All language subtitles for Marvel.75.Years.From.Pulp.To.Pop.2014.720p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX]

[ NORMAN GREENBAUM'S
"SPIRIT IN THE SKY" PLAYS ]

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Lee:
I THINK MARVEL WILL BE KNOWN

AS THE COMPANY THAT HAS PROVIDED

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

SOME OF THE GREATEST
SUPER CHARACTERS FOR THE PUBLIC.

Man: WE ALWAYS BELIEVED
IN THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL

OF THE MARVEL BRAND.

IT'S THE MOST DOMINANT
POP CULTURE

ON THE PLANET RIGHT NOW.

THEY LIKE MAKING MOVIES THAT
THEY WOULD WANT TO GO SEE.

MARVEL MOVIES ARE THE BEST.
THEY'RE THE FUNNIEST.

THE REAL CULTURAL IMPACT
OCCURRED

FROM THAT MEETING
OF THOSE GREAT MINDS.

STAN AND HIS FLASH OF GENIUS
THAT A SUPERHERO HAS PROBLEMS.

MARVEL TAKES IT UP A NOTCH.

IT'S WHAT'S UNDER THE MASK
THAT COUNTS.

I'M BRINGING THE PARTY TO YOU.

Brevoort:
WE UNDERSTAND OUR CHARACTERS

AND THE KINDS OF STORIES
THAT WE DO

BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

[ LAUGHS ]

OH, I'M SORRY.

VanCamp:
MARVEL -- THE HOUSE OF IDEAS,

CREATOR OF SOME
OF THE MOST EXCITING

TELEVISED
AND FILMED ENTERTAINMENT

THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN.

JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE
THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF MARVEL

FROM ITS EARLY DAYS AS A SMALL
PUBLISHING HOUSE IN NEW YORK

TO ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
COMPANIES IN HISTORY.

THIS IS "MARVEL:
75 YEARS FROM PULP TO POP!"

HELLO.

I'M EMILY VanCAMP,
OR AS YOU MIGHT KNOW ME,

AGENT 13 FROM MARVEL'S "CAPTAIN
AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER."

WELCOME TO DIRECTOR
PHIL COULSON'S OFFICE

IN THE SECRET HEADQUARTERS OF
THE STRATEGIC HOMELAND

INTERVENTION, ENFORCEMENT,
AND LOGISTICS DIVISION

OR, AS IT'S BETTER KNOWN,
S.H.I.E.L.D.

LOCATED IN A DECOMMISSIONED BASE
FROM THE 1940s,

THIS IS WHERE COULSON HAS
GATHERED A SMALL GROUP OF AGENTS

TO REBUILD
THE ONCE STORIED ORGANIZATION

ON ABC's HIT TELEVISION SERIES

"MARVEL'S
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D."

IT'S APPROPRIATE
THAT WE FIND OURSELVES

HERE IN THIS BUILDING

WHERE S.H.I.E.L.D.'s FUTURE
TOUCHES ITS PAST

AS TONIGHT,
WE'LL GO BACK IN TIME

TO BEHOLD MARVEL'S
UNRIVALED HISTORY,

WHICH ALL BEGAN
IN A SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSE

THEN KNOWN AS TIMELY COMICS
IN 1939.

BUT FIRST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK
AT SOMETHING MORE FAMILIAR.

[ ROARS ]

[ GUN COCKS ]

[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]

TODAY,
I THINK THE MARVEL MOVIES --

EVERYTHING THEY DO,
THEY DO WELL.

WE CREATED MARVEL STUDIOS

TO EXERCISE MORE CONTROL
OVER OUR OWN CHARACTERS.

THE BRAIN TRUST AT MARVEL
DECIDED

WE WERE GONNA FOUND
OUR OWN MOVIE STUDIO,

WE WERE GONNA MAKE
OUR OWN MOVIES.

Quesada:
WE DON'T JUST GO OUT THERE

AND THROW MOVIES AGAINST A WALL

AND HOPE IT'S A HIT.

THESE ALL COME OUT OF
INCREDIBLE COLLABORATION.

AND IT'S BASED ON PASSION
AND COMMITMENT

TO TELLING GOOD STORIES.

WE HAVE NO OTHER AGENDA
BUT TO MAKE GREAT FILMS.

THE THING
THAT MARVEL DOES BEST IS

THEY PICK THE RIGHT DIRECTORS.

Lee:
GOOD DIRECTORS, GOOD ACTORS.

WHEN DO YOU EVER GET TO SEE THIS
GROUP OF ACTORS COME TOGETHER

IN THIS KIND OF FANTASY WORLD?

Whedon:
YOU HAVE ALL THESE PARTS,

BUT HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY
BRING THEM TOGETHER?

Evans:
WOULD CAP SHOOT A MACHINE GUN?

IF JOSS SAID IT'S OKAY,
IT'S OKAY.

Man: THE REASON THE AVENGERS
ARE SO GREAT IN THE COMICS

IS 'CAUSE THEY'RE SUCH DIFFERENT
PERSONALITIES.

ALL RIGHT, SO YOU CAST THE BEST
PERSON FOR THOSE PERSONALITIES,

YOU DO YOUR JOB RIGHT,
WHEN YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER,

IT'S GONNA BE AS FUN
AS IT IS IN THE COMICS.

THESE ARE MARVEL COMICS,

SO THEY'RE AUTHENTIC WHEN MARVEL
MAKES A MOVIE OF THEM.

TRYING TO GET ME BACK
IN THE WORLD?

TRYING TO SAVE IT.

Man: CAPTAIN AMERICA,
IRON MAN, THOR --

THEY'VE BEEN CONTINUALLY
PUBLISHED FOR OVER 40 YEARS.

Lee: THE MOVIES HAVE MADE
THESE CHARACTERS

SO POPULAR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

AND HAVE GIVEN THEM
SUCH GLAMOUR.

PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEM
AND CARE ABOUT THEM

AND WANT TO SEE THEM.

THE SECRET TO MARVEL'S
CURRENT SUCCESS IS, I THINK,

NOT COMPROMISING
ON WHAT THE FANS WANT

BUT ALSO EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
WHAT THEY DO NEXT.

WE WANT SOMETHING NEW
AND SOMETHING UNEXPECTED,

NOT JUST
SOMETHING FAMILIAR.

AND THAT'S WHAT LED US
TO ANNOUNCE

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY."

WHO?

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY"?
REALLY? REALLY?

YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING OUT A MOVIE

CALLED
"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY"?

WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE
"GUARDIANS"?

IT'S SO OUT THERE.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT'S
GOING ON IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE.

AND IT'S ONE THING
TO TAKE CAPTAIN AMERICA

AND IRON MAN AND THOR.

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY"
COULD NOT BE MORE,

"OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO WITH --

YOU KNOW,
HERE IS SOME CHUCK STEAK."

WHO'S GOING TO A MOVIE

WITH A TALKING RACCOON
AND A WALKING TREE DUDE?

PEOPLE SAYING, "THIS IS GOING
TO BE MARVEL'S FIRST FAILURE."

Smith:
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU'D SEE
THE NAME STAR-LORD AND BE LIKE,

"YEAH, I REMEMBER WHEN THEY
CREATED THAT CHARACTER."

STAR-LORD, MAN.

THE LEGENDARY OUTLAW?

GUYS?

FORGET IT.

Alonso: BUNCH OF MISFITS
THAT FORM A FAMILY.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS
THAT THE WORLD THAT THEY OCCUPY

IS OUT IN THE COSMOS,
IT'S IN OUTER SPACE.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR MARVEL

TO PUT ITS STAMP
ON THE SPACE OPERA.

Pratt:
WE'RE SEEING CORNERS OF SPACE

THAT ONLY THE TRUEST MARVEL FANS
KNEW EVEN EXISTED.

INSTEAD OF IT BEING AN ORIGIN
STORY OF A PARTICULAR SUPERHERO,

IT WAS AN ORIGIN STORY
OF A TEAM.

I LOOK AROUND AT US,
AND YOU KNOW WHAT I SEE?

LOSERS.

OF COURSE,
THERE WERE A LOT OF NAYSAYERS,

BUT LOOK WHAT WE HAVE.

IT'S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
MOVIE OF THE YEAR OF 2014.

YES!

Smith:
TALK ABOUT BRILLIANT.

YOU TAKE
SOMETHING NOBODY CARES ABOUT,

THAT ISN'T, LIKE, VIABLE
OR ONE OF YOUR CROWN JEWELS

AND YOU TURN IT INTO ONE.

Oswalt:
"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY"
WAS EXTRAORDINARY.

THIS MOVIE IS A BOX
OF CRACKER JACKS,

BUT IT'S ALL PRIZES.

Smith: THEY MADE
THIS BEAUTIFUL MOTION PICTURE

THAT IS A MODERN-DAY
"STAR WARS."

Loeb: THE DECISION
TO MAKE MOVIES OURSELVES

TRANSFORMED THE COMPANY.

Alonso:
THE SUCCESS OF MARVEL STUDIOS

IS A TESTAMENT TO THEIR DEEP
RESPECT FOR THE SOURCE MATERIAL.

Man:
THIS IS THE CULMINATION

OF MANY, MANY YEARS OF WORK
FOR US AT MARVEL STUDIOS.

Quesada: WE LOOK AT OUR ENTIRE
LIBRARY OF CHARACTERS.

HOW WILL THIS WORK
WITHIN THE GRAND SCHEME,

THE PLAN FOR MARVEL?

WHERE DO WE SEE OUR COMPANY
IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS?

Man: THIS NOW REPRESENTS
JUST THE FIRST PHASE

OF WHAT THESE MOVIES CAN BECOME.

1939.

AMERICA HAS NEARLY RECOVERED
FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION

ONLY TO FIND ITSELF

ON THE CUSP OF ANOTHER
HISTORICAL HARDSHIP --

WORLD WAR II.

AT A TIME WHEN NEWSPAPERS
HAD LITTLE GOOD NEWS TO REPORT,

READERS TURNED TO THE BACK PAGES
FOR ESCAPE.

THE DAILY COMIC STRIPS WERE,
AT ONCE, UPLIFTING

AND REFLECTIVE OF THE TRUE
AMERICAN SPIRIT.

OUR STORY BEGINS
IN NEW YORK CITY.

MARTIN GOODMAN WAS THE ORIGINAL
FOUNDER OF MARVEL COMICS,

WHICH WHEN HE STARTED IT,
WAS CALLED TIMELY COMICS.

I LIKE TO DESCRIBE HIM
AS AN OPPORTUNISTIC PUBLISHER.

HE WAS NEVER EMBARRASSED
TO HOP ON THE HOTTEST TREND.

MARVEL BACK THEN
WAS ALL FUNNY ANIMAL COMICS,

WAR COMICS, ROMANCE COMICS,
NOT COSTUMED AVENGERS.

AND THEN CAME WHAT'S BEEN
THOUGHT OF AS THE KILLER APP

FOR THE COMIC BOOK --

THE CREATION OF SUPERHEROES.

Brevoort: SUPERMAN SET OFF
THIS ENORMOUS GOLD RUSH

WHERE EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD
PUT OUT SUPERHERO COMICS.

Sanderson:
MARTIN GOODMAN WANTED TO
CAPITALIZE ON THIS NEW MARKET,

AND THE FIRST THING HE PUBLISHED
WAS MARVEL COMICS #1.

Nicieza:
MARVEL MYSTERY #1 FEATURED

A BRAND-NEW HERO CALLED
THE HUMAN TORCH --

A GUY WHO WAS AN ANDROID,

AND HE CAUGHT ON FIRE
TO BE FOLLOWED BY SUB-MARINER,

WHO WAS A GUY FROM UNDERWATER.

HERE, YOU HAVE TWO HEROES
FIGHTING EACH OTHER,

WHICH HAD NOT HAPPENED
OR EVEN BEEN THOUGHT OF.

EVEN BY THE STANDARDS
OF THE DAY IN 1939,

MARVEL WAS ALREADY MAKING
SUPERHEROES

THAT WERE VERY DIFFERENT.

Brevoort: STAN LEE WAS RELATED
TO PUBLISHER MARTIN GOODMAN.

MARTIN WAS ACTUALLY
MY COUSIN-IN-LAW.

I LEARNED THAT HE HAD AN OPENING
IN THE COMIC-BOOK DEPARTMENT,

AND I USE THE WORD "DEPARTMENT"
LOOSELY,

BECAUSE THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT
CONSISTED OF

JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY.

Sanderson: JOE SIMON
WAS THE FIRST EDITOR AT MARVEL.

HE WORKED WITH ARTIST
JACK KIRBY,

WHO IS ONE OF THE GREAT FIGURES
IN MARVEL HISTORY.

Lee:
I WOULD FILL THEIR INK WELLS.

I WOULD RUN DOWN
AND GET SANDWICHES FOR THEM.

AND IF THEY NEEDED
A DIALOGUE BALLOON WRITTEN

AND THEY WERE TOO BUSY,

THEY ASKED ME
TO PUT THE COPY IN.

AND LITTLE BY LITTLE,

I DID A LITTLE BIT MORE WRITING
AS WE WENT ALONG.

THE WRITERS AND ARTISTS
OF TIMELY COMICS

WERE CHURNING OUT

FANTASTICALLY UNIQUE STORIES
THAT EMBRACED THE TIMES,

LIKE BURGOS' THE HUMAN TORCH
AND EVERETT'S SUB-MARINER.

BUT THE TIMES
WERE ABOUT TO CHANGE.

THE WORLD WAS HEADING TO WAR.

[ DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS ]

Busiek: AMERICA WAS CONFLICTED
OVER THE WAR.

THERE WERE PEOPLE
WHO WANTED TO BE ISOLATIONIST,

AND THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SAID,

"THIS ISN'T
GOING TO JUST GO AWAY."

Brevoort:
A LOT OF THE EARLY COMIC-BOOK
PROFESSIONALS WERE JEWISH.

THEY WERE VERY, VERY CONCERNED

ABOUT THE THINGS
THAT WERE GOING ON IN EUROPE.

Busiek:
AND AS THE STORY GOES,

MARTIN GOODMAN WANTED
A PATRIOTIC HERO.

Brevoort:
JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY CAME UP

WITH THE QUINTESSENTIAL
AMERICAN SOLDIER.

Sanderson: AS A RESPONSE
TO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN EUROPE.

OF COURSE, PATRIOTISM --

YOU JUST COULDN'T GET MUCH MORE
THAN CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Steranko:
AND HE SYMBOLIZED

THAT SUPERHEROES
WERE AMERICAN PATRIOTS.

CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 WAS,
IN EFFECT,

A CALL TO ARMS
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

THAT WE HAVE TO STOP HITLER.

Busiek: PEOPLE DID NOT WANT
AMERICA INVOLVED IN THE WAR.

Kirby: MY FATHER AND JOE SIMON,
BEING JEWISH,

WE STARTED GETTING DEATH THREATS
FROM THE AMERICAN NAZI PARTY.

THEY HAD THIS IDEA
FOR THE FIRST COVER --

THAT WOULD BE CAP BURSTING IN
TO SOME NAZI HEADQUARTERS

AND SMASHING ADOLF HITLER
IN THE FACE.

FOR LATE 1940,
THAT'S A VERY PROVOCATIVE IMAGE.

THIS IS A MAN WHO IS ALIVE
AND IS THE HEAD OF A NATION.

Busiek: ONCE PEARL HARBOR HIT
AND WE WERE IN THE WAR FOR SURE,

CAPTAIN AMERICA REALLY HIT
THE ZEITGEIST.

Man: IT WAS SMASH SUCCESS.
IT WAS TIMELY'S BIGGEST SELLER.

IT WAS A PATRIOTIC TYPE OF BOOK,
AND IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME.

"YEAH! HE'S OUR GUY.
THIS IS WHAT WE STAND FOR."

AND THAT'S WHAT
CAPTAIN AMERICA WAS

TO AN ENTIRE GENERATION.

Kirby: MY FATHER WAS ALWAYS
A VERY PATRIOTIC PERSON.

I THINK CAPTAIN AMERICA WAS
PROBABLY HIS FAVORITE CHARACTER.

Quesada: CAP IS A REPRESENTATION
OF THOSE GUYS

WHO ARE ACTUALLY
ON THE FRONT LINES.

AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE
VORACIOUSLY READING COMIC BOOKS.

Brevoort:
SERVICEMEN SERVING ABROAD
WERE A HUGE AUDIENCE.

PART OF IT WAS UNSOLD COMICS
WERE USED AS BALLAST IN SHIPS.

THE SOLDIERS COMING OFF
THE SHIPS --

THEY'LL BRING COMIC BOOKS,

THEY LEAVE THEM AROUND TOWN.

Lee: THEY WERE JUST WHAT
THE SOLDIERS WANTED.

THEY WERE STORIES OF GOOD GUYS
FIGHTING BAD GUYS.

Sanderson: SYMBOLS OF
AMERICAN RESISTANCE TO FASCISM.

Busiek: I HAD SEEN FIGURES
THAT INDICATED

THAT CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS
SOLD BETTER THAN TIME MAGAZINE.

[ CROWD CHEERING ]

Announcer: THROUGHOUT THE WORLD,
THRONGS OF PEOPLE

HAIL THE END
OF THE WAR IN EUROPE.

AFTER WORLD WAR II,
WE WENT RIGHT BACK

TO DOING THE SAME KIND OF BOOKS
WE HAD BEEN DOING.

ONCE THE WAR ENDED,

I THINK PEOPLE WANTED LESS
OF A REMINDER OF THE WAR,

AND IT WAS PARENTS NOT WANTING

THE SUPERHERO STUFF
FOR THEIR KIDS,

ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF
THE FREDERIC WERTHAM DEBATES

AND ALL OF THE THINGS
THAT CAME DOWN ON THE INDUSTRY.

FREDERIC WERTHAM WROTE
THIS BOOK

CALLED
"SEDUCTION OF THE INNOCENT"

WHICH, IN EFFECT, BLAMED COMICS
FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.

THEY CONVENED HEARINGS
TO INVESTIGATE

THE EFFECT OF COMIC BOOKS
ON AMERICA'S YOUTH.

Announcer: AND THE ISSUE BECOMES
NATIONWIDE.

SHOULD BOOKS LIKE THESE
BE BANNED FROM THE NEWSSTANDS?

TELL ME HOW COMIC BOOKS
MAKE YOU FEEL, DAVE.

WELL, THEY DON'T MAKE ME
FEEL TOO GOOD.

A COUPLE OF TIMES,
I READ A COMIC BOOK, I THREW UP.

WHAT THE COMIC-BOOK INDUSTRY DID
WAS SAY, "MEA CULPA.

YEAH, WE'RE WICKED.
WE'RE EVIL."

THE PUBLISHERS GOT TOGETHER

AND SET UP A SELF-CENSORSHIP
ORGANIZATION.

IT'S THE COMICS CODE AUTHORITY.

Lee: HE HAD TO SEND
EVERY BOOK TO THAT GROUP,

AND THEY SAID,
"WELL, THIS IS TOO VIOLENT,"

OR, "THAT'S TOO SEXY."

AND THEY WOULD GET THE STAMP
OF APPROVAL ON THE COVER,

WHICH SAID THIS WAS
A DECENT PUBLICATION.

THE PUBLISHERS WERE SCARED

TO PUBLISH MATERIAL THAT WOULD
BE DEEMED QUESTIONABLE.

Kirby: AFTER WERTHAM PUBLISHED
HIS BOOK,

THE COMIC-BOOK INDUSTRY, I MEAN,
REALLY TOOK A NOSE DIVE.

OVER 800 PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS.

30 TO 40 COMIC-BOOK COMPANIES
WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.

WITHIN MONTHS,
IT WAS DOWN TO 10 OR FEWER.

AND THOSE WERE STRUGGLING.

SO IT WAS KIND OF A DOWN TIME
FOR COMICS.

THEY WERE FADING OUT LIKE CRAZY.

Announcer: TOMORROW,
PREVIEWING OUR POST-WAR WORLD.

LET'S LOOK INTO A BRAND-NEW
DEVELOPMENT --

TELEVISION.

Man: TELEVISION CAME IN.
KIDS WERE READING LESS.

Steranko:
AMERICA WAS SETTLING DOWN.
COMICS REFLECTED THAT.

THE WAR ENDED.

EVERY SUPERHERO
WENT TO PURGATORY.

EVEN CAPTAIN AMERICA
CLOSED SHOP.

SUPERHEROES JUST DIDN'T SEEM
TO WORK IN THE 1950s.

HORROR WAS MORE POPULAR
THAN SUPERHEROES,

WHICH IS WHY THE LAST FEW ISSUES
OF THE CAPTAIN AMERICA SERIES

ARE CALLED
CAPTAIN AMERICA'S WEIRD TALES.

AT THAT TIME, ALL I DID
WAS WRITE THE KIND OF STORIES

THAT THE PUBLISHER,
MARTIN GOODMAN,

WANTED ME TO WRITE.

Busiek:
GOODMAN CHASED TRENDS.

YOU KNOW, TILLIE THE TOILER
WAS POPULAR

IN THE NEWSPAPER STRIPS.

GOODMAN WOULD SAY,
"GIVE ME SOME OF THOSE,"

AND YOU'D GET TESSIE THE TYPIST.

-Lee: NELLIE THE NURSE.
-MILLIE THE MODEL.

HEDY OF HOLLYWOOD.

COMIC BOOKS WERE JUST SLUMMING.

O'Neil: THE EARLY GUYS --
THE GUYS BEFORE US --

DIDN'T GROW UP READING COMICS.

THEY INVENTED THE FORM.

THEY INVENTED THE FORM,
AND THEY WERE ASHAMED OF THAT.

I EVEN CHANGED MY NAME

FROM STANLEY LEIBER,
WHICH WAS A NORMAL NAME,

TO STAN LEE.

I DIDN'T WANT STANLEY LEIBER TO
BE KNOWN AS A COMIC-BOOK WRITER.

O'Neil: IF I WAS AT A PARTY,
AND THEY SAID, "WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"I WORK IN COMIC BOOKS."
THAT ENDED THE CONVERSATION.

I SAID, "I'M REALLY SICK

"OF WRITING THESE STORIES
THAT MEAN NOTHING.

"THEY'RE NOT WELL-WRITTEN.

"THEY DON'T HAVE
ANY CHARACTERIZATION.

"THEY'RE JUST STORIES.

PEOPLE READ THEM
AND FORGET THEM."

I TOLD MY WIFE
THAT I WANTED TO QUIT.

FINALLY, IN 1961,
I GUESS THAT'S WHEN --

I GUESS THEY WERE ON THE VERGE
OF JUST CLOSING IT ALL DOWN.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE HEROES
AND THEIR BELOVED ALTER EGOS

MAY HAVE NEVER EXISTED

HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR
THE CREATIVITY AND BOLDNESS

OF JACK KIRBY, STEVE DITKO,
AND STAN LEE.

STAN HAD BEEN IN THE BUSINESS
FOR 20-SOME-ODD YEARS,

AND HE WAS LOOKING TO GET OUT.

Sanderson: STAN HIMSELF SAYS HE
WAS EMBARRASSED TO TELL PEOPLE,

WHEN HE MET THEM,
THAT HE WAS WORKING IN COMICS.

AND THE WAY HE TELLS IT,

AND THE WAY HE'S TOLD IT
FOR MANY YEARS,

IS HE HAD A CONVERSATION
WITH HIS WIFE, JOAN.

Lee: SHE SAID TO ME,

"IF YOU WANT TO QUIT,
BEFORE YOU DO,

WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ONE STORY
THE WAY YOU'D LIKE TO DO IT?"

"THE KIND OF COMIC BOOKS YOU
WOULD WANT TO READ YOURSELF."

AND THAT SET OFF THE LIGHT BULB.

"INSTEAD OF JUST ONE HERO,

LET'S COME UP WITH A BOOK
WITH A TEAM OF HEROES."

AND I DECIDED TO DO IT
THE WAY I WANTED TO DO IT.

O'Neil: SO STAN SAT DOWN
WITH JACK KIRBY.

Man: AND JACK CAME UP WITH

THE EVERYMAN DESIGNS
OF THE CHARACTERS,

O'Neil: AND THEY CAME UP
WITH THE FANTASTIC FOUR.

Green: THE FANTASTIC FOUR
IS A REALLY SPECIAL STORY.

IT'S ABOUT A FAMILY
THAT WAS KIND OF BONDED TOGETHER

BY THIS INSANE,
UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE.

STAN ADDED A LEVEL OF REALISM
TO SUPERHEROES

THAT HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE.

Lee: I TRIED TO GIVE EACH ONE
OF THEM A SEPARATE PERSONALITY.

Sanderson: IT STARTS OUT
WITH THESE FOUR CHARACTERS

QUARRELING WITH EACH OTHER.

THESE COSMIC RADIATIONS
THAT GAVE THEM SUPER POWERS.

NOT, LIKE, HELPFUL POWERS,
EITHER.

WEIRD AND KIND OF
VERY COMPLICATED POWERS.

Brevoort: THE EARLIEST ISSUES
OF FANTASTIC FOUR

ACTUALLY DO NOT LOOK
LIKE SUPERHERO COMICS.

Sanderson: THEY DID NOT HAVE
SUPERHERO COSTUMES

IN FANTASTIC FOUR #1.

THESE COMICS
WERE JUST MORE ENGAGING

AND MORE ELECTRIC TO AN AUDIENCE
IN 1961.

Man: ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR
CHARACTERS MARVEL HAD,

WHO WAS THE THING --
WAS A MONSTER.

I ALWAYS LIKED THE MOVIE
"FRANKENSTEIN."

TO ME, THE MONSTER
WAS THE GOOD GUY.

Brevoort:
THE OTHER MONSTER TITLES

THAT MARTIN WAS PUBLISHING
AT THE TIME

ALL HAD THESE BIG, ALMOST
MAN-IN-A-RUBBER-SUIT MONSTERS.

Lee: I THOUGHT IF I COULD WRITE
THAT TYPE OF GUY

AND MAKE THE READER LIKE HIM,

I'D FEEL I HAD
ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING.

[ ROARING ]

Brevoort:
SO, THE SECOND CHARACTER
THAT THEY DID WAS THE HULK.

AND THE HULK, TOO, IS NOT REALLY
A TRADITIONAL SUPERHERO.

IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE GUY WHO
TRANSFORMED INTO THE MONSTER --

BRUCE BANNER --
AND HIS CONFLICTS.

YOUR MARVEL
COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS --

THE PANTHEON OF MARVEL HEROES
COME FROM THE ATOMIC AGE.

THREE...TWO...ONE...

RATHER THAN CONCENTRATE
ON THE NEGATIVITY,

LET'S MAKE FANTASY OUT OF THAT.

IMAGINE YOU SURVIVED THAT
AND BECAME THIS GREY GOLIATH,

WHO WILL LATER BE GREEN,

BECAUSE GREY IS NOT REALLY
AN APPEALING COLOR FOR THE HULK.

YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT
CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION.

MARTIN SAID,
"HEY, THESE ARE DOING WELL.

COME UP WITH ANOTHER SUPERHERO."

I FIGURED, "I WANT TO MAKE HIM
DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE OTHERS."

IT WOULD BE FUN
TO MAKE HIM A TEENAGER.

AND THEN, WHILE I WAS THINKING,
I SAW A FLY ON THE WALL,

AND I SAID, "GEE,
WOULDN'T IT BE SOMETHING

IF A SUPERHERO COULD STICK
TO WALLS LIKE AN INSECT?"

"WHAT COULD I CALL HIM?
INSECT-MAN?"

DIDN'T SOUND DRAMATIC.

"FLY-MAN?" DIDN'T HAVE IT.

"MOSQUITO-MAN?"

AND THEN I SAID, "SPIDER-MAN."

SPIDER-MAN IS, IN MANY WAYS,
THE FIRST TEENAGE SUPERHERO.

Quesada:
WHAT STAN AND STEVE DID WAS

PETER PARKER PUT ON A MASK
AND BECAME SPIDER-MAN,

BUT WHEN THAT MASK COMES OFF,

HE STILL HAS ALL THE PROBLEMS
OF PETER PARKER.

VanCamp:
WE'LL GET TO SPIDER-MAN,

BUT LET'S GET TO KNOW
PETER PARKER.

THIS CHARACTER
FELT THE RESPONSIBILITY

TO SAVE HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

STAN HAD SPIDER-MAN
LAUNDER HIS COSTUME.

HE HAD HIM GET A COLD.

NO SUPERHERO
HAD EVER GOTTEN A COLD.

HE WASN'T RIPPLING WITH MUSCLES.

HE WAS JUST A KID
WHO WAS BITTEN BY A SPIDER.

WHEN I WAS ATTACKED
BY A SWARM OF BEES,

I DID NOT BECOME BEE-MAN.

HE'S JUST THE TYPICAL TEENAGER,

AND NOBODY WOULD KNOW
THAT GUY IS REALLY SPIDER-MAN.

IF YOU THINK OF THE KIND OF
ON-FIRE YEARS

FOR KIRBY AND LEE AND DITKO...

Kirby: CREATING TITLES
JUST ONE AFTER ANOTHER.

VERY RARELY SAW MY FATHER
AFTER THAT POINT.

THE NEXT ONES
THAT THEY CAME UP WITH --

THOR AND ANT-MAN.

IN THE SAME MONTH THEREAFTER,
IRON MAN...

Oswalt: DR. STRANGE...

SGT. FURY
AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS,

WHICH WOULD LATER BEGET

NICK FURY,
AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

THE AVENGERS...
Brevoort: BROUGHT A BUNCH
OF THOSE CHARACTERS TOGETHER.

...THE X-MEN.

Brevoort: AGAIN,
BOTH COMING OUT THE SAME MONTH.

SO MUCH INVENTION,
SO MANY HOME RUNS.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

STAN WAS BASICALLY WRITING
EVERYTHING.

HOWEVER, HE WAS WORKING WITH
THESE IMMENSELY TALENTED PEOPLE.

Quesada: I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ENOUGH THAT CAN BE SAID

ABOUT JACK KIRBY
AND STEVE DITKO.

IF THERE'S A MOUNT RUSHMORE
OF COMIC-BOOK ARTISTS,

STEVE DITKO AND JACK KIRBY
ARE DEFINITELY CARVED ON IT.

WELL, KIRBY AND DITKO MADE
THE OVERALL WORLD OF MARVEL.

Smith:
JACK MADE THINGS DYNAMIC --

BIG ARMS COMING IN YOUR FACE.

YOU KNOW, EVERY CHARACTER
WAS COMING AT YOU.

Kirby:
MY FATHER -- HE SAW COMIC BOOKS

AS STORY BOARDS FOR MOVIES.

HE VERY EARLY ON
SAW THE POTENTIAL.

Green: STEVE DITKO WAS
THE DEFINITION OF SPIDER-MAN.

THE WAY THAT DITKO DREW HIM,

HE'S SO THIN AND GANGLY
AND LONG AND AWKWARD.

STEVE WAS SPIDER-MAN
AND DR. STRANGE,

AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS JACK.

THE FACT THAT THAT MANY
CAME OUT OF THREE GUYS --

THERE WAS SOME ALCHEMY GOING ON.

Bendis: WHAT'S AMAZING IS
HOW MUCH OF THIS CAME ABOUT

IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

THERE'S NOT A CREATOR
IN THE WORLD

THAT JUST DOESN'T SIT BACK
AND GO, "WOW."

THE NUMBER OF CHARACTERS

THAT HAVE GONE ON TO
THE PRESTIGE THAT THEY HAVE --

IF ALL OF US COULD DO
TWO OR THREE CHARACTERS,

WE WOULD ALL BE HAPPY.

HERE'S A GUY WHO CREATED
A FIELD OF CHARACTERS

THAT I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE

ANYBODY WILL EVER BE ABLE
TO REPLICATE.

IT'S STAGGERING.

Lee: MARTIN WAS VERY HAPPY,

AND HE NEVER DID SAY,
"GO BACK TO THE OLD STYLE."

HE WAS A SMART GUY.

HE WASN'T ABOUT TO SAY,
"LET'S CHANGE THEM."

NO PROMOTION,

THE WORST DISTRIBUTION
IN THE WORLD.

FROM NOTHING AT ALL,
THEY BUILT UP THIS HUGE SUCCESS.

AMERICA WAS READY FOR A REVIVAL
OF THE SUPERHERO.

IT WAS CALLED
THE MARVEL AGE OF COMICS.

Lee: WE WERE DREAMING UP

OUR OWN CHARACTERS
AND OUR OWN PROBLEMS,

BUT OF COURSE,
YOU CAN'T HELP BUT BE AFFECTED

BY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD.

Bendis: AS OUR CULTURE
GAVE WAY TO COUNTERCULTURE,

THINGS LIKE GOVERNMENT SEALS
ON MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

WERE BECOMING LESS OF A PLUS
AND MORE OF A NEGATIVE.

Lee: SO I WENT TO MY PUBLISHER.

I SAID, "MARTIN, I THINK
WE OUGHT TO PUBLISH THIS BOOK

WITHOUT THE APPROVAL
OF THE COMICS CODE."

STAN SAID, "EH.
TO HELL WITH THE COMICS CODE.

I JUST WON'T PUT IT
ON THE BOOK."

WHAT WAS SO REVOLUTIONARY
ABOUT MARVEL WAS

THEY WEREN'T TRYING
TO BE REVOLUTIONARY.

THEY WERE JUST,
"BUT THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING."

I REMEMBER, LIKE,
THIS GREAT COVER

OF CAPTAIN AMERICA
AND THE FALCON

RUNNING THROUGH THE STREETS
OF HARLEM AS IT BURNED.

AND CAPTAIN AMERICA IS ANGRY.

I LOVE THAT THE CHARACTER
BECOMES ALMOST, LIKE,

THE SPIRITUAL EMBODIMENT
OF WHAT THE COUNTRY FEELS.

LIKE, IF THE COUNTRY'S ANGRY,
HE GETS ANGRY.

WHEN WE HAD
THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS,

WE HAD STORIES ABOUT

"WHAT IF MISSILES WERE UNLEASHED
IN THE COUNTRY?"

AND "WHAT WOULD WE DO?"

Man: THERE WAS RACIAL EQUALITY,
THERE WAS WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

AND MARVEL WAS VERY GOOD ABOUT

THE IDEA OF DOING
WOMEN SUPERHEROES,

THE IDEA OF DOING
A BLACK SUPERHERO.

I GREW UP IN JACKSON HEIGHTS.

I'M OF CUBAN DESCENT.

I'M FIRST-GENERATION BORN HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES.

I REMEMBER PICKING UP
THE FANTASTIC FOUR

AND SEEING A CHARACTER
CALLED THE BLACK PANTHER.

HE WAS THE FIRST
BLACK SUPERHERO.

Liu: IT WASN'T NECESSARILY ABOUT
SKIN COLOR AND BEING A MINORITY,

BUT IT WAS ABOUT, SORT OF,

EMBRACING THE DIFFERENCES
THAT EVERYONE HAS.

THE X-MEN, FOR EXAMPLE,
WAS FOR ME VERY IMPACTFUL

BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT IT WAS A METAPHOR

FOR SORT OF BEING A MINORITY
AND BEING DIFFERENT.

MARVEL HAS DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB
OF BEING ABLE TO SORT OF REFLECT

THE DIVERSITY OF WHAT'S EXISTING
IN THE WORLD.

THAT REALLY MADE MARVEL COMICS
DIFFERENT

FROM ALL THE OTHER COMICS
AND IT MADE IT SUCH A --

ALMOST
A ROCK 'N' ROLL EXPLOSION.

I LEARNED ABOUT STAN LEE
RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING,

AND NOT JUST ABOUT STAN,

BUT ABOUT JACK "KING" KIRBY
AND "JAZZY" JOHN ROMITA.

Kimmel:
I MADE A DRAWING FOR STAN LEE
WHEN I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD.

THERE HE IS, MANLY STAN LEE.

I SHOWED THIS TO STAN.

HE WAS, UM --
I THINK DISTURBED IS THE WORD.

Quesada: THERE WAS
THE REMARKABLE STAN'S SOAPBOX,

WHERE STAN WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT
THE GOINGS-ON AT MARVEL,

AND YOU WOULD FEEL AS THOUGH
HE WAS WRITING SOLELY TO YOU.

THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS WAS

THAT THE KID
RIGHT NEXT TO YOU --

HE WAS READING THAT SOAPBOX,

AND HE WAS FEELING
THE EXACT SAME THING.

FOR OVER 30 YEARS,

MARTIN GOODMAN MANAGED
TO NOT ONLY ENTERTAIN,

BUT ALSO GUIDE AMERICANS

THROUGH SOME OF THE HAPPIEST
AND DARKEST DAYS OF THEIR LIVES.

HE WAS READY TO RETIRE
AS PUBLISHER OF MARVEL IN 1972,

BUT BEFORE DOING SO,
HE HAD ONE LAST DUTY --

TO NAME A SUCCESSOR.

THE MAN WAS NOW IN CHARGE.

MARVEL CONTINUED TO GROW RAPIDLY
THROUGHOUT THE 1970s,

AND STAN LEE APPOINTED

THE FORWARD-THINKING
STORY EDITOR JIM SHOOTER

AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN 1978

TO SHEPHERD MARVEL
INTO THE NEXT DECADE.

[ DISCO MUSIC PLAYS ]

Starlin: COME THE 1970s,

THE INDUSTRY WAS JUST FILLED
WITH YOUNG KIDS LIKE ME

BECAUSE ALL THE OLDER GUYS

WERE RETIRING
AND GOING OFF TO FLORIDA.

I DID MY FIRST WORK FOR MARVEL
IN THE EARLY '70s.

I WAS ABOUT 16, 17 YEARS OLD.

MARVEL WAS GROWING.

Narrator:
STAN LEE AND ARCHIE GOODWIN

ARE WORKING OUT THE SCHTICK.

Starlin: THEY WERE GOING

FROM LIKE 6 BOOKS A MONTH
TO ABOUT 23.

SO, QUITE FRANKLY, THEY WERE
HIRING ANYBODY

WHO COULD COME ACROSS THE
STATE LINE AND HOLD A PENCIL.

Goodwin:
IT WAS AN AMAZING, WEIRD PLACE.

THERE WERE DAYS
WE WOULD DO THINGS

WHERE WE'D PROBABLY BE ARRESTED
IF WE TRIED DOING THEM NOW.

Man: YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE
WE'RE JUST HAVING FUN,

AND THEY WERE WILLING TO SEE
WHAT WOULD WORK.

THERE WAS --
EVERYTHING WAS EXPANDING.

PUNISHER CAME OUT OF A VERY DARK
PERIOD IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THANOS IS MY BABY,

HE WAS THE FIRST CHARACTER
I EVER CREATED.

THEY OFFERED ME
A MONTHLY BOOK -- IRON FIST.

Shooter: WHEN MARVEL EXPANDED

AND THE NUMBER OF TITLES WENT
FROM LIKE AROUND A DOZEN TO 50,

STAN WAS DOING EVERYTHING.

Lee: JIM SHOOTER HAD BEEN

ONE OF THE YOUNGEST GUYS
IN COMICS.

I THINK HE WAS WRITING THEM
WHEN HE WAS 13 YEARS OLD.

AND I WAS LOOKING
FOR AN ASSISTANT EDITOR,

AND I HIRED HIM.

FIRST OF ALL, I RAISED
THE RATES -- DOUBLED THEM.

AND I WAS ABLE
TO GET AWAY WITH THIS

'CAUSE WE STARTED
SELLING SOME BOOKS.

Buckley: THAT DOES PARALLEL

WITH THE RADICAL SHIFT
IN DISTRIBUTION FOR COMICS

THAT HAPPENED

WHEN COMICS STARTED BEING SOLD
DIRECTLY TO HOBBY SHOPS.

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD
OF A COMIC-BOOK CONVENTION

WAS YEARS AND YEARS AGO,

AND IT JUST GREW
AND IT GREW AND IT GREW.

Woman: HOW MANY COMIC BOOKS
DO YOU HAVE NOW,

AND WHAT ARE YOU
GONNA DO WITH THEM?

KEEP THEM UNTIL THEY GET,
LIKE, A LOT --

WORTH A LOT OF MONEY.

Buckley:
THE STORES AND THE CONVENTIONS

REPRESENTED SOMETHING
THAT WAS, IN SOME WAYS,

AN EXTENSION OF WHAT YOU SAW
COME OUT OF STAN.

THEY WERE THE CHAT ROOMS.

YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T COOL

TO PULL A COMIC BOOK
OUT OF YOUR BAG

AND READ IT IN THE LUNCH ROOM.

Green: THERE WAS A COMIC-BOOK
STORE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

THAT BECAME
MY FAVORITE PLACE TO BE.

THAT BECAME MY COMMUNITY.

AS A RESULT, WE GOT SORT OF

THE MOST CREATIVE PERIOD
OUT OF MARVEL

SHORT OF WHEN JACK AND STAN
REALLY STARTED THE WHOLE THING.

THERE WAS NOTHING THAT
MARVEL REALLY WOULDN'T DO.

Shooter: WELL, IT WASN'T SO MUCH
THAT HOLLYWOOD CAME CALLING

AS THAT WE WERE KNOCKING
ON EVERY DOOR IN HOLLYWOOD.

WE STARTED OUT, SEVERAL TIMES,
ON PROMISING PROJECTS,

AND THEN,
FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER,

THEY DIDN'T WORK OUT.

Lee: WE DID A LOT OF CARTOONS,

AND THEY HAD THE HULK
AND THEY HAD IRON MAN.

THEY EVEN HAD THEME SONGS LIKE,

"HE IS A HULKY, KIND OF SULKY,
KIND OF BULKY SUPERHERO."

THAT TERRIBLE SPIDER-MAN SHOW.
A GUY -- HIS HAIR WAS VERY '70s.

THE TV PEOPLE HAD DECIDED
TO IMPROVE ON THE PRODUCT.

AND UNFORTUNATELY,
THEY DIDN'T HAVE

THE SPECIAL-EFFECTS ABILITY
THAT THEY HAVE TODAY.

Shooter: I REMEMBER THERE WAS
A CAPTAIN AMERICA MOVIE.

WE WERE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT,

AND THEN THEY SENT US
A VIDEO TAPE.

IT WAS SO DISAPPOINTING.
IT WAS SO AWFUL.

I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYBODY
WHO MADE ANY OF THOSE MOVIES

WHO WANTED TO DO, LIKE,
A REALLY COOL COMIC-BOOK MOVIE.

BUT THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED
WAS WE GOT THE HULK ON TV.

[ "THE INCREDIBLE HULK"
THEME SONGS PLAYS ]

[ THUNDER CRASHES ]

McFarlane:
AS A 40-, 50-YEAR-OLD MAN,

YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE STUFF
AND GO, "WHAT?!"

WHEN BILL BIXBY
SORT OF PUT THOSE CONTACTS ON,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

THE SORT OF BAD-WIGGED FERRIGNO
CAME ON THERE --

WHEN YOU ARE EIGHT YEARS OLD,

WHICH IS WHAT I WAS
WATCHING IT, IT WAS MAGIC.

VanCamp:
AS THE 1970s CAME TO A CLOSE,

CONVENTIONS CAME TO LIFE

AND RETAIL STORES BEGAN
POPPING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY,

SELLING NOT ONLY NEW ISSUES
OF COMIC BOOKS

BUT ALSO BACK ISSUES
AND COLLECTIBLES.

SHOOTER USHERED MARVEL

RIGHT INTO
THE FAST-GROWING DIRECT MARKET

AND INTO THE NEXT DECADE.

THE 1980s WERE
A VERY INTERESTING TIME,

BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAW WAS THE
EMERGENCE OF THE ANTI-HERO,

PIONEERED BY A NUMBER

OF VERY FAMOUS
SEMINAL COMIC-BOOK CREATORS --

ALAN MOORE, FRANK MILLER.

AND CHRIS CLAREMONT
AND JOHN BYRNE

AND WALT SIMONSON.

SUDDENLY YOU HAD
A BUNCH OF PEOPLE

RAISED ON
ALL THOSE WONDERFUL COMICS

OLD ENOUGH
TO WRITE THOSE COMICS,

AND THEY STARTED WRITING

GRITTY, GRAPHIC, WONDERFULLY
GROWN-UP MARVEL COMICS.

THEN YOU BRING IN AN ARTIST
LIKE JIM LEE,

ROB LIEFELD, TODD McFARLANE.

Alonso: THESE WERE CREATORS
THAT TOOK THE SUPERHERO

AND SORT OF TURNED HIM
ON HIS HEAD,

EXAMINED THEIR FLAWS,
AND IT WAS VERY POPULAR.

WHAT WAS HAPPENING IS

THAT CHARACTERS LIKE
THE PUNISHER AND WOLVERINE

WERE JUST SUPER POPULAR,

NOT BECAUSE IT WAS A DEGRADATION
OF SOCIETY OR WHATEVER --

BECAUSE I JUST THINK,
I GOT TO TELL YOU,

THAT I'M 7, 8, 9, 10 YEARS OLD,

AND I GOT A GUY THAT'S GONNA GO
OUT THERE AND KICK SOME "A."

THAT GUY'S COOL TO ME.

COMICS, YOU KNOW,
TOOK ANOTHER SHIFT.

AS WE GO INTO THE '80s,

IT WAS JUST ANOTHER LEVEL
OF REALISM.

Hama: I REMEMBER THERE WAS
A LOT OF REACTION

ABOUT "IT'S GETTING TOO DARK."

A LOT OF THAT FLAK
WAS GREAT FLAK.

I MEAN, YOU HAD THREE BOOKS
WITHIN A YEAR, GRAPHIC NOVELS,

HIT THE NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLER LIST

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

IT WAS A TIME WHEN THE INDUSTRY
WAS REALLY BOOMING.

THE DIRECT MARKET WAS BUYING
MORE AND MORE OF EVERYTHING.

Smith: THIS WAS AN ERA
OF REDISCOVERY OF COMICS

WITH THE ARTIST AS ROCK STAR.

EVERYTHING IMPORTANT THAT
WAS HAPPENING IN ILLUSTRATION

WAS HAPPENING IN COMICS.

Shooter: IT WAS ALSO

MARVEL'S MOST
FINANCIALLY EFFECTIVE PERIOD.

MARVEL FINALLY SURPASSED DC
IN SALES.

I HAD A PIECE OF MARVEL STOCK,

SO I WAS LIKE,
"YES! OH, MY GOD!"

AND THEN SUDDENLY,
IT WAS WORTHLESS.

THEY WERE GOING BANKRUPT.

Man:
THE REAL RUMORS OF A BANKRUPTCY

STARTED IN THE '80s AND '90s.

THEIR CHARACTERS
WERE DOING VERY, VERY WELL,

BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG
AT THE BUSINESS END.

Smith: HOW DO YOU GO BANKRUPT
WHEN YOU HAVE SPIDER-MAN?

YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU GO BANKRUPT
WHEN YOU HAVE CAPTAIN AMERICA?

THE GUYS IN CHARGE AT THAT POINT
CAME TO ME AND SAID,

"SPIDER-MAN WILL ALWAYS SELL,
THUS YOU'RE EXPENDABLE.

OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPENDABLE."

AND BOOM.

Bendis: STAN HAD ALWAYS,
YOU KNOW, MADE THIS PICTURE --

THE BULLPEN
IS ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN',

AND WHEN I SHOWED UP
AT THE BULLPEN,

THE LIGHTS WERE OFF

AND THE FILING CABINETS WERE
PILED UP IN THE CORNER

AND THEY WERE SELLING THEM
FOR MONEY.

THERE WAS A SENSE LIKE,

"UH-OH. AM I WRITING
THE LAST MARVEL COMIC?"

ALL IT DID IS
HELP CEMENT THE ANGER I HAD

TOWARDS THE PEOPLE

WHO BASICALLY RUINED THE COMPANY
THAT I HAD LOVED TO WORK FOR.

Buckley: IF YOU WENT
INTO COMPLETE BANKRUPTCY,

THEN THE ASSETS
WOULD BE THE PIECES

THAT PEOPLE GET PAID BACK WITH,

SO WOULD SOMEONE BUY SPIDER-MAN
AND NOT BUY THE AVENGERS?

THE CHARACTERS
WOULD HAVE SURVIVED.

THEM SURVIVING TOGETHER
WAS A DIFFERENT QUESTION.

[ RAIN FALLING ]

[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]

Loeb: YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY WHEN
THE HERO IS AT HIS LOWEST

CAN HE ACTUALLY BECOME
THE GREATEST.

THAT, TO ME, IS THE GREATEST
SUPERHERO STORY OF ALL TIME.

THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT
THE LIGHTS WERE GONNA GO OUT.

THE PEOPLE AT MARVEL, HOWEVER,
DECIDED THAT WASN'T THE CASE.

AROUND THE YEAR 2000,

MARVEL THEN HIRED ME
TO BECOME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.

Bendis: JOE IS AN ARTIST
AND, IN MANY WAYS, A VISIONARY.

TRULY, LIKE -- ALMOST LIKE
THE SPIRITUAL EMBODIMENT

OF STAN LEE.

I HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BEING
ETERNALLY OPTIMISTIC.

Bendis:
WE LOVE THESE CHARACTERS.
WE LOVE OUR ART FORM.

AND WE WANTED JUST TO FOLLOW JOE
INTO THE LIGHT.

JOE IS THE REAL DEAL,
BECAUSE HE'S A BUSINESSMAN

AND HE'S A WRITER
AND HE'S AN EDITOR,

BUT HE CAN ALSO SIT DOWN
AND DRAW.

Quesada: WE HAD FORGOTTEN
WHAT GOT US TO WHERE WE WERE.

THE GOAL WAS TO GET BACK
TO THOSE ROOTS,

TO GET BACK TO THE THINGS
THAT MADE MARVEL GREAT.

THE EASY PART ABOUT IT WAS

THAT SOMEBODY HAD ALREADY
WRITTEN THE RULE BOOK.

JUST GO BACK TO THE TIME
OF STAN, JACK, STEVE.

LOOK AT WHAT WENT ON HERE.

MARVEL HAD BEEN MARVEL,
YOU KNOW?

CREATIVE FREEDOM, FUN.

STAN WOULD LOOK OUT HIS WINDOW
AND SEE THE REAL WORLD.

JACK WOULD LOOK OUT HIS WINDOW
AND SEE THE REAL WORLD.

WE DECIDED, "YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE'RE GONNA WRITE
ABOUT OUR WORLD."

Alonso:
IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER 9/11,

AND ONE OF THE MOST PERVASIVE
DEBATES AT THE TIME WAS,

EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF YOUR LIBERTY
ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP

FOR MORE SAFETY?

AND WE DECIDED TO TACKLE
THAT ISSUE HEAD ON

IN A COMIC BOOK
CALLED CIVIL WAR.

Bendis: THEY GAVE ME DAREDEVIL,

AND THEN, LIKE, THE NEXT
WEEKEND, CALLED ME UP AND SAID,

"HEY, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT

"STARTING SPIDER-MAN OVER
FROM SCRATCH.

IS THAT SOMETHING
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN?"

SOME GREAT STORYTELLING
WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME.

Man: WE WERE ALWAYS EXPANDING.

I MEAN, STAN HAD STARTED IT,
BUT IT WAS ALWAYS LIKE,

"HERE'S WHERE WE ARE.

WHERE CAN WE GO NEXT?"

Man #2: OUT OF THE ASHES
OF THE BANKRUPTCY

CAME A COMPANY
THAT WAS MUCH STRONGER

AND MORE MORE ABLE
TO THINK ABOUT ITSELF

AS BEYOND A
COMIC-BOOK-PUBLISHING COMPANY.

Brevoort: UP UNTIL 2004, 2005,

THE WAY MOVIES WERE MADE --
MARVEL MOVIES --

WERE YOU WOULD OPTION

A PARTICULAR CHARACTER
OR A PARTICULAR TITLE

TO SOME OTHER
PRODUCTION COMPANY.

YOU HAVE TO GIVE ALL THE CREDIT
TO ALAN FINE.

WE ALWAYS BELIEVED

IN THE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL
OF THE MARVEL BRAND.

ALAN WOULD COME
TO OUR PUBLISHING SUMMITS.

WE GET TOGETHER
ABOUT TWICE A YEAR

WITH ALL OUR KEY WRITERS
AND EDITORS

AND, YOU KNOW, BRAINSTORM

AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT
TO DO WITH THE BOOKS

FOR THE NEXT YEAR TO 18 MONTHS.

Quesada:
ALAN WAS FASCINATED BY IT.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT WAY
TO WORK AS A CREATIVE COMPANY,

AND HE THOUGHT
THAT MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD WAY

TO START APPLYING THE WAY
THAT WE COME UP WITH

NOT JUST IDEAS FOR COMIC BOOKS

BUT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE
CREATIVELY.

Man: MARVEL DECIDED
WE WERE GONNA TAKE THE LEAP.

WE'RE GONNA MAKE OUR OWN MOVIES.

MARVEL FINANCED THEIR OWN MOVIE,

AND THE RISK THEY TOOK
WAS "IRON MAN."

THAT'S THE FIRST MOVIE
FROM MARVEL STUDIOS.

Brevoort: MARVEL CALLED IN
EVERYONE THEY THOUGHT

WAS AN EXPERT ON THE CHARACTER
ON SOME LEVEL.

THEY FLEW US OUT

TO THE AIRPLANE HANGAR
THEY WERE MAKING "IRON MAN" IN

AND THEY SAT WITH JON FAVREAU

AND JUST WENT THROUGH
THE WHOLE THING.

Buckley: IT WAS OUR FIRST MOVIE,

SO WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT
IT WOULD DO AT THAT POINT.

PEOPLE DOUBTED US.

Man: YOU KNOW,
YOU HAVE THE HEADLINE LIKE,

"MARVEL ROLLS OUT THE 'B' TEAM."

Brevoort: ALL THEY HAVE LEFT
IS THE DREGS OF THEIR CATALOG.

THIS IS CLEARLY
NEVER GONNA WORK OUT.

IRON MAN IS, LIKE,
A LOWER-TIER MARVEL CHARACTER.

TONY STARK? WHO CARES?

Loeb: ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
AND "IRON MAN" --

IN 2008, BOTH WERE VERY RISKY.

Smith: IF "IRON MAN" DON'T WORK,
IT ALL MAY FALL APART.

I KEPT TELLING PEOPLE,
"YOU KNOW, WATCH OUT."

MARVEL HAD TAKEN
ITS BIGGEST GAMBLE YET

IN BRINGING THE STORY OF
TONY STARK TO THE SILVER SCREEN,

AND THE BIG QUESTION
ON EVERYONE'S MIND WAS

"WOULD IRON MAN FLY
AT THE BOX OFFICE?"

Man: AT COMIC-CON,

WHEN THEY FIRST SHOWED
"IRON MAN,"

THE PLACE ERUPTED IN APPLAUSE.

THE BUZZ TRAVELED OUTSIDE
OF THE CONVENTION CENTER,

DIRECTLY ONLINE.

Man: I THINK PEOPLE KNEW
THIS WAS GONNA BE SOMETHING BIG.

Lee: I COULDN'T BELIEVE
HOW WONDERFUL IT WAS.

Shooter: THEY UNDERSTOOD
THE SENSIBILITIES.

THEY CAUGHT THE SPIRIT OF IT.

HERE WAS A REPRESENTATION
OF IRON MAN,

AND HE LOOKED LIKE IRON MAN.

ALL THE ICONOGRAPHY
THAT YOU RECOGNIZE --

THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE
IT EXISTS IN THIS WORLD.

THE CHARACTER TONY STARK,
PLAYED BY ROBERT DOWNEY JR.,

IS AS ICONIC AS
THE RED AND GOLD ARMOR ITSELF.

IT WAS THE RIGHT FILM
AT THE RIGHT TIME.

Brevoort: IT WAS BIGGER
THAN ANYBODY EXPECTED,

BIGGER, I THINK,
THAN WE EXPECTED.

FROM THERE, IT'S JUST BEEN
ONE SUCCESS AFTER ANOTHER.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT MARVEL
IS THE IDEA OF THE UNIVERSE.

Green: KIDS TODAY ARE WEARING
THOR AND CAP AND SPIDER-MAN

OUT IN THE OPEN
WITHOUT FEAR OF PERSECUTION.

WHAT IT SHOWS YOU
IS THE DRAW OF MARVEL.

THEY PULLED IT OFF.

Maisel:
WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH,
WITH THE SUCCESS OF "IRON MAN,"

TO HAVE MANY OPTIONS.

ONE OF THOSE WAS
THE SALE TO DISNEY.

THEY INSTANTLY PUT MARVEL
ON A GLOBAL STAGE.

IT HAS GIVEN US MUSCLE THAT
WE'VE ONLY DREAMED OF HAVING.

Man: THEY'RE STORYTELLERS.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO, TOO.

AND THAT COMMONALITY
HAS ENABLED MARVEL TO THRIVE.

Man: WE DO SOMETHING
THAT THEY DON'T HAVE.

Smith:
DISNEY HAD PRINCESSES GALORE,

BUT DISNEY NEVER HAD
A BOY THING.

NOW, THANKS
TO THE MARVEL UNIVERSE,

THEY CAN, LIKE, GO
INTO THE WORLD OF SUPERHEROES.

Lee: ADD DISNEY TO MARVEL,

YOU HAVE A COMPANY
THAT NOBODY CAN BEAT.

IT STARTS WITH THE COMICS.

IT ALWAYS HAS,
AND I THINK IT ALWAYS WILL.

WE'VE JUST TAPPED
INTO THE FEMALE MARKET.

IT'S EXPLODED
IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

I THINK THE FEMALE MARKET

IS ALSO JUST REALLY PROUD
TO BE COMIC-BOOK FANS.

SECRET WAR IS A HUGE EVENT

BEING CARRIED
ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS

WITH GAME-CHANGING
RAMIFICATIONS.

THEY CAN DO NO WRONG,
SO I'M READY FOR "ANT-MAN."

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE
THE NEW AVENGERS.

Loeb: WHAT'S GOING ON
AT MARVEL TELEVISION --

WE WENT TO NETFLIX,

AND WE BROUGHT THEM
DAREDEVIL, JESSICA JONES,

IRON FIST, LUKE CAGE --

WHAT ARE AFFECTIONATELY REFERRED
TO IN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE

AS THE STREET-LEVEL HEROES.

TURNING THAT INTO
"THE DEFENDERS" ON NETFLIX --

LIKE, THAT'S A COMIC-BOOK FAN'S
DREAM COME TRUE.

THEN WE HAVE MARVEL ANIMATION.

TAKES YOU ON AN ADVENTURE UNLIKE
ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S OUT THERE.

IT REALLY ALLOWS FOR
YOUR IMAGINATION TO RUN WILD.

IT'S JUST MAGICAL.

OF COURSE,
"AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D."

Gregg: TRYING TO BRING WHAT'S
MAGICAL ABOUT MARVEL TO TV.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT
WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO DO

IN THIS SECOND SEASON.

Man: HAYLEY ATWELL WAS
A TREMENDOUS ASSET THAT WE HAD,

SO WE DECIDED TO
MAKE A TELEVISION SHOW
ABOUT AGENT CARTER.

Atwell: THERE'S A LOT
OF SUPPORT FOR PEGGY.

THERE HAS BEEN SINCE
THE FIRST CAPTAIN AMERICA FILM,

AND IT'S BECAUSE OF
THE FANS' INTEREST IN HER

THAT I'M STANDING HERE.

AS FOR THE FUTURE,
WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO

WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING
FOR OVER 75 YEARS --

TO TELL GOOD STORIES
ABOUT EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS
AGAINST ENORMOUS ODDS.

THAT KIND OF DESCRIBES
THE MARVEL STORY, AS WELL.

WE NEVER CAN STOP.

ME NEED TO CONSTANTLY
MOVE FORWARD.

NO GUTS, NO GLORY.

Lee: EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO

BRINGS PEOPLE ENTERTAINMENT,
ENJOYMENT.

Gregg: IT'S GIANT, EPIC,
POP-CULTURE MYTHOLOGY

THAT MANY OF US GREW UP ON

AND NOW NEW PEOPLE FEEL LIKE
THEY GREW UP ON.

THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
CONQUERED THE PLANET.

WE'RE TAKING YOU
ON A ROLLER COASTER.

THAT'S WHAT MARVEL IS.

IT'S EASY TO IMAGINE
THAT MARVEL'S FUTURE

WILL BE AS SUCCESSFUL,
BRIGHT, AND RICH

AS ITS UNPARALLELED HISTORY.

AND NOW FOR WHAT
YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

HERE IS A SNEAK PREVIEW

OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN-FOOTAGE
FROM MARVEL'S "AGENT CARTER."

-WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?

-SOME OF MY BABIES
HAVE ALREADY SOLD OVERSEAS.

I'M GONNA PAY THEM A VISIT.

THE REST OF THEM
ARE HERE SOMEWHERE,

WHICH IS WHERE YOU COME IN.

WORD IS ONE OF THE NASTY ONES

IS HITTING THE MARKET
IN THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

-WHAT IS IT?

-JUST A PIECE OF PAPER --

MY FORMULA
FOR MOLECULAR NITRAMINE.

TECHNICALLY,
WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE IT WORKS,

BUT, WELL, LET'S FACE IT --

I INVENTED IT, SO IT WORKS.

IF THAT STUFF
WERE EVER FABRICATED...

-BOOM.

-THIS MUCH
WOULD LEVEL A CITY BLOCK.

-I'M GOING TO REGRET THIS,
AREN'T I?

-ABSOLUTELY.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE NOT
HUMILIATING HIM,

THAT FELLOW UP THERE'S
MY BUTLER, EDWIN JARVIS.

I OWE YOU ONE, PAL.

THERE ARE ONLY A DOZEN FENCES

THAT CAN HANDLE SOMETHING
THIS HOT.

YOU JUST GOT TO LEARN WHICH ONE.

AND I FIGURED YOU'D NEVER HAVE
ANY TROUBLE FINDING A MAN.

-THE TRICK IS
FINDING THE RIGHT ONE.

NICE TO SEE YOU, TOO, HOWARD.

THE NEXT TIME YOU APPROACH
A WOMAN IN A DARK ALLEY,

YOU MIGHT INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

-I SHALL ENDEAVOR
TO REMEMBER THAT.

PROVIDED MY CONCUSSION
ISN'T TOO SEVERE.

SHOULD YOU NEED ME.

-YOU'RE NEW TO ESPIONAGE,
AREN'T YOU?

-FAR FROM IT.

LAST SUMMER, I CAUGHT THE COOK
POCKETING THE GOOD SPOONS.

WHAT NOW, MISS CARTER?

-NOW I GO TO WORK.

VanCamp: MARVEL HAS EVOLVED
BEYOND JUST A BRAND

AS EVIDENCED BY OUR LOVE
FOR THE CHARACTERS

THAT NOT ONLY ENTERTAIN US
BUT LIVE WITHIN US.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS
JOURNEY WITH US, AND GOOD NIGHT.