Comics

Comics

Ghost Rider(John Blaze):

Long ago, the demon Zarathos began building a tremendous power base for himself. His penchant for human souls led him into conflicts with foes such as the Blood cult and the vile Mephisto, who saw Zarathos as a rival. Mephisto ultimately tricked and enslaved Zarathos, rendering the demon amnesiac and trapping him in various mortal forms over many years. This torture eventually dovetailed with another pastime of Mephisto's - the search for the Medallion of Power, a mystical artifact crafted by the Blood that housed the essence of the original Spirits of Vengeance. The medallion had been broken into shards and embedded into the spiritual bloodline of two families. One of these bloodlines, the Kales, attracted Mephisto's attention in the 18th century when Noble Kale's shard of the Medallion transformed him into a Spirit of Vengeance, the Ghost Rider. Mephisto failed to corrupt Noble at this time, but he kept track of the Kale clan from then on, watching as Noble manifested in the firstborn of every generation.

Enter John Blaze

John Blaze was born into a world of motorcycle grease and cheering crowds. The son of Barton Blaze and Naomi Kale, Johnny spent his early years in the Quentin Carnival, where his parents starred in a stunt show with Craig "Crash" Simpson. His idyllic home life ended abruptly, however, when Naomi abandoned John, taking his younger siblings - Barbara and Daniel - with her. Naomi's decision to leave had been difficult, but she felt it was necessary because of the family curse. She feared that her own firstborn would suffer in the same way that she had, so she left him behind and placed her other children in the care of a woman named Francis Ketch.

The pain of losing his mother caused John to repress many of his memories of Naomi and his siblings. When Barton died in a stunt shortly thereafter, John was adopted by Crash and Mona Simpson, who helped fabricate a past for Johnny, one that they hoped would be less painful than the truth. Believing that his real mother - "Clara Blaze" - had passed away, Johnny became an enthusiastic member of the Simpson clan, growing close to their daughter, Roxanne. The two became inseparable and, as they grew older, their love for one another moved beyond familial.

Naomi Kale returned to spy on John; while glad to see him grow into a happy young man, she still feared he might eventually succumb to the family curse. Naomi bargained with Mephisto to spare John, hoping this might end the curse. Unfortunately, Mephisto betrayed her in the final moments of her life, swearing that even though Johnny would not become the true Ghost Rider, he still could become "a" Ghost Rider.

Unaware of the mystical forces swirling around him, John followed the Simpsons into their own traveling stunt show - the Crash Simpson Stunt Cycle Extravaganza. Crash had become a true father figure to Johnny by this time, teaching him how to ride in the hopes that the younger man might eventually succeed him as the star of the show. This dream came to a fiery end when Johnny was fifteen. While practicing a dangerous stunt, Johnny was nearly killed and Mona Simpson was mortally wounded. When Mona asked John on her deathbed to quit riding, he swore to her that he would.

Deal With the Devil

Over the next five years, Johnny's relationship with Crash deteriorated as John refused to take part in the show. Not understanding John's motivations, Crash grew increasingly frustrated, even accusing his adopted son of cowardice; however, John continued to practice at night, honing his skills until he surpassed his mentor. He had another secret, too: he and Roxanne had become lovers. When Crash revealed he was dying of cancer, he asked Johnny once more to take over the show, but Johnny refused despite Roxanne's disappointment. Distraught, John turned to the occult in search of answers. His studies ultimately led to a spell that supposedly could summon Satan himself. John didn't realize it, but the entity he summoned was actually the same Mephisto who had cheated Naomi Kale years before. Mephisto cured Crash of his cancer in return for Johnny's promise of servitude. Crash died almost immediately afterwards, however, in a failed attempt to set a world's record by jumping over 22 cars. Despairing over the loss of his adopted father, Johnny attempted - and made - the jump himself, seeking to honor Crash's memory. Johnny was still at Mephisto's mercy, though, and would have lost his soul outright if not for the heroic intervention of Roxanne, who proclaimed her love for Johnny and drove the demon away with the purity of her emotion (though Mephisto would return).

One night after Crash's death, Johnny found himself transformed into a skeletal being with a flaming skull. Fearing at first that this demonic form was a manifestation of his own evil side, he soon realized that he had bonded with some wholly separate entity. This merger of Johnny Blaze and a demonic force became known as the Ghost Rider, which amused Mephisto greatly. Transforming nightly into the Ghost Rider, John became involved with a local motorcycle gang, Satan's Servants. Their leader, Curly Samuels, had gained the Ghost Rider's trust, until a shocked John discovered that the soul of Crash Simpson lurked within Curly's form. Mephisto had offered Crash a new life in exchange for betraying his adopted son, and Crash had eagerly accepted. The Ghost Rider's spirit was cast into Hell, where he managed to reawaken Crash's sense of honor and love. The older man sacrificed himself to help Johnny escape, making Ghost Rider promise to protect Roxanne.

John and Roxanne then journeyed into the American Southwest, where Ghost Rider battled the Satanist known as Witch Woman, Linda Littletrees. Remaining for a time near Copperhead Canyon, Ghost Rider also fought Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan. This began a long period of roaming the West, as John sought to avoid Mephisto and protect Roxanne. While in San Francisco, Roxanne was tricked into renouncing her love for John, and Mephisto nearly claimed John's soul in full; however, a long-haired stranger saved the day, driving Mephisto away at the last minute. This bearded mystery man identified himself only as "a friend", and Blaze came to view him as a heavenly figure, offering hope and salvation. This stranger would appear several more times before finally being revealed as another falsehood of Mephisto.

Discouraged over the revelations about the "friend" and fearing his growing lack of control over the Ghost Rider, John left Roxanne and spent years wandering on his own. During this time, he teamed with the Black Widow, Angel, Iceman and Hercules to foil one of Pluto's evil plots, and the five heroes founded the Champions. Though billed as "super heroes for the ordinary man", the Champions were beset by internal tensions and never truly gelled as a team. After a few months, Ghost Rider realized that he was too much of a loner to remain with the group and he bid them farewell when the Champions disbanded.

By this time, the demonic half of the Ghost Rider was exerting more and more control over his actions and personality. John found it increasingly difficult to continue his stunt rider career, surrendering the title of World Champion Stunt Rider after losing a series of grueling challenges to Flagg Fargo. A demoralized John found a sense of peace by joining the Quentin Carnival, a place he did not remember from his childhood, but which nevertheless felt like home. Blaze forged a friendly rivalry with fellow rider Red Fowler and engaged in harmless flirtation with Cynthia Randolph, a journalist for Woman magazine assigned to follow the Carnival. While traveling with the Carnival, John also ran afoul of the mad Centurious, who fed off imprisoned souls using an ancient artifact called the Crystal of Souls; this encounter stirred dark memories in the Ghost Rider. Shortly thereafter, the demonic Nightmare captured John and revealed the name of the demon within Blaze: Zarathos.

Blaze and Zarathos continued to struggle with each other for dominance until Roxanne Simpson returned, seeking aid for a town overrun by Centurious and his agent, the Sin-Eater (Ethan Domblue). Ghost Rider clashed once more with Centurious, learning that he and Zarathos had a feud going back centuries. In the end, Zarathos and Centurious were bound within the Crystal of Souls and John Blaze was free at last. With a gracious donation from his old friend the Angel, John was able to purchase the Carnival and marry Roxanne, with whom he had two children, Craig and Emma.

Ghost Riders Expand

Years later, John heard about a new Ghost Rider in New York. Fearing Zarathos was free, Blaze captured the Dan Ketch Ghost Rider, but soon realized the entity within Dan was not Zarathos. During their clash, a burst of Ghost Rider's Hellfire was conducted through Blaze's shotgun into John himself, who discovered he could now discharge Hellfire from the weapon. Armed with this shotgun and a mystical motorcycle, John became a mentor of sorts to the new Ghost Rider, trying to guard Dan against evil forces.

Against his wife's wishes, John was immersed in the supernatural again. When he allied himself with the Midnight Sons against Lilith, Mother of Demons, the Carnival became a target for John's enemies. It was attacked by Vengeance, who blamed John for having ruined his father's career. John and the Midnight Sons later thwarted an alliance between Centurious and Lilith, though their schemes led to the return of Zarathos. When Centurious's agent Carver tried to remove a Medallion of Power fragment from Blaze by slashing him, Blaze's wounds burnt with Hellfire, and he was encased in a cybernetic shell to save his life. Shortly thereafter, the Blood known as Caretaker revealed that John and Dan were brothers, strengthening their bond further. Together, they helped destroy Zarathos' physical form, though Dan was temporarily lost.

While one side of John's family grew closer, the other began coming apart. When Emma and Craig were kidnapped by rogue Blood member Regent, John rescued them, but was shocked to learn that Roxanne had bargained the children away years earlier in hopes that Regent could remove the Kale curse. John and Roxanne were just moving past this painful revelation when she was killed by Anton Hellgate, one of Ketch's foes, and their children were kidnapped again. After slaying Centurious, Blaze swore on Roxanne's grave that he would rebuild the Carnival and find their children. After shedding his cybernetic shell, Blaze confronted undead serial killer Icebox Bob, who revealed that the kids were being held by the Mesopotamian god-turned-demon Ba'al. In a dimension-spanning adventure involving the mystic Wendigo spirit and the angelic Uri-El, Blaze was reunited with his children; but within months, the children went missing yet again. While helping Dan Ketch learn the full origins of his Ghost Rider spirit, John discovered that the sorceress Jennifer Kale was their cousin. She helped Blaze seek his missing children, but they were ultimately forced to admit defeat, calling off the search. During this time, Roxanne was revived as a demonic servant of Blackheart's, bearing the name Black Rose. Though she had no memory of her past self initially, Noble Kale restored her memories during his time as Ruler of Hell. Apparently feeling that John had moved on, Roxanne decided to let John continue believing that she was dead. Starting over, John found a new job as an accountant and a new girlfriend, Chloe; but he was still linked to Zarathos, and the demon began to reconstitute within him. Regularly transforming into Ghost Rider again, John quit his job and hit the road. However, the reborn Ghost Rider's personality was different than before, less talkative and more indifferent to the welfare of innocent bystanders. Desperate to escape this renewed curse, John hired mercenary Gunmetal Gray to kill Ghost Rider, whom Gray pursued with malicious glee. Finally cornered at the Sturgis biker convention, John Blaze and Zarathos seemed to make peace with one another and merged in a new way, defeating Gray. Ghost Rider rode off into the sunset, seeking more innocents to avenge.

Iron Man (Anthony Stark):

A "cool exec with a heart of steel," Tony Stark is the invincible Iron Man, fighting for justice with his scientific genius, repulsor rays, and the full resources of Stark Enterprises!

Before the Iron Mask

Born to Howard Anthony Stark and Maria Collins Carbonell Stark, Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark was born with extremely high intelligence. At the age of 15 Stark entered the undergraduate electrical engineering program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he graduated at the top of his class. At the age of 21 he inherited Stark Enterprises when his parents were killed in a car accident.

A Self-Made Superhero

The Many Armors of Iron Man

During an East Asian conflict, Stark Enterprises developed mini-transistors that Tony thought would help the war effort. While checking on his plant, which had been plagued by sabotage, Tony was injured by exploding shrapnel and captured by warlord Wong Chu. Chu forced Tony and another captive, famed physicist Ho Yinsen, to create weapons for him. All the while the lethal bit of shrapnel was slowly working towards Tony's heart. Tony and Yinsen created an iron suit that would keep Tony alive and allow them to escape. During the escape Yinsen was killed, sacrificing himself to allow Tony time to change for the first time to Iron Man. Iron Man made short work of Chu and his men.

On his way home Tony met Helicopter pilot James Rhodes - the future armored partner of Tony Stark called War Machine - and returned to America. After he arrived, Tony worked to improve the Iron Man armor and made Iron Man Tony Stark’s personal bodyguard to disguise his identity. In his early years Tony Stark became the corporate sponsor of the superhero group the Avengers and as Iron Man help found the group with Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. Notable villains from these early days include Mandarin, Hawkeye, and the Black Widow.

Hero of Iron, Feet of Clay

Although Anthony Stark promotes a rich, playboy persona his life is far from perfect. His biggest personal problem is his lifelong battle with alcoholism. Other problems include repetitive losses of companies by takeover, bankruptcy, and many other business-related threats. His hardest fall left Tony homeless, after which he handed the Iron Man identity over to his friend Rhodes. But our hero Stark has always recovered. He soon started a new company, Circuits Maximus, and swiftly returned as Iron Man. When Stark International’s new Chief Executive Officer, Obadiah Stane, tried to take over Stark’s new company, Stark retaliated and took back his family's company.

All during this time Tony Stark’s health was in rapid decline. Even after a heart transplant that saved his life, Tony still had health issues. His armor's cybernetic interface was causing his nervous system to deteriorate. It became serious enough that he had to fake his own death and enter suspended animation to survive. At this point Rhodes donned the Iron Man identity once more, but this time he equipped himself with a new armor created by Tony called the “Variable Threat Response Battle Suit”, later known as the War Machine armor. When Tony awoke Rhodes was so enraged by the deception that he left Tony and made War Machine into its own identity.

The Crossing and Teen Tony

Iron Man with the Avengers

Some time later the villain Kang the Conqueror took control of Tony Stark in order to use him against his friends. (Though it was later revealed that it wasn't Kang at all, but Immortus, during the course of the Destiny War.) As a sleeper agent Tony was forced to kill Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara) and Crystal’s Nanny, Marilla. To battle the combined forces of Iron Man and Kang, the Avengers were forced to recruit a teenage version of Tony Stark. Teen Tony stole a suit of armor from Stark International and aided the Avengers in battle. When the adult version came face to face with his teenage self he was finally able to overcome Kang’s control. The older one sacrificed himself and defeated Kang; he died a hero.

Teenage Tony Stark continued to fight with the Avengers and managed to take back control of Stark International. Shortly after this, the mutant Onslaught appeared. The young Tony and many of the world’s superheroes fought Onslaught in New York City’s Central Park. There the young Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, the Hulk, and other heroes seemingly lost their lives defending the Earth. However, they were actually brought into a pocket universe created by Reed and Sue Richards’ son, Franklin. Events soon forced Franklin to choose a world to survive, but instead he restored to life the original, older Anthony Stark, and the heroes to Earth.

Upgrades

Tony’s armor eventually grew so sophisticated that it became sentient. At first Tony allowed the armor to do his job as Iron Man, but it became increasingly dangerous. It even committed murder, slaying the villain, Whiplash. When this occurred Tony had no choice but to face the armor. During the confrontation Tony went into cardiac arrest due to an injury he previously sustained battling Whiplash. Proving itself a hero, the armor ripped out its own components and created a cybernetic heart for it’s creator, sacrificing itself in the process.

Tony later revealed to the world that he was Iron Man. After this revelation he took the post as the President’s Secretary of Defense to monitor the use of his technology by the United States Military. He was subsequently forced to step down from the position when the Scarlet Witch went out of control and killed members of the Avengers, forcing them to disband. Tony publicly stated that he would no longer be Iron Man but that there would always be one. Though of course Tony continued to be Iron Man while maintaining a secret identity. More recently, Tony injected himself with a Nanotech virus that integrated many of his suits functions with his own biological systems. He has also been a member of a secret group known as the Illuminati, along with Professor Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Blackagar Boltagon, Dr. Stephen Strange, and Namor for many years.

Civil War

Recently, during a televised raid of a house containing select villains that had recently escaped from the super villain facility at Ryker's Island prison, the villain Nitro detonated himself and the resulting explosion killed the majority of the New Warriors, as well as the children at a nearby elementary school and the residents of the surrounding neighborhood. In the wake of the tragedy, Capitol Hill proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, a government movement to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction, requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards. This event triggered negative public opinion against the super heroes, in which sole blame from the public was placed. The international organization S.H.I.E.L.D. quickly propositioned Captain America to lead a squad of "cape killer" soldiers, trained to fight super-powered humans. He refused, and after being attacked by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Anti-Superhuman Response Unit, went underground. Iron Man, however, was in full support of the act. After numerous skirmishes and a full out super hero battle in downtown New York, Iron Man emerged victorious; however his former ally Goliath (Bill Foster) had perished combating Iron Man's forces, and Captain America was assassinated on the steps of the courthouse after surrendering. In the wake of the war, Stark was offered the position as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and has accepted.

Hulk (Bruce Banner):

Supervising the trial of an experimental gamma bomb for the U.S. Defense Department at a nuclear research facility in New Mexico, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner selflessly rushed to the rescue of an ignorant teenager who had wandered onto the testing field as the countdown ticked inexorably toward zero. After shoving young Rick Jones to safety in a nearby ditch, Banner was struck full-force by the bomb blast. He survived, but was irradiated by the deadly gamma energy.

At first, Banner would transform into the brutish gray Hulk only at sunset, and revert to human form at dawn. Eventually, his changes into the childlike green Hulk came to be triggered by the release of adrenaline when he was intensely excited, no matter what time of day. The green Hulk possesses little of Banner's memory and intelligence, and is easily enraged; making him a menace to society.

Since Banner's initial transformation into the Hulk, military forces commanded by the implacable General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross; father of his late wife, Betty -- have hunted him continually.

For a short time, Banner successfully treated his condition with radiation and was able to maintain enough of his own personality when he became the Hulk to control himself in that form. Subsequently, he helped found the Avengers and even received a presidential pardon. Ultimately, however, the Hulk reverted into a brutish menace.

Gamma-powered psychiatrist Leonard "Doc" Samson captured the Hulk and successfully separated Banner and his alter ego. Without Banner's psyche to restrain him, the Hulk became a greater danger than ever before. Realizing there was only one way to reign in the Hulk, Banner agreed to merge with the monster. But the stress of the re-integration fractured Banner's subconscious, creating the street-smart gray Hulk. During this time, he spent several years in Las Vegas, sometimes operating as an enforcer calling himself Mr. Fixit (or "Joe Fixit.") The smart-mouth Fixit was an ill-tempered, wise-cracking, thuggish brute whose personality resembled that of his father and the fraternity boys who surrounded him in college. It was also at this time that Joe Fixit began his a short-lived relationship with the future wife of Rick Jones, Marlo Chandler. In this state of the Hulk, Banner again found himself changing into the Hulk at night and into his human form in the light of the day.

Soon after, the swirling mess of persona and mentalities took their toll on the ever-flustered mind of Dr. Banner, and a battle for supremacy and control took place in Banner's subconscious. With assistance by the Ringmaster and his hypnotic abilities, Doc Samson tapped into the subconscious of Banner and reached his separate incarnations. Through this hypnosis, Banner, the green Hulk, and the grey Fixit all aligned to face their true inner demons-- Banner's unresolved issues with his abusive father and the murderer of his mother. With this realization, Banner was able to fuse these mentalities together, finding peace of mind. However, a green but intelligent version of the Hulk emerged. He had the mentality of Dr. Banner but the body and abilities of the Hulk.

Unfortunately Dr. Banner soon realized that he must once again keep his temper in check, as if he let his rage loose, the mentality of the savage green Hulk would soon take over, albeit in the form of Banner's human body. Without the strength of the Hulk and filled with the Green Goliath's rage and belief of his old abilities, he proved to be a great danger to himself. This was, however, not to last. During the assault of the being known as Onslaught, the Hulk asked Jean Grey to let the green Hulk loose from its mental prison in order to use his maximum potential and abilities to defeat the menace. In a strange twist, Banner became divided. The Banner physically went away to a parallel world created upon Onslaught's defeat, where he once again became the savage green Hulk. Remaining on Earth, was a cold, somewhat unfeeling but intelligible version of the jade monster. This version of the Hulk also found himself allied with Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur), who made Hulk into one of his Four Horsemen.

This surly version of the Hulk remained in this state, never changing until much later when the consciousness of Banner was awakened from a personal hell where he was trapped in his own subconscious and haunted by his memories of his father, his future self (the Maestro), the Leader, and his past Banner and Hulk incarnations. Banner's freedom and escape from this subconscious hell was only achieved through self-realization and the understanding that his true strength came from within, proving his redemption from his fears. Upon this realization, Banner was guided to consciousness though the visage of his true love, Betty.

Though never a team player, the Hulk joined forces with the Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts, and Namor, the Atlantean Sub-Mariner, to defeat the techno-wizard Yandroth and his ultimate computer, the Omegatron. Thereafter, this loose-knit band of Defenders would unite periodically to oppose threats to humanity. The original Defenders reluctantly re-formed when Yandroth surfaced again to menace the world. Though the heroes defeated his plan, Yandroth used his sorcery to levy a deathbed curse upon their heads, binding them to come together in times of crisis.

After the events of the M-Day, Banner sought refuge and peace in Alaska, where he lived as a hermit loosely connected to the town community. He was eventually tracked down by Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D., who required his help in defeating the Hydra space weapon called the Godseye which could detonate all the nuclear bombs in the world. Sent up as the Hulk, he discovered that the Godseye was actually a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. weapon that could match the strength of any enemy. In the ensuing battle, the Godseye found that though it could try, it could not match the increasing power of the Hulk, and it exploded.

A S.H.I.E.L.D. commissioned space shuttle was sent to retrieve the Hulk, or so he believed. Seizing the opportunity to be rid of the Hulk, a group of superheroes known as the Illuminati decided to jettison the shuttle into space, to a planet with no intelligent life forms. Unfortunately, there was a navigation error, and the Hulk landed on Planet Sakaar, a planet full of barbarian tribes, gladiator battles and ruled over by a corrupt empire. The planet was situated near a portal, which gave it access to several different cultures and technologies. Weakened by his travel, Hulk was taken captive and sold into slavery and sent to the Great Arena to die in the games. After overcoming the first challenge set before him, Hulk was given the opportunity to be pardoned by the Red King, but instead he chose to attack him and was knocked out by the Red King when he became distracted. The Hulk soon joined several others in a group that would have to learn to fight together and, in result, they became warbound. The Hulk and his team of misfit warriors overcame the challenges set before them and became known as great warriors throughout the planet, inspiring many to rebel against the Red King.

Soon thereafter, Hulk and his team were forced to fight a captured Silver Surfer who struck them fiercely. Hulk, angered by Silver Surfer's betrayal, attacked the Surfer and inadvertently released him from the disc implant embedded within him. Freed of the implant disc that kept him prisoner, the Surfer destroyed the rest of the implant discs embedded in the rest of the warriors. The Hulk declined the Silver Surfer's offer of transportation back to his world so as to finish things on Planet Sakaar. Hulk then stood with his freed Warbound companions against the tyrannous Red King.

After several hard fought battles, the evolution of Miek, and finally gaining the confidence of Caiera the Oldstrong, Hulk and the Warbound confronted the Red King. With those few still loyal to him, the King in his Death's Head Armor did battle with Hulk. As he soon saw he was no match for the Green Scar, the Red King activated a rupture under the very surface of the planet. In an act of desperation, Hulk leaped into the molten earth and forced the splitting plates back to their proper assemblage, literally saving Sakaar. The Hulk gave the King a finishing blow, knocking him clear of the city walls. Finally, the Wildebots came upon the Red King and finished him off once and for all.

Hulk was proclaimed the Green King, and all those on Sakaar worshiped him and his Queen, Caiera. She told her king that she would bear him a child, and it seemed that the Hulk's life of running and fighting was over. However, the Hulk was not destined for a happy ending as the ship that brought him to that world soon exploded, killing his wife and unborn child sending Banner into a rage like no other. He and his Warbound journeyed to Earth seeking revenge on the planet's heroes for their part in Sakkar's destruction. Once they arrived, the Hulk crushed Black Bolt on Attilan and took the city of New York as his battleground. Iron Man, Mister Fantastic and Doctor Strange all fell before the Hulk and his Warbound too. Even old sparring partners such as the X-Men as well as new threats like the Gamma Corps couldn't even slow the Hulk's rampage.

Hulk fitted his defeated foes with Obedience Disks just like the ones he and the other gladiators on Sakaar were forced to wear and made them battle one another in order to experience the ordeal he was put through. It wasn’t until the Hulk prevented Mister Fantastic from killing Tony Stark during one of the gladiator matches that he revealed his true intentions. Hulk claimed he came home for justice, not murder, but Hulk does not want the world to forget what he feels their heroes truly are: liars, traitors and killers. No matter how many times Stark or Richards try to explain they had nothing to do with the shuttle explosion that killed his adopted home world, the Hulk will not listen.

Soon a nearly insane Sentry arrives on the scene and a cataclysmic battle ensues between him and Hulk. Sentry unleashed forces that nearly destroyed what was left of New York, but ultimately, Hulk averted that disaster by defeating the Sentry. Having reverted back to the form of Bruce Banner, it seemed that World War Hulk had come to an end. However, Miek had other plans. Miek tried to injure Banner, so he would transform back to his gamma powered counterpart, but Rick Jones pushed Banner out of the way only to have Miek’s spear thrust through his body. Miek got what he wanted, and Banner did turn back into the Hulk but it was only because he intended to destroy the Hive King for stabbing his friend. Miek continued to explain how it was really his plan to let Hulk think the heroes of Earth destroyed Sakaar as he watched men loyal to the Red King load an old warp core onto the Hulk’s shuttle in hopes that it would kill him. Now faced with the truth, Hulk’s anger was completely out of control, and as he told the heroes he would hate them forever because this would never have happened if not for their interference, he also told Tony Stark to stop him because he hated himself as well for his part in the destruction.

Stark called upon the combined power of various satellites to finally put an end to the Hulk’s rampage. Banner was taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and was placed three miles below the Mojave Desert. The Warbound was also placed in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody, but they escaped after saving New York from being split in half by an expanding chasm the Hulk created.

Silver Surfer:

At Home On Zenn-La

One of the noblest and most tormented cosmic entities in the universe, the Silver Surfer treasures freedom above all else, but has often sacrificed his liberty for the greater good. He was born Norrin Radd on the planet Zenn-La, part of an extremely long-lived and technologically advanced humanoid race which had created a worldwide utopia devoid of crime, disease, hunger, poverty, and want of any kind. Norrin's mother Elmar, ill-suited to this stifling environment, eventually killed herself. Urged on by his atypically ambitious father Jartran, Norrin was raised as a grimly intellectual youth, encouraged to seek knowledge, advancement, and achievement rather than the aimless hedonism which had come to dominate Zenn-Lavian society. However, a disgraced Jartran would later commit suicide himself after he was accused of idea theft (though not before he had taken a new lover and fathered another son, Fennan, unknown to Norrin). Despite his lifelong love, Shalla-Bal, Norrin grew into a restless soul who longed for challenge and struggle, immersing himself in histories of Zenn-La's adventurous ancient past.

To Save A World

Norrin's life changed forever when a menacing alien spacecraft pierced Zenn-La's long-neglected defense systems. Convincing a Council of Scientists member to provide him with a spaceship, Radd soon confronted the invader, Galactus, who intended to consume Zenn-La. Radd offered to become his herald and seek out new worlds for him in exchange for Galactus sparing Zenn-La. Galactus agreed, transforming Radd into a silver-skinned, cosmic-powered super-being patterned after an adolescent fantasy plucked from Norrin's memories. Known thereafter as the Silver Surfer because of the silvery flying board he rode, Radd departed Zenn-La with Galactus.

The Alien and the Girl

The Surfer served Galactus well for many years, enjoying exploring the wonders of the universe; however, it became increasingly difficult for Radd to find energy-rich worlds devoid of sentient life. Over time, Galactus subtly altered the Surfer's mind, submerging Radd's emotions and repressing past memories. As a result, the Surfer became much more willing to lead Galactus to inhabited worlds, such as Earth. Locating Earth despite Uatu The Watcher's covert attempts to ward him off, the Surfer caused widespread panic and fought the Fantastic Four. During this conflict, the Surfer met blind sculptress Alicia Masters, who sensed his inner nobility and pleaded with him to spare humanity. His long-dormant emotions stirred by what Alicia taught him of beauty and spirit, the Surfer turned on Galactus and helped fight him off long enough for Uatu and the Fantastic Four to secure the Ultimate Nullifier: a cosmic doomsday weapon which forced Galactus to withdraw. However, Galactus punished the Surfer by trapping him on Earth, erecting an energy barrier around the planet that was uniquely attuned to the Surfer.

Hard Lessons

The Surfer became a melancholy global wanderer, trying to adjust to his new home and understand its people. After a pointless skirmish with Alicia's jealous boyfriend, the Thing, the Surfer was befriended and betrayed by Latverian tyrant Doctor Doom, who imprisoned Radd and stole the Surfer's power for himself; but Doom lost his new might when he collided with Galactus' barrier, and the Surfer's powers were restored. Increasingly pessimistic about humanity, the Surfer tried to befriend fellow outcast the Hulk, but the man-monster's violent temper drove him away. Next, the Surfer took pity on the Mad Thinker's abandoned sentient computer Quasimodo and gave it humanoid form, but he was forced to petrify his new creation after it proved to be criminally insane. Convinced by now that humanity was a savage race that could only survive and evolve if the planet were united against a common foe, the Surfer decided to become that foe. He terrorized the world with his cosmic powers until the U.S. military struck him down with an experimental power-draining "Sonic Shark" missile, based on technology developed by the FF's Reed Richards. Humbled by the incident and shown the error of his ways by the FF, the Surfer resumed his peaceful wanderings. His powers were diminished, though they gradually returned to their original levels.

New Friends, New Foes, and Past Mistakes

Aided by the Fantastic Four, the Surfer resisted attempts by Galactus to regain his services. He also faced foes such as the alien Badoon, the demonic Mephisto (who became obsessed with breaking the Surfer's spirit), Asgardian trickster god Loki (who manipulated the Surfer into battling his brother Thor), the alternate-future Overlord, mad scientist Ludwig von Frankenstein, the ghostly Flying Dutchman, rogue Zenn-Lavian scientist Yarro Gort (who coveted Shalla-Bal for himself and died trying to destroy the Surfer), the occultist Warlock Prime, the monstrous Abomination, and the robotic Doomsday Man. One of the Surfer's few true friends during these early adventures was physicist Al B. Harper, who sacrificed his life to help the Surfer save the world from the enigmatic Stranger; the Surfer lit an eternal flame at Harper's grave in memory of his heroism. Several times during this period, the Surfer was briefly reunited with Shalla-Bal, who was used as an unwilling pawn against the Surfer by foes such as Mephisto and Gort; but circumstances always forced the lovers apart, sending Shalla Bal home each time. Increasingly frustrated by his situation and disgusted by man's inhumanity to man, the Surfer, secretly influenced by Psycho-Man, became more hostile, battling Spider-Man, Human Torch, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans in a series of misunderstandings and misadventures. But when Doctor Doom temporarily usurped the power of Galactus, the Surfer helped defeat the villain.

Defending His New Home

The Surfer formed a temporary alliance with the Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner to oppose a new weather technology that threatened to destroy the world; these "Titans Three" completed their mission despite the misguided interference of the Avengers, and even toppled a minor hostile dictator along the way. Namor, Hulk and Doctor Strange soon formed a more enduring heroic alliance as the Defenders - saving the world from Yandroth. They tried to recruit the Surfer for their first mission, but he was recovering from a collision with Galactus' barrier at the time. After aiding Thor against Loki‘s minion Durok the Demolisher, the Surfer helped the Fantastic Four defeat Galactus' latest herald, the Air-Walker android, and the Fantastic Four in turn protected the Surfer by trapping Galactus in the Negative Zone. The Surfer soon fell under the mental sway of Calizuma and his Warrior Wizards, agents of the demonic Undying Ones. Freed from their influence by the Defenders, the Surfer helped defeat the wizards and became one of the Defenders' earliest recruits, aiding the team against foes such as the Nameless One, Attuma and the Red Ghost. At one point, a quest to restore the petrified Black Knight led the Defenders into a conflict with the Avengers, orchestrated by Loki and Dormammu. In the end, the villains were defeated and the two super-teams parted as friends, though the restless Surfer soon left the active Defenders ranks.

Return to Zenn-La

Tricked into helping Doctor Doom create the deadly Doomsman android, the Surfer helped the Fantastic Four neutralize this menace, then clashed with the vampire lord Dracula. Later, the Surfer was present at an Avengers-Defenders gathering ineffectually attacked by mind-controlled heroine Jewel. After another clash with the Hulk, the Surfer aided the Defenders against the demonic Six-Fingered Hand and their hellish masters, including Mephisto. After aiding the Avengers against the Molecule Man, declining an offer of Avengers membership, attending the funeral of seemingly deceased Defenders teammates Nighthawk and Valkyrie, and participating in another Avengers-Defenders clash orchestrated by alien menaces Nebulon and Supernalia, the Surfer finally pierced Galactus' barrier with the aid of Reed Richards and escaped Earth. But he discovered Zenn-La had been devastated by a vengeful Galactus, barely capable of supporting life. Worse yet, Shalla-Bal had been abducted back to Earth by Mephisto. Though it meant trapping himself on Earth again (since Reed's escape method would work only once), the Surfer returned to Earth and defeated Mephisto, who sent Shalla-Bal back to Zenn-La, though not before the Surfer endowed her with a portion of his cosmic power which she used to revitalize their ravaged homeworld.

Defenders No More

The Surfer helped the Defenders liberate the Squadron Supreme’s alternate Earth (Earth-S, Earth-712) from the control of the demonic Null the Living Darkness, then celebrated the Hulk's brief public acceptance after gaining Bruce Banner's intellect. But the Surfer and his fellow senior Defenders - Hulk, Namor and Strange - were tricked into disbanding after the alien Tribunal convinced them their continued teamwork was fated to cause Earth's doom. The Surfer, meanwhile, helped the Fantastic Four defeat the cosmic-powered Tyros (formerly Galactus' herald Terrax) and locate a missing Reed Richards, helped Earth's heroes neutralize the threat of the near-omnipotent Beyonder, and teamed with the Molecule Man to undo much of the damage done to Earth by the Beyonder.

The Spaceways Reopened

Piercing Galactus' barrier again (this time by using the Thing's simple suggestion of trying to pass through it without his surfboard), the Surfer made peace with Galactus by rescuing his current herald Nova from the Skrulls, after which Galactus finally ended the Surfer's long exile. Radd revisited his homeworld, but Shalla-Bal had become empress of the rejuvenated Zenn-La and was not free to renew their romance. The Surfer became embroiled in fresh hostilities between the interstellar Kree and Skrull empires, and intervened in a series of plots by the Elders of the Universe, who planned to destroy Galactus, and the universe with him-in order to become the supreme powers of a new universe. The Surfer thwarted the Elders with the aid of his new love interest Mantis, the Earth-born cosmic heroine also known as the Celestial Madonna, but she seemingly died in the process; though she would later return, she never fully renewed her romance with the Surfer. Romantic sparks developed between Nova and the Surfer, whose influence gradually led Nova to question the morality of her role as a herald. Galactus finally replaced her with the far more ruthless Morg, who killed Nova during a conflict with the Surfer and most of the other ex-heralds.

Cosmic Adventures and Mysteries Galore

The Surfer has repeatedly battled space-born menaces such as Reptyl, Ego the Living Planet, Super-Skrull, Midnight Sun, Nebula, Galactus' dark counterpart Tyrant-and, perhaps most notably, Thanos, a death-worshipping rogue Eternal who wiped out half the life in the universe using the omnipotent Infinity Gauntlet before the Surfer teamed with a reborn Adam Warlock and many other heroes to seize and dismantle the gauntlet after undoing its effects. Later the Surfer foiled the mission of the galactic mercenary White Raven, to obtain an unknown power source for Thanos. The Surfer has been allied with cosmic adventurers such as Jack of Hearts, Ganymede, Genis-Vell and Warlock’s Infinity Watch, who helped the Surfer restore Shalla-Bal to life after she sacrificed herself to save Zenn-La from the supremely powerful Great One. The Surfer also partnered with Quasar, Beta Ray Bill, Morfex, and Xenith to form the short-lived Star Masters team, and began participating in occasional Defenders reunions - the Tribunal's hoax having since been exposed. During his travels, the Surfer also met his long-lost brother Fennan. However, Zenn-La and its people later seemingly vanished, and the Surfer was led to believe that his homeworld had been destroyed long ago by the mysterious Other, and that the Zenn-Lavian world and people he had encountered since becoming the Surfer were mere illusions. While this seems highly unlikely, Zenn-La's bizarre disappearance remains unexplained.

Death of Galactus/Rebirth of the Defenders

Losing his capacity for emotion again, the Surfer returned to Earth, eventually regaining his personality during a time travel adventure and sharing a romance with Alicia Masters. They ultimately parted as friends after many adventures together, one of which pitted them against Galactus' new herald Red Shift and led to the temporary destruction of Galactus himself. When a Gaea-powered curse from a dying Yandroth mystically forced Surfer, Namor, Hulk and Strange to assemble in response to any and all threats to the Earth, the ongoing stress of this situation coupled with the subtle emotional influence of the curse itself gradually drove the four senior Defenders mad, and they attempted to rule the world as the Order in the belief that this was the most efficient way to protect the planet. Their fellow Defenders - Hellcat, Nighthawk, Valkyrie, and Clea - teamed with other heroes-including Ardina, a cosmic-powered woman whom they mystically created from a portion of the Surfer's own energy-to oppose the Order and return them to their senses, just in time to prevent the curse from rendering a resurrected Yandroth all-powerful.

Marduk Redux

More recently, fearing a prophesied apocalypse, the Surfer worked with the alien Annunaki race to gather and protect some of Earth's most extraordinarily gifted children. In the end, one of those children, Ellie Waters, saved Earth from the godlike Marduk entity, preventing the apocalypse and reordering reality as if the Marduk crisis had never happened; though Ellie apparently retains her memories of these events. The Surfer has resumed his interstellar wanderings, but remains ready to aid his adopted homeworld should Earth ever need him.

Gladiators, Slugs, and Old Friends

During his travels, Surfer was captured by the Planet Sakaar Empire and planted with an obedience slug to ensure he remained loyal to them. Fighting as a gladiator, the Surfer was finally forced to face the Hulk. The Hulk had viewed Surfer as a friend, and was enraged when the Surfer mercilessly attacked. Destroying the obedience slug, the Hulk nearly killed the Surfer before being forced to stop. The Hulk and several other slaves and gladiators were freed when the Surfer used the Power Cosmic to remove their own obedience slugs and give them a way out of the arena.

Spider-Man (Peter Parker):

The Boy, the Bite, and the Burglar

Orphaned as a baby when his parents were killed overseas in a plane crash as U.S. government spies, only child Peter Parker was raised by his elderly Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Academically gifted, Peter displayed an uncanny affinity for science that was nothing short of genius. Socially, however, he was painfully shy and the target of much cruelty by his peers at Midtown High School. Attending a public science exhibit when Peter was 15-years old, he was bitten on the hand by a radioactive spider accidentally irradiated by a particle beam, empowering Peter with the arachnid's proportional strength and agility, and the ability to cling to almost any surface. Most incredibly, he had gained a sixth sense that provided him with early warning of impending danger. Disguised, Peter tested his new-found abilities defeating professional wrestler Crusher Hogan in the ring, and earning some cash. Using his scientific prowess, he constructed a pair of artificial web-shooters that attached to his wrists. With an agent, a costume, and a new name, Spider-Man became an overnight sensation on television. Unconcerned with the rest of the world, he vowed to use his powers only to take care of himself and his aunt and uncle. After his first TV special ended, he allowed a burglar that he could have easily restrained to run past him and escape. A few days later, Peter returned home to find his beloved Uncle Ben had been shot and killed. When Spider-Man confronted the killer hiding in the old Acme Warehouse at the waterfront, he discovered to his horror that his uncle's murderer was the burglar he apathetically allowed to pass. Consumed with guilt, he became aware at last that with great power comes great responsibility, just as his beloved uncle had once said.

To help his Aunt May with finances, Peter took a freelance job at the Daily Bugle selling pictures of himself as Spider-Man to publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Despite Spider-Man rescuing his son, astronaut John Jameson, from a malfunctioning space capsule, Jonah used his newspaper to publicly condemn Spider-Man as a menace. Unlike heroes like the Fantastic Four or the Avengers, Spider-Man was mistrusted and feared by the public. At school, his popularity was no greater, as "Puny Parker" frequently clashed with bully Flash Thompson and his followers. Flash's girlfriend, Liz Allan, often complicated matters, harboring a crush on "Petey" and making Flash jealous.

A Gathering of Enemies

Spider-Man soon found himself facing a rogue's gallery of powerful thieves, gangsters, and megalomaniacs including the Chameleon, the Tinkerer, the Vulture (Adrian Toomes), Doctor Octopus (Otto Octavius), the Sandman, Doctor Doom, and Electro. In Florida, he befriended Dr. Curtis Connors after administering an antidote to reverse his transformation into the terrible Lizard. Though he had many enemies, he also shared adventures with the Fantastic Four (including rival the Human Torch), the Avengers, the X-Men and Daredevil. At the Daily Bugle, he discovered a friend and his first love, Jameson's secretary, Betty Brant. Even more villains clashed with Spider-Man including the Green Goblin, the Big Man and the Enforcers, Mysterio (Quentin Beck), and Kraven the Hunter. Dating Betty became awkward after her brother, Bennett, was murdered in a clash between Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man. Betty at first held Spider-Man responsible. Though she later recanted, the thought of Spider-Man reminded her of losing her brother. At home, Aunt May suffered a heart attack, causing Spider-Man to abandon a fight with the Green Goblin. For a while after, the public viewed Spider-Man as a coward, before he made a comeback. May's fragile health and poor finances, however, remain a lingering concern. Frustrated by their defeats at the hand of Spider-Man, six of his top villains gathered forces under Doctor Octopus to form the Sinister Six. Through wits and determination, Spider-Man defeated the group one at a time.

Peter Parker’s confidence gradually increased. At the same time, his relationship with Betty crumbled as handsome reporter Ned Leeds stole her heart. Jameson took his campaign against Spider-Man to a new level, sponsoring the creation of the deranged Scorpion, under Dr. Farley Stillwell. Though the Scorpion turned on Jameson, the publisher persisted with attacks against Spider-Man, and rented the first of a series of robotic Spider Slayers invented by Dr. Spencer Smythe. Spider-Man was able to use his technical know-how to defeat the Slayer. While Aunt May persisted with attempts to introduce Peter to Mary Jane Watson, the niece of neighbor Anna Watson, Spider-Man tackled organized crime led by the Crime Master and the Green Goblin. Tired of the Bugle's harassment, Peter tried selling pictures for the Daily Globe but gave up when the Globe's editor proved too nosy.

Big Super-Hero on Campus

After capturing a new foe, the Molten Man, Peter Parker graduated high school and earned a science scholarship to Empire State University (ESU) for achieving the highest scholastic average in Midtown High's history. College brought a fresh start with new peers including the wealthy Harry Osborn, son of industrialist Norman Osborn, and beauty queen of Standard High, Gwen Stacy; Flash Thompson followed Peter to ESU on an athletic scholarship. Consumed with worry about his aunt's hospitalization, Peter was misunderstood as an unfriendly snob by Harry and Gwen. Because a previous transfusion of his radioactive blood to Aunt May was slowly killing her, Spider-Man enlisted aid from Dr. Connors. The antidote that had been called in to cure Aunt May was stolen, and Spider-Man fought like a madman to retain it. Before Spider-Man could deliver the antidote, ISO-36, he was trapped under rubble in a battle with the "Master Planner” (revealed to be Doctor Octopus). Spider-Man courageously forced his way out to administer the elixir to Aunt May.

While Aunt May convalesced, Peter relaxed and befriended Harry and Gwen. Soon after, the Green Goblin negated Spider-Man's spider-sense, and kidnapped him. There, the Goblin revealed himself to be Harry's father, Norman. The two battled, but Spider-Man triumphed knocking the Goblin into live wires and chemicals. Norman was left with partial amnesia, blocking his memories of being Goblin and of Spider-Man's identity.

The Avengers invited Spider-Man to join their ranks, but after facing the Hulk, he declined the offer, preferring the freedom of working alone. Meanwhile, Peter could no longer evade meeting Mary Jane. Assuming the worst, Peter was stunned to discover she was both gorgeous and vivacious. Their first date involved riding into the city on Pete's new motorcycle take pictures of the Rhino. After another battle with the Lizard and new foe, the Shocker, Peter moved into Harry's apartment, rent free. Despite his new found independence, happiness eluded him. Worn out by Jameson's editorials, the public's fear of him, Aunt May's fragile health, slipping grades, and floundering love life, Peter decided to become Spider-Man no more. While Peter enjoyed time studying, and being with friends and family, crime escalated as the Kingpin's initiated his master plan to oversee the criminal underworld. After Peter rescued a watchman resembling Uncle Ben from two robbers, he renewed his vow to never let an innocent come to harm because he failed to act. Subsequently, Spider-Man battled the Kingpin, Doctor Octopus (who became Aunt May's boarder), a new Vulture, a new Spider Slayer, and Mysterio. He and the Human Torch went to Hollywood where they tackled Mysterio and the Wizard.

The Girl, the Goblin, and the Great Heartbreak

Though Peter dated MJ on occasion, he soon fell for the more serious-minded Gwen, causing tension between Harry and himself. Peter met Gwen's father, retired police Captain George Stacy, who studied Spider-Man, and questioned Peter about his first-hand experience. The Kingpin brainwashed Capt. Stacy (using Norman Osborn's equipment) into stealing police records. After Peter published pictures exposing Stacy, the Kingpin kidnapped George and Gwen. Spider-Man and Osborn rescued the two, but the Kingpin escaped. The Kingpin next focused on stealing a legendary stone tablet but Spider-Man retrieved it, and left it with Capt. Stacy. The Shocker stole it back, and Dr. Connors was forced by Man Mountain Marko to translate it for an aged gangster, Silvermane. Connors revealed a formula for a youth potion. Silvermane drank the liquid, and became a young man again. Tragically, he could not stop the de-aging process, and shrank so small, he ultimately disappeared. Meanwhile, the stress on Dr. Connors triggered a transformation again. After a fierce melee across the city, with unwelcome help from the Human Torch, Spider-Man rescued Connors.

Though Peter's frequent unexplained disappearances as Spider-Man have caused friction with Gwen, their love for each other gave Peter hope for a happy future together. As the bond between Peter and Gwen grew ever stronger, it was approvingly observed by Gwen's father, Police Captain George Stacy, who also supported the efforts of Spider-Man. But tragedy struck when Captain Stacy was crushed by a falling chimney, saving an innocent child during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus. With his dying breath, Captain Stacy told Spider-Man, "take care of Gwen, Peter". Spider-Man had lost a great ally.

Gwen blamed Spider-Man for her father's death. Peter's conscience, already tormented by the ever present need to lie to Gwen, became even more troubled. Yet their love prevailed through life's challenges - including Harry's drug addiction, and Spider-Man's aborted attempt to remove his own powers, that instead resulted in him being transformed into a six armed freak. In the end, it was death which separated the two lovers. The Green Goblin kidnapped Gwen, and dropped her off the Brooklyn Bridge. Spider-Man tried, but failed to save her. In the vicious battle which followed, Norman was accidentally impaled by his own Goblin Glider. His apparent death was secretly observed by his son, Harry, who swore his own revenge on Spider-Man. Harry soon succumbed to the Osborn Legacy, kidnapping those whom Peter loved most, only barely being stopped from finishing the work that Norman Osborn had started.

A Clone is Born

Meanwhile Peter and Gwen's college Professor, Miles Warren, had begun his own deadly schemes as the Jackal. Miles blamed Spider-Man for the death of Gwen, whom he had himself fallen in love with. The climax of the Jackal's plan was his creation of a Spider-Man clone, but at the conclusion of the final battle, both the Jackal and the clone were killed. With their departure, Peter's life returned to normality, as much as it ever could for a college student who was secretly a costumed super-hero.

In the meantime, Peter and Mary Jane realized that their relationship had become far more than just friendship. So much so that, shortly before his college graduation, Peter proposed to Mary Jane. But she had seen too much pain in her own family, and she turned him down. She left New York to pursue her modeling career in Florida, and Peter Parker moved on to post-graduate studies. It was a time for new challenges, and new friends. But one thing would never change; the ever-present responsibility he faced as Spider-Man.

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

Entering his post-graduate studies, Peter's close college friends began to find their own lives. Liz Allan was dating (later to marry) a recovering Harry Osborn. Flash Thompson was looking for a life after football and the army, with his girlfriend Sha Shan. Betty Brant had married Bugle reporter Ned Leeds. Even Peter's Aunt May had found romance with Nathan Lubensky, fellow occupant of the convalescent home she had moved into. With his friends all in cozy couples, Mary Jane's departure was all the more unsettling. But it was not long before Peter began dating again. He enjoyed several dates with Cissy Ironwood. Also, departmental secretary Deborah Whitman was attracted to Peter, but failed to win his heart. Dawn Starr, undergraduate student, pretended to date Peter though actually wanting to sneak a look at an upcoming exam. Amy Powell tried to use Peter to make her fiancé Lance Bannon jealous.

A Partner in Crimefighting

These women had one thing in common - Peter Parker. But when Felicia Hardy, crossed Spider-Man's path, things were different. Felicia was beautiful, talented, and determined. She was also an unrepentant burglar who had a romantic fascination with her web-slinging hero. Spider-Man persuaded Felicia to turn away from crime, and the two of them became lovers - and crime-fighting partners. Felicia urged Peter to spend more and more time in costume. The glamorous Black Cat could never bear to see her super-hero living the squalid life of post-grad student. Becoming Spider-Man was made easier since Aunt May had recovered enough to return home and open the Parker residence as a boarding home for retired people, aided by Nathan. Aided by the Black Cat, Spider-Man faced Doc Ock and the Owl - a battle which nearly cost Felicia her life. Peter was brought crashing down to earth. He realized that without super-powers, Felicia was just like the others from his past, who had so often paid the price for Peter being Spider-Man.

The Redhead Returns

When Mary Jane returned from Florida she found Peter and the Black Cat in a shaky and tempestuous relationship. Felicia could not bear the thought of Peter not allowing her to accompany him into battle, and she embarked on a secret search for super-powers at any price. Tricked by the Kingpin, and twisted in her own deceit, the Black Cat and Spider-Man finally parted ways. In contrast, Mary Jane was determined not to let lies come between her and Peter Parker. She finally told Peter that she had known for some time about his secret identity. With Spider-Man's secret finally out in the open, Peter and Mary Jane's relationship found new depth.

Peter Makes a New Friend from Outer Space

Certainly there always was plenty of action for Spider-Man in New York, especially with the appearance of the deadly Hobgoblin, and Peter's troubles with his symbiotic black costume he obtained after being whisked away to the Secret Wars, a battle on a far away world between the Earth's greatest heroes and villains orchestrated by the enigmatic Beyonder. His costume shredded, Spider-Man thought he obtained a new black and white costume (similar in design to the new Spider-Woman) from a costume making machine. After returning home to Earth, Peter discovered his costume was actually a living entity, feeding off his adrenalin as it possessed his body while he slept. Thanks to Mister Fantastic, the costume was removed by sonic blasts, and captured. It escaped, still emotionally dependant on Spider-Man and reattached itself. Spider-Man forced it off by the loud noise atop the bell-tower of a church (where the alien costume would later attach itself to Eddie Brock forming Venom).

Wedding Bells for the Webhead

As Spider-Man, Peter faced the death of his good friend Police Captain Jean DeWolff at the hands of the Sin-Eater. He watched Flash Thompson be taken for a criminal, and Ned Leeds killed, both for their involvement with the Hobgoblin. But things were different now - he had Mary Jane by his side. Peter proposed for a second time, and was accepted. As newlyweds, Peter and Mary Jane shared happiness, but faced many perils also. Mary Jane was menaced by both Kraven the Hunter, and by Venom, both of whom knew Peter's identity. Mary Jane loved Peter, and had deep respect for his sense of responsibility. But she was unprepared for the loneliness, the fear for his life, and the nagging doubt that perhaps Peter needed Spider-Man far more than he needed her. During this time, Spider-Man gained the cosmic powers of Captain Universe making him virtually indestructible, able to fly, shoot cosmic energy blasts, and possess unimaginable strength. This temporary augmentation allowed Spider-Man to defend himself against a new assortment of foes (including Graviton, Magneto, Titania, and Dragon Man), as villains attempted to aid each other by targeting each others' enemies. At the opposite extreme, Spider-Man temporarily lost all of his powers under the trickery of the Chameleon, but was aided by the Black Cat in restoring his abilities. Spider-Man, along with the Hulk, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine briefly formed an unofficial ad-hoc Fantastic Four team, while the real Fantastic Four were captured by Skrulls. The group quickly disbanded.

Amongst the daily battles with New York's villains, and the challenges of keeping his marriage alive, Peter soon faced the inexplicable return of his parents, Mary and Richard Parker. Long since believed dead, they claimed to have lost their memory of the intervening years. Aunt May was not ready to accept them, but Peter finally believed them to be what they claimed to be, even showing them his identity as Spider-Man. But Peter's heart had over-ridden his instincts. The pair were eventually revealed as robot agents of the Chameleon, part of a plan prompted by Harry Osborn, recently returned as the Green Goblin. Spider-Man was filled with anger at this deeply personal attack. It seemed to him that those he loved were fated to die, while the evil in his life would always return to haunt him.

I Am the Spider

A darkness began to fill Spider-Man's heart, like never before. Still brooding over the Chameleon's invasion of his life, and Harry's death after a twisted attack on both the Osborn and Parker families, Peter was then faced with Aunt May's serious heart attack. May hospitalized, and not expected to recover. Peter's frustration at life's injustices boiled over into violence. Encountering the recently reformed and powerless Scorpion, Spider-Man cruelly beat his former foe close to death - ignoring his victim's pleas for mercy. Calling himself "the Spider", it seemed that Peter was even beyond Mary Jane's powers to heal him. In the end, his salvation came at the hands of Judas Traveller, a psychologist with most unusual methods. Peter's recovery from his dark madness coincided with the return of a figure from Peter's distant past - his clone, created by the Jackal. The clone had survived, and had wandered the U.S. using the adopted name "Ben Reilly". Learning that Aunt May was very ill, the clone returned to New York, just in time to see her pass away. He adopted a costumed identity as the "Scarlet Spider", and portrayed himself as Peter's long-lost cousin. Peter and Ben became friends, even almost brothers. The Jackal himself had also survived. Deceived at the hands of Norman Osborn, the Jackal declared that in fact Ben was the original, and Peter the clone. Though Peter took the revelation badly, Ben subsequently took over the role of Spider-Man, leaving Peter and pregnant Mary Jane free to enjoy a "normal" life. Peter returned to his scientific career, though hampered by having never completed his doctorate. He and MJ also tried moving to Portland, until they realized that New York was where they truly belonged. But all too soon, their new world was shattered when Norman Osborn burst back into their lives. He also had survived his apparent death, and was the mastermind behind all of the Jackal's schemes. Norman killed Ben, revealing him to be the clone after all. But Norman's schemes went even deeper and deadlier than ever - he apparently caused Mary Jane to miscarry the baby and held Peter's Aunt May hostage. The woman believed to have been Aunt May that had died was a genetically modified actress, part of a subtle plot which was never carried to fruition.

A New Chapter

Reunited at last, Peter, Mary Jane, and Aunt May moved into a luxurious apartment. With the Green Goblin defeated in battle, driven more deeply insane by a mystical ceremony, Peter promise Mary Jane that he would give up being Spider-Man and concentrate on their family. He took a job at Tri Corp Research while Mary Jane returned to modeling. But after various emergencies and the appearance of a new Spider-Man (actually Mattie Franklin), Peter could not seem to keep his word.

While Mary Jane was being increasingly threatened by an anonymous stalker, Peter was secretly breaking his promise and returning to web-slinging. Mary Jane, preoccupied with modeling, was distraught feeling a space grow between her and Peter. After catching Peter still active as Spider-Man, MJ vanished when a plane she had boarded exploded. Peter was devastated. Aunt May returned to her home in Forest Hills, while Peter returned to his bachelor lifestyle moving in with Randy Robertson. He socialized with Randy, Glory Grant (now a couple), and Gwen's cousin Jill Stacy while his attractive neighbor, Caryn intrigued him. But with Peter still emotionally adrift, Norman picked the perfect time to drug Peter and incite him to becoming his heir. But even lost and confused as he was, Peter proved that his could resist Osborn's brainwashing attempt. Meanwhile, Mary Jane was not dead, but had been kidnapped by her stalker. Spider-Man managed to rescue Mary Jane, only to discover that she needed time away from him. Mary Jane left for the West Coast, leaving Peter to struggle with a loss almost as traumatic as her apparent death. While Peter turned to his Aunt May for support, May discovered Peter's greatest secret, visiting unannounced, and finding him asleep in costume after his grueling victory against Morlun. After coming to terms with the truth, May quickly became Spider-Man's strongest supporter, and the two became closer than ever. At May's suggestion, Peter returned to Midtown High, now more rundown that Peter remembered it, to teach science part-time. With renewed hopes, Peter and Mary Jane agreed to try once to make things work between them. After their time apart, Peter earnestly assured Mary Jane that he truly needs her in his life.

A Mystical Connection?

The mysterious Ezekiel, who shared similar spider-like abilities, made Peter question the source of his powers, implying a mystical reason the spider chose to bite him. Ezekiel had stolen his powers through an arcane ceremony and needed to sacrifice Spider-Man to keep them. When his ritual joined their minds, however, Ezekiel realized Spider-Man was the worthy hero and sacrificed himself.

A Past Indiscretion

Back home, Spider-Man fought the two adult children of his ex-love, Gwen Stacy. Years before, Gwen had an affair with Norman Osborn, subsequently became pregnant and rapidly gave birth to twins, Gabriel and Sarah. After his own apparent 'death,' Osborn raised the pair, who were aging rapidly due to their genetic inheritance of the Goblin formula. Osborn told them that Peter was their father and had killed their mother but Spider-Man eventually made them face the truth.

Osborn also revealed Spider-Man's identity to the Scorpion, and had him kidnap Aunt May. Osborn had been publicly revealed as the Green Goblin and jailed after murdering journalist Terri Kidder. He knew big businesses had been conspiring for decades to create super-villains and, as a potential whistle-blower, was an easy target in prison. Osborn wanted Peter to break him out in return for May's freedom, but when Peter did, a battle erupted with the Sinister Twelve, including Gargan himself - now the new Venom after bonding with the alien symbiote. Spider-Man, with the help of other super-heroes, was able to defeat the Sinister Twelve and save his Aunt May. Around this time, Spider-Man met the Queen who had powers allowing her to control the world's insects, eventually causing Spider-Man to mutate into a giant spider. She planned to detonate a bomb that would kill everyone except those with the "insect" gene but Peter returned to his human form and stopped her, augmented with enhanced powers including silk glands within his forearms.

Major League

After a breakout at the Raft Security Prison, Spider-Man joined the Avengers (newly formed in the aftermath of the Scarlet Witch's attack on her own team). An old classmate of Peter's named Charlie Weiderman went on an insane rampage after his experiments covered him in Vibranium, and burned down the Parker's home in Forest Hills. Peter moved into Tony Stark's tower with Aunt May and Mary Jane. For this and various other reasons, Spider-Man's secret identity was shared with many of the world's heroes including the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, providing him with an venue to communicate among his peers.

The Other

Morlun returned again, viciously beating Spider-Man, removing an eye, and hospitalizing him. Mary Jane tried to stop Morlun from finishing off her husband. But when Morlun threatened to kill her, Spider-Man gave the last of his energy to protect her. With stingers that burst from his wrists, Spider-Man slayed Morlun. Spider-Man then apparently died; however, a new Peter Parker emerged from the old corpse, now more fully embracing his "other" self - his spider personae. Retaining his stingers, he discovered other new abilities including night vision, greater control of his skin adhesive properties, and enhanced sensory perceptions, such as being able to sense the vibrations traveling through his webline. Tony Stark looking at Peter as his protégé, gave Spider-Man a new technologically advanced costume with a red and gold color scheme as a gift.

Choosing Sides, Unmasking, and Switching Teams

In the aftermath of a tragedy in Stamford, Connecticut, in which a band of televised heroes were unable to prevent the villain Nitro from killing an entire elementary school full of children and parts of the surrounding community, the U.S. government propelled forward the Superhuman Registration Act requiring the superhero community to register themselves as living weapons of mass destruction, and reveal their identities to the government. The act was supported by Tony Stark, who became the leader of the Pro-Registration side. The superheroic community was split between registering or refusing and becoming an outlaw. Leading the opposition to the act was Captain America, in defense of heroes' right to privacy. To support Iron Man, and perhaps obtain the ever-elusive respect from the public by compliance with the Act, Spider-Man made the difficult decision (with support from May and Mary Jane) to reveal his identity to the world during a press conference. As Spider-Man now faces the danger of public exposure to his family and loved ones, and the prospect of having to capture his renegade friends in what has become an all-out Civil War in the superpowered community, Peter regretted his decision. After witnessing a prison in the Negative Zone for super humans who refused to register, Parker fled Avengers Tower with his family, clashing with Iron Man during his exit. He aided Captain America and the forces opposing registration, culminating in a major battle during the jailbreak of the heroes imprisoned in the Negative Zone, Captain America's surrender, and the end of the Civil War. Spider-Man has remained a member of the unsanctioned Avengers team in the aftermath. Since Spider-Man's identity is now public knowledge, the Kingpin arranged a sniper to slay the Parker family. Though Mary Jane was spared, Parker was unable to prevent his aunt from getting shot. May was left in a coma on the verge of death. The anguish of yet another loved one injured because of his life as Spider-Man embittered the hero. He resumed wearing his black cloth costume, reflective of the dark times while his Aunt May was precariously close to death. Spider-Man confronted the Kingpin in Ryker's Island prison, and, while unmasked, beat him within an inch of his life, vowing to come back and kill him if Aunt May died.

A Brand New Day

With time running out, Peter tried several avenues, from the technological to the mystical, to save May's life. At a dead-end, Mephisto appeared to Peter and Mary Jane offering to restore May to health, but at the price of their holy bond of matrimony. To prevent May from simply getting shot again, Mephisto agreed to use arcane means to make the world forget they ever knew Spider-Man's secret identity. After spending one more day together, Mary Jane selflessly took the initiative and agreed to the bargain, knowing Peter would never forgive himself if he rejected a chance to save May for his own happiness. She had faith that their love would be strong enough to reunite them. Peter consented and awoke to a world where his marriage never took place, and his relationship with Mary Jane broken. Living back with Aunt May, alive and well, in his old Forest Hills home, Peter attended a party welcoming home from rehab his old friend Harry Osborn - somehow returned to life in the aftermath of the deal. Spider-Man has returned to using web-shooters; his powers and strength have returned to the state they were before his transformations by the Queen and after battling Morlun.

X-Men:

Mutants! The very word strikes fear and worry in many people's hearts, but many also dream of a peaceful coexistence between man and mutant. Professor X had such a dream, and his X-Men is a team of mutants willing to take stand for it!

The First Class

Under a cloud of increasing anti-mutant sentiment, Professor Xavier created a safe haven at his Westchester mansion where he could train young mutants to use their powers for the betterment of mankind. Aided by F.B.I. agent Fred Duncan, Xavier spent months recruiting his early students (code-named Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Beast and Marvel Girl), dubbing them "X-Men" because each possessed an "extra" ability normal humans lacked. The X-Men made their public debut by thwarting Magneto's seizure of the Cape Citadel missile base. The U.S. military was grateful, and the youngsters were initially regarded as heroes. Magneto would battle the X-Men repeatedly over the years, sometimes leading his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. The X-Men also battled such threats as the immovable Blob, the untouchable Unus, the alien Lucifer, the savage Swamp Men, the enigmatic Stranger, the unstoppable Juggernaut, and the giant mutant-hunting Sentinel robots.

The arrogant mutated human Mimic briefly joined the team before Xavier secretly went into hiding. Requiring seclusion to prepare for a forthcoming invasion of Earth by the alien Z'Nox, Xavier had the shape-shifting mutant Changeling impersonate him in order to supervise the X-Men in his absence; however, the Changeling "Xavier" died heroically in battle against the subterranean Grotesk. Of the X-Men, only Marvel Girl knew that Xavier was still alive, though she was sworn to secrecy. Duncan had the X-Men disband briefly, but the team had regrouped by the time Xavier finally came out of hiding, leading them in repelling the Z'Nox with the aid of the Fantastic Four. Joined by Polaris and Havok, the heroes befriended Avia of the Savage Land's Nhu'Gari race, and fought the likes of African mutant Deluge (alongside young future member Storm), the mutant slave-runner Krueger, the criminal Dazzler (Angel's uncle, Burt Worthington), the telepathic alliance known as the Promise, the Inhuman Yeti, and the Secret Empire.

All-New, All-Different

When the sentient island Krakoa captured most of his students, Xavier hastily assembled a second squad of X-Men. Traveling the world, he recruited Nightcrawler in Germany, Wolverine in Canada, Banshee in Ireland, Storm in Kenya, Sunfire in Japan, Colossus in Russia, and Thunderbird in America. Led by Cyclops, these all-new, all-different X-Men were able to rescue their predecessors. Except for Cyclops, the previous members all quit the expanded team. Sunfire also left the group, and Thunderbird died battling Count Nefaria and his Ani-Men during an attempted takeover of the N.O.R.A.D. facility in Cheyenne Mountain.

When the U.S. government unleashed new-model Sentinels that imprisoned Jean Grey and several other X-Men on a space station, the team escaped to Earth in a shuttle through a lethal solar-radiation storm. Dying from radiation, Jean was touched by the cosmic Phoenix Force, which replicated Jean's form and absorbed a portion of her consciousness. Guiding the shuttle to a crash-landing, the Phoenix Force secretly placed the real Jean in stasis within a cocoon-like pod at the bottom of Jamaica Bay, then took her place in the X-Men. The X-Men subsequently battled the Juggernaut, Magneto, Emperor D'Ken of the intergalactic Shi'ar Empire, the eccentric assassin Arcade, the prehistoric mutant Sauron, Alpha Flight, the reality-altering Proteus, and the Hellfire Club. The Club's probationary member Jason Wyngarde (Mastermind) mentally manipulated the Phoenix, who was rapidly corrupted by her own vast power and, as a result, transformed into Dark Phoenix. Ultimately, Jean's psyche resurfaced and convinced the Phoenix Force to sacrifice itself to save the universe. Believing Jean to be dead, Cyclops quit the team, leaving Storm to lead them in his absence.

The Dream Branches Out

The X-Men soon welcomed more new members, including Kitty Pryde, Rogue, and Rachel Summers. When the X-Men were believed dead after an encounter with the alien Brood, Xavier formed a new team of students dubbed the New Mutants. After the X-Men returned, Xavier continued to mentor both teams. The New Mutants even served temporarily as X-Men to save the team from interdimensional media mogul Mojo.

The real Jean Grey eventually revived and was reunited with the original X-Men members. Together they established X-Factor, supposedly a business dedicated to hunting and capturing dangerous mutants, but secretly a group formed to protect, recruit and mentor mutants in need of guidance, like Xavier before them. At the same time, the X-Factor group moonlighted as an openly mutant super-hero team, the X-Terminators. Their ranks already scattered and depleted after battles with the likes of Mr. Sinister's Marauders, the X-Men seemingly died battling the Adversary in Dallas, but they secretly survived and relocated to the Australian Outback, battling threats such as the cyborg Reavers, the Master Mold, and Nanny and her Orphan-Maker. While seeking the missing X-Men, Forge and Banshee helped form an ad-hoc team of X-Men to defend Muir Island from the Reavers. This team then fell under the thrall of the psychic Shadow King, and it took the combined efforts of the X-Men and X-Factor to defeat him. Afterwards, the members of X-Factor rejoined the X-Men which then split into two teams, Blue and Gold.

Onslaught and O:ZT

When Magneto nearly killed Wolverine by forcibly extracting the Adamantium implants from his skeleton, Xavier retaliated by telepathically lobotomizing Magneto; but Xavier paid a high price for this action. Tainted by Magneto's essence, Xavier unwittingly created the evil psionic entity Onslaught, which seemingly slew most of New York's major super heroes before being defeated. The heroes eventually returned, but not before Xavier was arrested for his part in the creation of Onslaught. Incarcerated, Xavier was interrogated by the hybrid Sentinel Bastion, who used the information he gained to launch an assault on the X-Men under the guise of the government-sponsored Operation: Zero Tolerance program. After the program was shut down, Xavier was forced to flee from his own mutant-locating computer Cerebro, which had become a sentient nanotech construct due to Bastion's machinations. Trying to realize Xavier's dream and fulfill its mutant-recruitment programming, Cerebro created solid holographic amalgamations of mutants in Xavier's files, then set about "recruiting" them to join a new team of X-Men with itself as their "founder". Cerebro's plan was foiled by the true X-Men, and it was ultimately stopped after Xavier caused it to overload.

Magneto soon resurfaced, holding the planet hostage with its own magnetic field, and convinced the world's leaders to grant him sovereignty over Genosha, an island nation near South Africa where humans once enslaved mutants. At first forced to cope with civil war and the effects of the lethal Legacy Virus, Magneto gained the might of a unified nation when a cure for the mutant plague was released into the atmosphere. Magneto proclaimed his intended dominance over mankind, standing ready to unleash an entire nation of mutates upon the planet. With the aid of a hastily-assembled interim team, the X-Men narrowly averted the would-be conqueror's ultimate offensive.

The "New" X-Men & New Teams

When Xavier and the X-Men were publicly outed as mutants by Xavier's genetic twin, Cassandra Nova, the Xavier Institute was overwhelmed with an influx of young mutants seeking safety and education. To cope with the large student body, Xavier recruited several new faculty members into the Institute, including former Alpha Flight member Northstar and a reformed Juggernaut. Xavier also formed the X-Corporation, a global search-and-rescue unit for oppressed mutants. The X-Corporation boasts headquarters around the world, with numerous mutants from the various splinter teams rallying to join the cause.

Following an all-out assault on Manhattan by a mutant posing as Magneto, Xavier left the X-Men to help the true Magneto rebuild Genosha after it was devastated by a Sentinel attack. Cyclops and Emma Frost became co-headmasters of the Institute and reorganized the X-Men into three separate teams, leading one team themselves in an effort to improve the X-Men's standing with the public. A second team was led by Cyclops' brother Havok, while the third, the X-Treme Sanctions Executive led by Storm, acted as a global mutant police force until its license was revoked in the wake of "M Day".

Post Decimation

Following the events of the House of M - in which the vast majority of mutants were suddenly de-powered) - the X-Mansion became home to a refugee camp housing a bedraggled and sometimes volatile group of the world's remaining powered mutants. The United States government surrounded the perimeter of the mansion with manned Sentinels reporting to the newly-created O*N*E, ostensibly to protect the mutant camp as a national security asset. The X-Men thus found themselves in the position of having to act as intermediaries between the government and the mutants and relations between the three groups fluctuated widely from cautious friendship to outright antagonism.

Despite the new stresses placed upon them, the X-Men continued to engage in field missions, including combating a newly resurgent Apocalypse and a group of Shi'ar Death Commandos intent on assassinating Rachel Grey. The current student population, has, unfortunately, significantly dropped after a series of attacks by a religious cult led by Reverend William Stryker. After a mass escape attempt by the mutant refugees was resolved peacefully, tensions between the government and the X-Men decreased significantly.

Vampire Hunters:

For centuries, brave men and women have taken up arms against vampires, some such as the immortal Ulysses Bloodstone or the 17th-century hunter Jonas Cray carving out still-remembered legends; but the greatest leaders of vampire hunters have been those born into and raised by the van Helsing family. The van Helsings' particular enmity towards Dracula, the lord of vampires, began in 1465, when Dracula slew Hans, lover of Rache van Helsing. Rache raised her son to avenge Hans, and this vendetta endured for centuries. By the late 19th century, Dracula's foremost foe was Abraham van Helsing, latest of the family line and an occult specialist. Abraham took a personal interest in Dracula's destruction when his wife Elizabeth became one of the vampire lord's victims.

Decades later, in 1890, Abraham was summoned by his former pupil John Seward to help treat Lucy Westernra, a victim of Dracula who was slowly becoming undead. Abraham did all that he could to prevent her transformation but failed. He subsequently led her fiancé Arthur Holmwood to destroy her while she rested in her coffin. As Abraham, Holmwood and Seward searched London for Dracula alongside their friends Quincy Morris and Jonathan Harker, they discovered that Harker's wife, Mina, had been visited by Dracula and had drank of his blood. Abraham took advantage of her psychic connection to Dracula in order to discern his movements, and they tracked him back to Castle Dracula. Jonathan and Morris seemingly slew Dracula, but Morris died from his wounds. The Harkers named their son Quincy in honor of him. Later, the revived Dracula slew Abraham in 1899 and Jon Harker during World War I.

Jon Harker's son, Quincy, continued the fight against vampires, including the revived Dracula, across the next century. While at an opera house with his wife Elizabeth in 1945, Quincy was flung from a balcony by Dracula, breaking his legs. Quincy, confined to a wheelchair from then on, equipped the chair with a powerful arsenal of weapons, including poison-coated wooden darts and garlic-coated nets. He also trained his German Shepherd Saint to fight vampires, protecting the faithful hound with a collar studded with silver crosses. Due to repeated vampire bites, Quincy aged extremely slowly and suffered from light sensitivity. Elizabeth, however, never got over her encounter with Dracula, eventually committing suicide. When Dracula took revenge on the van Helsing family by killing the parents of young Rachel van Helsing, Quincy saved the girl from Dracula, taking her under his wing. Rachel grew up to become a true successor to the van Helsing mantle and pursued Dracula across the globe, usually wielding a crossbow. While trailing Dracula in India, she met Taj Nital, whose throat had been slashed by Dracula in combat, rendering him mute. Taj became a member of Quincy's team.

One of Quincy's agents, a Scotsman whose son had been killed by Dracula, tracked Dracula to his castle and drove a stake into the vampire's heart before dying himself. Dracula lay dormant for years until his castle was visited by Frank Drake, a human descendant of Dracula's who had come to sell the family property, having no idea that the stories of Dracula were real. Drake's friend Clifton Graves inadvertently revived Dracula, who drove Graves mad and made him his servant, also vampirizing Drake's girlfriend Jeanie. Forced to slay Jeanie, Drake was haunted by his experiences. He attempted to commit suicide by flinging himself from a bridge in London but was saved by Rachel and Taj, who recruited him into their ranks, eventually introducing him to Quincy Harker himself. Drake was often cowardly in battle in comparison to the fiery Rachel and the stoic Taj, but over time, he found his courage, and fell in love with Rachel.

Quincy's band often encountered Blade, a vampire hunter whose viciousness made cooperation difficult. Blade had led his own team of vampire hunters -- Azu, Orji Jones, Musenda, and Ogun Strong -- but all but Musenda had been slain by Dracula, so Blade preferred working alone. Blade considered Quincy's team too soft, but repeatedly found that he needed their resources. Other allies of Quincy's team included Scotland Yard's Inspector Chelm, psychic investigator Kate Fraser, vampire detective Hannibal King, and sorcerer supreme Dr. Strange. Quincy's daughter Edith was an early associate of the team, but Dracula turned her into a vampire and Quincy had to destroy her.

The nebbish writer Harold H. Harold once saved Dracula's life in order to obtain an interview with him, but eventually realized his error and aided the vampire hunters in several adventures. Unfortunately, Harold saved Dracula's life again after he had been impaled on a wooden fence post by Howard the Duck, and Dracula turned Harold into a vampire as his reward. An unrelated vampire-hunter, cowboy Francis Leroy Brown, was hired by the father of Dracula-victim Mary Jo Bentley to avenge her death. Brown attacked Dracula when he was briefly returned to human form, managing to shoot him twice before being hurled to his death off of a roof. After many close attempts on Dracula's life, Quincy engaged in a final confrontation with Dracula at his castle, activating a bomb with a 30-second countdown. This time Quincy succeeded in slaying Dracula, but the bomb exploded before he could behead him and Quincy died in the explosion.

Dracula returned for vengeance on his enemies, vampirizing Rachel and using her as a pawn against the X-Men. Rachel ultimately regained some of her will and aided the X-Men in slaying Dracula, then allowed herself to be destroyed by sunlight. Devastated by Rachel's death, Frank Drake joined with Hannibal King and Blade in assisting Dr. Strange with the recovery of the Darkhold so that its Montesi Formula could be used to destroy Dracula. Although Dracula bested all three of his old foes, Dr. Strange succeeded with the spell, destroying Dracula and all of the Earth's vampires -- including Harold H. Harold. Only Hannibal King was spared, as Dr. Strange was able to restore his humanity. Drake, King and Blade formed a detective agency together and faced other supernatural threats, such as the cult of the Darkholders. Drake eventually married Marlene McKenna, but the mystic Gregor Smirnoff had her temporarily possessed by Rachel van Helsing's spirit and restored Dracula to life once more. Drake and Blade joined with the vampire hunter Katinka in opposing Dracula yet again. Katinka later worked with paranormal investigator Judiah Golem.

With vampires again on the rise, Drake, King and Blade found more work for their agency, Borderline Investigations (also known as the Nightstalkers). King became more vampire-like due to the weakening of the Montesi Formula, and Drake adopted the Exorcist (nicknamed "Linda"), a gun which could destroy supernatural targets. They fought menaces such as HYDRA's D.O.A. operatives and the Lilin, and joined with the Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch), Dr. Strange, John Blaze, Morbius and the Darkhold Redeemers as the Midnight Sons. Tragically, Taj Nital re-entered the trio's lives, but had been transformed into a vampire by the first lord of the vampires, Varnae, to destroy them, and had to be slain by Blade. While battling Varnae and Bloodstorm (a clone of Dracula), the Exorcist gun overloaded, and Drake and King were seemingly killed. Instead of perishing, Drake, King and Bloodstorm were apparently merged into a new host body for Dracula. When Dracula assumed full control of his new body, he drove King and Drake out. Drake was horribly injured from the ordeal and was sent to a hospital. There, he retreated into himself, having become so dulled by the trials of his life that he no longer cared about himself or anyone else.

Recently, Noah van Helsing, born Noah Tremayne and adopted by August van Helsing, gathered many of the world's greatest vampire hunters to oppose Dracula and thousands of vampires that had gathered at Castle Dracula to perform the Ritual of Ascension, which had been discovered by August's father Jeremiah. Noah's recruits were Blade; Divinity Drake, seemingly a part-vampire descendant of Dracula; Benjamin Soloman Alomii, a technology specialist from Guyana; Michiyo Watanabe, a Japanese swordswoman; Lucas Telling-Stone, a mute Native American spell-caster; and Enzo Ferrara, formerly of the Vatican, an all-around specialist in the occult.

Noah's team suffered many casualties despite the aid of the Mortuus Invitus, vampire warriors who rejected their bloodlust. Ultimately, Divinity was revealed to be the sorceress Aamshed, the creator of the Ritual Dracula had sought to perform, and her magics destroyed Dracula and all of the vampires gathered at his castle. In the end, only Blade and Telling-Stone survived the battle.

Daredevil (Matthew Murdock):

Abandoned by his mother, Matt Murdock was raised by his father, boxer "Battling Jack" Murdock, in Hell's Kitchen. Realizing that rules were needed to prevent people from behaving badly, young Matt decided to study law; however, when he saved a man from an oncoming truck, it spilled a radioactive cargo that rendered Matt blind while enhancing his remaining senses. Under the harsh tutelage of blind martial arts master Stick, Matt mastered his heightened senses and became a formidable fighter. He also attended Columbia University Law School alongside his best friend, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson; but before Matt earned his Juris Doctorate degree, his father was murdered by agents of the Fixer (Roscoe Sweeny) for refusing to throw a fight. Enraged when the legal system failed to bring the Fixer to justice, Matt donned a costume made from his father's boxing robe and went into action as "Daredevil," savagely beating his father's killers and frightening the Fixer himself to death. Establishing a small New York law firm with Foggy, Matt vowed to serve the law as Matt Murdock and to fight evils beyond the law's reach as Daredevil. Over the years, he has fought many super-criminals, including Mister Fear,

Stilt-Man, Gladiator, Purple Man and Jester (Jonathan Powers), as well as crime lords such as the Kingpin and the Owl. He has loved and fought alongside both the Black Widow and Elektra.

Although Daredevil and the Punisher both fight crime, they often clash over the Punisher's lethal tactics. During an early encounter, Daredevil shot the Punisher to prevent him from killing drug-dealer Peter "Hogman" Grunter. Since then, Daredevil has worked with the Punisher when necessary, but has also attempted to bring him to justice. Daredevil formed the "Marvel Knights" to apprehend the Punisher, who escaped police custody thereafter. Later, Daredevil teamed with Spider-Man and Wolverine in a failed attempt to take down the Punisher, who told Daredevil that the only way to stop him was to kill him.

Recently, Daredevil's secret identity was exposed by a tabloid and he definitively defeated the Kingpin in public, declaring himself New York's new kingpin. To avoid disbarment, Murdock has been forced to publicly and legally deny his dual identity, though the public remains unconvinced. He was incarcerated by the FBI which had been publicly embarrassed by Murdock and placed in a population comprised of many of his enemies in the hope that Murdock would be killed while in prison. Murdock, aided by the Punisher, escaped shortly thereafter.

Cat Woman:

Black Cat is a reformed burglar who continues to walk on the wild side as a detective and adventurer. She's the former girlfriend of Spider-Man, Flash Thompson, and the mercenary known as the Foreigner.

Felicia Hardy grew up as "daddy's little girl," idolizing her father. When Walter Hardy suddenly disappeared, Felicia's mother, Lydia, told her that he had died in a plane crash; in reality, he had been incarcerated for his crimes as a notorious cat burglar. Upon discovering the truth about her father, Felicia became inspired to follow in his footsteps. However, another tragic event more strongly influenced a redirection in her life. As a college freshman at Empire State University, Felicia was date-raped by her boyfriend, Ryan. She turned her grief and shame into rage, channeling her feelings for revenge towards intensifying her training regime in martial arts and acrobatics. However, she was robbed of a chance for vengeance, as Ryan was killed in a drunk driving accident.

Learning safe cracking, lock picking, and other techniques of thieves, Felicia set out stealing from others to compensate psychologically for what was stolen from her. The first night she took on the persona of the Black Cat she tried to break her father, Walter Hardy out of prison before he died. In the process, she met Spider-Man. After her father's death, she set out to become New York's premier cat burglar. However, over time, flirtations led to romance with Spider-Man, as Felicia promised to abandon her criminal activities. Spider-Man and the Black Cat often patrolled the city together, with Felicia in love with Spider-Man, the hero. She was reluctant to see Spider-Man unmasked, for fear the excitement of the mysterious romance would be lost.

When Spider-Man finally revealed his face and his modest apartment, Felicia was disillusioned. But, she still cared for him and after almost being killed by Doctor Octopus and the Owl, she felt that she was a burden on her boyfriend and a liability when fighting crime. While Spider-Man was away during the Secret Wars, Felicia made a deal with the Kingpin to gain superpowers - an actual bad luck aura. But the deal soon proved to be a bad move, as she had been "jinxing" Spider-Man by being in his close proximity, just as the Kingpin planned. Spider-Man, frustrated with the relationship, angered that Felicia made the deal with the Kingpin, and tired of her loving Spider-Man more than Peter Parker, broke up with her, right before she was about to selflessly break up with him so that she wouldn't be hurting him anymore by her aura.

Spider-Man went to Doctor Strange to remove her "jinx". Strange eliminated the hex at the source, causing Felicia to lose her bad luck powers but and also gave her more cat-like powers and abilities. She eventually settled into a life of her own, while still trying to maintain a friendship with Spider-Man. Soon she found out that Peter Parker had married Mary Jane Watson, which had angered her to the point that she grabbed and threatened Mary Jane. To spite Peter, she dated Flash Thompson intent on breaking Peter's friend's heart. Over time, she developed genuine feelings for him, but the two broke up. The Black Cat came to Spider-Man's aid when the Chameleon tricked Spider-Man into losing his powers to lead a normal life. Attacked by the Femme Fatales, the Scorpion, and the Tarantula, the Black Cat enabled Spider-Man to reverse the machine that suppressed his powers - at the cost of losing her own.

She has now relies on equipment she purchased from the Tinkerer to replace her lost powers. During Carnage's mass slaughter through the streets of Manhattan (called "Maximum Carnage" by the press), the Black Cat teamed with Spider-Man again and other heroes to stop the killers. Recently she helped Spider-Man break Norman Osborn out of jail in order to rescue a kidnapped Aunt May. She remains one of Spider-Man's closest confidants and allies.

Recently, she and Spider-Man took on a drug dealer named Mr. Brownstone (Garrison Klum), a low-level mutant teleporter and persuader who used his talents to discreetly transfer illegal narcotics into the bloodstream of his clients. When the Black Cat attempted to confront Mr. Brownstone, he incapacitated her with a dose of heroin and attempted to rape her. Garrison's subservient brother and partner, Francis Klum, killed Garrison first. Felicia was arrested and imprisoned for a murder she didn't commit. Francis teleported her out from prison where he shared his story of abuse. His trust was shattered when Spider-Man and Daredevil attempted to apprehend Francis, making Francis believe Felicia had tricked him. Francis escaped, though severely injured and seeking revenge against Spider-Man.

Later, Felicia aided Spider-Man against the menace of Stegron the Dinosaur Man who attempted to de-evolve the city using the Rock of Life. After that adventure, Felicia and Thomas Fireheart Puma began a somewhat superficial romance.

With the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act, Felicia has opted to register as a federally recognized super-hero. She has joined forces with Misty Knight and Colleen Wing in the group Heroes for Hire working with federal authorities to apprehend unregistered heroes and villains without the need for bloodshed.

Captain America (Steve Rogers):

Early Years and World War II

Steve Rogers was a scrawny fine arts student specializing in industrialization in the 1940's before America entered World War II. He attempted to enlist in the army only to be turned away due to his poor constitution. A U.S. officer offered Rogers an alternative way to serve his country by being a test subject in project, Operation: Rebirth, a top secret defense research project designed to create physically superior soldiers. Rogers accepted and after a rigorous physical and combat training and selection process was selected as the first test subject. He was given injections and oral ingestion of the formula dubbed the "Super Soldier Serum" developed by the scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine. Rogers was then exposed to a controlled burst of "Vita-Rays" that activated and stabilized the chemicals in his system. The process successfully altered his physiology from its frail state to the maximum of human efficiency, including greatly enhanced musculature and reflexes.

After the assassination of Dr. Erskine. Roger was re-imagined as a superhero who served both as a counter-intelligence agent and a propaganda symbol to counter Nazi Germany's head of terrorist operations, the Red Skull. Rogers was given a costume modeled after the American flag, a bulletproof shield, a personal sidearm and the codename Captain America. He was also given a cover identity as a clumsy infantry private at Camp LeHigh in Virginia. Barely out of his teens himself, Rogers made friends with the teenage camp mascot, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Barnes accidentally learned of Rogers' dual identity and offered to keep the secret if he could become Captain America's sidekick. Rogers agreed, and trained Barnes. Roger met President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who presented him with a new shield made from a chance mixture of iron, Vibranium and an unknown catalyst. Throughout World War II, Captain America and Bucky fought the Nazi menace both on their own and as members of the superhero team the Invaders, which after the war evolved into the All-Winners Squad.

In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo from destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launched the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reached the plane just before it took off, but when Bucky tried to defuse the bomb, it exploded in mid-air. The young man was believed killed, and Rogers was hurled into the freezing waters of either the North Atlantic. Neither his body or Bucky's were found, and both were presumed dead.

Discovery and the Avengers

The Avengers discovered Rogers' body in the North Atlantic, his costume under his soldier's uniform and still carrying his shield. Rogers had been preserved in a block of ice since 1945, which melted after the block was thrown back into the ocean by an enraged Sub-Mariner. When Rogers revived, he related his last, failed mission in the closing days of the war. Rogers accepted membership in the Avengers, and although he soon adjusted to modern times well enough to eventually assume leadership of the team, he was plagued by guilt for not being able to prevent Bucky's death. He also undertook missions for the national security agency S.H.I.E.L.D., which was commanded by his old war comrade Nick Fury. Rogers established a residence in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and has discovered that Bucky had been held in suspended animation throughout the Cold War performing assassinations as the Winter Soldier.

Civil War

Recent events have been tumultuous for Captain America. As the passage of the the Superhuman Registration Act drew near, Maria Hill (the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.) propositioned Rogers and the Avengers to join S.H.I.E.L.D. in enforcing the act. When he refused, Hill had her trained "Superhuman Response Unit" attack him. During the scuffle Rogers avoided being tranquilized and managed to escape by lodging his shield in an aircraft and forcing the pilot to fly him to safety. Soon after, at the Baxter Building the Watcher told the heroes who had gathered there about the Captain's escape. Captain America soon became the de facto leader of the Secret Avengers, heroes fighting against the registration act, much to the consternation of his erstwhile friend Iron Man. While the two made sporadic attempts to reconcile during the Civil War, the clashes between their respective teams became more and more heated, ultimately leading to a pitched battle in the middle of New York City. At the end of the battle, as Cap was about to deliver a finishing blow to Iron Man, he was tackled by several emergency workers. Realizing the damage the war was doing to the city and its civilian population, Captain America unmasked and surrendered as Steve Rogers.

The Death of Captain America

On his way to an arraignment at the Federal Courthouse in New York City, Captain America was shot in the right shoulder by a sniper's bullet. Several subsequent shots were fired point blank at Rogers by Sharon Carter, brainwashed by Dr. Faustus who was allied with the Red Skull. Sharon, unaware of her actions and concealed by the crowd during the shooting, escorted Rogers to the hospital while the Falcon and the Winter Soldier subdued the sniper, Crossbones (Brock Rumlow). Captain America was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital. Sharon's memory was restored by a keyword spoken by the Red Skull's daughter, Sin (Sinthia Shmidt).

Punisher (Frank Castle):

Born in New York to parents of Italian ancestory, Francis Castiglione is a former U.S. Marine Captain. Before Frank joined the Marines, he was studying to become a Catholic priest but changed his mind because he was unable to forgive those who did evil. Also prior to his enlistment, he married his wife Maria who was already pregnant with their first child. During his time in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), Castle graduated from Basic Training, then went on to Infantry School. Immediately following that, he went through the USMC's Reconnaissance, Force Reconnaissance, and Sniper Schools. Attaining dockets, Castle was permitted to go through U.S. Army Airborne School, and U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team training, becoming qualified as a Navy SeAL (Sea, Air and Land). He served in the Vietnam War in a special forces unit as a point man. For heroism in the line of duty, he was decorated with numerous medals, inlcuding the Purple Heart.

Shortly after a tour in Vietnam, Castle, his wife, Maria and their children were in New York's Central Park for an afternoon picnic when they witnessed a Mafia gangland execution; an informant had been hanged from a tree. Seeking to eliminate all witnesses, the Costa crime family murdered them on the spot. However, Castle survived. Even though Frank was able to identify all of the shooters the police were unable to help Castle in his quest for justice; they were tied in too deeply to the powerful Costa family. He decided that the only punishment criminals might receive is that of physical destruction. Shortly thereafter, he emblazoned his body armor with a symbol of a death's head, and exacted his revenge. Since then he has waged a one-man war upon crime, taking the name Punisher.

In his vigilante endeavors, Castle has crossed paths with several costumed crimefighters, most notably Spider-Man and Daredevil. These encounters have often resulted in his incarceration. While he is known to be significantly inferior to Daredevil in hand-to-hand combat skills, Punisher has been rated as one of the most dangerous criminals alive. When he was incarcerated in New York's Riker's Island Prison, though heavily outnumbered in gang-fights, Punisher has routinely killed armed, homicidal criminals with frightening ease, sustaining no injury. Due to his proficiency in fighting, he is rarely so accosted in prison environments. Adhering to his military philosophies, Punisher is constantly training whenever he is not out on actual maneuvers. He exercises fanatically to maintain his impressive physical conditioning and sticks to a balanced diet whenever possible.

Fantastic Four:

The Origin

The Fantastic Four is an internationally-renowned group of superhuman champions (often dubbed the world's premiere super hero team or the first family of super heroes) based in New York City and dedicated to the betterment of the world through scientific discovery and defense against evil.

It all started with a rushed test flight of an experimental spacecraft. Years before, while a student at Empire State University, Reed Richards began working on plans for one of the first vehicles capable interstellar travel. His roommate and best friend, Benjamin Grimm, jokingly promised to pilot the craft. But Reed, after studying to be an aeronautical engineer, finally realized his lifelong dream. Exhausting the majority of his vast inheritance, he funded the construction and launch of such a starship. Other financers, particularly the U.S. government, however, were losing interest and they threatened to cut him off from their funding of the project. Reed embarked on an immediate test flight, taking Ben Grimm with him who had become a successful Air Force pilot. Reed's longtime sweetheart and fiancée, Susan Storm, and her brother, Johnny, also joined them. Ben opposed the idea, warning that the ship's shielding might prove inadequate against intense forms of cosmic radiation. Nevertheless, Reed persuaded them all to accompany him, stealing into the launch facility, boarding the starship, and blasting off in pursuit of scientific glory. They intended to travel to another star system and back, but a solar flare temporarily boosted the intensity of the ionizing radiation in Earth's Van Allen belt.

The spaceship encountered a bombardment of cosmic radiation, causing both the mission to be aborted and the craft to crash. Emerging from the ruins of the spaceship, they discovered the radiation had mutated their bodies. Reed gained the ability to stretch his body and limbs, Johnny was able to fly and become engulfed in flame, and Sue was able to bend light around her body and become invisible. Ben, on the other hand, gained incredible strength and durability at the cost of being severely disfigured. All four decided to use their powers to better humanity and founded the Fantastic Four.

Setting Up Shop

Calling themselves Mister Fantastic, the Thing, the Human Torch and the Invisible Girl, the four established their headquarters atop the Baxter Building in midtown Manhattan - a building originally erected in 1949 by the Baxter Paper Company and since owned by a number of other corporations. Noah Baxter, a friend and fellow inventor, helped Reed Richards purchase the Baxter building. Then, financed by profits from the patents on Reed's inventions, the Fantastic Four set out to safeguard the world from any and all threats beyond the purview of conventional peacekeeping forces.

Early Successes

The team first put its abilities on public display when the subterranean Mole Man attempted to take revenge on the surface world by destroying Earth's power plants and unleashing an army of gigantic monsters to annihilate the human race. But the Fantastic Four turned back the Mole Man's threat. After this and many more public adventures, the Four soon became worldwide celebrities, and their exploits were recounted in newspapers, on television, and in comic books. The heroes also have been on the forefront of scientific discovery, such as the discovery of the parallel dimension known as the Negative Zone, the first public contact with alien races such as the Skrulls and Kree, the discovery of the hidden civilization of the Inhumans and the secret African nation of Wakanda, as well as being the first humans to step foot on the moon - alongside the Red Ghost.

The Roster Fluctuates

Months after their public appearance, Reed and Sue were married, which became a celebrity event. The two enjoyed a healthy marriage despite the Four's constant public scrutiny for many years. However, the two fell into an estrangement at one point, with Sue dissatisfied with the public life as a superhero celebrity. She briefly left the team and the Inhuman known as Medusa filled her spot on the team before Sue's return. In another membership shake-up, when Ben Grimm temporarily lost his powers, Reed Richards hired the mercenary Power Man to take over his place on the team, but this lasted only until Reed could finish an armored exoskeleton for Ben. Later, Reed and Sue had a son, Franklin. During Sue's maternity leave, the Four's long-standing ally (and girlfriend of the Torch), Crystal, joined the team, until an allergic reaction to Earth's pollutants pushed her to quit and forced the rest of the Inhumans to leave Earth. Sue soon returned to active duty.

At one point, the Fantastic Four were among the various heroes transported to a planet created by the alien Beyonder for the first of the so-called "Secret Wars". After defeating the Beyonder, the Thing refused to return to Earth with the heroes, happy to have found the ability to transform into his human form at will. His position on the team was filled by the She-Hulk, who had been similarly transported to the planet. When the Thing returned months later, he was distraught to find that his former girlfriend, Alicia Masters, had begun an affair with his teammate, Johnny Storm. The Thing quit the Fantastic Four to wander the country for a time, and She-Hulk remained in his stead.

A Stessful Place to Live

The Fantastic Four resided at the Baxter Building for many years, through various villain attacks, which often destroyed multiple floors and caused most of the other residents to abandon the building. However, one time, Kristoff Vernard - a youth who had been programmed to believe he was Doctor Doom - shot the building into space and destroyed it. Afterwards, instead of rebuilding the old building, Reed Richards designed and oversaw the construction of a new tower, named Four Freedoms Plaza.

The More Things Change...

The three original members of the Fantastic Four later found the Thing in the Mole Man's realm, where they discovered the Mole Man trying to raise a continent in the Pacific and threatening to destroy California. The Thing rejoined the team after helping to stop the Mole Man, and She-Hulk left to other pursuits. Soon after, Reed and Sue Richards announced they were leaving the Four to raise their son in relative normalcy. The Thing became head of the group, and proved to be an able, levelheaded leader, despite the fact that Johnny had just married Alicia Masters (although it was later revealed that this Alicia had been replaced by the shape-shifting alien Skrull, Lyja). Ben and Johnny were joined by Crystal and Ms. Marvel, a hero the Thing had met during his time away from the Four. During one adventure, both the Thing and Ms. Marvel were subject to another shuttle accident, bombarding them both with cosmic rays. This mutated Ben further and turned Sharon into a She-Thing.

The Four Reassembled

When the villain Nanny and her Orphan-maker kidnapped Franklin, Sue and Reed were drawn into adventuring alongside Captain America (then known as the Captain) and a re-forming of the Avengers. But once the Avengers were re-established, Sue and Reed left and returned to the Fantastic Four once again. During this time, Ms. Marvel was lost on a mission to the European nation of Latveria, having been manipulated by Doctor Doom and other of the FF's villains, before finally leaving to seek refuge with Wyatt Wingfoot. Crystal also left, opting to return to her Inhuman family.

More Architectural Upheaval

Like its previous incarnation, Four Freedoms Plaza also had its share of attacks, culminating in a gamma bomb explosion set off by a of doppelganger Reed Richards during the "Infinity War", which blew the top floors off, including the giant number fours that surrounded the roof. Lacking the finances to fix it, the majority of the damage stayed for many years.

Family Affairs

Later, Franklin was kidnapped by Nathaniel Richards, the time-traveling scientist and father of Reed Richards. Nathaniel believe that Franklin's powers were a threat to all existence, and so allowed him to age under his strict tutelage in a point in the distant future, returning him to his family moments after his abduction and aged to a teenager. Franklin was hard-pressed to reconcile with his family, and at the same time, he formed a sister team to the Fantastic Four - dubbed the Fantastic Force.

A Death on the Team

At one point, Doctor Doom lured a powerful alien entity to his nation of Latveria, coveting its power. The entity began laying waste to the countryside and the Fantastic Four arrived to investigate. Doom tricked the team into continue fighting the creature while he appropriated a portion of its energies to boost his own power. Confronting the alien directly, Doom eventually teleported the alien away, but was left soundly defeated and lay dying. Reed offered his aid, but Doom used the remaining power in his armor to disintegrate himself and his archenemy. Sue refused to believe her husband had died, although she nevertheless assumed leadership of the team. She also hired Ant-Man to supervise and care for the Four's equipment, and she formed an alliance with the Sub-Mariner so that the ranks of the Fantastic Four would not be weakened. During this time, Lyja had returned to attempt reconciliation with Johnny and Kristoff von Doom had been discovered to be alive. Both became staunch allies of the Four.

Revelations and Returns

Eventually, the team discovered that Reed and Doctor Doom did not die, but were snatched moments before death by the villain Hyperstorm. The Four had tracked them to Hyperstorm's dimension, discovering Doom and, later, Reed Richards. Doom was able to escape with the help of Kristoff and tried to siphon Hyperstorm's power for himself. Instead, Hyperstorm used his powers to return Doom to his proper place and time. The Fantastic Four managed to defeat the villain with the help of the planet-devouring Galactus. Upon the Four's return, Ant-Man, the Sub-Mariner, and Lyja soon parted company. Also during this time, Nathaniel Richards allowed Franklin to revert to his rightful age, and the Fantastic Force was disbanded.

Heroes Reborn

Soon afterward, the Fantastic Four were caught up in a battle with the psychic being known as Onslaught. To defeat the villain, the active members of the Four, as well as their allies (which included the Avengers, the Inhumans, Doctor Doom, and others), seemingly sacrificed themselves to contain its energies. As a result, the Fantastic Four were believed dead. The government was inclined to appropriate the Four's equipment, but instead Nathaniel Richards used time-traveling devices to shunt all of it to the Negative Zone. Nathaniel also took charge of Kristoff and disappeared into the future. In reality, the Fantastic Four were saved by Franklin, who through his reality-altering powers bodily recreated them and others who died into an alternate dimension. Eventually, Franklin Richards was forced to bring his created world into true reality, thus bringing the Fantastic Four and the other heroes back to Earth.

Trading Spaces

In the meantime, believing the FF dead, the Thunderbolts took over residency of Four Freedoms Plaza. When the Four finally returned, they gave up their home for a new warehouse headquarters, called Pier 4. Shortly after, however, the Fantastic Four were confronted by lawyers representing the Gideon Trust, a consortium of investors who inherited the actions and debts of the late Gregory Gideon, an early adversary of Four. The Trust hoped to buy Pier 4 and all its inventions and technology, which would thus save the stock of Richards Inc., as it had been losing value during the time the Fantastic Four were believed dead. The Richards agreed, although yet again they were forced to move when a villain, this time Diablo, destroyed Pier 4. However, during negotiations with the Gideon Trust, Reed revealed he had commenced work on an all-new Baxter Building with the help of Noah Baxter. With Pier 4 destroyed, the team brought the new Baxter Building online and teleported it in place of the old Four Freedoms Plaza.

Learning the Ways of Magic

More recently, Doctor Doom abandoned his technological prowess for the study and mastery of magic in order to defeat the Fantastic Four. Doom was able to capture the Four and to trap the Richards' son Franklin in Hell itself. He tortured the Four while leaving Reed imprisoned in an arcane library. Hoping to humiliate his rival, Doom forced Reed to find an escape by using the magic available in the library. The spirit form of Doctor Strange appeared and helped Reed escape, then gave him a magical device capable of breaching Doom's defenses. In the final battle, Reed succeeded in freeing his son from Hell and trapping Doom inside.

To Hell and Back

Reed then embarked on a plan that would completely rid the world of Doom's weapons of mass destruction and free his oppressed people of Latveria. The United Nations warned Reed not to take international law into his own hands, but when met with Reed's indifference, the UN sent a multinational strike force to undo Reed's coup d'etat. Reed also neglected to fully explain his plans to the other members on the team, which alienating them in turn. Reed, for his part, was completing the second part of his plan to ensure that Doom would remain trapped from Earth's dimension forever. Reed hoped to exile himself into the same pocket-dimension prison as Doom so that he could personally make sure Doom would never escape. However he kept his true agenda a secret from his family, and in the end, the rest of the Fantastic Four entered the dimension as well. This allowed Doctor Doom to escape using his mind-swapping abilities, hitching a ride back to Earth in the body of the Invisible Woman. Doom continued to switch bodies among the Four during the battle that raged between the Four, Doom, and the UN as well. Doom ultimately transferred his mind into the Thing's rocky form. Doom then manipulated Richards into obliterating his enemy the only way possible: by killing the Thing.

The trauma of the Thing's death tore the family apart. Richards, however, determined a spark of life remained in the Thing's body and led the remaining members of the Fantastic Four into Heaven itself in hopes of retrieving his friend's soul. Ultimately, the Thing agreed to return from Heaven rather than allow Richards to blame himself for Ben's death.

In addition, Richard's involvement with Latveria nearly branded the team as traitors. With its public relations severely undercut, Richards forfeited his patents to the government to avoid imprisonment. This left the team broke and virtual social pariahs. The Fantastic Four continue to explore the ordinary and the extraordinary, to fight evil and to adventure, while also starting from scratch to rebuild their fortune and their good name.

...A Little Help From their Friends

Over the years the Fantastic Four have earned many friends and have relied on many family members to lend them assistance, or in the case of the witch Agatha Harkness, baby-sitting. Their list of heroic friends includes Black Panther, Black Bolt, Wyatt Wingfoot, Thundra, the Silver Surfer, Tigra, and even a very brief, and unofficial, replacement FF consisting of Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. Some of their super-powered family members have also joined them in their adventures, including Valeria Richards (believed for a while to be an alternate-timeline child of Sue Storm and Victor Von Doom, reverted to an infant).

A Laundry List of Foes

Though the Fantastic Four have made many friends, they potentially made even more enemies. They have fought, and won, against the worse that the galaxy has to offer; villains like Doctor Doom, an alternate future version of Doom, Annihilus, the Wizard, the Skrulls, including the Super Skrull and Paibok the Power Skrull, Blastaar, the Mole Man, and the world-devouring Galactus and his many heralds.

In the End...

They have traveled across the planet, saving the world in their various versions of the Fantasticar, as well as across the entire universe, the Negative Zone, and into many different alternate universes and futures. The Fantastic Four have also come across, and survived meeting, beings of immense power; such as the Molecule Man, the Beyonder, and Uatu The Watcher. They have participated in the beginning of the universe, stood in the presence of entities beyond human comprehension, and even destroyed an ancient member of the mysterious race of eternal beings known as the Celestials.

Yet through this all they remain close friends and, most importantly, a family.