Before Marvel was owned by Disney, it had a number of business endeavors besides producing comics. While some, such as Marvel Music, did not work out, others had more success. One of these was Marvel Productions, the animation arm of the company that would run from 1981 to 1993.
As well as producing animated television series, it would also produce a range of one-off specials and motion pictures. These would often be played in designated Marvel Action time slots. The company would later change its name to New World Animation. While some of the cartoons it produced would fall into obscurity, many would become cult classics.
10 Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons was an animated adaptation of the hit role-playing game. It was produced by makers TSR Entertainment in association with Marvel Productions. Although the cartoon would only air for 27 episodes, it would have a lasting legacy.
The show melded fantasy with reality, as a group of school friends gets pulled into the D&D world on a magical fairground ride. They are given enchanted weapons, each becoming a character type available to play in the board games. They then travel the land searching for a way home. Sadly, the final episode was never produced and fans never found out if they actually ever made it back.
9 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
Marvel productions were often responsible for so much more than just cartoons. In fact, many major eighties toy lines had full backstories created by the team at Marvel. One of these was Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
The animation started off as a five-part miniseries, before later getting a full launch. Marvel was also responsible for the comics. G.I. Joe was actually originally built on a premise that took heavily from Marvel's own S.H.I.E.L.D. agency. It would prove so successful it would even get its own animated movie.
8 Bucky O'Hare & The Toad Wars
Bucky O'Hare was a sprawling, multi-studio effort of which Marvel Productions were co-producers with long time collaborators Hasbro. It follows the adventures of a green space-traveling hare known as Bucky. He is joined by a human, Willy Ducatt, who has a direct portal from his closet to Bucky's ship.
Bucky and Willy were joined by a varied crew, including a one-eyed duck and telekinetic cat. They battled the evil toad empire, who were galactic overlords, and conquerors of Bucky's homeworld. Despite its cult status, the cartoon only ever had 13 episodes created. The final episode was written by veteran comic creator Neal Adams.
7 X-Men: Pryde Of The X-Men
"Pryde of the X-Men" was a pilot episode for the 1992 X-Men animated series. It was co-produced with the Philippine Animation Studio and syndicated. Not only would it be the precursor to the fan-favorite cartoon series, but it would also be the basis for the classic Konami arcade game.
The plot centers around Kitty Pryde, who arrives at Xavier's mansion to learn how to use her powers. She arrives in the middle of a plot involving the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and is soon thrown in at the deep end. The team line-up would be the core mutants who had appeared in the hit comic Giant-Sized X-Men #1, with three of the members being replaced by Dazzler.
6 Biker Mice From Mars
After the success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a slew of cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals soon followed. One of the more successful attempts was the Biker Mice From Mars. It followed the story of Throttle, Mondo, and Vinnie. The three bikers would battle against the evil Plutarkians who had destroyed their homeworld.
Biker Mice from Mars would be the penultimate cartoon by Marvel Productions. After this, it would be known as New World Animation. Their only subsequent animation would be the 1996 Incredible Hulk cartoon. Biker Mice would run for a staggering 65 episodes and 3 seasons, with a successful toyline.
5 Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends
One of the most iconic cartoons by Marvel Productions was Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. In this animation, Spider-Man was paired up with two heroes he had little interaction with before. These were Firestar and Iceman. Firestar was created specifically for the show, as the Human Torch was unavailable due to licensing.
In their civilian guises, the three heroes all study at Empire State University. In an inexplicable plot thread, they also all share a home with Aunt May. Despite its odd premise, the carton has managed to maintain its appeal with fans. This is mainly due to its zany storylines and cheerful disposition.
4 Jem & The Holograms
Yet another Marvel and Hasbro team up, Jem and the Holograms had a much different premise from other action cartoons at the time. It aimed itself squarely at the female consumer. It followed the adventures of Jerrica Benton. Jerrica was a teenage girl who could transform into her rock star alter ego Jem using projections stored in her earings.
Many of the adventures focussed on Jem and her band facing off against rival musicians. The animation won multiple awards at the time. However, after only 12 episodes, it vanished and languished in obscurity. In 2015, it was revived for a live-action motion picture.
3 The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk received two cartoon adaptations from Marvel Productions in its tenure. The first was the 1982 television series, which would be paired with Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. The second was the last production the company would ever make in 1996.
Of the two, the 1982 version was more memorable. Its art style followed that of veteran artist Sal Buscema. In addition, it would be laid out by Boyd Kirkland who would later work on Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: Evolution. Unlike other adaptations, it followed the comics run closely and proved a huge hit with fans.
2 Transformers
Transformers was another of Hasbro's new toy lines in which Marvel would be asked to create the backstory. This time, they were given two sets of licensed transforming Japanese robots. These were the Microman and Diaclone series. With toys such as changing tape recorders alongside freight trucks, it seemed impossible that two out-of-scale lines could be made into a success.
Enter Marvel editor Jim Shooter. Shooter would decide upon the idea of two warring factions for the toys. He would call them Autobots and Decepticons, and gave them all codenames and personalities. The cartoon and toyline were a huge hit. They spawned an animated series and later, a long line of feature films.
1 Robocop
A trend existed in the eighties in which adult action movies were marketed as toys and cartoons to children. One of these was the satirical sci-fi movie, Robocop. It aired as part of the Marvel Action Universe programming block.
Robocop followed the exploits of Alex Murphy, a police officer who had been transformed into the cyborg Robocop. The movie was extremely violent, and the cartoon did well to eliminate the violence while keeping the general theme. One tactic it employed was to switch out Robocop's bullet firing Gatling gun for lasers. 12 episodes would be made before its cancellation.