Marvel Spotlight
| Marvel Spotlight | |
|---|---|
|
Marvel Spotlight #1 (November 1971) featuring Red Wolf. Cover art by Neal Adams. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Format | Anthology |
| Genre | |
| Publication date |
Volume 1 November 1971–April 1977 Volume 2 July 1979–March 1981 |
| Number of issues |
Volume 1 33 Volume 2 11 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Gardner Fox, Gary Friedrich, Archie Goodwin, Marv Wolfman |
| Penciller(s) | Sal Buscema, Steve Ditko, Mike Ploog, Syd Shores |
Marvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977[1] and the second series ran for eleven issues from July 1979 to March 1981.[2]
Publication history
The series began with a Red Wolf story.[3] Several Marvel characters that were later given their own individual titles first appeared in the Marvel Spotlight series, including Werewolf by Night,[4] Ghost Rider,[5] the Son of Satan,[6] and Spider-Woman.[7]
The second series began with several Captain Marvel stories before featuring other characters.[8] Tako Shamara first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol. 2 #5 (March 1980), and was created by Marv Wolfman and Steve Ditko. In his first appearance the character battled a huge dragon from the past called a Wani, a monster that destroyed his ancestors' villages in 1582.[9] The creature that Tako battled was intended to be Godzilla but since Marvel no longer had the rights to the character, which lapsed the previous year, the creature was modified to a dragon called The Wani.[10]
In December 2005, the Marvel Spotlight title was used for a series of comic book-sized magazines, usually featuring profiles of and interviews with Marvel creators (one writer and one artist each issue), or spotlighting special Marvel projects such as Stephen King's The Dark Tower.
The issues
Volume 1 (November 1971 – April 1977)
| Issue | Featuring |
| #1 | Red Wolf (moved to own title) |
| #2–4 | Werewolf by Night (moved to own title) |
| #5–11 | Ghost Rider (moved to own title) |
| #12–24 | Son of Satan (moved to own title) |
| #25 | Sinbad |
| #26 | Scarecrow |
| #27 | Sub-Mariner |
| #28–29 | Moon Knight |
| #30 | Warriors Three |
| #31 | Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. |
| #32 | Spider-Woman |
| #33 | Deathlok, Devil-Slayer |
Volume 2 (July 1979 – March 1981)
| Issue | Featuring |
| #1-4 | Captain Marvel |
| #5 | Dragon Lord |
| #6-7 | Star-Lord (origin) |
| #8 | Captain Marvel |
| #9-11 | Captain Universe |
Collected editions
- Essential Werewolf by Night Vol 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #2-4, 576 pages, October 2005, ISBN 978-0785118398
- Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #5-12, 560 pages, December 2006, ISBN 978-0785118381
- Essential Marvel Horror
- Vol. 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #12-24, 648 pages, October 2006, ISBN 978-0785121961
- Vol. 2 includes Marvel Spotlight #26, 616 pages, November 2008, ISBN 978-0785130673
- Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #28-29, 560 pages, February 2006, ISBN 978-0785120926
- Siege Prelude includes Marvel Spotlight #30, 264 pages, January 2010, ISBN 978-0785143109
- Essential Spider-Woman Vol. 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #32, 576 pages, December 2005, ISBN 978-0785117933
- Marvel Masterworks: Deathlok Vol. 1 includes Marvel Spotlight #33, 368 pages, November 2009, ISBN 978-0785130505
See also
References
- ↑ Marvel Spotlight at the Grand Comics Database
- ↑ Marvel Spotlight vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
- ↑ Sanderson, Peter; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1970s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 150. ISBN 978-0756641238.
Writer Gardner Fox and artist Syd Shores created the Red Wolf of the nineteenth-century American West in this new series.
- ↑ Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 154: "With the changes to the Comics Code in place, Roy Thomas came up with the idea for a series called 'I, Werewolf'...Stan Lee liked the concept but decided to rename it 'Werewolf by Night'."
- ↑ Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 156: "Co-created by editor Roy Thomas, writer Gary Friedrich, and artist Mike Ploog, the new Ghost Rider was Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt performer."
- ↑ Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 160: "Stan Lee suggested doing a series called Mark of Satan, and Roy Thomas amended the idea to 'The Son of Satan'."
- ↑ Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1970s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 92. ISBN 978-0756692360.
Spider-Man's female counterpart debuted in this story written by Archie Goodwin and penciled by Sal Buscema.
- ↑ Buttery, Jarrod (April 2014). "Ready For The Spotlight". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (71): 11.
- ↑ DeFalco, Tom "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 197: "Tako Shamara became the Dragon Lord in Marvel Spotlight #5 by writer/editor Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Ditko."
- ↑ Cronin, Brian (December 24, 2009). "Comic Book Legends Revealed #239". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 4, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
The Godzilla fill-in by Marv Wolfman and Steve Ditko, ended up appearing in the pages of the re-launched Marvel Spotlight in 1980 as Dragon Lord, about a fellow who can control dragons.