Miller's Daredevil: Born Again Returns

The mid-1980s marked a golden age for Marvel, a period of both creative and financial prosperity following the lean years of the late '70s. This resurgence culminated in the 1984 release of Secret Wars, a pivotal event that irrevocably altered the Marvel universe and the comic book industry. The impact was seismic, sending beloved heroes and villains on new, exciting trajectories.

This era also boasted other iconic storylines, including Frank Miller's Born Again Daredevil arc, Jean Grey's return in X-Factor, and Walt Simonson's epic Surtur Saga in Thor. This article explores these pivotal narratives and other significant events from this transformative period, continuing our series on essential Marvel issues.

More Essential Marvel

• 1961-1963 - The Birth of a Universe
• 1964-1965 - The Sentinels Are Born and Cap Dethaws
• 1966-1969 - How Galactus Changed Marvel Forever
• 1970-1973 - The Night Gwen Stacy Died
• 1974-1976 - The Punisher Begins His War on Crime
• 1977-1979 - Star Wars Saves Marvel From Bankruptcy
• 1980-1982 - Did the Dark Phoenix Saga Usher in the Greatest Decade for Marvel?

Frank Miller's Born Again and Walt Simonson's Surtur Saga

Among the era's most acclaimed storylines, Born Again stands out. Frank Miller's return to Daredevil, this time with David Mazzuchelli's art (Daredevil #227-233), is a strong contender for the definitive Daredevil tale. Karen Page's tragic betrayal, revealing Daredevil's identity to Kingpin, leads to Matt Murdock's devastating downfall. His subsequent redemption, alongside Kingpin's descent into obsessive villainy, creates a powerful narrative. This masterpiece, loosely adapted in Netflix's Daredevil season 3, also inspires the title of the Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again.

Simultaneously, Walt Simonson redefined Thor, beginning in 1983 with #337. His introduction of Beta Ray Bill, an alien worthy of Mjolnir, is legendary. Simonson imbued Thor with a strong sense of mythic fantasy, culminating in the year-long Surtur Saga (#340-353). Surtur, the fire demon, seeks Ragnarok, deploying Malekith to battle Thor while forging the Twilight Sword. The epic confrontation between Thor, Loki, and Odin against Surtur is unforgettable. Elements of this saga later influenced Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Secret Wars Changes Comics Forever

As discussed in Part 4 of this series, 1973's Avengers/Defenders War foreshadowed the event crossover trend. Secret Wars (1984), a 12-part miniseries by Jim Shooter (writer), Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton (artists), solidified this trend. A marketing collaboration with Mattel, the story features the Beyonder teleporting heroes and villains to Battleworld for a contest of good versus evil. While featuring spectacular battles and plot seeds for ongoing series, it also presents inconsistencies in character portrayal. Doctor Doom is well-written, but other characters' arcs feel disjointed. Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić's 2015 Secret Wars offers a more cohesive narrative, but the original's impact on the industry remains undeniable. Its success spawned Secret Wars II and, alongside DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, established the event comic as the dominant format for decades.

Spider-Man's Symbiote Suit and Other Iconic Spidey Stories

Following Stan Lee and Gerry Conway, Roger Stern elevated Amazing Spider-Man. Beginning with #224, Stern's run revitalized the series, introducing the Hobgoblin in #238. Stern's Hobgoblin saga, though prematurely ended due to editorial interference, remains exceptional. He later revisited the character, revealing the villain's identity in the 1997 miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives.

The black symbiote costume debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #252, its origin revealed later in Secret Wars #8. This iconic suit launched a significant subplot, leading to the creation of one of Spider-Man's most popular villains. The symbiote saga has been widely adapted across various media.

Another crucial story from this period is The Death of Jean DeWolff in Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, by Peter David and Rich Buckler. This dark tale, featuring Spider-Man hunting the Sin-Eater, showcases a different tone while remaining authentic to the character.

Jean Grey Returns, the Rise of Apocalypse, and Other Mutant Landmarks

The mid-80s also brought significant mutant milestones. Vision and the Scarlet Witch #4 revealed Magneto as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch's father, a retconned element but a long-standing fan interpretation. X-Men #171 saw Rogue's heroic turn, joining the X-Men, a pivotal moment rarely altered in adaptations. X-Men #200 featured Magneto's trial and subsequent leadership of Xavier's School, another significant shift in his character. This storyline was adapted in the second episode of X-Men '97.

Jean Grey's resurrection, five years after the Dark Phoenix Saga, spanned Avengers #263 and Fantastic Four #286. This led to the formation of X-Factor, featuring the original X-Men. X-Factor #5-6 introduced Apocalypse, an ancient mutant with Celestial technology, becoming a major X-Men antagonist across comics, cartoons, video games, and the film X-Men: Apocalypse.