Since this period sees five Editors in Chief within a two year span (The end of Roy Thomas' run, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway, and the beginning of Archie Goodwin's run), i'm calling it the EIC Upheaval period rather than trying to break it up into individual categories for each of the middle three. Len Wein is announced as the "Executive Editor" in the March Bullpen Bulletin. Marv Wolfman is announced as his replacement in the November issues.

This years sees continual doldrums throughout the line, although there are more and more bright spots, including the beginning of Chris Claremont's X-Men. Jungle Action, Master of Kung Fu, Iron Fist, and Steve Gerber's Defenders are all also good books.

The main titles (Avengers, FF, Spider-Man, Hulk) are all pretty poor, however, and there is a lot of evidence of lateness in the form of fill-ins, reprints, and unstable creative teams.

Other happenings:

• Bill Foster becomes Black Goliath
• Beast and Moondragon join the Avengers
• The original clone story in Spider-Man, involving the Jackal and a cloned Gwen Stacy, as well as the clone that would eventually become Bill Reilly/Scarlet Spider
• John Byrne's first regular art at Marvel for Iron Fist

First appearances: Warhawk, the Headmen, Moses Magnum, Elf With A Gun, Storm, Nightcrawler, Thunderbird, Colossus, Starhawk, Deathlok, Glorian, Mordred the Mystic, Misty Knight

Captain Marvel #36  
Jungle Action #13-15  
Marvel Premiere #20-23 1st Misty Knight 
Master of Kung Fu #24  
Daredevil #117  
Fantastic Four #154  
Ka-Zar #7  
Marvel Two-In-One #7  
Defenders #20  
Marvel Team-Up #30  
Master of Kung Fu #25  
Amazing Spider-Man #141-142  
Man-Thing #14  
Master of Kung Fu #26  
Defenders #21  
Giant-Size Spider-Man #4  
Iron Man #73  
Marvel Two-In-One #8  
Giant-Size Defenders #3  
Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #1  
Giant-Size Defenders #4  
Ka-Zar #8  
Master of Kung Fu #27  
Defenders #22-25  
Ghost Rider #11  
Thor #232-234  
Iron Man #78  
Amazing Spider-Man #143  
Power Man #24 1st Black Goliath 
Fear #27  
Hulk #187-188  
Iron Man #74-75,77,80-81  
Amazing Spider-Man #144-146  
Man-Thing #17  
Giant-Size X-Men #1 New X-Men team. 1st Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Storm, and Thunderbird. 
Bizarre Adventures #27
Classic X-Men #1 (2nd story)  
Giant-Size Man-Thing #4 (Howard the Duck)  
Master of Kung Fu #29-31  
Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up #2  
Jungle Action #16  
Avengers #137 J: Beast, Moondragon. Yellowjacket & Wasp return. 
Hulk #189  
Marvel Two-In-One #10  
Giant-Size Defenders #5  
Defenders #26-29  
Marvel Premiere #24-25  
Thor #238-239  
Super-Villain Team-Up #1-4  
Dr. Strange #9  
Astonishing Tales #31  
Amazing Spider-Man #147-150 1st Spider-clone 
Uncanny X-Men #94-95  
Giant-Size Man-Thing #5 (Howard the Duck)  
Hulk #190-191  
Jungle Action #17  
Master of Kung Fu #32  
Captain Marvel #40  
Captain America #189-190  
Marvel Chillers #1  
Marvel Team-Up #37  
Master of Kung Fu #33-35  
Marvel Team-Up #38  
Fantastic Four #163  
Jungle Action #18  
Iron Fist #1-4  
Avengers #141-144,147-149  
Fantastic Four #164-165 1st Frankie Raye (Nova) 
Defenders #30  
Amazing Spider-Man #151-152  
Marvel Chillers #2  
Marvel Team-Up #40  
Uncanny X-Men #96