1972

(Conway/Ploog)
Something Wicked This Way Comes:

The Resurrection of Dracula

The Trial of the Hulk

Enter:
The Ghost Rider
 The Werewolf
The Cat
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire
Shanna the She-Devil
Adam Warlock
Counter-Earth
The Soul Gem
Namorita
The Book of the Darkhold
Shuma-Gorath
Rachel Van Helsing
Thundra
The Shaper of Worlds
The Femme Force
Hammerhead
Patsy Walker

  • Lockjaw takes Ben Grimm on a visit to the alternate dimension "Earth-A", where Reed Richards has become the Thing instead of Grimm.
  • Galactus returns to Earth to make Silver Surfer his herald again, but Reed tricks him by sending his ship into the Negative Zone.
  • Kala, Tyrannus and the Mole Man all battle for rule of Subterranea.
  • Ben Grimm encounters the Femizon Thundra, the newest member of the Frightful Four.
Fantastic Four 118

(120, 121), 122, 123

127, 128

129
  • The being called Him is found by the High Evolutionary, who is in the process of creating his own "counter-earth".  The sinister Man-Beast and his rebel New-Men attack and the newly-renamed Adam Warlock descends to Counter-Earth in pursuit, but not before the Evolutionary grants Warlock a mysterious "soul gem".
Marvel Premiere 1


  • Pluto, Olympian God of Hades, attempts to gain Odin's soul but is repelled by Hela, Asgardian Goddess of Death.
  • Odin manipulates Ego-Prime into triggering the latent powers of three humans into becoming Young Gods (chosen to later be given to the Celestials).
  • Thor and the Asgardians vie with Mephisto in his dimension.
Thor 199, 201

202, 203
(300, 301)

 
204, 205

  • The Hulk is put on trial with Matt Murdock as his lawyer.
  • When the Hulk is re-shrunken to Sub-Atomica, he encounters the fantasy-creating Shaper of Worlds. Then the Hulk helps Jarella and her forces regain the throne of K'ai from the usurper Visis.
  • While the Hulk meets Banner's double on Counter-Earth, Betty Ross marries Glenn Talbot.
Incredible Hulk 152, 153

155, 156



158
  • The Sub-Mariner is caught in a struggle between Dr. Doom and Modok for possession of the Cosmic Cube.
  • While fighting Byrrah and Llyra, Namor finds his cousin Namorita.  He asks his old friend Betty Dean to care for her.
Sub-Mariner (47), 48, 49

50-52
  • Iron Man encounters the other-dimensional Black Lama, and fights his disciple, Raga.
Iron Man (52), 53
  • Spider-Man gets caught in a gang-war between Doctor Octopus and the criminal Hammerhead. He also develops an ulcer and Aunt May becomes Octopus' housekeeper.
Amazing Spider-Man 113-115
  • Captain America and the SHIELD Femme Force (headed by Agents 13 & 14, Sharon Carter and the Contessa) battle HYDRA, the Kingpin and the Red Skull's 5th Sleeper robot.
  • The now-insane Captain America from the 50's resurfaces. 
Captain America 144-148



153-156
  • Clint Barton relinquishes his Goliath identity and becomes Hawkeye again, while Hercules and Avengers past and present liberate Olympus from Ares and the Enchantress
  • In Australia, the Avengers narrowly defeat the returned Sentinels, but they unintentionally leave behind a severely injured Quicksilver. (He is soon rescued by the Inhuman Crystal and they begin a romantic relationship.)
Avengers 98-100



102-104 
(FF 131)
  • Hank McCoy, working for the Brand Corporation, develops an experimental mutant growth hormone which further mutates him into a blue-ish, furrier Beast. He is secretly monitored by the Secret Empire.
  • Patsy Walker (now Baxter) learns Hank's secret identity.
Amazing Adventures 11


15
  • The Defenders (Dr. Strange, Hulk & Namor) try to aid the Silver Surfer escape the earth, but end up in the realm of the Nameless One.  They escape with a rescued (but now-deranged) Barbara Norris.
  • Dr. Strange battles Sligguth and various other forces of the ancient and evil Shuma-Gorath.  Eventually, the Ancient One's physical form is sacrificed to save Earth from Shuma-Gorath's invasion.  With the Ancient One's passing, Stephen Strange becomes Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.
Defenders (2), 3



Marvel Premiere 4-10



  • In LA, Jack Russell reaches his 18th birthday and becomes a werewolf by night.  
  • Russell discovers the occult book, the Darkhold.
Marvel Spotlight 2

4
  • Dracula is resurrected in Transylvania when a lost relative, Frank Drake, appears to reclaim Castle Dracula.
  • Rachel Van Helsing surfaces in pursuit of Dracula and the so-called "Vampire Hunters" are formed.
Tomb of Dracula 1

3
  • Framed inmate Luke Cage undergoes a prison experiment and becomes a bullet-proof "hero for hire".
Hero for Hire 1
  • Greer Grant (Nelson) becomes the Cat from a series of medical experiments to enhance agility and "female intuition".
The Cat 1
  • Johnny Blaze makes a deal with Mephisto and is bonded with the demon Zarathos to become the Ghost Rider.  
  • While battling AIM agents in the Florida everglades, Ka-Zar meets Barbara "Bobbi" Morse (SHIELD Agent 19, later Mockingbird) and the Man-Thing
  • The Man-Thing saves Jennifer Kale (cousin to Johnny Blaze) when she inadvertently summons the demon Thog.
Marvel Spotlight 5

Astonishing Tales 12, 13

Fear 11
  • Shanna O’Hara travels to Africa to become Shanna the She-Devil, protector of wildlife.
Shanna the She-Devil 1
(Fite/M. Severin/Wood)