1970 to 1983 · Stories grow up
Bronze Age
first appearances
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.
Marvel
All Marvel debuts →
Black Cat
The Amazing Spider-Man #194 (1979)
Blade
The Tomb of Dracula #10 (1973)
Boba Fett
Star Wars #42 (1980)
Bullseye
Daredevil #131 (1976)
Colossus
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Darth Vader
Star Wars #1 (1977)
Devil Dinosaur
Devil Dinosaur #1 (1978)
Drax
Iron Man #55 (1973)
Gamora
Strange Tales #180 (1975)
Ghost Rider
Marvel Spotlight #5 (1972)
Han Solo
Star Wars #1 (1977)
Howard the Duck
Adventure into Fear #19 (1973)
Iron Fist
Marvel Premiere #15 (1974)
Krakoa
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Luke Skywalker
Star Wars #1 (1977)
Mantis
The Avengers #112 (1973)
Multiple Man
Giant-Size Fantastic Four #4 (1975)
Nightcrawler
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Princess Leia
Star Wars #1 (1977)
Punisher
The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974)
Rocket Raccoon
Marvel Preview #7 (1976)
Sabretooth
Iron Fist #14 (1977)
Silver Samurai
Daredevil #111 (1974)
Star-Lord
Marvel Preview #4 (1976)
Storm
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Thanos
Iron Man #55 (1973)
Thunderbird
Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Wolverine
Incredible Hulk #181 (1974)
Indies
All Indies debuts →
Alpha Flight
X-Men #120 (1979)
Batman Family
Batman Family #1 (1975)
Champions
Champions #1 (1975)
Defenders
Marvel Feature #1 (1971)
Lethal Legion
Avengers #78 (1970)
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New Mutants
New Mutants
Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants (1982)
Outsiders
The Brave and the Bold #200 (1983)
The Invaders
The Avengers #71 (1969)
The Bronze Age — frequently asked
Quick facts about this era and its first appearances.
When was the Bronze Age?
The Bronze Age spans 1970 to 1983.
What is the defining first appearance of the Bronze Age?
Incredible Hulk #181 (1974) is the era's landmark debut.
How many Bronze Age first appearances are in this archive?
This archive currently catalogues 32 character debuts and 8 team debuts from the Bronze Age.
What defines the Bronze Age?
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.