It goes without saying that Marvel Comics has had a tremendous impact on pop culture over the years. They've created some of the most iconic characters of all time and there literally wouldn't be a Marvel Cinematic Universe if the comics weren't there to draw from.
Such a rich, historical background can't properly be developed without a drastic shakeup to the status quo every now and then, and Marvel has definitely delivered on that front. Here now is a look at ten moments that forever changed the history of Marvel Comics.
10 The Death Of Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers is far from the only person to go by the name Captain Marvel, nor was she the first to use that moniker. In Marvel, that distinction belongs to Mar-Vell, a Kree soldier sent to spy on Earth. Mar-Vell quickly grew fond of humanity and became one of it's greatest champions as Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel is a rarity in comics in that his death has (mostly) stuck. In a touching story by Jim Starlin, Mar-Vell succumbed to the all too human disease known as cancer. His greatest allies and even his mortal enemies came to pay their respects during his final days. Besides being one of the greatest comic book deaths of all time, The Death Of Captain Marvel was also the first graphic novel to be published by Marvel.
9 Nitro Versus The New Warriors
One Mar-Vell villain who did not pay his respects was Nitro, who would claim credit for Mar-Vell's death, citing that one of his explosions caused exposure to the nerve gas that gave Mar-Vell cancer.
Besides his role in Mar-vell's death in Marvel's first Civil War, it was Nitro's battle against the New Warriors that led to the creation of the Superhero Registration Act. An explosion by Nitro resulted in the deaths of over 600 people, including school children and most of the New Warriors themselves. This turned public opinion against superheroes and Congress quickly passed the Registration Act, which divided the heroes and led to one of the darkest times in Marvel history.
8 The First Snap
Speaking of dark times in Marvel, how about that time when Thanos wiped out half of life in the universe with a snap of his fingers? Infinity Gauntlet wasn't Marvel's first event comic, but the series would go on to influence future Marvel events for decades to come, especially in the cinematic realm.
Chief among the story's impacts was the elevation of Thanos. Thanos was a dangerous villain before this story, but seeing him here in all his nihilistic glory etched him a permanent spot among the premier villains of the Marvel universe. He destroyed all who opposed him and only lost his ultimate power due to his own subconscious belief he wasn't worthy of it.
7 The First Secret Wars
One moment that forever changed the scope of the Marvel universe was the first large scale crossover in comic book history. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars saw nearly all the major heroes of Marvel pitted against the largest assembly of villains in the grandest battle of them all.
The story would prove pivotal in Marvel lore throughout the years. Its initial influences included the introduction of Spider-Man's new black costume, which would later become Venom. The first appearance of the Beyonder as well as the level up Molecule Man got in abilities were other elements that would pay off years down the road in Marvel history.
6 The Second Secret Wars
Who'd have guessed that a story created to sell toys would pay dividends thirty years down the road? That was the case when Marvel literally blew up their universe in 2015's Secret Wars. When the Beyonder went about destroying the Marvel Multiverse, Doctor Doom stopped them using the power of the Molecule Man, saving reality by creating his own patchwork Battleworld, a world he was the God Emperor of.
This story shaped the landscape of the current Marvel universe and brought an end to the Ultimate Marvel line of comics. A notable import to the main Marvel universe thanks to Secret Wars was Miles Morales.
5 The Age Of Apocalypse
When a story is important enough to stop an entire line of comics, it really is something historical. That's exactly what Age of Apocalypse was.
When Legion traveled back in time to kill Magneto, he accidentally killed his father Professor X instead. This awakened Apocalypse ten years earlier than he woke up in the original timeline, and he proceeded to take control of the Earth. All the main X-titles stopped and were replaced by corresponding titles set in the eponymous Age of Apocalypse, which was unprecedented at the time.
4 Scarlet Witch Wipes Out 90% Of Mutantkind
If mutants thought they had it bad during Age of Apocalypse, that was nothing compared to House of M. At first glance, mutants never had it better during the story, as Magneto used the Scarlet Witch's reality-altering powers to grant everyone their deepest desires, with his own wish of mutant supremacy being granted.
The heroes would eventually discover the truth and fight back but when Scarlet Witch sees Magneto kill Quicksilver, she lashes out, blaming his dream for everything wrong and utters the famous phrase "No more mutants." This strips over 90% of the world's mutants of their powers, reshaping the scope of X-Men stories for years.
3 Captain Hydra
While no words had more of a physical impact than "No more mutants," the most betraying words in Marvel history were easy: "Hail Hydra."
When Captain America first uttered the infamous phrase, it looked like he had been an undercover Hydra agent since his first appearance. It was later revealed to have been a combination of brainwashing and reality manipulation via the Cosmic Cube, but the damage had been done - Cap was public enemy number one and it took the Marvel universe a long time to recover.
2 The Death Of Gwen Stacy
In theory, Gwen Stacy's death only affected Spider-Man and company, not the Marvel universe at large. But a comic book event with the magnitude of Gwen's death was unheard of at the time. While it can be viewed nowadays as an early example of fridging (i.e. killing a female character for the sake of a male character's development), this still happened in an era when the hero always saved the girl and won the day.
Seeing Spider-Man fail to save Gwen - and possibly accidentally cause her death - was unprecedented. This was not only historical in Marvel Comics but comics as a whole, with many viewing this moment as the end of the Silver Age of comics.
1 The Coming Of Galactus
When Galactus came to Earth in the pages of The Fantastic Four, this was a threat never seen before in Marvel history or in comics in general. Galactus didn't come to Earth to conquer it; he came to devour it. He was a neutral cosmic force, neither evil nor good. Rather, he was a god-like being cursed to consume planets to continue living.
Not only was this the first true introduction of Marvel's cosmic world, but it greatly expanded the company's complexity.