemingly approves of Foster, allows for her to become a goddess, with a costume fit for one, and the ability to fly. However, Odin demands that Jane must face the Unknown, a creature whose form is true to its name, to prove her worthiness. Without spoiling too much, the results of this battle sets the stage for Thor/Donald and Jane's relationship for now on.

You might have guessed that things don't work out too happily for either, and sadly, that is the case. This shows Odin's strategic side, since he had an ingenious plot set the entire time to benefit his will, and also highlights one of the key components to Marvel's success- nothing ever quite seems to work out the way our heroes want them to. This is especially true for more "human" characters like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, but even gods shouldn't be exempt from the pain of loss and heartache that we all go through at some point in our lives.

24-



Avengers #57 & #58 "Behold... The Vision!"/"Even an Android Can Cry!"

As much as I love how the Avengers movie and cartoon have turned out so far, if I got to make my own, I would have started off with this storyline. The first issue is the real meat of the story, but the emotional core in the second make it just as worth reading. The first introduces Ultron-5 (although not technically; it was a big part of the previous, an automaton created by Hank Pym inexplicably gone horribly wrong. Bringing back a forgotten Marvel hero from the Golden Age, it creates the Vision, which it commands to destroy the Avengers. Thankfully, Vision rebels against Ultron and destroys it.

The second part delves into the character of the Vision, and already begins to humanize him, even having the team let him join. It's a really sweet story, full of tons of memorable moments, including a fitting reciting of Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ozymandias" and this powerful final panel.



The Vision eventually lead on to become one of the most popular and most interesting Marvel characters, even marrying the Scarlet Witch. This gave him a solid introduction and one of the greatest stories with Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

23-

Silver Surfer Parable

An odd combination, this miniseries was written by Stan Lee and drawn by the late, great Moebius in the 80's, but easily makes for one of Norrin Radd's greatest tales. The Surfer has been walking around to a slightly-apocalyptic Earth in secret, while Galactus makes a long-delayed return to the planet, demanding that humans bow down to him as the planet-devouring god he is In some thinly-veiled religious allegorism, we see a self-righteous TV evangelist attempt to consider himself the highest power in the word of Galactus, and somewhat succeed at his attempts.

However, things come to a violent hault when Galactus discovers that his previous herald not only walks among man, but opposes of Galactus' reign of terror. You see some epic action between the two, which result in some downright shocking pre-9/11 destruction. But it's the last few mostly dialogue-oriented pages that put the tale on this list, containing some of Lee's best writing. On top of Moebius' toned down artwork, this makes for an incredible, conflicting tale featuring the power cosmic and his former master.

22-

Daredevil #47 "Brother, Take My Hand"

A rather overlooked tale, this is one of my personal favorite Lee-written Daredevil adventures. It starts out with the Man Without Fear showing up to support the troops in 'Nam. During the show, Willie Lincoln, a semi-blinded soldier, is able to just barely make out Daredevil's outlines as he performs for the troops. it's the greatest show in his life... until Lincoln becomes completely blinded during the middle of it. While discovering this, Double D shows up to his bedside to lift up the wounded solider's spirits. Of course, Daredevil can't exactly tell Lincoln just how he empathizes and relates to him, but he does tell the solider about a blinded lawyer named Matt Murdock for him to befriend when he returns to New York.

It turns out that DD made a good call here, since before being drafted, Lincoln was a cop that got framed by a mob out to get him for supposedly taking a payoff, and needs Murdock to help clear his name. Murdock takes the case, and I'll just leave it at that.

There's plenty of action and courtroom drama, just as you'd expect for a story like this. While it's all solid enough, I added the issue in as a bit of humanity for Daredevil. The hero has been a big aspiration in the blind community ever since his introduction, and tales like this make it easy to understand just why. He understands the angst Lincoln must be going through with his recent handicap, but doesn't try to talk down to him or give him unneeded help. There's a mutual respect here that truly makes you appreciate the character, and Daredevil continues to be as awesome as ever.

21-

Fantastic Four #51 "This Man, This Monster"

This is another gentle story, just like my Daredevil choice. But hey, considering what it just followed in the comics, Stan and Jack were totally entitled to tell a more gentle story with Marvel's First Family.

Ben Grimm has been sulking all day, feeling abandoned by his girlfriend, Alicia Masters, by the Silver Surfer and his own rock-like complexion. Somehow, he inexplicably arrives in the house of a mad scientist whose goal has been to prove to the world that he is Reed Richards' superior. He gives the Thing a cup of coffee laced with sleeping pills, and does a body swamp with him, giving the scientist the body of the Thing, while Grimm returns to his old body before the fatal spaceship crash that turned him into a gargoyle.

The scientist, disguised as Thing, arrives at the Baxter Building just as Reed and Sue are planning a trip into the Negative Zone, and need Thing to let Reed out after he goes in for what he needs. This would be his chance to let Richards get stuck into the Negative Zone and prove his superiority to the scientist, but this being a Stan Lee tale, things obviously don't work out that way, Conversely, Ben attempts to come into Alicia's apartment and see if she can tell the Thing from the original Ben Grimm (remember, Alicia Masters is blind). Again, being Lee, we don't get a happily ever after tale for Grimm, but we do get a genuinely sweet moment at the end.

This works great as both a Thing story and a one-off showing the power of human emotions. There are plenty of great Thing stories, but this usually tops the lists, and for good cause.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

That's a really well put-together list (well, what you've listed down so far, anyways ). I would love to read some of these stories. Doesn't Marvel have some online subscription service now that lets you read specific issues like that at will? I mean, sort of like a Netflix for comic books, if that makes any sense. Because if they don't they really should do something like that. It'd make hunting down stories like this A LOT easier and probably a lot more affordable as well. In fact, I think I'll look into it right now, actually.

As for the stories you mentioned, surprisingly enough that Daredevil story seems to be the most appealing one to me. I really like stories that put a lot of focus on the man behind the mask rather than just the superhero themselves. It makes for some great drama, IMO.

The other stories all sound suitably great, though. The story you mentioned for Thor sounds like it could be particularly tragic if it ends how I think it does.

[Avaitor]

Here's the next five.

20-

Amazing Spider-Man #32 & 33 "Man on a Rampage" and "The Final Chapter"

It's mostly the second issue that's on this list, but I figured that I should put the first one in for completion's sake. Although technically I could also add the previous one too. But I'll catch you up instead.

Peter Parker is at his breaking point. After a hectic past year or so, Betty Brant wants to settle with someone safe, which she can't have with Parker if he's still Spider-Man. Jamison has been harsher than ever on his photos. But note of this matters compared to his Aunt May, who after needing a blood transfusion, Peter had no choice but to volunteer his radioactive blood, and she lies in critical condition. When the doctor tells Parker that she may or may not make it, this causes Peter to snap. After finding out that Curt Connors, aka the brilliant scientist formally known as the lizard which Spidey saved all the way back, is in town and able to make a serum to save Aunt May, Spidey abuses his powers to help Connors with his formula.

All goes well, until the Master Planner has the finished serum stolen before Connors is able to obtain it. Spider-Man attempts to find him, discovering that the Master Planner has been Doctor Octopus the whole time and takes him on one-on-one.

That's the first part. The second, where the iconic cover comes from, and let me just say that the first few pages is exactly why the story is on here. One of Spidey's most powerful moments, Ditko's tense artwork perfectly builds up to everything he's been suffering against over the past few issues. Things work out as well as they can for Spider-Man. A great personal story for Peter Parker, but it's not like there isn't much.

19-

Thor #337-340 "The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill"

Very few people have been able to hold Mjolnir besides Thor. Captain America is one. Wonder Woman, during a Marvel vs. DC miniseries in the 90's was another. And then there's Beta Ray Bill.

A Korbinite, which are alien creatures designed to look similar to the skull of a horse, Beta Ray Bill's existence relied on fighting to defend his people. When Bill lands on Earth, Thor investigates as the two begin to clash, with Bill picking up Thor's mythical hammer shortly after knocking him cold. It's very rare for the Norse gods to approve of someone to take such a powerful weapon in their hands, so that someone like BRB (lol...) is able to do so with no problems proves that there's more to him than meets the eye.

Thor, being the hotheaded demigod he is, doesn't take kindly to someone else holding Mjolnir, as the two continue to compete for its sake. Eventually Odin reaches a compromise in that Thor can keep his hammer, while Bill gets a similar one of his own to help with his cause.

I'm really paraphrasing here, but that's basically the gist of the story. This was Walt Simonson's introduction to Thor, and among the best stories done by arguably the best writer in the Norse God's comic book history. It shows that Thor isn't the only worthy one out there and set the stone for one of his most interesting supporting characters to debut.

18-

Avengers #93-97 "The Kree-Skrull War"

So if you're watching the cartoon or have read an Avengers comic in the past 10 years, you probably have an idea of just how important this war was to Marvel. The Kree were a group of almost human-like aliens which kept on eye on our planet for their own gain, while the Skrull are shape-shifting creatures who can turn into anyone we know at any given moment without us knowing. With these two alien species coexisting in the galaxy and not being able to evolve due to the human race overshadowing them, it was about time that war were declared, and that's precisely what happened.

Earth's Mightiest Heroes took it upon themselves to intervene between this war, where all the stops were pulled. From the Vision nearly dying by a Skrull attack, to the shape-shifters turning into the Fantastic Four to trick the team to even having good ol' Rick Jones bring back Golden Age Marvel heroes to help save the day, you name it, it happened.

This war will come back multiple times in the Marvel Universe to remind us of just how powerful it can become, and also shows how essential the Avengers are to the entire universe. Without their help, this would've had a very different ending.

17-

Iron Man #120-128 "Demon in a Bottle"

Despite how this might be one of the most popular Iron Man stories, we're never going to see this adapted in the movies considering just how dark it gets.

Tony Stark's alcoholism is all but ignored in the movies, but its been an issue that has haunted him for years. Stark initially dons the Iron Man gear here when the plane he's on gets attacked by a falling military tank. He lands the plane to safety and learns that Namor was supposedly responsible for the tank attack, only for the Sub Mariner himself to tell Stark that this wasn't the case. After the two team up and take care of business, Stark is invited to meet a foreign ambassador as Iron Man, and all goes well... until the suit malfunctions, killing the ambassador. In a compromise, the police tell Tony that he has to give up his Iron Man suit for the time being, as the Avengers request that he steps down as leader. Tony complies, but goes back to his alcohol consumption.

The rest of the arc shows all of these things happen to the close ones in Stark's life as he continues to ignore them with the bottle. It gets downright horrifying at times to see how far Stark falls, and his saving isn't even all that glorious.  Hell, he still occasionally swallows more than his own weight from time to time. Can the Marvel Universe handle a world without an Iron Man? I think this proves that they probably could, but it wouldn't be the same.

16-

Wolverine's very first miniseries + Uncanny X-Men #172 & 173

With an ace script by Chris Claremont and killer artwork by Frank Miller, elements of this story were added into X2 and Wolvie's own solo film and make for one of Logan's greatest tales.

In part of Wolverine's very convoluted origin story, he makes a long-delayed return to Japan to meet with his former love, Mariko, whom resents his animalistic side. When arriving, Logan discovers that her father kidnapped her in order to keep Wolvie away from her. He fights to get her back, but we also see him fall in love with Yukio, another Japanese woman who is more accepting of his being. It's a great contrasting love story with some intense action.

The other two issues are a bit of a follow-up to the story, as they bring the X-Men over to Japan to meet Logan's fiance just before the wedding. Of course, there's turmoil in the area, which leads to Wolverine and Rogue having to team up to solve the case. This is the first teaming up between the two, which helps to not only break the ice between them, as Rogue was still considered to be a, well, rogue to the team, but also began to establish the big bro/little sis relationship Wolverine has always needed and would share not only with Rogue, but Kitty Pryde and Jubliee. This is a very bittersweet story, but an essential follow-up to a classic miniseries. This entire arc will help you to really appreciate Wolverine's character, a it delves into his more human side while still containing plenty of action.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Seeing that 12 cent price on all the covers saddens me in comparison to what we have to pay now.

[Avaitor]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

Yeah, and along with the story format in most recent Marvel comics, TPBs seem like the only way to go for reading them.

[Foggle]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

Yeah, and along with the story format in most recent Marvel comics, TPBs seem like the only way to go for reading them.

Seriously. Idiotic crossover stories made me ragequit mainstream comics forever.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

Yeah, and along with the story format in most recent Marvel comics, TPBs seem like the only way to go for reading them.

Seriously. Idiotic crossover stories made me ragequit mainstream comics forever.

Yeah, but there are some good mainstream comics though, like Waid's Daredevil series and Snyder's Batman run (which is ironically enough, going through a crossover story as we speak).

[Foggle]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

Yeah, and along with the story format in most recent Marvel comics, TPBs seem like the only way to go for reading them.

Seriously. Idiotic crossover stories made me ragequit mainstream comics forever.

Yeah, but there are some good mainstream comics though, like Waid's Daredevil series and Snyder's Batman run (which is ironically enough, going through a crossover story as we speak).

Buying the actual issues, I mean. Deadpool limiteds and Punisher MAX are pretty mainstream.

[Avaitor]

I mean, crossovers aren't exactly new, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but I know what you mean. People like Bendis ruin things for everyone.

[Foggle]

I mean, crossovers aren't exactly new, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but I know what you mean. People like Bendis ruin things for everyone.

I liked Bendis' work on early USM. What's he doing wrong?

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, the jump to $4 was one of the final straws for me to stop buying new comics. At this point, I'll either wait for the graphic novels or for them to hit the $1 bin, if that.

Yeah, and along with the story format in most recent Marvel comics, TPBs seem like the only way to go for reading them.

Seriously. Idiotic crossover stories made me ragequit mainstream comics forever.

Yeah, but there are some good mainstream comics though, like Waid's Daredevil series and Snyder's Batman run (which is ironically enough, going through a crossover story as we speak).

Buying the actual issues, I mean. Deadpool limiteds and Punisher MAX are pretty mainstream.

Oh, yeah. Single issues are a lost art at this point.

I mean, crossovers aren't exactly new, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but I know what you mean. People like Bendis ruin things for everyone.

And Johns, sadly enough. Fucking Flashpoint.

I mean, crossovers aren't exactly new, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but I know what you mean. People like Bendis ruin things for everyone.

I liked Bendis' work on early USM. What's he doing wrong?

Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege, etc.

[Avaitor]

I mean, crossovers aren't exactly new, and there are always exceptions to the rule, but I know what you mean. People like Bendis ruin things for everyone.

I liked Bendis' work on early USM. What's he doing wrong?

Spider-Man, Wolverine and Doctor Strange are Avengers.

And besides what Insommy mentioned, Civil War was partially his fault.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Eh, Spidey being an Avenger just seems like a natural progression of his character to me. Wolverine, I don't get though.

[Foggle]

And besides what Insommy mentioned, Civil War was partially his fault.

I always hear about how bad Civil War is, but I've never read it. What makes it so awful?