Posted By Dan Greenfield on Sep 24, 2024 | 24 comments

Spider-Man, the Human Torch and a cast of thousands (it seems)…

By JIM BEARD  

I love team-up stories, and fortunately both the Big Two comics companies had a major title to satisfy my cravings throughout my formative years. I’m of course referring to The Brave and the Bold from DC and Marvel Team-Up from Marvel — series I’ve covered extensively in my two books, Breaking Bold and Brave and Walking the Wider Web.

But, here’s the thing: Though I loved both books, Marvel had it all over DC in one very special category. Marvel Team-Up was the master of the multi-part story compared to its Distinguished Competition.

Over the course of Marvel Team-Up’s 13 years of publication (that’s the classic MTU, natch), it grew as a Spider-Man vehicle for not only meetings and matches with its guest-stars, but also as an integral part of the webslinger’s wider web. In doing so, a Murderer’s Row of writers and editors began to plot stories that weren’t always done-in-ones—in fact, multi-part MTU tales became de rigeur, something for fans of the book to look forward to, as well as who might show up in the stories.

Today, I’m celebrating those MTU “to be continueds” with a TOP 13 list of my favorite sagas. I love how they cover the entire history of the series, from beginning to end. Here’s hoping a few of my favorites here are some of yours, too.

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The Basilisk Saga, by Len Wein, Gil Kane and others (Marvel Team-Up #16-17 – Dec. 1973-Jan. 1974). This is where I came in, and what an entrance. I had no idea who the cosmic Captain Marvel was, but I was already an FF fan so a Reed Richards guest-spot was, ahem, fantastic. Add in the Basilisk, a baddie who should’ve been a superstar in the Marvel Universe, and it’s still one of my big faves.

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The Jeremiah Saga, by Gerry Conway, Sal Buscema and Vince Colletta  (Marvel Team-Up #33-35 – May-July 1975). With Nighthawk, Valkyrie and Dr. Strange, this one’s a Defenders fan paradise, one with another interesting new antagonist and a story that wraps up not with Spidey but with his pal Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Ya gotta love the Sal Buscema art, too.

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The Salem Saga, by Bill Mantlo, Sal Buscema and others (Marvel Team-Up #41-46 – Jan.-June 1976). Jeez, where to begin? This multi-part story is truly deserving of the tag “saga” due not only to its amazing and often cray-cray line-up of guest-stars, but also because of where it begins and when it goes. The sharp-eyed among you will notice that I included MTU #45-46, which I will always argue are a part of the arc.

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The Woodgod Saga, by Bill Mantlo, John Byrne and others (Marvel Team-Up #53-55 – Jan.-Mar. 1977). The Woodgod, a Bill Mantlo creation, is yet another Marvel “monster” that never really got his due. That said, this showcase for him, courtesy of his creator, can boast the first John Byrne MTU art, as well as two cool Hulk check-ins and an appearance by Adam Warlock.

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The Equinox Saga, by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Dave Hunt (Marvel Team-Up #59-60 – July-Aug. 1977). Hey, any story with Hank Pym as Yellowjacket is A-OK with me, and it doesn’t hurt that there’s yet another way-cool new villain and some great John Byrne art. Yes, I know Equinox first appeared in MTU #23 a few years before, but you must admit this is when he really came into his own as a serious threat… despite the 20-year nap he took before returning to the Marvel Universe.

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The Steel Serpent Saga, by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Dave Hunt (Marvel Team-Up #63-64 – Nov.-Dec. 1977). Man, I was already riding high on Star Wars when this story hit my life, so I was deep in pop culture nirvana at the time. This one’s got it all, right? Claremont and Byrne firing on all cylinders, the super-bad Iron Fist, a villain to really fear, the incredible team of Misty Knight and Colleen Wing… not sure what else a comics fan could ask for here.

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The Strange Saga, by Chris Claremont, Mike Vosburg and others (Marvel Team-Up #80-81 – Apr.-May 1979). I didn’t know Satana from any other Daughter of the Devil on the street, but I remember feeling actual sadness for her when I hit the end of this one. I also didn’t recognize the stylings of artist Mike Vosburg before this, and honestly saw far too little of him for my tastes as my comic book life continued. Amazing stuff. And Doc Strange as a werewolf!

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The Black Widow Saga, by Chris Claremont, Sal Buscema and Steve Leialoha (Marvel Team-Up #82-85 – Jun.-Sept. 1979). Another of the longer story arcs in the series, this one’s centerpiece is a bout of amnesia for the Black Widow, one of the results of which is an unusual almost-relationship between her and Spidey. Beyond that, it spotlights an incredible team of heroes, one that you wish would get together more often.

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The Thermo Saga, by Tom DeFalco, David Michelinie, David Anthony Kraft, Herb Trimpe and Mike Esposito (Marvel Team-Up #108-109 – Aug.-Sept. 1981). We’re up into the Eighties now and, yeah, Thermo the Thermodynamic Man certainly isn’t one of Marvel’s better super-villain sobriquets, but listen—when you have Paladin on hand, who cares what the bad guy calls himself? Take note that this is a rare MTU story kicked off by one writer and finished by another.

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The Serpent-Men Saga, by J.M. DeMatteis, Herb Trimpe and Mike Esposito (Marvel Team-Up #111-112 – Nov.-Dec. 1981). If you’re like me, you want something truly oddball from time to time in your comics. I offer up this one to fill that need, a story featuring a character who came over from a blink-and-you-missed-it competitor and another character that Marvel doesn’t even own, created by Conan’s daddy, Robert E. Howard. How’s that for the Marvel Age of Make-You-Think Marvel Team-Ups?

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The Professor Power Saga, by J.M. DeMatteis, Herb Trimpe and Mike Esposito (Marvel Team-Up #117-118 – May-Jun. 1982). Here’s one for you X-Men fans, though I won’t blame you if you’re asking, “Who the heck is Professor Power?” If you check out this little ditty, historically significant as the first full-on Spidey-Wolverine team-up even, be sure to check out its weird continuation of sorts in Marvel Team-Up #124.

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The [Redacted] Saga, by J.M. DeMatteis, Sal Buscema and Mike Esposito (Marvel Team-Up #132-133 – Aug.-Sept. 1983). I’m withholding the full name of this saga for those of you who haven’t read it (there’s a mystery as to who’s behind it all). Otherwise, my man Mr. Fantastic’s back and he brings the whole FF with him to usher writer DeMatteis out the door and to other pastures. It’s a fun two-parter all together.

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The Black Abbott Saga, by Cary Burkett, Greg LaRocque and Mike Esposito (Marvel Team-Up #146-148 – Oct.-Dec. 1984). MTU is literally littered with one-time wannabe, could-have-been villains, but IMO the king of them is Cary Burkett’s Black Abbott. This was a guy poised to be a biggie, and yet this is his only shot at super-villain stardom. To this day I fail to understand why he was never a player past this arc.

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MORE

— Dig These 13 Crafty GERRY CONWAY TEAM-UP COMICS. Click here.

— 13 Great TEAM-UP COMICS by MIKE W. BARR. Click here.

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When JIM BEARD’s not editing and publishing through his two houses, Flinch Books and Becky Books, he’s pounding out adventure fiction with both original and licensed characters. In fact, he’s put words in the mouths of Luke Skywalker, Superman, Fox Mulder, Carl Kolchak, Peter Venkman and the Green Hornet… and lived to tell about it. His latest pop culture non-fiction tomes are Breaking Bold and Brave, available here, and Walking the Wider Web, available here.