Marvel touted it as the wedding of the year, and in comics it certainly was. No one expected Spider-Man -- who, as Peter Parker, originally ducked having to meet Mary Jane Watson as long as he could -- would now marry Mary Jane.
Marvel Age covered the event in all its glory, with articles on Spidey's first marriage to the winsome Wisp in the pages of Not Brand Echh -- placing it outside continuity, of course.
This issue also covered MJ's wedding dress, designed by fashion icon Willi Smith, as well as alternate paper doll dresses designed by John Romita Sr., Vince Colletta, and Janet Jackson.
Stan's Soapbox made way for a new feature this issue with the introduction of Wilie Lumpkin, the comic strip Stan and artist Dan DeCarlo worked on in the late 1950s.
Marvel Age #54
Price: $0.50 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: June 9, 1987
Cover date: September, 1987
Copyright © 1987 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.
• Jim Shooter: Editor in Chief
• Jim Salicrup: Editor and Design Director
• Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Assistant Editor
• Dawn Geiger: Designer
• Sholly Fisch: Coming Attractions
• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age
• Craig Anderson, Adam Blaustein, Steve Buccellato, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Don Daley, Tom DeFalco, Daryl Edelman, Archie Goodwin, Mark Gruenwald, Larry Hama, Bob Harras, Glenn Herdling, Michael Higgins, Laura Hitchcock, Sid Jacobson, Terry Kavanagh, Ralph Macchio, Howard Mackie, Rosemary McCormick-Lowy, Al Milgrom, John Morelli, Ann Nocenti, Carl Potts, Pat Redding, Mike Rockwitz, Joanne Spaldo, and Greg Wright: Consulting Editors
• John Romita: Art Director
• Mark Alexander, Jose Marzan, and Rodney Ramos: Romita's Raiders
• Jim Novak: Art/Production Coordinator
• Hector Collazo and Doreen Frederick: Production Assistants
• Brenda Mings: Typesetter
• Jack Abel: Proofreader
• Paul Becton, Janet Jackson, and George Roussos: Colorists
• John Romita Sr.: Cover art
• Paul Becton, Pat Brosseau, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Rich DuFour, Barbara Johnston, Ken Lopez, Ed Magalong, Michael Maier, Susan Marks, Alan Mintz, Bill Oakley, Dumuria Rumph, and Peter Watson: Production
• Lynn Cohen: Administrative Manager
• Virginia Romita: Traffic Manager
• Christine Aurilia, Tom Fardy, Sue Flaxman, and Len Kaminsky: Friendly Assistance
• Steve Sheffler: Rights and Permissions Editor
• Carol Kalish: Director of Specialty Sales
• Peter David: Direct Sales Manager Administrative
• Steve Saffel: Assistant Promotions Manager for Direct Sales
• Irving Forbush: Ring Boy
Front cover
• Characters: Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Spider-Man supporting cast
Inside front cover
• Salicrup's Section
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Pages 1 - 5
Marvel Coming Attractions
Titles on sale June 23
- Strikeforce: Morituri #11
- Marvel Age Annual #3
- Daredevil #247
- The New Mutants #56
- Web of Spider-Man #31
- Nightmask #21
- Psi-Force #12
- West Coast Avengers #25
- G.I. Joe Special Missions #7
- Thundercats #16
- The Avengers Annual #16
Titles on sale June 30
- Alpha Flight #51
- Captain America #334
- Fallen Angels #7
- Kickers, Inc. #12
- The Merc #12
- The Punisher #3
- The Amazing Spider-Man #293
- Strange Tales #7
- Groo the Wanderer #32
- Heathcliff #18
- Power Pack #32
- Web of Spider-Man Annual #3
- X-Factor Annual #2
- Star Comics Magazine #3
- Savage Sword of Conan #140
Titles on sale July 7
- Marvel Age Magazine #55
- The Avengers #264
- D.P. 7 #12
- Justice #12
- Star Brand Annual #1
- The Incredible Hulk #336
- Marvel Tales #204
- Silver Surfer #4
- X-Men #222
- Conan the Barbarian #199
- Flintstone Kids #2
- Foofur #2
- G.I. Joe #64
- The Marvel Saga #23
- Silverhawks #2
- The New Mutants Annual #3
Titles on sale July 14
- Fantastic Four #307
- Iron Man #223
- The 'Nam #11
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131
- Codename: Spitfire #13
- Psi-Force Annual #1
- G.I. Joe Comics Magazine #6
- The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition #18
- The Official Marvel Comics Index to the Avengers #3
- X-Factor #21
- Classic X-Men #14
- Elfquest #27
- Madballs #6
- Popples #6
- The Transformers #33
- Thor #384
Pages 8 - 9
Newswatch
Item: A new Thor graphic novel titled "I, Whom the Gods Would Destroy" is on the way from the team of Jim Shooter, Jim Owsley, Paul Ryan, and Vince Colletta.
Item: Power Pack #30, an issue about the dangers of crack, received national press attention from TV and radio stations around the country.
Item: Marvel's Mutant West Coast Tour was a big success.
Item: The Chronicle-Herald and The Mail-Star Cavalcade of Comics section celebrated Spider-Man's 25th anniversary in comics, courtesy of staffer and former Marvel artist Owen McCarron.
Item: The story slated to run in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Annual that was to be a follow up to the Spectacular Spider-Man magazine has been posted till next year's annual. Instead, this year's annual will tell the tale of Peter and Mary Jane's honeymoon trip to the south of France, where they run afoul of the Puma.
The Top Ten
February 1987
- X-Men #218
- X-Factor #17
- The Avengers Vs. the X-Men #3
- G.I. Joe #60
- Mephisto Vs. the X-Men #3
- The Amazing Spider-Man #289
- Classic X-Men #10
- Fallen Angels #3
- G.I. Joe Special Missions #5
- The New Mutants #52
Pages 10 - 11
The Mutant Report
"It's Genetic," by Kyle J. Baker
Pages 12 - 15
Article: "The Wedding of the Year," by Sholly Fisch
Page 15
Sidebar: "Spidey's First Wedding"
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age
Page 18
Stan's Soapbox
Willie Lumpkin
Page 19
Marvel Trivia Quiz, by Brian Nelson
Pages 20 - 21
Article: "The Dress," by Bill Slavicsek
Pages 24 - 26
Article: "It's a Bachelor Party," by Bill Slavicsek
Pages 27 - 29
The Marvel Age: 1975 Part I, by Brian Nelson
Pages 30 - 32
Letters column: "Letter Rip!," suggested by Frank Valenti
Inside back cover
The 1987 Marvel Age Calendar for June
Mike Carlin - Writer
Ron Zalme - Artist
Paul Becton - Colorist
Nuptial portrait of Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker by Bill Sienkiewicz
