Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor, who was
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
's first successor as editor-in-chief of
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Conan the Destroyer''), ...
to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E. Howard's character and helped launch a
sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the ...
trend in comics. Thomas is also known for his championing of
Golden Age
The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the '' Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages, Gold being the first and the one during which the G ...
comic-book heroes – particularly the 1940s
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
team the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
– and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
' '' All-Star Squadron'', among other titles.
Among the comics characters he co-created are
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
Invaders
''InVader'' is the fourth album by Finnish glam metal band Reckless Love, released on 4 March 2016 through Spinefarm Records.
Track listing
All songs written by Olli Herman, Pepe Reckless, and Ikka Wirtanen, unless otherwise noted.
Reception
Wr ...
Sunfire
Fire is a series of server computers introduced in 2001 by Sun Microsystems (since 2010, part of Oracle Corporation). The Sun Fire branding coincided with the introduction of the UltraSPARC III processor, superseding the UltraSPARC II-ba ...
Arkon
Arkon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the warlord and ruler of the extra-dimensional world of Polemachus. The concept of the character is that he is a hero from the sword-and-sorcery ge ...
Wendell Vaughn
Quasar (Wendell Elvis Vaughn) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions. However ...
,
Red Wolf
The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus'').
The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate s ...
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
Thomas was born in Jackson, Missouri, United States.Thomas in As a child, he was a devoted comic book fan, and in grade school he wrote and drew his own comics for distribution to friends and family. The first of these was ''All-Giant Comics'', which he recalls as having featured such characters as Elephant Giant. He was enrolled at a parochial Lutheran school and attended St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. As an adult, Thomas is "not religious" and has been described as a "lapsed Lutheran". He graduated from
Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is a public university in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In addition to the main campus, the university has four regional campuses offering full degree programs and a secondary campus housing the Holland Co ...
in 1961 with a BS in Education, having majored in history and social science.
Thomas became an early and active member of Silver Age comic book
fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
when it organized in the early 1960s – primarily around Jerry Bails, whose enthusiasm for the rebirth of superhero comics during that period led Bails to found the
fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share ...
'' Alter Ego'', an early focal point of fandom. Thomas, then a high school English teacher, took over as editor in 1964 when Bails moved on to other pursuits. Letters from Thomas appeared regularly in the letters pages of both DC and Marvel Comics, including '' Green Lantern'' #1 (August 1960), ''
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
In 1965, Thomas moved to New York City to take a job at
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
titles. Thomas said he had just accepted a fellowship to study foreign relations at
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presi ...
when he received a letter from Weisinger, "with whom I had exchanged one or two letters, tops", asking Thomas to become "his assistant editor on a several-week trial basis." Thomas had already written a ''
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the '' Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and ha ...
'' script "a few months before, while still living and teaching in the St. Louis area," he said in 2005. "I worked at DC for eight days in late June and very early July of 1965" before accepting a job at
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
. The Marvel " Bullpen Bulletins" in ''Fantastic Four'' #61 (April 1967) describes Thomas "admitting that he gave up a scholarship to George Washington University just to write for Marvel!"
This came after his chafing under the notoriously difficult Weisinger, to a point, Thomas said in 1981, that he would go "home to my dingy little room at, coincidentally, the George Washington Hotel in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, during that second week, and actually feeling tears well into my eyes, at the ripe old age of 24." Familiar with editor and chief writer
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
's Marvel work, and feeling them "the most vital comics around", Thomas "just sat down one night at the hotel and – I wrote him a letter! Not applying for a job or anything so mundane as that – I just said that I admired his work, and would like to buy him a drink some time. I figured he just might remember me from '' Alter Ego''." Lee did, and phoned Thomas to offer him a Marvel writing test.
The writer's test, Thomas said in 1998, "was four Jack Kirby pages from '' Fantastic Four Annual'' #2 ...
tan Lee
Tan or TAN may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...
had Sol rodskyor someone take out the dialogue. It was just black-and-white. Other people like Denny O'Neil and Gary Friedrich took it. But soon afterwards we stopped using it." The day after taking the test, Thomas was at DC, proofreading a Supergirl story, when Steinberg called asking Thomas to meet with Lee during lunch, where Thomas agreed to work for Marvel.Thomas, ''The Comics Journal'' #61, p. 80 He returned to DC to give "indefinite notice" to Weisinger, but Weisinger ordered him to leave immediately and "I was back at Marvel less than an hour after I first left, and had a ''
Modeling with Millie
''Millie the Model'' was Marvel Comics' longest-running humor title, first published by the company's 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and continuing through its 1950s forerunner, Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics, to 1970s Marvel. The comic b ...
'' assignment to do over the weekend. It was a Friday." His employment was announced in the " Bullpen Bulletins" section of ''Fantastic Four'' #47 (Feb. 1966) under the heading "How About That! Department" ("Roy's a fan who's made it!"). Thomas later described his early days at Marvel:
To that point, editor-in-chief Lee had been the main writer of Marvel publications, with his brother, Larry Lieber, often picking up the slack scripting Lee-plotted stories. Thomas soon became the first new Marvel writer to sustain a presence, at a time when comics veterans such as Robert Bernstein,
Leon Lazarus
Leon Lazarus (August 22, 1919 – November 28, 2008)Social Security Death Index record ...
, and Don Rico, and fellow newcomers Steve Skeates (hired a couple of weeks earlier) and O'Neil (brought in at Thomas' recommendation a few months later) did not. His Marvel debut was the
romance-comics
Romance comics is a comics genre depicting strong and close romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published t ...
story "Whom Can I Turn To?" in the ''Millie the Model'' spin-off ''Modeling with Millie'' #44 (Dec. 1965) – for which the credits and the logo were inadvertently left off due to a production glitch, resulting in this being left off most credit lists. Thomas' first Marvel superhero scripting was "My Life for Yours", the "Iron Man" feature in '' Tales of Suspense'' #73 (Jan. 1966), working from a Lee plot as well as a plot assist from secretary Steinberg. Thomas estimates that Lee rewrote approximately half of that fledgling attempt.
Thomas' earliest Marvel work also included the teen-romance title '' Patsy and Hedy'' #104–105 (Feb.-April 1966), and two "
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
" stories, plotted by Lee and Steve Ditko, in '' Strange Tales'' #143–144 (April–May 1966). Two previously written freelance stories for Charlton Comics also saw print: "The Second Trojan War" in ''
Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan is the name of two comic book characters, one created by Charlton Comics in 1965, the other by DC Comics in August 2005. Son of Vulcan was one of the characters DC Comics purchased from defunct Charlton Comics in 1983.
Johnny Man ...
'' #50 (Jan. 1966) and "The Eye of Horus" in '' Blue Beetle'' #54 (March 1966). "When Stan saw the couple of Charlton stories I'd written earlier in more of a Gardner Fox style, he wasn't too impressed," Thomas recalled. "It's probably a good thing I already had my job at Marvel at that point! I think I was the right person in the right place at the right time, but there are other people who, had they been there, might have been just as right."
Thomas took on what would be his first long-term Marvel title, the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
series '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'', starting with #29 (April 1966) and continuing through #41 (April 1967) and the series' 1966 annual, ''Sgt. Fury Special'' #2. He also began writing the
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
-superteam title '' X-Men">ncannyX-Men'' from #20–43 (May 1966 – April 1968), and, finally, took over '' The Avengers'', starting with #35 (Dec. 1966), and continuing until 1972. That notable run was marked by a strong sense of continuity, and stories that ranged from the personal to the cosmic – the latter most prominently with the " Kree-Skrull War" in issues #89–97 (June 1971 – March 1972). Additional work included an occasional " Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D" and "Doctor Strange" story in ''Strange Tales''. When that title became the solo comic ''Doctor Strange'', he wrote the entire run of new stories, from #169–183 (June 1968 – Nov. 1969), mostly with the art team of
penciler
A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations, usually in collaboration with other artists, who provide inks, colors ...
inker
The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production.
The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil ...
Tom Palmer.
As Thomas self-evaluated in a 1981 interview, shortly after leaving Marvel for rival
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
, "One of the reasons Stan liked my writing ... was that after a few issues he felt he could trust me enough that he virtually never again read anything I wrote – well, at least not more than a page or two in a row, just to keep me honest."Thomas, ''The Comics Journal'' #61, p. 78
Thomas eloped in July 1968 to marry his first wife, Jean Maxey, returning to work a day late from a weekend
comic-book convention
A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at co ...
in St. Louis, Missouri. Thomas said in 2000 that Brodsky, in the interim, had assigned ''Doctor Strange'' to the writer Archie Goodwin, newly ensconced at Marvel and writing ''
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...
'', but Thomas convinced Brodsky to return it to him. "I got very possessive about ''Doctor Strange''," Thomas recalled. "It wasn't a huge seller, but y the time it was canceled we were selling in the low 40 percent range of more than 400,000 print run, so it was actually selling a couple hundred thousand copies utat the time you needed to sell even more." He eventually did have a
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...
honeymoon, where he scripted the wedding of Hank Pym and
Janet van Dyne
The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a fictional character, fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Tales to Astonish'' #44 (Ju ...
in ''The Avengers'' #60 (Jan.1969).
Thomas, who had turned over ''X-Men'' to other writers, returned with issue #55 (April 1969) when the series was on the verge of cancellation. Additional . While efforts to save it failed – the title ended its initial run with #66 – Thomas' collaboration with artist
Neal Adams
Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a Creator ownership, creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and re ...
through #63 (Dec. 1969) is regarded as a Silver Age creative highlight. Thomas won the
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
Alley Award that year for Best Writer, while Adams and
inker
The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production.
The penciller creates a drawing, the inker outlines, interprets, finalizes, retraces this drawing by using a pencil ...
Tom Palmer, netted 1969 Alley Awards for Best Pencil Artist and Best Inking Artist, respectively.
Thomas and artist Barry Smith launched ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Conan the Destroyer''), ...
pulp-fiction
Pulp magazines (also referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines that were published from 1896 to the late 1950s. The term "pulp" derives from the cheap wood pulp paper on which the magazines were printed. In contrast, magazin ...
sword-and-sorcery
Sword and sorcery (S&S) is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the ...
character. Thomas, who stepped down from his editorship in August 1974, wrote hundreds of Conan stories in a host of Marvel comics and the black-and-white magazines '' Savage Tales'' and '' The Savage Sword of Conan''. During that time, he and Smith also brought to comics Howard's little-known, sword-wielding woman-warrior
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
, initially as a Conan supporting character. Comics historian Les Daniels noted that, "''Conan the Barbarian'' was something of a gamble for Marvel. The series contained the usual elements of action and fantasy, to be sure, but it was set in a past that had no relation to the Marvel Universe, and it featured a hero who possessed no magical powers, little humor and comparatively few moral principles."
In 1971, with
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
and
Gerry Conway
Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
, Thomas created Man-Thing and wrote the first Man-Thing story in color comics, after Conway and
Len Wein
Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...
had introduced the character in the black-and-white comics magazine '' Savage Tales''. Later that year, Thomas wrote the " Kree-Skrull War" storyline across multiple issues of ''The Avengers'' penciled variously by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and
John Buscema
John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...
. Thomas was the first person other than Stan Lee to receive a writer's credit for ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', and he and artist
Ross Andru
Ross Andru (; born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21.
In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the ''Tarzan'' newspaper ...
launched the Spider-Man spin-off title '' Marvel Team-Up'' in March 1972.
Thomas and Marvel artists co-created many other characters, among them
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
Luke Cage
Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' #1 (June 1972) and was created by Archie Go ...
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997: ...
In 1972, when Lee became Marvel's publisher, Thomas succeeded him as editor-in-chief. Thomas also continued to script mainstream titles, including Marvel's flagship, '' Fantastic Four''. He launched such new titles as the "non-team" '' The Defenders'', as well as ''
What If
What If may refer to:
Film
* ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy
* ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film
* ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film
* ''What If'' (2013 film) or ''The F Word'', a Canadian-Irish film
Telev ...
'', a title that explored fictional
alternate histories
Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alte ...
of Marvel's existing characters and stories. In addition, he indulged his love of Golden Age comic-book heroes in the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'', without which, 1980s Marvel editor
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comi ...
believed, " would have gone out of business". In 1975, Thomas wrote the first joint publishing venture between Marvel and DC Comics – a 72-page '' Wizard of Oz'' movie adaptation in an oversized "Treasury Edition" format with art by
John Buscema
John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...
. He and Buscema crafted a comics adaptation of
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
for Marvel in June 1977.
DC Comics
In 1981, after several years of freelancing for Marvel and a dispute with then editor-in-chief
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comi ...
, Thomas signed a three-year exclusive writing/editing contract with DC. He marked his return to that company with a two-part '' Green Lantern'' story in ''Green Lantern'' #138–139 (March–April 1981), and briefly wrote ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st cent ...
''. DC gave Thomas' work a promotional push by featuring several of his series in free, 16-page insert previews.
Thomas married his second wife, Danette Couto, in May 1981. Danette legally changed her first name to Dann and would become Thomas' regular writing partner. He credits her with the original idea for the '' Arak, Son of Thunder'' series drawn by Ernie Colón. Writer
Gerry Conway
Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
would also be a frequent collaborator with Thomas; together they wrote a two-part Superman- Shazam team-up in ''DC Comics Presents''; a series of ''
Atari Force
''Atari Force'' is the name of two comic book series published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1986. Both were loosely based on trademarks of Atari, Inc.
Publication history
The first ''Atari Force'' title was a series of minicomics created in 1982 t ...
'' and ''
Swordquest
''Swordquest'' is a series of video games originally produced by Atari, Inc. in the 1980s as part of a contest, consisting of three finished games, ''Earthworld'', ''Fireworld'', and ''Waterworld'', and a planned fourth game, ''Airworld''. Each ...
'' mini-comics packaged with
Atari
Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc., founded in Sunnyvale, Ca ...
2600 video games; and three Justice League-Justice Society crossovers. Conway also contributed ideas to the talking animal comic ''
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follow ...
'', created by Thomas and Scott Shaw. Thomas and Conway were to be the co-writers of the '' JLA/Avengers'' intercompany crossover but editorial disputes between DC and Marvel caused the project's cancellation. During that era, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway collaborated on the screenplays for two movies: the animated feature '' Fire and Ice'' (1983) and ''
Conan the Destroyer
''Conan the Destroyer'' is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. ...
'' (1984). The duo also worked on a live-action ''X-Men'' film for production company
Nelvana
Nelvana Enterprises, Inc. (; previously known as Nelvana Limited, sometimes known as Nelvana Animation and simply Nelvana or Nelvana Communications) is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment company owned by Corus Entertainment. Founded ...
that never went into production.
As a solo writer, Roy Thomas wrote ''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...
'' and, with artist Gene Colan, updated the character's costume and introduced a new
supervillain
A supervillain or supercriminal is a variant of the villainous stock character that is commonly found in American comic books, usually possessing superhuman abilities. A supervillain is the antithesis of a superhero.
Supervillains are of ...
ess, the Silver Swan. His final work on the series, issue #300 (Feb. 1983), was co-written with his wife Dann Thomas, who, as Roy Thomas noted in 1999 "became the first woman ever to receive scripting credit on the world's foremost super-heroine."Thomas, Roy "The Secret Origins of Infinity, Inc." ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #1 (Summer 1999) TwoMorrows Publishing p. 27
Thomas realized a childhood dream in writing the
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America (JSA, or Justice Society (JS)) is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team was conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox during the Golden Age of Comic Boo ...
(JSA). Reviving the Golden Age group in ''
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
'' #193 and continuing in '' All-Star Squadron'', he wrote retro adventures, like those of The Invaders, set in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. In addition to the JSA's high-profile heroes, Thomas revived such characters as Liberty Belle, Johnny Quick, the
Shining Knight
Shining Knight ( cy, Marchog Disglair) is the name of multiple fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by Creig Flessel and first appeared in ''Adventure Comics'' #66 (Sep ...
Tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
, and
Neptune Perkins
Paintball
Paintball is a DC Comics supervillain who first appeared in ''Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.'' #2 and was created by Geoff Johns and Leo Moder.
Paul Deisinger is an art teacher who was transformed into a paint-themed criminal and became a mini ...
. He used the series to address the complicated and sometimes contradictory continuity issues surrounding the JSA.
In 1983, Thomas and artist Jerry Ordway created '' Infinity, Inc.'', a group composed of the JSA's children. The characters debuted in ''All-Star Squadron'' #25 (Sept. 1983) and were launched in their own series in March 1984. Thomas wrote several
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
DC Challenge
''DC Challenge'' was a 12-issue comic book limited series produced by DC Comics from November 1985 to October 1986, as a round robin experiment in narrative. The series' tagline was "Can You Solve It Before We Do?"
Publication history
The ''DC C ...
''. From 1986 to 1988, Thomas contributed to the '' Secret Origins'' series and wrote most of the stories involving the Golden Age characters including
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
and
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
. In 1986, DC decided to write off the JSA from active continuity. A one-shot issue titled '' The Last Days of the Justice Society'' involved most of the JSA battling the forces of evil while merged with the
Norse gods
Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries.
Norse may also refer to:
Culture and religion
* Nors ...
in an ever-repeating Ragnarok-like Limbo was written by Thomas, with art by David Ross. '' Young All-Stars'' replaced ''All-Star Squadron'' following the changes to DC's continuity brought about by the '' Crisis on Infinite Earths'' limited series. Thomas' last major project for DC was an adaptation of
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's ''Ring'' cycle drawn by Gil Kane and published in 1989–1990. Since then, Thomas has written a trio of
Elseworlds
''Elseworlds'' was the publication imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that took place outside the DC Universe canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that deviate from the established con ...
one-shots combining DC characters with classic cinema and literature: ''Superman's
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comi ...
a letter in which he hoped ...
By 1986, Thomas wrote for Marvel's New Universe line, beginning with ''
Spitfire and the Troubleshooters
''Spitfire and the Troubleshooters'' (renamed ''Spitfire'' with issue #8 and ''Codename: Spitfire'' with issue #10) was a short-lived comic book series from Marvel Comics' New Universe line. It followed "Spitfire" ( Professor Jenny Swensen) and a ...
'' #5 (Feb. 1987), followed by a multi-issue run of '' Nightmask'', co-scripted by his wife Dann Thomas. He scripted titles starring
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
,
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...
, the
Avengers West Coast
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
, and Conan, often co-scripting with Dann Thomas or
Jean-Marc Lofficier
Jean-Marc Lofficier (; born June 22, 1954) is a French author of books about films and television programs, as well as numerous comics and translations of a number of animation screenplays. He usually collaborates with his wife, Randy Lofficier (b ...
.
Over the next ten years Thomas did less work for the mainstream comics press. For a series of independent publishers, he wrote issues of the
TV-series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' for Topps Comics. He also wrote for television, and relaunched ''Alter Ego'' as a formal magazine published by
TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...
in 1999. In 2005, he earned a master's degree in Humanities from California State University.
With Marvel's four-issue miniseries ''Stoker's Dracula'' (Oct. 2004 – May 2005), Thomas and artist
Dick Giordano
Richard Joseph Giordano (; July 20, 1932 – March 27, 2010) was an American comics artist and editor whose career included introducing Charlton Comics' "Action Heroes" stable of superheroes and serving as executive editor of DC Comics.
Early ...
completed an adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel '' Dracula'', which the duo had begun 30 years earlier in 10- to 12-page installments, beginning with Marvel's black-and-white
horror-comics
Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...
magazine '' Dracula Lives!'' #5 (March 1974). They had completed 76 pages, comprising roughly one-third of the novel, through issues #6–8 and 10–11 and '' Marvel Preview'' #8 ("The Legion of Monsters"), before Marvel canceled ''Dracula Lives'' and later many of its other black-and-whites.
''Anthem'', a comic book series by Thomas and artists
Daniel Acuña
Daniel Acuña (born 1974) is a Spanish comic book artist.
Early life
In college, Daniel Acuña studied painting and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. He cites his early influences as Jack Kirby, the Romitas (Senior and Junior), Will Eisne ...
Heroic Publishing Heroic may mean:
*characteristic of a hero
*typical of heroic poetry or of heroic verse
*belonging to the Greek Heroic Age
* Heroic (esports), a Danish esports organization
*Heroic (horse)
Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred r ...
in January 2006. Thomas returned to Red Sonja in 2006, writing the one-shot ''Red Sonja: Monster Isle'' for Dynamite Entertainment. In 2007 Thomas wrote a Black Knight story for Marvel's four-issue miniseries ''
Mystic Arcana
''Mystic Arcana'' is a 2007 Marvel Comics storyline published as a series of four one-shot titles. Each book in the series contains an individual main story followed by a back-up story with a plot that continues through all four books. The main st ...
''.
From 2007 to 2010, Thomas wrote adaptations of classic literature for the Marvel imprint Marvel Illustrated, including ''
The Last of the Mohicans
''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826.
It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...
The Three Musketeers
''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' (2008–2009), and ''
Kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
Literature
* ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
* ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Cam ...
'' (2009). In 2010, Marvel Illustrated released a collection of all the '' Dracula'' material adapted by Thomas and Giordano, originally published in the 1970s and mid-2000s.
Later career
In 2011, Roy Thomas wrote the one-shot ''DC Retroactive: Wonder Woman - The '80s'' with art by Rich Buckler. In 2012, Thomas teamed with artists
Mike Hawthorne
Mike Hawthorne is an American comic book artist known for his work on books such as ''Deadpool'', '' G.I. JOE: Origins'', ''Queen & Country'', '' Conan: Road of Kings'', and his own creator-owned book, ''Hysteria''.
Career
Hawthorne is the cre ...
and
Dan Panosian
Dan Panosian (born 1969) is an American comic book artist, with extensive credits as both a penciller and an inker and has additional credits as an advertising and storyboard artist.
Early life
Dan Panosian was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to artisti ...
on
Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might.
Origin
Th ...
's '' Conan: The Road of Kings'', which lasted 12 issues. In 2014, he wrote ''75 Years of Marvel: From the Golden Age to the Silver Screen'' for
Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Taschen Comics, ...
, a 700-page hardcover history of Marvel Comics. The following year, he compiled three volumes of World War II-era comics stories featuring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman for Chartwell Books.
Thomas had a cameo appearance as a prison inmate on the third season of ''Marvel's Daredevil'', released in October 2018 on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
, and wrote a blog entry about this experience.
On November 10, 2018, Thomas visited
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
at Lee's home in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
to discuss Thomas' book ''The Stan Lee Story''. Lee told Thomas' manager, John Cimino, "Take care of my boy Roy" before Lee and Thomas were photographed together. Lee died less than 48 hours later.
On February 23, 2019, Jackson, Missouri, declared Roy Thomas Day. In a ceremony, he was awarded the key to the city.
On March 23, 2019, the final ''Amazing Spider-Man'' newspaper comic strip was published. Thomas had been the ghost writer for Stan Lee on the strip since 2000.
Thomas made a return to
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
in 2019 with the release of the ''Captain America and The Invaders: Bahamas Triangle'' one-shot drawn by Jerry Ordway, wrote a
Wolverine
The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a musc ...
origin page for the ''Marvel 1000'' celebration issue and did a two-part '' Savage Sword of Conan'' story with artist
Alan Davis
Alan Davis (born 18 June 1956) is an English artist and writer of comic books, known for his work on titles such as ''Captain Britain'', ''The Uncanny X-Men'', ''ClanDestine'', ''Detective Comics'', ''Excalibur'', '' JLA: The Nail'' and '' JLA: ...
. In 2020, Thomas wrote a 10-page story in the Marvel one-shot ''King-Size Conan'' #1. In 2022, Thomas returned to write his most famous co-creation Wolverine, in the first two issues of a new
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
ongoing series called ''X-Men: Legends'' which tells new in-continuity stories of early X-Men adventures. Thomas's two-part story takes place right after '' The Incredible Hulk'' #181 and right before '' Giant-Size X-Men'' #1 and reveals a missing link mystery about Wolverine's costume.
On February 23, 2021, Thomas criticized Abraham Riesman's controversial
Stan Lee
Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Publications which ...
biography ''True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee.'' In a guest column in ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'', Thomas took issue with Riesman's assessment of conflicting accounts of the work of Lee and Jack Kirby, who is credited with co-creating many classic Marvel characters. Thomas stated, "Something like 95 percent of the time, he bookis a very good biography. However, the remaining (and crucial) 5 percent of its content, scattered amid all that painstaking research and well-written prose, renders it often untrustworthy...i.e., a very bad biography. Because the author often insists, visibly and intrusively, on putting his verbal thumb on the scales, in a dispute he seems ill-equipped to judge."
Thomas serves on the Disbursement Committee of the comic-book industry charity The Hero Initiative.
Awards
*1969: Alley Award for Best Writer
*1971: Shazam Award for Best Writer (Dramatic Division)
* 1971: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Writer
*1973: Shazam Award for Best Individual Story ("Song of Red Sonja", with artist Barry Smith, in ''Conan the Barbarian'' #24)
* 1973: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Writer
* 1973: Goethe Award for Favorite Pro Editor
*1974: Shazam for Superior Achievement by an Individual
*1974: Angoulême International Comics Festival Award for Best Foreign Author
*1974: Inkpot Award
* 1974: Comic Fan Art Award for Favorite Pro Editor
* 1975: Comic Fan Art Award for Favorite Pro Writer
* 1975: Comic Fan Art Award for Favorite Pro Editor
*1977: Favourite Comicbook Writer at the Eagle Awards
*1977: Nomination: Favourite Single Comicbook Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Fantastic Four'' #176: "Improbable as It May Seem the Impossible Man is Back in Town" with penciler George Pérez
*1978: Nomination: Favourite Writer at the Eagle Awards
*1978: Nomination: Favourite Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
'' #1–6 with
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...
and Howard Chaykin
*1979: Nomination: Best Comic Book Writer (US) at the Eagle Awards
*1979: Nomination: Best Continued Story at the Eagle Awards for ''Thor'' #272–278 with
John Buscema
John Buscema (; ; born Giovanni Natale Buscema, December 11, 1927 – January 10, 2002)Social Se ...
*1980: Roll of Honour at the Eagle Awards
*1985: Named as one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company's 50th anniversary publication '' Fifty Who Made DC Great''.
*1996: Author That We Loved at the
Haxtur Award
The Haxtur Award (''Premios Haxtur'') is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias (International Comics Convention of the Principality of Asturias). It ...
Son of Vulcan
Son of Vulcan is the name of two comic book characters, one created by Charlton Comics in 1965, the other by DC Comics in August 2005. Son of Vulcan was one of the characters DC Comics purchased from defunct Charlton Comics in 1983.
Johnny Man ...
All Star Comics
''All Star Comics'' is an American comic book series from All-American Publications, one of three companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. While the series' cover-logo trademark reads ''All S ...
Atari Force
''Atari Force'' is the name of two comic book series published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1986. Both were loosely based on trademarks of Atari, Inc.
Publication history
The first ''Atari Force'' title was a series of minicomics created in 1982 t ...
'' #1–5 (promo) (1982–1983)
* ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
'' #336–338, 340 (1981)
* ''
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follow ...
DC Challenge
''DC Challenge'' was a 12-issue comic book limited series produced by DC Comics from November 1985 to October 1986, as a round robin experiment in narrative. The series' tagline was "Can You Solve It Before We Do?"
Publication history
The ''DC C ...
DC Retroactive
''DC Retroactive'' is a line of one-shot comic book issues published by DC Comics. It revisited periods (grouped by decades) of the company's main characters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League, and the Flash. Th ...
History of the DC Universe
''History of the DC Universe'' is a two-issue comic book limited series created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez which was published by DC Comics following the end of ''Crisis on Infinite Earths''.
Publication history
''History o ...
Justice League of America
The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st cent ...
'' vol. 2, #277–283 (1981–1982)
* ''
The New Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...
'' #16 (''
Captain Carrot
''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follow ...
'' insert preview) (1982)
* ''The New Teen Titans'' vol. 2, #38 (1987)
* ''The Ring of the Nibelung'' #1–4 (1989–1990)
* '' Secret Origins'' vol. 2, #1, 3, 5–9, 11–13, 15–22, 24–26, 28–31, 42, ''Annual'' #1 (1986–1989)
* '' Shazam!: The New Beginning'' #1–4 (1987)
* '' The Superman Family'' #207 (1981)
* ''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
's
Metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big c ...
Swordquest
''Swordquest'' is a series of video games originally produced by Atari, Inc. in the 1980s as part of a contest, consisting of three finished games, ''Earthworld'', ''Fireworld'', and ''Waterworld'', and a planned fourth game, ''Airworld''. Each ...
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...
'' #288–296, 300 (1982–1983)
* ''
World's Finest Comics
''World's Finest Comics'' was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled ''World's Best Comics'' for its first issue; issue #2 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
* ''Alter Ego'' #1–4 (not to be confused with the magazine of the same name) (1986)
* ''Elric: Sailor on the Seas of Fate'' #1–7 (1985–1986)
* ''Elric: The Bane of the Black Sword'' #1–6 (1988–1989)
* ''Elric: The Vanishing Tower'' #1–6 (1989–1988)
* ''Elric: The Weird of the White Wolf'' #1–5 (1986–1987)
The Amazing Spider-Man
''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bimonthly per ...
Avengers West Coast
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appeared in ''The West Coast Avengers'' #1 (Sept. 1984), created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall. It was the fir ...
Captain America
Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
'' #215, 217, 423, ''Annual'' #9, 11, 13 (1977–1994)
* ''Captain America: Medusa Effect'' #1 (1994)
* ''Captain America and The Invaders: Bahamas Triangle'' #1 (2019)
* '' Captain Marvel'' #1–4, 17–21 (1968–1970)
* '' The Cat'' #1 (1972)
* '' Chamber of Chills'' #3 (1973)
* ''
Chamber of Darkness
''Chamber of Darkness'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics. Under this and a subsequent name, it ran from 1969 to 1974. It featured work by creators such as writer-editor Stan Lee, writers Gerr ...
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and ''Conan the Destroyer''), ...
'' #1–115, 240–275; ''Annual'' #2, 4–7; ''Giant-Size'' #1–4 (1970–1982, 1991–1993)
* ''Conan the Savage'' #1–6, 10 (1995–1996)
* ''Conan: Death Covered in Gold'' #1–3 (1999)
* ''Conan: Flame and the Fiend'' #1–3 (2000)
* ''Conan: Scarlet Sword'' #1–3 (1998–1999)
* ''Conan: The Lord of the Spiders'' #1–3 (1998)
* ''Conan: The Ravagers Out of Time'' GN (1992)
* '' Creatures on the Loose'' #10, 16–17 (1971–1972)
* ''
Daredevil
Daredevil may refer to:
* A stunt performer
Arts and media Comics
* Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro
* Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
Dracula Lives
''Dracula Lives!'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 13 issues and one '' Super Annual'' from 1973 to 1975, and starred the Marvel version o ...
'' #1–3, 5–8, 10–11 (1973–1975)
* ''
Epic Illustrated
''Epic Illustrated'' was a comics anthology in magazine format published in the United States by Marvel Comics. Similar to the US-licensed comic book magazine '' Heavy Metal'', it allowed explicit content to be featured, unlike the traditional A ...
Invaders
''InVader'' is the fourth album by Finnish glam metal band Reckless Love, released on 4 March 2016 through Spinefarm Records.
Track listing
All songs written by Olli Herman, Pepe Reckless, and Ikka Wirtanen, unless otherwise noted.
Reception
Wr ...
Iron Man
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...
Iron Man and Sub-Mariner
''Iron Man and Sub-Mariner'' is a one-shot comic book published by Marvel Comics in 1968. It is notable for being the first Marvel title to be intentionally published for only one issue, as it existed to use up two half-length stories left over a ...
Kid Colt Outlaw
''Kid Colt, Outlaw'' is a comic book title featuring the character Kid Colt originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later Marvel Comics.
Publication history
Kid Colt and his horse Steel first appeared in ''Kid Colt'' #1 (August ...
'' #127, 136 (1966–1967)
* ''King Conan'' #1–8 (1980–1981)
* ''King-Size Conan'' #1 (2020)
* '' Kull the Conqueror/Kull the Destroyer'' #1–3, 11, 16 (1972–1976)
* '' Legion of Monsters'' #1 (Dracula story) (1975)
* '' Marvel Comics Presents'' #44 (1990)
* '' Marvel Comics Super Special'' #2 (1978)
* ''Marvel Double Feature: Thunderstrike/ Code: Blue'' (''Code: Blue'' segment) #13–16 (1994–1995)
* '' Marvel Feature'' #1–4 (1971–1972)
* ''Marvel Feature'' vol. 2, #1, 6–7 (1975–1976)
* '' Marvel Graphic Novel'' #2 ( Elric) (1982)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan of the Isles'' (1989)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan the Rogue'' (1991)
* ''Marvel Graphic Novel: Conan: The Horn of Azoth'' (1990)
* '' Marvel Illustrated: The Iliad'' #1–8 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Kidnapped'' #1–5 (2009)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Last of the Mohicans'' #1–6 (2007)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Man in the Iron Mask'' #1–6 (2007–2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Moby-Dick'' #1–6 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Picture of Dorian Gray'' #1–6 (2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Three Musketeers'' #1–6 (2008-2009)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: Treasure Island'' #1–6 (2007-2008)
* ''Marvel Illustrated: The Trojan War'' #1–5 (2009)
* '' Marvel Premiere'' #1–2, 15, 29–30, 33–37 (1972–1977)
* '' Marvel Preview'' #1, 9, 19 (1975–1979)
* '' Marvel Spotlight'' #2 (1972)
* ''Marvel Super Special'' #9 (1979)
* '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #13, 17, 20 (1968–1969)
* ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' vol. 2, #6–7, 12, 14 (1991–1993)
* '' Marvel Team-Up'' #1 (1972)
* '' Marvel Treasury of Oz Featuring the Marvelous Land of Oz'' #1 (1976)
* '' Marvel Treasury Edition'' #23 (Conan) (1979)
* '' Marvel Two-in-One'' #20; ''Annual'' #1 (1976)
* '' Millie the Model'' #135–136 (1966)
* ''Modeling with Millie'' #44–46 (1965–1966)
* ''Monsters on the Prowl'' #16 (1972)
* '' Monsters Unleashed'' #1, 3 (1973)
* ''Mystic Arcana: Black Knight'' #1 (2007)
* '' Namor, the Sub-Mariner'' #42–43; ''Annual'' #1 (1991–1993)
* '' Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' #4, 6 (1968)
* '' Nightmask'' #6–7, 10–12 (1987)
* '' Not Brand Echh'' #1–5, 7–9, 11–13 (1967–1969)
* '' Patsy and Hedy'' #104–105 (1966)
* ''
Pizzazz
''Pizzazz'' is the fifth album by American singer Patrice Rushen.
Reception
While she was attacked for leaving the jazz genre, Rushen was able to get a good fan base with an R&B/Pop audience. Rushen's profile in the R&B world continued to incr ...
Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics p ...
Red Wolf
The red wolf (''Canis rufus'') is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote (''Canis latrans'') and gray wolf (''Canis lupus'').
The red wolf's taxonomic classification as being a separate s ...
'' #1 (1972)
* '' Saga of the Original Human Torch'' #1–4 (1990)
* ''Saga of the Sub-Mariner'' #1–12 (1988–1989)
* '' Savage Sword of Conan'' #1–79, 190–235 (1974–1984, 1991–1995)
* ''Savage Sword of Conan'' vol. 2, #10–11 (2019)
* '' Savage Tales'' #1–5 (1971–1974)
* ''Secret Defenders'' #1–8 (1993)
* '' Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos'' #29–41; ''Annual'' #2 (1966–1967)
* ''Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death'' #1 (1993)
* '' Spider-Woman'' #1–4 (1993–1994)
* ''Spoof'' #1–2 (1970–1972)
* ''
Spitfire and the Troubleshooters
''Spitfire and the Troubleshooters'' (renamed ''Spitfire'' with issue #8 and ''Codename: Spitfire'' with issue #10) was a short-lived comic book series from Marvel Comics' New Universe line. It followed "Spitfire" ( Professor Jenny Swensen) and a ...
Starbrand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar objects of power in the world of the Marvel Comics. The name "Star Brand" is also often adopted by the wielders of these objects. Three of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in serie ...
'' #7 (1987)
* ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' #1–14; ''Annual'' #1 (1977–1978)
* ''
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, ...
The Human Torch
The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...
'' oneshot (afterword) (1999)
* ''
Tower of Shadows
''Tower of Shadows'' is a horror/fantasy anthology comic book published by the American company Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent name from 1969 to 1975. It featured work by writer-artists Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Johnny Craig, and Wal ...
Worlds Unknown
''Worlds Unknown'' was a science-fiction comic book published by American company Marvel Comics in the 1970s, which adapted classic short stories of that genre, including works by Frederik Pohl, Harry Bates, and Theodore Sturgeon.
Publication h ...
'' #2–3, 5 (1973–1974)
* ''
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
Captain Glory
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
: Season One'' Episodes "Pilot", "Squeeze", "Deep Throat", "Conduit", "Ice", "Space", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea", Shadows" (1997–1998)
G.I. Joe Extreme
''G.I. Joe Extreme'' is a line of military-themed toys that was sold in retail from 1995 to 1997. The toys were produced by Kenner following their acquisition by former competitor Hasbro and was intended to succeed the '' G.I. Joe: A Real America ...
Conan the Destroyer
''Conan the Destroyer'' is a 1984 American epic sword and sorcery film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Stanley Mann and a story by Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway. Based on the character Conan the Barbarian created by Robert E. ...