Marvel Age got a brand-new cover price of $1.00 this issue -- not to mention, for the first time, newsstand distribution! But those were mere footnotes compared to the publisher's six (6!) new titles: Robocop, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Ghost Rider, Guardians of the Galaxy, The New Warriors, and (the adjectiveless) Spider-Man!
This issue also featured the final cover drawn by John Byrne, MA's most prolific cover contributor, with a total of nine covers going all the way back to issue #2.
And since it's a new year, editor Jim Salicrup brought back a favorite feature: the monthly Marvel Age Calendar, with art by longtime Marvel Age stalwart Ron Zalme.
Marvel Age #86
Price: $1.00 US
Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)
On sale: January 16, 1989
Cover date: March 1990
Copyright © 1990 Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc.
• Tom DeFalco: Editor in Chief
• Mark Gruenwald: Executive Editor
• Ralph Macchio: Senior Editor
• Jim Salicrup: Supreme Marvel Zombie
• Barry Dutter: Assistant Editor
• Chris Eliopoulos: Designer
• Sholly Fisch and Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Contributing Editors
• Craig Anderson, Gary Barnum, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Margaret Clark, Kelly Corvese, Dan Cuddy, Don Daley, Daryl Edelman, Eric Fein, Danny Fingeroth, Bob Harras, Sid Jacobson, Marie Javins, Len Kaminski, Terry Kavanagh, Howard Mackie, Dwayne McDuffie, Marc McLaurin, Al Milgrom, Carl Potts, Mike Rockwitz, Evan Skolnick, Rob Tokar, Lisa Trusiani, Renée Witterstaeter, and Gregory Wright: Consulting Editors
• John Romita: Art Director
• Don Perlin: Managing Art Director
• Joe Rosas, Mickey Ritter, and Brad Vancata: The Raiders
• Virginia Romita: Traffic/Production Manager
• Dawn Geiger: Assistant Production Manager
• Lynda Strunk: Typesetter
• Jack Abel: World's Toughest Proofreader
• Joe Albelo, Steve Alexandrov, Paul Becton, Rob Carosella, Cindy Emmert, Vince Evans, Jesus Gonzalez, Brad K. Joyce, Ed Lazellari, Jade Moede, Edward Murr, Joyce Phus, Betty Ringmus, and George Roberts: Production
• John Byrne: Cover
• Gregory Wright: Colorist
• Glenn Herdling: Manufacturing Coordinator
• Christine Aurilia, Paula Butterworth, Dwight Coye, Dan Cuddy, Suzanne Gaffney, Arthur Parris Jackson, John Lewandowski, George Roussos, Stu Schwartzberg, and Christine Slusarz: Friendly Assistance
• Carol Kalish: Vice President Direct Sales
• Kurt Busiek: Direct Sales Project Manager
• Lou Bank: Assistant Direct Sales Manager Customer Service
• Sven Larsen: Administrative Assistant
• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager
• Fabian Nicieza: Advertising Manager
• Irving Forbush: Hero of the 60s
Front cover
• Characters: Spider-Man, Sub-Mariner, Ghost Rider, Guardians of the Galaxy, Robocop, and The New Warriors
Inside front cover
• Salicrup's Section
• Marvel Agenda (contents)
• Masthead
• Indicia
Pages 1 - 8
Marvel Coming Attractions
Titles on sale February 27
- Avengers West Coast #57
- Captain America #369
- Daredevil #279
- Steeltown Rockers #1
- Namor the Sub-Mariner #1
- Web of Spider-Man #63
- X-Men #260
- Marvel Comics Presents #47
- She-Hulk #14
- Punisher Magazine #9
- Critical mass #4
- Open Space #2
- What The--?! #7
Titles on sale March 6
- Avengers Spotlight #31
- Alf #28
- The Amazing Spider-Man #331
- Groo the Wanderer #64
- Heathcliff #46
- The New Mutants #88
- Alpha Flight #83
- Quasar #9
- The Saga of the Human Torch #1
- Wolverine #23
- Interface #3
- She-Hulk: Ceremony #1
- Savage Sword of Conan #172
- Strip #3
- Plastic Forks #1
- The X-Men Trade Paperback
On sale March 13
- The Avengers #316
- Conan the Barbarian #231
- G.I. Joe #99
- The Incredible Hulk #368
- Marvel Age Magazine #87
- Marvel Tales #236
- Police Academy #8
- The Punisher #32
- Silver Surfer #36
- Marvel Comics Presents #48
- What If...? #12
- Excalibur #21
- Inhumans #1
- Robocop #2
- Shield #10
- Nightbreed #1
- The Destroyer #7
- Doctor Who Magazine #158
- Fantasy Zone #6
- Street Poet Ray #1
On sale March 20
- Fantastic Four #339
- Iron Man #255
- Spectacular Spider-Man #163
- Transformers #65
- Thor #416
- X-Factor #53
- Classic X-Men #46
- Alien Legion #16
- Cloak and Dagger #17
- Dr. Strange #16
- Moon Knight #13
- The 'Nam #43
- Power Pack #55
- Punisher War Journal #17
- Marvel Fanfare #50
- Conan Saga #37
- Strip #4
- She-Hulk: Ceremony #2
- Conan: The Horn of Azoth graphic novel
- Stalkers #1
- Akira #18
- Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer #1
Page 8
Newswatch
Item: Stories from Amazing Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man Annual, and Captain America are being adapted into audio adventures.
Item: Labels for your copies of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe to cut out for easy reference.
Marvel Top Ten
November 1989
- X-Men #257
- Amazing Spider-Man #328
- Wolverine #20
- X-Factor #50
- Excalibur #18
- Punisher War Journal #14
- Punisher #297
- What If....? #9
- Avengers West Coast #548
- Avengers #313
Page 9
Mark's Remarks
Pages 10 - 12
The Mutant Report: "Rob Liefeld Interview," by Peter Sanderson
Page 13
Article: "X-Men Animated Cells," by Barry Dutter
Page 14
Marvel Trivia Quiz
Page 15
Stan Lee's Soapbox
Willie Lumpkin, by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo
Pages 16 - 17
Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age
Page 18
Heroes for the '90s "Say What?!" Sweepstakes
Pages 19 - 23
Robocop Preview
Page 24
Marvel Reviewers
Pages 25 - 27
Article: "The British Invasion," by Renée Witterstaetter
Pages 28 - 29
The Marvel Age of Comics: 1981 Part One, by Brian Nelson
Pages 30 - 32
Letters Column: "Acts of Postage!," suggested by Tom Cunningham
Inside Back cover
Marvel Age Super Shopper Gallery
Back Cover
The 1990 Marvel Age Calendar: January
Writers: Chris Eliopolous and Barry Dutter
Artist: Ron Zalme
Colorist: Gregory Wright