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Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
    Marvel Comics Timeline

1972

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Stan Lee steps down as EIC and hands the reigns over to Roy Thomas in the September Bullpen Bulletain, but it's obvious based on Stan's output that the change was in effect prior to this. Stan reviews his accomplishments:
It was Marvel that first introduced heroes with human hang-ups; Marvel that popularized guest-star appearances until you needed a scorecard to tell you who was who; Marvel that dared create continued stories - and then forgot how to end them, so that they went on forever! It was Marvel who gave you a Bullpen Bulletins page where we can rap together like this; Marvel who liberated the geniuses who bring you these epics from their shadow of anonymity, and billboarded the name of every writer, artist, and letterer until you know 'em almost as well as we do. Only Mavel could have made satire and sentimentality, relevance and ribaldry a part of the comix mystique...

Stan's focus going forward will be other media - "new fields for Marvel to conquer in film, TV, books, and you-name-it-we'll-do-it!"

Big news, and the end of an era.

Revisions in the Comics Code allowed Marvel to expand its line into horror comics. These characters were initially stand-alone comics that didn't necessarily have anything to do with the Marvel Universe, but they were quickly incorporated.

The CCA revisions on drug depiction also allowed Marvel to focus more on street-level crime. In the past the sort of non-super crimes heroes like Spider-Man and Daredevil dealt with were robberies and muggings. Now they can bust drug dealers and the like as well. This change also allowed for the creation of characters like Luke Cage.

Creator notes: Gerry Conway is writing a lot of books. Steve Englehart begins writing the Beast solo stories in Amazing Adventures. Barry (Windsor) Smith pops up on pencils here and there. Bill Everett returns to the Sub-Mariner.
Notable events: Marvel attempted a short lived female focused line this year, which included three comics: The Cat, Sheena the She-Devil, and (the not-in-continuity) Night Nurse. A positive attempt was made to ensure that the comics were produced by female creators (even if it meant recruiting the wives or girlfriends of male Bullpeners to do it).
New characters: Dracula, Werewolf By Night, Man-Thing, Luke Cage, Namorita, Ghost Rider, Tigra (as the Cat), Sheena the She-Devil, Shaper of Worlds

Amazing Adventures #11 The Beast turns fuzzy 
Iron Man #44-46  
Amazing Adventures #12-13  
Captain America #144  
Hulk #148  
Daredevil #84  
Astonishing Tales #10  
Fantastic Four #119  
Hulk #149-150  
Sub-Mariner #47-49  
Daredevil #85  
Avengers #98-100  
Thor #182-183  
Thor #184-194  
Thor #195-205  
Amazing Spider-Man #105-109  
Daredevil #86  
Tomb of Dracula #1-6 1st Dracula in Marvel Universe 
Marvel Premiere #1-2  
Daredevil #87  
Astonishing Tales #11  
Captain America #145-148  
Daredevil #88  
Hulk #151-153  
Avengers #101  
Hero For Hire #1 1st Luke Cage 
Fantastic Four #120-123  
Astonishing Tales #12-13  
Fantastic Four #124-125  
Amazing Adventures #14  
Marvel Team-Up #3  
Marvel Team-Up #4  
Amazing Spider-Man #110-111  
Amazing Adventures #15 1st Griffin 
Sub-Mariner #50-51 1st Namorita 
Captain America #149-152  
Daredevil #89  
Marvel Spotlight #5 1st Ghost Rider 
Avengers #102-104  
Captain Marvel #22-23  
Hulk #154  
Daredevil #90-91  
Hero For Hire #2-3  
Warlock #1-2  
Amazing Spider-Man #112-115  
Hulk #155  
Captain America #153-156 1st Jack Monroe (Nomad) 
Marvel Team-Up #5-6  
Daredevil #92  
Hulk #156  
Fear #10  
Marvel Feature #2  
Werewolf By Night #2  
Marvel Feature #3  
Cat #1 1st Tigra (as the Cat) 
Daredevil #93-94  
Marvel Feature #4  
Defenders #1  
Hulk #157-158  
Fantastic Four #126-128  
Marvel Feature #5-6  
Avengers #105-108  
Marvel Team-Up #7  
Amazing Adventures #16  
Thor #206-207  
Thor #208  
Shanna the She-Devil #1 1st Shanna the She-Devil 
Fantastic Four #129-132 1st Thundra 
Hero For Hire #4  
Astonishing Tales #15  
Iron Man #53  
Fear #11  



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