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 creat 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.

Marvel also 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 postive 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).

Firsts: Dracula, Werewolf By Night, Man-Thing, Luke Cage, Namorita, Ghost Rider, Tigra (as the Cat), Sheena the She-Devil, Shaper of Worlds

Iron Man #44-46  
Hulk #148  
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty #8-9  
Avengers #89-97 Kree-Skrull War 
New Avengers: Illuminati #1  
Marvel Feature #2  
Amazing Adventures #11 The Beast turns blue and fuzzy 
Hulk #149-150  
Sub-Mariner #47-49  
Avengers #98-100  
Thor #195  
Amazing Spider-Man #105-109  
Tomb of Dracula #1-6 1st Dracula in Marvel Universe 
Thor #200  
Marvel Premiere #1  
Daredevil #88  
Hulk #151-153  
Avengers #101  
Marvel Feature #3  
Hero For Hire #1 1st Luke Cage 
Fantastic Four #120-123  
Marvel Premiere #2  
Marvel Team-Up #4  
Amazing Spider-Man #110-111  
Sub-Mariner #50-51 1st Namorita 
Marvel Spotlight #5 1st Ghost Rider 
Avengers #102-104  
Hulk #154  
Daredevil #90-91  
Amazing Spider-Man #112-115  
Hulk #155  
Captain America #153-156 1st Jack Munroe (Nomad) 
Sub-Mariner #53  
Marvel Feature #5-6  
Hulk #156  
Werewolf By Night #2  
Cat #1 1st Tigra (as the Cat) 
Hulk #158  
Thor #206  
Shanna the She-Devil #1 1st Shanna the She-Devil 
Fantastic Four #129-130 1st Thundra