10 Best Marvel Stories No One Talks About

Marvel Comics started making superhero stories after the debut of Superman and since then has created some of the most popular superheroes and supervillains ever. Over the decades, the House of Ideas has released stories that have redefined what a superhero comic can be, making grounded heroes and villains who exist in a world that is much like the one we live in and introducing the shared universe concept to the whole shebang. The best Marvel stories are things of legend, and have become some of the most talked about comics ever published. However, the publisher has more great stories than you can shake a stick at.

For whatever reason, a lot of really amazing comics from the house that Spider-Man built are almost completely forgotten. These comics don’t get the credit they deserve and are low key some of the best books out there. These ten Marvel stories are fantastic, but fans don’t talk about them nearly enough.

10) Inhumans (Vol. 2) #1-12

The Inhumans’ ’10s relaunch ruined them in fans’ minds, but there are some amazing stories starring the Kree-created superhumans. Inhumans (Vol. 2) #1-12, by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, was one of the Marvel Knights launch books, telling the story of the royal family as they dealt with the shifting politics of the world during a crisis in the kingdom of Attilan, with the fate of their race at stake. This book is high intrigue, Game of Thrones-style storytelling, as plots collide with plots and the fate of a kingdom – and the world – are put into jeopardy. This story is the best introduction to the Inhumans and it’s a shame that Marvel didn’t use this story as a blueprint for them.

9) Captain America (Vol. 3) #3

The Mark Waid/Ron Garney run on Captain America from the mid ’90s is a masterpiece for the hero and there are some brilliant stories from their time together. One of the best that doesn’t get talked about enough is Captain America (Vol. 3) #2. This issue takes place after the heroes returned from the “Heroes Reborn” universe, and are getting reacquainted with their old home. Cap is called in to stop a Hydra attack in the Atlantic, and ends up taking one of the greatest losses that he could. This issue is full of the great action and plots of the Waid/Garney run, with a shocking ending that most fans don’t ever talk about. It’s a glorious one and done that would have major repercussions for the character in its aftermath.

8) X-Men vs. Avengers

When people think about the Avengers and X-Men battling, they usually think about the more recent Avengers vs. X-Men. However, there was another miniseries where the two groups battled and that was 1986-’87’s X-Men vs. Avengers, by Roger Stern, Tom Defalco, Jim Shooter, Marc Silvestri, and Keith Pollard. This came during the time when Magneto was with Marvel’s merry mutants, something that not everyone was happy about. The Soviet Super-Soldiers are sent to grab the mutant master of magnetism for his former crimes against Mother Russia, with the Avengers getting involved to keep a war from breaking out between the US and the USSR because of Mags. This four-issue miniseries is awesome, a nice slice of mid ’80s Marvel from the days when the X-Men were king.

7) Fantastic Four: 1234

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest comic writers ever, having spent most of their career working at DC. However, they had a short stint at Marvel in the early ’00s. Their time there is best known for their X-Men run, and Marvel Boy to a lesser extent, but their second story with the publisher has almost been completely forgotten. Fantastic Four: 1234, by Morrison and Jae Lee, pits the team against Doom in a battle that tests each member to their breaking point. This is the kind of gonzo sci-fi superhero story that Morrison is amazing at and is perfect for the team. It’s not easy to find anymore (there was a new printing in 2018, which was the first time it had been collected since it ended), but it’s well worth it.

6) Spider-Man: The Lost Years

The Clone Saga is one of the most maligned times in the Wall-Crawler’s existence, but there are some bright spots. Spider-Man: The Lost Years, by J.M. DeMatteis and John Romita Jr., was a miniseries that told the story of Ben Reilly in the years after his supposed death in The Amazing Spider-Man #149. Ben tries his best to be a hero even without the costume, but finds himself in the crosshairs of the mysterious Kaine, giving readers the beginning of their rivalry. This is peak Spider-Man and will make you love Ben Reilly, showing just what kind of person he was. DeMatteis and Romita Jr. are electric in this book, and it’s one of the best forgotten Spider-Man stories.

5) Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Daredevil has become one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes and a big reason for that is the work of writer Frank Miller. He redefined the character in the early ’80s, setting him in a more noir-influenced direction. He would return to the character in 1993, giving readers an all-new look at Matt Murdock’s origin. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear teamed Miller with fellow DD legend John Romita Jr. for an origin miniseries that will knock your socks off. This book is the definitive Hornhead story, and deserves to be talked about alongside his greatest stories.

4) “Operation: Galactic Storm”

The ’90s aren’t looked at as the greatest time for the Avengers, but there are some brightspots in the beginning and end of the decade. “Operation: Galactic Storm” came in 1992 and saw the Avengers get involved in a war between the Kree and Shi’Ar. This 19-part story ran through Avengers, Avengers West Coast, Captain America, Quasar, Iron Man, Thor, and Wonder Man, paying homage to the classic “Kree-Skrull War”. This story is a solid Avengers epic, one with ups and downs that will keep you glued to the page.

3) “The Korvac Saga”

“The Korvac Saga” is one of the great forgotten Avengers tales. The story ran through Avengers #167-177, by Jim Shooter, David Michelenie, Bill Mantlo, George Perez, David Wenzel, and Sal Buscema, and pit the group, and the 30th century Guardians of the Galaxy, against Michael Korvac, a former human slave from the future who gained godlike powers. This was Earth’s Mightiest Heroes facing an enemy that they have no hope against and has some of the coolest fights in the history of the team. This story is epic in every sense of the word.

2) “Ghost Box”

Warren Ellis’s Astonishing X-Men is amazing, ten issues of sci-fi superhero X-Men perfection. “Ghost Box” ran through Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #25-30, with artist Simone Bianchi, and was the first Ellis story on the book. A mysterious mutant shows up dead in San Francisco, which is a problem because the X-Men know every mutant left on the planet after House of M. The team investigates where the mutant came from and is embroiled in a war between one of their allies and the last foes anyone would expect. This story honestly feels like a combination of Morrison’s New X-Men and Whedon/Cassaday’s Astonishing run. It’s big idea superhero goodness, and one of the best X-stories of the ’00s.

1) Captain America (Vol. 4) #1-6

Captain America has starred in amazing stories, but few of them combine the ideals of the character and tragedies of the real world than in Captain America (Vol. 4) #1-6, by John Ney Reiber and John Cassaday. This story took place in the aftermath of 9/11, with another terrorist attack on the US seeing Cap jump into action. While this story could have been the kind of jingoistic pap that we were getting at the time, it instead digs into how Steve Rogers would react to terrorism and the government’s response. It’s a flawless story, brought to life by the late great Cassaday’s best art at Marvel (that’s right, better than Astonishing X-Men (Vol. 3) #1-24).

What’s your favorite forgotten Marvel story? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!

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