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
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
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
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 – #25
Astonishing Tales #26 – #36
Amazing Adventures #18 – #39
Man-Thing #2 – #10
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
Marvel Team-Up #22
Giant-Size Spider-Man #1
Marvel Team-Up #23 – #26
Amazing Spider-Man #134 – #138
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
Giant-Size Defenders #4
Defenders #22 – #25
Iron Man #72
Giant-Size Man-Thing #2
Iron Man #73
Daredevil #119 – #123
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
Marvel Two-In-One #9 – #13
Fantastic Four #158 – #165
Hulk #194
Fantastic Four #166 – #167
Hulk #195 – #204
Fantastic Four #168 – #170
Captain America #180 – #181
Avengers #130 – #132
Giant-Size Avengers #3
Avengers #133 – #135
Giant-Size Avengers #4
Iron Man #74 – #81
Power Man #22 – #25
Captain America #182 – #190
Avengers #137 – #149
Giant-Size X-Men #1
Uncanny X-Men #94 – #95
Daredevil #124 – #125
Ghost Rider #12 – #13
Champions #1 – #4
Iron Man #82 – #87
Avengers #150 – #153
Avengers Annual #6