Marvel Premiere
Encyclopedia
Marvel Premiere is an American comic book
anthology
series published by Marvel Comics
. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972
to August 1981
.
The series was originally intended to be a testing ground for new characters and the re-introduction of characters who no longer had their own titles.. After a final appearance as "Him" in Thor #165-166 (June–July 1969), writer and then Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas
and penciler Gil Kane
significantly revamped Him as the allegorical Messiah Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972). The name Adam
meaning man and Warlock
for magician, was basically how him was renamed, although in the first issue, he just called Warlock by The High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary, a master of genetics, evolved Him to a more advanced state of being and rechristened the character "Adam Warlock
" in Marvel Premiere #2 (May 1972). In 2009, Thomas explained he had been a fan of the soundtrack to the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and sought to bring the story to comic books in a superhero context: "Yes, I had some trepidation about the Christ parallels, but I hoped there would be little outcry if I handled it tastefully, since I was not really making any serious statement on religion ... at least not overtly."[1] Choosing to use a preexisting character while keeping the series' locale separate from mainstream Marvel Earth, he created Counter-Earth, a new planet generated from a chunk of Earth and set in orbit on the opposite side of the Sun.[2] Thomas and Kane collaborated on the costume, with the red tunic and golden lightning bolt as their homage to Fawcett Comics' 1940s-1950s character Captain Marvel.[2] It was successful in this endeavor to some extent by featuring Doctor Strange
beginning with issue #3 and Iron Fist in issue #15, written by Roy Thomas
and drawn by Gil Kane
. Other, less successul, introductions include the Legion of Monsters, Paladin
and Woodgod
. The comic also featured the first appearance of the second Ant-Man
(Scott Lang
) and the first comic book appearance of rock musician Alice Cooper
. Another feature that would spin off into its own title was Seeker 3000, but this only happened twenty years after its first appearance in Marvel Premiere #41 (1978), with a four-issue miniseries published in 1998.
Later on in the title's run, Marvel Premiere was also used to finish stories of characters who had lost their own book or feature. One example of this was the Man-Wolf two-parter in #45-46, which continued the story from Creatures on the Loose #37. Another was the three-issue Black Panther
series.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
series published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. It ran for 61 issues from April 1972
1972 in comics
-Events:* Marvel Comics forms their British publishing arm, Marvel UK .* Phil Seuling founds East Coast Seagate Distribution, developing the concept of the direct market distribution system for getting comics directly into comic book specialty shops, bypassing the established newspaper/magazine...
to August 1981
1981 in comics
-January:* Capital Comics makes its entree into publishing with the release of Nexus #1.*Frank Miller takes over full writing duties on Daredevil with issue #168, and creates Elektra....
.
The series was originally intended to be a testing ground for new characters and the re-introduction of characters who no longer had their own titles.. After a final appearance as "Him" in Thor #165-166 (June–July 1969), writer and then Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and penciler Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
significantly revamped Him as the allegorical Messiah Adam Warlock in Marvel Premiere #1 (April 1972). The name Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
meaning man and Warlock
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
for magician, was basically how him was renamed, although in the first issue, he just called Warlock by The High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary, a master of genetics, evolved Him to a more advanced state of being and rechristened the character "Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
" in Marvel Premiere #2 (May 1972). In 2009, Thomas explained he had been a fan of the soundtrack to the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and sought to bring the story to comic books in a superhero context: "Yes, I had some trepidation about the Christ parallels, but I hoped there would be little outcry if I handled it tastefully, since I was not really making any serious statement on religion ... at least not overtly."[1] Choosing to use a preexisting character while keeping the series' locale separate from mainstream Marvel Earth, he created Counter-Earth, a new planet generated from a chunk of Earth and set in orbit on the opposite side of the Sun.[2] Thomas and Kane collaborated on the costume, with the red tunic and golden lightning bolt as their homage to Fawcett Comics' 1940s-1950s character Captain Marvel.[2] It was successful in this endeavor to some extent by featuring Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
beginning with issue #3 and Iron Fist in issue #15, written by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
and drawn by Gil Kane
Gil Kane
Eli Katz who worked under the name Gil Kane and in one instance Scott Edward, was a comic book artist whose career spanned the 1940s to 1990s and every major comics company and character.Kane co-created the modern-day versions of the superheroes Green Lantern and the Atom for DC Comics, and...
. Other, less successul, introductions include the Legion of Monsters, Paladin
Paladin (comics)
Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
and Woodgod
Woodgod
Woodgod is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics. Woodgod is a genetically-engineered sentient life-form. He physically resembles a satyr, and was created using cloning techniques by combining human and animal DNA.-Fictional character biography:...
. The comic also featured the first appearance of the second Ant-Man
Ant-Man
Ant-Man is the name of several fictional characters appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Ant-Man was originally the superhero persona of Hank Pym, a brilliant scientist who invented a substance that allowed him to change his size...
(Scott Lang
Scott Lang
Scott Lang is a fictional character featured in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the second superhero character to use the name Ant-Man in the Marvel Universe, following the original, Dr. Henry Pym...
) and the first comic book appearance of rock musician Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. Another feature that would spin off into its own title was Seeker 3000, but this only happened twenty years after its first appearance in Marvel Premiere #41 (1978), with a four-issue miniseries published in 1998.
Later on in the title's run, Marvel Premiere was also used to finish stories of characters who had lost their own book or feature. One example of this was the Man-Wolf two-parter in #45-46, which continued the story from Creatures on the Loose #37. Another was the three-issue Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
series.
Publishing history
- #1–2 - Adam WarlockAdam WarlockAdam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #66 and #67 Adam Warlock, originally known as Him, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
(moved to his own series) - #3–14 - Doctor StrangeDoctor StrangeDoctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
(moved to his own (second) series) - #15–25 - Iron Fist (moved to his own series)
- #26 - HerculesHercules (Marvel Comics)Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
- #27 - SatanaSatana (Marvel Comics)Satana is a fictional character, a comic book half-demon appearing in the Marvel Comics universe. She is the sister of Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan.Satana first appeared in Vampire Tales #2 in October, 1973...
- #28 - Legion of Monsters
- #29–30 - Liberty LegionLiberty LegionThe Liberty Legion is a fictional superhero team in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was first created in 1976 and set during World War II...
- #31 - WoodgodWoodgodWoodgod is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics. Woodgod is a genetically-engineered sentient life-form. He physically resembles a satyr, and was created using cloning techniques by combining human and animal DNA.-Fictional character biography:...
- #32 - Monark StarstalkerMonark StarstalkerMonark Starstalker is a fictional Marvel Comics character, created by Howard Chaykin and first featured in Marvel Premiere #32 ....
- #33–34 - Solomon KaneSolomon Kane (comics)Solomon Kane featured in several comics published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. Dark Horse Comics began publishing a new series of Kane stories in 2008, and will publish a new collection of the 1970's Marvel stories in 2009.-Marvel Comics:...
- #35–37 - 3-D Man3-D Man-Publication history:Although his adventures take place in the 1950s, the character was created by Roy Thomas in the 1970s in the anthology series Marvel Premiere...
- #38 - WeirdworldWeirdworld"Weirdworld" was a fantasy series created by Doug Moench and Mike Ploog for Marvel Comics, set in a dimension of magic.-Publication history:...
- #39–40 - TorpedoTorpedo (Marvel Comics)Torpedo is the name of five fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first version of the Torpedo was not related to subsequent versions and debuted in a one-shot story in Daredevil #59 Torpedo is the name of five fictional characters that...
- #41 - Seeker 3000
- #42 - TigraTigraTigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
- #43 - PaladinPaladin (comics)Paladin is a Marvel Comics character, a mercenary. While he claims that Paladin is his real name, he often goes by the name Paul Denning . Though not precisely a supervillain, his mercenary activities often bring him into conflict with superheroes.-Publication history:Paladin first appeared in...
- #44 - Jack of HeartsJack of HeartsJack of Hearts is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Jack of Hearts first appeared in the black & white magazine Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #22 , and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and illustrator Keith Giffen...
- #45–46 - Man-Wolf
- #47–48 - Ant-ManScott LangScott Lang is a fictional character featured in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the second superhero character to use the name Ant-Man in the Marvel Universe, following the original, Dr. Henry Pym...
(Scott Lang) - #49 - The FalconFalcon (comics)The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
- #50 - Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- #51–53 - Black PantherBlack Panther (comics)The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
- #54 - Caleb HammerCaleb HammerCaleb Hammer is a fictional comic book character owned by Marvel Comics. He is an Old West Pinkerton detective.-Publication history:Caleb Hammer first appeared in 1980's Marvel Premiere #54. He remained in obscurity until 2000 when he was one of the characters featured in Blaze of Glory...
- #55 - Wonder ManWonder ManWonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
- #56 - Dominic FortuneDominic FortuneDominic Fortune is a fictional comic book character, owned by Marvel Comics.Created by Howard Chaykin and based on the Scorpion, Chaykin's character for the failed Atlas/Seaboard Comics company, Dominic Fortune was originally a 1930s costumed, fortune-seeking adventurer.-Publication history:Dominic...
- #57–60 - Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(reprints from Marvel UK's Doctor Who WeeklyDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
) - #61 - Star-LordStar-LordStar-Lord is the name of three fictional characters that appear in publications from by Marvel Comics.The first Star-Lord was Peter Quill, who first appeared in Marvel Preview #4 , and was created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan...
Collected Editions
- Marvel Masterworks Warlock Vol. 1 (Marvel Premiere #1-2)
- Esstional Doctor Strange Vol. 2 (Marvel Premiere #3-14)
- Esstional Iron Fist Vol. 1 (Marvel Premiere #15-25)
- Esstional Marvel Horror Vol 1 (Marvel Premiere #27)
- Esstional Werewolf-By-Night Vol. 2 (Marvel Premiere #28)
- Invaders Classic Vol. 1 (Marvel Premiere #29-30)
- Dominic Fortune (Marvel Premiere #56)
See also
- Marvel Premiere ClassicMarvel Premiere ClassicMarvel Premiere Classic is a line of hardcover comic book collections, compiling older Marvel Comics series in a standardized reprint format. Each edition features two covers—the standard cover and a numbered "variant" cover for the comic book direct market, which are published in limited numbers...
- a line of hardcovers collecting "classic" (pre-2000) storylines in the Marvel and related Universes.