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

1. X-Men #257
2. Amazing Spider-Man #328
3. Wolverine #20
4. X-Factor #50
5. Excalibur #18
6. Punisher War Journal #14
7. Punisher #297
8. What If....? #9
9. Avengers West Coast #548
10. 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 

 

Before the recent reimagining of the Sub-Mariner as seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the scion of Atlantis was this guy: Imperious, haughty, and quick to anger. 1989 marked Namor's 50th anniversary in comics, and this issue of Marvel Age gave readers their first look at the new series by writer / artist John Byrne. Byrne continued on the series for several years, pitting the monarch of Atlantis against Wolverine and others along the way. 

Also in this issue, Marvel's A to Z survey continues, Robocop arrives in the hallowed halls of Marvel, and Open Space gets a very "in universe" back cover ad. 

Marvel Age #84

Price: $0.75 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: November 21, 1989

Cover date: January 1990 

Copyright © 1989 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

• Dawn Geiger and Chris Eliopoulos: Designers

• Sholly Fisch and Dwight Jon Zimmerman: Contributing Editors

• Fred Hembeck: Sage of Marvel Age

• Craig Anderson, Bob Budiansky, Bobbie Chase, Daniel Chichester, Margaret Clark, Kelly Corvese, Don Daley, James DiGiovanna, Daryl Edelman, Danny Fingeroth, Bob Harras, Glenn Herdling, 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, Sara Tuchinsky, 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

• Len Kaminski: Assistant 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, Ken Lopez, Jade Moede, Edward Murr, Joyce Phus, and George Roberts: Production

• John Byrne: Cover

• Gregory Wright: Colorist

• 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

• Mike Ruffino: Administrative Assistant

• Sven Larsen: Administrative Assistant 

• Ann Eagen: West Coast Sales Rep.

• Steve Saffel: Promotion Manager 

• Fabian Nicieza: Advertising Manager

• Irving Forbush: Water Boy

Front cover 

• Characters: Namor, the Sub-Mariner 

 Inside front cover

• Salicrup's Section 

• Marvel Agenda (contents) 

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Pages 1 - 8

Marvel Coming Attractions

Titles on sale December 26

• The Agent graphic novel
• Daredevil #277
• Web of Spider-Man #61
• The Uncanny X-Men #258
• The Sensational She-Hulk #12
• The Punisher Magazine #7
• Wolverine Special #1
• Critical Mass #2
• Open Space #2
• Avengers West Coast #55
• Captain America #367

Titles on sale January 2

• Alf #26
• Wolverine #21
• Amazing Spider-Man #329
• Groo the Wanderer #62
• Heathcliff #44
• The New Mutants #86
• The Nth Man #9
• Quasar #7
• Marvel Comics Presents #43
• Alpha Flight #81
• Sleeze Brothers #6
• Interface #2
• Savage Sword of Conan #170
• Electric Undertow #4
• Excalibur Special #2
• Thor trade paperback

Titles on sale January 9

• Marvel Age #85
• Avengers #314
• Conan the Barbarian #229
• G.I. Joe #97
• The Incredible Hulk #366
• Marvel Tales #234
• Police Academy #6
• The Punisher #30
• Silver Surfer #34
• What If...? #10
• Excalibur #19
• Shield #8
• Marvel Fanfare #49
• The Destroyer #5

Titles on sale January 16

• The Punisher War Journal #15
• Damage Control II limited series #4
• Iron Man #253 
• Spectacular Spider-Man #161
• The Transformers #63
• X-Factor #51
• Classic X-Men #44
• Marvel Comics Presents #44
• Thor #414
• Cloak & Dagger #10
• Dr. Strange #14
• Moon Knight #11
• The 'Nam #42
• Conan Saga #35
• Akira #16
• Alien Legion #15

Page 8

Newswatch

Item: Marvel staff members and freelancers Ed Weggener, Keith Williams, Harry Candelario, Vince Evans, Janet Jackson, Barry Kaplan, Janet Pezzuto, Evelyn Stein, Karen Corbo, Danny Gonzales, Richard Starkings, Danny Fingeroth, Don Daley, Mark Gruenwald, Glenn Herdling, Lisa Trusiani, Laura Hitchcock, Rob Tokar, Bob Budiansky, and Jim Salicrup all participated in the Manufacturers Corporate Challenge Marathon.

Item: One-Stop Posters is marketing Marvel Press posters into specialty and mass merchandising outlets.

Item: The New York Times asked a range of New Yorkers including Dwayne McDuffie for their opinions on the best inexpensive places to visit in New York City. 

Item: Sid Jacobson's novel "Another Time" has won a glowing review from Publishers Weekly. 

Marvel Top Ten

• The Uncanny X-Men #256
• Wolverine #18
• Amazing Spider-Man #326
• Excalibur #16
• X-Factor #48
• What If...? #7
• Punisher War Journal ?
• Punisher #27
• Spectacular Spider-Man #158
• Avengers #311

Page 9

Mark's Remarks

Pages 10 - 11

The Mutant Report: "Wolverine and Excalibur Specials," by Barry Dutter

Pages 12 - 15

Feature article: "Namor, the Sub-Mariner," by Peter Sanderson

Pages 16 - 17

Hembeck's Page in Marvel Age

Page 18

Stan's Soapbox

Willie Lumpkin, by Stan Lee and Dan DeCarlo

Pages 19 - 21

Feature article: "Robocop," by Sholly Fisch

Pages 22 - 27

Marvel A- Z Part 3

• Original Human Torch limited series
• Police Academy
• Power Pack 
• Punisher

• Punisher Magazine
• Punisher War Journal
• Punisher graphic novel
• Quasar
• Savage Sword of Conan
• She-Hulk
• She-Hulk limited serires
• Shield
• Silver Surfer
• Silver Surfer graphic novel
• Spectacular Spider-Man
• Spider-Man graphic album
• Spider-Man graphic novel
• Spider-Man: Fear Itself graphic novel

Pages 28 - 29

The Marvel Age of Comics - 1980, Part Four, by Brian Nelson

Pages 30 - 32

Letter column: "Yo!", suggested by Robert Socha

Inside back cover

Marvel Age Super Shopper

Back cover 

Ad for Open Space

Could this be the hardest-hitting issue of Marvel Age yet? If the Super Boxers are on the cover, you know the answer is a resounding yes! This entry in the Marvel Graphic Novel series was co-written by Ron Wilson and John Byrne with art by Wilson and Armando Gil, and it was clearly a passion project for boxing fan Wilson. 

This jam-packed issue pulled back the curtain for fans to learn about what's happening with the Jack of Hearts, Captain America, Moon Knight, Sub-Mariner, and more, including peeks at art from these projects. 

The New Talent Department features yet another future comics star, inker Karl Kesel, who here provides finishes on Indiana Jones pencils by Kerry Gammill. 

This issue's cover also features the first original corner box drawing by Ron Zalme of perennial Marvel mascot Irving Forbush, who is hear shown half-collapsed in his corner of a boxing ring. Irv would remain a Marvel Age cover fixture through issue #105. 

Oh, also? Blip is cancelled. Sad for Blip. 

Marvel Age #9

Price: $0.25 US 

Pages: 36 (32 interior plus four covers)

On sale: September 6, 1983

Cover date: December 1983 

Copyright © 1983 Marvel Comics Group, a division of Cadence Industries Corporation. 

• Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

• Editor and Design Director: Jim Salicrup

• Editorial Assistant: Mark Lerer

• Art/Production Coordinator: Danny Crespi

• Assistant Art/Production Coordinator: Ron Zalme

• Production: Joe Albelo, Harry Candelario, Rob Carosella, Morrie Kuramoto, Ken Lopez, John 

  Morelli, and Barry Shapiro

• Typesetter: Nancy Dodaro

• Colorists: Paul Becton and George Roussos

• Friendly Assistance: Glorie Cohen, Lynn Cohen and Margaret Clark

• Proofreader: Alice Roth

• Cover: Ron Wilson and Armando Gil 

• Direct Sales Manager: Carol Kalish

• Assistant Direct Sales Managers: Peter David and Lea Sapp

• Corner Symbol: Irving Forbush 

Front cover 

• Characters: Super Boxers

 Inside front cover

• Ad for Beauty and the Beast

 

Page 1

• Contents

• Masthead 

• Indicia 

Editorial: "Is it art?" by Jim Salicrup (continues on page 8) 

Pages 2 – 5

• Marvel Comics Coming Attactions 

Comics on sale November 22

• The Thing #9

• Daredevil #204

• New Mutants #13

• Dazzler #31

• Conan the King #21

• Hercules #2

• The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #14

• Tarzan of the Apes - Marvel Super Special #29 (sic)

Comics on sale December 6 (This week's books were listed before the previous week's books, below) 

• Incredible Hulk #293

• Avengers #241

• Conan the Barbarian #156

• Marvel Tales #161

• X-Men #179

• Rom #52

• Power Man and Iron Fist #103

• G.I. Joe #21

• Elektra Saga #3

• Marvel Fanfare #13

• Marvel Age Magazine #12

• Epic Illustrated #22

Comics on sale November 29

• Amazing Spider-Man #250

• Captain America #291

• Thor #341

• Indiana Jones #15 (sic) 

• Savage Sword of Conan #97

• Moon Knight #36

• Micronauts #57

• Crystar #6 (sic)

• X-Men/Micronauts #3

• Magik #4 (formerly listed as Illyana and Storm)

Comics on sale December 13

• Fantastic Four #264

• Marvel Team-Up #139

• Iron Man #180

• Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #88

• Defenders #129

• Star Wars #81

• Alpha Flight #8

• Dreadstar #8

• Jack of Hearts #3

• Micronauts Special Edition #4

Page 6

Newswatch

Items on:

    • Assistant editor's month

    • The Elektra Saga

    • King Conan now titled Conan the King

    • Micronauts Special Edition

    • X-Men Classics

Page 6

Marvel Coming Retractions

    • Schedule changes for Coyote #4, Red Sonja #3, and Marvel Fumettis (sic) #1 

    • Black Panther, Mantis, Machine Man, and Nightcrawler limited series are all delayed

    • Blip has been cancelled

Pages 6 - 7

Behind the Lines

    Mark Gruenwald writes about his editorial philosophy, including: 

    1 - "The editor's job is to get good books to edit"

    2 - "The editor's job is to figure out your books' fundamental concepts and appeal"

    3 - "The editor's job is to get the best people you can to do the books"

    4 - "An editor's job, once you get good people, is to let those people do good things"

    5 - "An editor's job is to hedge bets"

Page 8

Editorial: "Is it art?" (continued from page 1)

Last Minute Additions...

    • Spider-Man and Daredevil #1

    • Doctor Strange Special Edition #1

    • Captain America Special Edition #1

    • Marvel Graphic Novel #9 - The Futurians

Pages 9 - 12

Article: "The Super Boxers," by Mark Lerer

Pages 13 - 15

Article: "The Jack of Hearts," by Patrick Daniel O'Neill

Pages 16 - 19

Article: "The Creation of the Sub-Mariner Limited Series," by Robert Simpson and Mark Lerer

Sub-Mariner by Bob Budiansky: 

 

Pages 20 - 21

Article: "A New Look for Captain America," by Sandy Hausler

Captain America by Paul Neary: 

Pages 22 - 23

Article: "New Directions for Moon Knight," by Robert J. Sodaro

Page 24

Article: "Marvel at the Movies: Silver Surfer in Summer Film," by Jay Boyar

Pages 25 - 28

New Talent Department: Karl Kesel

Pages 29, 31 and 32

Letters page, no title

Many letters about a typo in which Rom was spelled "Ron." 

Page 30

A Marvel Masterwork Pin-Up: Rom - NOT RON! - Spaceknight

Inside back cover

Ad for The Alien Legion

Back cover

Art for King Conan #20