Eras
First appearances by era
Ninety years of comics, organized the way collectors actually talk about them. Platinum Age to Modern Age.
- 1897 to 1937
Platinum Age
Proto-comics and newspaper strips
The pre-superhero era. Newspaper strips (The Yellow Kid, Little Nemo, Krazy Kat) evolve into platinum-age comic books. The form is being invented in real time, and almost nothing on the newsstand looks like what comics will become.
0 characters - 1938 to 1955
Golden Age
The birth of the superhero
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America. Action Comics #1 invents the superhero as a genre and almost every foundational character who still headlines Marvel and DC arrives in this era.
3 characters - 1956 to 1969
Silver Age
Marvel's revolution
DC revives the superhero with Showcase #4. Marvel counters with the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, Daredevil, Thor, and Iron Man. The single densest run of foundational first appearances in comics history.
3 characters - 1970 to 1983
Bronze Age
Stories grow up
Social issues on the page, darker villains, more complex heroes. Wolverine debuts in Hulk #180 to 181. The X-Men relaunch. Direct-market distribution begins to reshape what is possible for the medium.
3 characters - 1984 to 1991
Copper Age
Maturity, variants, speculation
Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Maus, Venom, Punisher solo titles, Wolverine limited series, Secret Wars. Mature storytelling and the rise of the collector market define the era. Newsstand and direct-market editions diverge meaningfully.
2 characters - 1992 to now
Modern Age
Indie explosion, creator ownership
Image Comics founds in 1992. Creator-owned publishing goes mainstream. The MCU arrives. Marvel and DC launch imprints, reboot continuities, and experiment with format. Spawn, Harley Quinn, Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Baby Groot.
6 characters