Marvel Bronze Age Reading Order

Part 2: Death and Rebirth

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Amazing Spide-Man #121 Cover

Part 2.1: Broken Hearts

The Bronze Age continues its trek into darker territory as Peter Parker grapples with perhaps the most tragic (and permanent) death in the history of Marvel comics. If you don’t know who we’re talking about yet we won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say Spider-Man isn’t the only one dealing with a broken heart as the Fantastic Four undergo their own series of tumultuous status quo changes.

Reading Order:

  • Marvel Team-Up #1 – #4

  • Amazing Spider-Man #103 – #118

  • Fantastic Four #126 – #133

  • Marvel Team-Up #8 – #11

  • Amazing Spider-Man #119 – #123

  • Hero for Hire #12 – #16


Avengers #118 Cover

Part 2.2: Avengers vs. Defenders

While not a full-fledged event in the vein of modern storylines like Civil War, one of the first major crossovers in the Marvel Universe sees the Avengers come face to face with their counterparts in the Defenders. And though these two teams would usually be fighting together as allies, they’re pitted against each other in a battle for a dark artifact known as the Evil Eye.

Reading Order:

  • Avengers #109

  • Hulk #163 – #165

  • Sub-Mariner #52 – #57

  • Captain America #157 – #167

  • Daredevil #95 – #98

  • Avengers #110

  • Daredevil #99

  • Avengers #111 – #112

  • Daredevil #100 – #102

  • Marvel Team-Up #12

  • Daredevil #103

  • Amazing Spider-Man #124 – #125

  • Astonishing Tales #17 – #20

  • Avengers #113

  • Iron Man #55 – #67

  • Power Man #17 – #21

  • Marvel Premiere #3 – #10

  • Hulk #166

  • Defenders #7

  • Avengers #114

  • Marvel Premiere #11 – #14

  • Avengers #115

  • Defenders #8

  • Avengers #116

  • Defenders #9

  • Avengers #117

  • Defenders #10

  • Avengers #118

  • Defenders #11

  • Avengers #119

  • Hulk #167 – #173

  • Defenders #12

  • Giant-Size Defenders #1

Captain Marvel #28 Cover

Part 2.3: The Terror From Titan

From his very first appearance, Thanos makes his mark on the Marvel Universe by demonstrating a level of terror and power rarely faced by the likes of Earth’s superheroes. When the Mad Titan comes into possession of the all-powerful Cosmic Cube, his potential for destruction is so great that he attracts the very embodiment of Death itself. But all may not be lost, as Captain Marvel rallies Earth’s mightiest heroes to put up one last fight.

Reading Order:

  • Marvel Team-Up #13 – #14

  • Amazing Spider-Man #126

  • Marvel Team-Up #15

  • Sub-Mariner #58 – #66

  • Fantastic Four #134 – #139

  • Sub-Mariner #67

  • Fantastic Four #140 – #141

  • Sub-Mariner #68 – #69

  • Captain America #168 – #170

  • Avengers #120

  • Captain America #171

  • Avengers #121 – #124

  • Captain America #172 – #175

  • Captain Marvel #24 – #30

  • Marvel Team-Up #16 – #18

  • Fantastic Four #142 – #144

  • Marvel Feature #11 – #12

  • Marvel Two-In-One #1

  • Amazing Spider-Man #127 – #131

  • Ka-Zar #1-2

  • Daredevil #104 – #109

  • Marvel Two-In-One #2 – #3

  • Daredevil #110 – #112

  • Sub-Mariner #70 – #72

  • Marvel Two-In-One #4 – #5

  • Captain Marvel #31 – #32

  • Avengers #125

  • Captain Marvel #33


Astonishing Tales #31 Cover

Part 2.4: Hellish Present, Darker Futures

It’s time to take another brief detour from our ongoing superhero saga to check in on some of the darker corners of the Marvel Universe, including characters new and old like Ghost Rider, Zombie, and Man-Thing. We also take a peek into two dystopian futures that may or may not come to pass in Astonishing Tales and Amazing Adventures. While these series may depict alternate timelines, the characters they introduce in the form of Deathlok and Killraven will eventually interact with the heroes of the present.

Reading Order:

  • Ghost Rider #4 – #9

  • Tales of the Zombie #1 – #5

  • Strange Tales #169 – #173

  • Tales of the Zombie #6 – #10

  • Tales of the Zombie Annual #1

  • Strange Tales #174 – #177

  • Astonishing Tales #21 – #36

  • Skull the Slayer #1 – #8

  • Amazing Adventures #18 – #39

  • Man-Thing #2 – #10

  • Giant-Size Man-Thing #1


Giant-Size X-Men #1 Cover

Part 2.5: Giant-Size Changes

With the introduction of Giant-Size issues for a number of series, several important and seismic changes come to the Marvel Universe including a new costume and alias for Captain America, the reformation of the Fantastic Four, a war across time with Kang the Conqueror, a new team of Avengers, and so much more. Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the biggest and most impactful change of all…the triumphant rebirth of the Uncanny X-Men!

Reading Order:

  • Iron Man #68 – #71

  • Avengers #126

  • Marvel Team-Up #19 – #21

  • Ka-Zar #3 – #8

  • Amazing Spider-Man #132 – #133

  • Giant-Size Super-Heroes #1

  • Marvel Team-Up #22

  • Giant-Size Spider-Man #1

  • Marvel Team-Up #23 – #26

  • Amazing Spider-Man #134 – #138

  • Giant-Size Spider-Man #2

  • Defenders #13 – #16

  • Giant-Size Defenders #2

  • Defenders #17

  • Marvel Team-Up #27

  • Defenders #18 – #19

  • Marvel Two-In-One #6 – #7

  • Defenders #20 – #21

  • Giant-Size Defenders #3

  • Daredevil #113 – #118

  • Jungle Action #6 – #15

  • Captain America #176 – #178

  • Fantastic Four #145 – #149

  • Giant-Size Fantastic Four #2

  • Avengers #127

  • Fantastic Four #150

  • Avengers #128 – #129

  • Captain America #179

  • Giant-Size Avengers #2

  • Captain Marvel #34 – #40

  • Doctor Strange #1 – #7

  • Marvel Spotlight #20 – #22

  • Giant-Size Defenders #4

  • Defenders #22 – #25

  • Marvel Spotlight #23

  • Giant-Size Defenders #5

  • Defenders #26 – #35

  • Omega the Unknown #1 – #2

  • Defenders #36 – #40

  • Defenders Annual #1

  • Omega the Unknown #3 – #7

  • Iron Man #72

  • Giant-Size Man-Thing #2

  • Iron Man #73

  • Daredevil #119 – #123

  • Giant-Size Man-Thing #3

  • Man-Thing #11 – #16

  • Giant-Size Man-Thing #4 – #5

  • Man-Thing #17 – #22

  • Giant-Size Fantastic Four #3 – #4

  • Marvel Two-In-One #8

  • Hulk #174 – #184

  • Ghost Rider #11

  • Hulk #185 – #193

  • Fantastic Four #151 – #157

  • Thor #229 – #230

  • Marvel Team-Up #28

  • Thor #231 – #234

  • Giant-Size Spider-Man #3

  • Amazing Spider-Man #139 – #140

  • Marvel Team-Up #29 – #30

  • Amazing Spider-Man #141 – #142

  • Marvel Team-Up #31 – #32

  • Giant-Size Spider-Man #4

  • Amazing Spider-Man #143 – #145

  • Marvel Team-Up #33 – #35

  • Amazing Spider-Man #146

  • Giant-Size Spider-Man #5

  • Amazing Spider-Man #147 – #152

  • Creatures on the Loose #30 – #37

  • Marvel Team-Up #36 – #37

  • Marvel Two-In-One #9 – #13

  • Fantastic Four #158 – #163

  • Marvel Team-Up #39 – #40

  • Fantastic Four #164 – #165

  • Captain America #180 – #181

  • Avengers #130 – #132

  • Giant-Size Avengers #3

  • Avengers #133 – #135

  • Giant-Size Avengers #4

  • Marvel Two-In-One #14 – #16

  • Marvel Team-Up #41 – #46

  • Marvel Two-In-One #17

  • Marvel Team-Up #47

  • Hulk #194

  • Fantastic Four #166 – #167

  • Hulk #195 – #204

  • Fantastic Four #168 – #170

  • Iron Man #74 – #81

  • Iron Man Annual #3

  • Omega the Unknown #8 – #10

  • Power Man #22 – #25

  • Captain America #182 – #190

  • Avengers #137 – #140

  • Marvel Team-Up #38

  • Black Goliath #1 – #3

  • Avengers #141 – #149

  • Giant-Size X-Men #1