Marvel Comics: The Untold Story (74 page)

What Makes Sammy Run?
(Schulberg), 278

Whedon, Joss, 422–23, 426

Whizzer, 101

Who Wants to Be a Superhero?
(television show), 430

Wildstorm Studio, 429

Wilford, Bonnie, 197n

Wilson, Dennis, 119, 122

Wilson, Sam.
See
Falcon, the

Winner, Michael, 294

Wizard
magazine, 331, 345, 351, 392, 396, 422

Wolfe, Tom, 119

Wolfman, Marv, 126, 131–32, 189, 219, 308, 351, 392, 401–2

black-and-white comics by, 153

characters created by, 132, 255

collaboration of Colan and, 266, 310n

at comic conventions, 213

creator’s rights advocacy of, 293

at DC, 218, 229

and Englehart’s departure from Marvel, 186

and Howard the Duck, 179, 206

McGregor’s conflicts with, 180–81

Shooter and, 173, 200–202, 220

Wein and, 126, 150, 158, 165–68, 177, 182, 184, 218, 238, 254, 402, 429

Wolverine, 211, 235, 285n, 286, 318, 328, 332, 352, 423

creation of, 154

in crossovers, 342, 357

film, 429

origin of, 223–24, 409

popularity of, 308

X-Men spin-offs featuring, 243, 246, 247, 267, 315, 325, 338

Wolverton, Basil, 122

Women’s Wear Daily
, 82

Wonder, Stevie, 161

Wonder Man, 12, 99, 284

Wonder Stories
, 17

Wonder Woman, 1, 263, 272, 283

Wood, Wally, 52–53, 57–58, 70, 78, 79, 82, 83, 87, 117, 130, 148, 175

World Color Printing, 272

World Science Fiction Convention, 153

World War II, 14, 18, 21–22, 24–26, 34, 56–57, 142, 148, 152, 228, 250

Wrightson, Berni, 183

Wulf
, 168

Wundarr, 134, 135

Wu-Tang Clan, 407

Wylie, Timothy, 93

Xavier, Charles.
See
Professor X

X-Factor
, 287–90, 325, 328, 343

X-Force
, 326, 330, 332, 337–39, 341, 344, 351, 371, 410–11

X-Men, 3, 60, 90, 255, 320, 358, 363, 368, 373, 386, 421, 427, 432

animated cartoons, 215, 309, 344, 355, 405

artists for, 50, 59, 83, 98–100, 196–98, 209–11, 220n, 221, 235–36, 285, 286, 291, 316, 329, 369, 427

auction of original art of, 337

cancellation of, 100, 105

changes in membership of, 124, 154–55, 158, 161, 225, 285–87

creation of, 47–48, 360

crossovers, 244, 252, 284–85, 288, 340, 351, 365, 366, 372

enemies of, 56, 71, 242, 269, 283

film projects, 261, 310, 356, 371, 380, 392, 403, 405, 412–15, 417, 426, 429

guest stars of, 222

Jean Grey’s return and death, 224, 227–30, 233

and Kirby’s departure from Marvel, 5

merchandise, 263, 344, 405

relaunch of, 328, 350

sales of, 223–25, 241, 243, 246, 318, 341

spin-offs, 243, 267, 282, 286, 288, 319, 335, 353, 372, 423–24, 426, 429 (
see also titles
)

television show, 244, 324

writers for, 59, 98, 99, 173, 196–98, 209–11, 220n, 221, 235–36, 269, 284–88, 316, 329, 330, 340, 353–54, 369–70, 381, 404, 406

See also specific characters

Xorn, 413, 423

Yakin, Boaz, 310

Yellowjacket (Henry Pym), 99, 242

Young Allies
, 20

Young Americans for Freedom, 94–95

Youngblood, 331, 335, 338, 340, 346

Young Romance
, 34

Zeck, Mike, 257, 265, 270

Zeitgeist, 411

Zimmerman, Ron, 418n

*
In a 1966 deposition, Jack Kirby recalled a different origin: “In the course of the discussions we first evolved a main character and then began to build around him.”

*
“He didn’t like them very much,” Simon claimed. “He was also part owner of Archie Comics, then known as MLJ. Maurice was the ‘M’ in ‘MLJ.’ [Goodman’s former boss, Louis Silberkleit, was the ‘L.’] It was his idea that we arrange some kind of 25% royalty for me.”

*
In 1953, a Chicago entrepreneur borrowed from family and friends to launch a new magazine called
Stag Party
. Goodman objected, and the young entrepreneur, Hugh Hefner, changed the name of his magazine to
Playboy
.

*
In the case of romance comics, Simon and Kirby actually
invented
the genre.

*
“We were, of course, I’ll say bitter, about not owning Captain America,” said Simon. “We thought we’d show them how to do Captain America.”

*
Stephen Strange was part of a Ditko tradition that carried back to the 1950s: the glory-craving bastard whose journeys in a snowcapped East lead him to a comeuppance from a wise and ancient mystic.

*
Early fandom had unkind words for the Hulk: “It stinks. A comic-book-length rendition of one of their hack monster stories with a continuing character modeled more or less on The Thing,” wrote Don and Maggie Thompson in
Comic Art
#3.

*
After spoiled socialite Janet Van Dyne found her father murdered, she turned to Henry Pym (Ant-Man) for help. Pym, obsessed with Van Dyne’s resemblance to his late wife (“So much like Maria! If she were not such a child!”), asked her to become his crime-fighting partner. He shared with her his shrinking gas, and implanted cells in her skin tissue: “It will leave no scar, but when you are reduced to the size of a wasp you will grow wings and tiny antennae!” Child or no, the two would soon become lovers.

*
Eventually, Jean Grey and Scott Summers began to date. The trajectory of their relationship was impossible to gauge; they were never shown embracing until they shared a good-bye kiss in 1975’s
X-Men
#94.

*
Although in its early years
The X-Men
seldom met the standards set by other Lee and Kirby creations, occasionally it would realize its potential for powerful metaphor. In the spring of 1965, immediately after Alabama state troopers attacked civil rights demonstrators in Selma, the X-Men battled the Sentinels, an army of giant mutant-hunting robots created by a zealous anthropologist. “Beware the fanatic!” Lee wrote at the story’s end. “Too often his cure is deadlier by far than the evil he denounces!”

*
Ditko was called into Lee’s office and given his choice of three characters to revive for a series of solo adventures: the Hulk, Ka-Zar, and Sub-Mariner. Ditko chose the Hulk because he wanted to draw the New Mexico locales.