Marvel Comics Presents is an American comic book anthology title that was published in three series by Marvel Comics: from 1988 to 1995; 2007 to 2008; and in 2019.
Volume 1 The first volume was released on a bi-weekly basis and lasted for 175 issues. Each issue had four eight-page stories, of which generally three were episodes in ongoing serials and one was a standalone story, though many issues featured two standalone stories and some featured only serials. The standalone stories generally featured obscure or little-seen characters from the Marvel Universe, and often featured work by creators previously unpublished in the comics field, including Scott Lobdell (a later X-Men writer), who started work under the editorship of Tom DeFalco.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
The original plan was for the lead story to feature different members of the X-Men in solo adventures. The first ten issues featured Wolverine; others featured were Colossus, Cyclops, Havok, and the members of Excalibur, whose solo adventures were incorporated into an 8-part serial bookended by chapters staring the entire team. From issues #38 through #142, a story featuring Wolverine was in every issue of the series. This was due to a mandate from Marvel's sales department, which noticed that sales of the series were always higher for issues in which Wolverine was featured. Particularly notable during this run was "Weapon X" in issues #72–84, which revealed the origin of how Wolverine received his adamantium-laced skeleton and claws, with story and art by Barry Windsor-Smith.
For the first 89 issues the series used wraparound covers which illustrated all four features in each issue, usually but not always with the lead feature on the front and the other three on the back. Starting with issue #90, the Ghost Rider was added to the series as a "co-lead" feature, and the book adopted a "flip-book" format, allowing only the two lead features to appear in the cover illustration, though the other two features usually received cover billing.
Issues #143-146 were wholly devoted to the "Siege of Darkness" crossover, dropping the regular Wolverine feature. Staring with issue #147 Ghost Rider was dropped as well, and from then on until the end of the series Vengeance was the new regular character, while the covers rotated between the various features.
Wolverine once more appeared in features from issues #150 through #155, but this time it was strictly to burn off two inventory stories. Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle had already started work on a sequel to their acclaimed story "Typhoid's Kiss" from issues #109-116 before Wolverine was dropped as the regular feature, so Vengeance was worked into the story and it was published. Dwight Jon Zimmerman had submitted the plot for the first installment of a sequel to "Sign of the Beast" from issues #62-63, and Paul Ryan had penciled it, but Zimmerman left Marvel without finishing the project. It was shelved for years, but with Zimmerman not returning, it was turned over to writer Nel Yomotov, penciller Phil Hugh Felix, and inker Rey Garcia to finish.
Several of the Wolverine storylines have since been collected and reprinted in trade paperback format. The first volume features Wolverine's first adventures in Madripoor, a fictional island that became Wolverine's second home during the late 1980s.
Other notable highlights include the first appearance of Ramonda, mother to Shuri and step-mother to T'Challa (issue #14), the first appearance of Damage Control (issue #19), a wrestling match between the Hulk and Hulk Hogan (issue #45), the first appearance of Siege (issue #62), the first appearance of Cyber (issue #85, by Peter David and Sam Kieth), and the first meeting of Wolverine and Venom (issue #117).
Stories in volume 1 +Issue #A StoryB StoryC StoryD Story1Wolverine "Save the Tiger"
Chris Claremont and John Buscema
Collected in Marvel Comics Presents: Wolverine Vol 1, Wolverine Epic Vol 1: Madripoor Nights, and Wolverine Omnibus Vol 1Man-Thing "Elements of Terror"
Steve Gerber and Tom Sutton
Collected in The Man-Thing by Steve Gerber Vol. 3 Shang-Chi "Crossing Lines"
Doug Moench and Tom Grindberg
Collected in Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu Omnibus Vol. 4 Silver Surfer "...Fear Itself!"
Al Milgrom
Collected in Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Parable; Silver Surfer: Return to the Spaceways Omnibus2The Captain "Cold War"
Al Milgrom3Thing "Measure of a Man"
Al Milgrom4Thor "Silent Thunder"
Al Milgrom5Daredevil "You'll See It When You Believe It"
Terry Kavanagh and Dwayne Turner6Hulk "Risky Business"
Bobbi Chase and Jeff Purves7Sub-Mariner "From Sea to Shining Sea"
Steve Ditko and Hollis Bright8Iron Man "One Day at a Time"
Sholly Fisch and Javier Saltares9Cloak "In the Dark"
Marcus McLaurin and Tony SalmonsAguila "A Piece of Cake"
Scott Lobdell and Larry Alexander10Machine Man/Fantastic Four "Machine Man Meets the FF"
Steve Ditko and Mike RockwitzColossus "God's Country"
Ann Nocenti and Rick Leonardi
Collected in Colossus: God's Country; X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus11Ant-Man "Drain Storm"
Len Wein and Bob LaytonSlag "Over and Over"
Jon Figueroa and Ron Wilson
Collected in Wolfpack: The Complete Collection12Hercules "Noble Fathers Have Noble Sons"
Chris Henderson and Don HeckNamorita "Spring Break"
Scott Lobdell and Frank Springer13Black Panther "Panther's Quest"
Don McGregor and Gene Colan
Collected in Black Panther: Panther's Quest, Black Panther Epic Collection: Panther's Prey, Black Panther Omnibus: Revenge of the Black Panther, and Marvel Masterworks: Black Panther Vol. 3Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic "Reed's On the Roof and We Can't Get Him Down"
Chris Henderson and Mike HarrisShanna the She-Devil "A Tooth for a Tooth"
Bruce Jones14Speedball "The Feathered Felon"
Steve Ditko and Jo Duffy
Collected in Speedball ClassicNomad "Angel in the Snow"
Fabian Nicieza and Larry Alexander15Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) "The Maiden Phoenix"
Bobbi Chase and Dwayne Turner
Collected in X-Factor: The Original X-Men Omnibus Vol. 2Red Wolf "Desert Tears"
Fabian Nicieza and Javier Saltares16Gateway/X-Men "Dreamwalk"
Ann Nocenti and Larry Dixon
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda OmnibusKa-Zar "This Is a Savage Land"
Dwight J. Zimmerman and Jim Mooney17Cyclops "The Retribution Affair"
Bob Harras and Ron Lim
Collected in Cyclops: Retribution and X-Factor: The Original X-Men Omnibus Vol. 2Uatu, the Watcher "Do You See What I See?"
Scott Lobdell and Tom Sutton18She-Hulk "X-Mas Tease"
John Byrne
Collected in The Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne, The Sensational She-Hulk by John Byrne Omnibus and She-Hulk Epic Collection: Breaking the Fourth WallWillie Lumpkin "A Christmas Card"
Glenn Herdling and Richard Howell19Doctor Strange "Nightmare in Suburbia"
Fabian Nicieza and Mark BadgerDamage Control "Overture"
Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colon
Collected in Damage Control: The Complete Collection20Clea "At the Bottom of My Garden"
Peter B. Gillis and Ron Lim21Paladin "Let's Take It from Where I Swing in and Rescue You"
Scott Lobdell and Ron WilsonThing "The First Cut"
Marcus McLaurin and Kevin VanHook22Mirage and Wolfsbane (New Mutants) "Suffer a Wolf to Live"
Sue Flaxman and Rodney Ramos
Collected in New Mutants Omnibus Vol 3Starfox "New Worlds to Conquer"
Peter Gillis and Dave Cockrum23Falcon "The Forest for the Trees"
Fabian Nicieza and Dave CockrumWheels Wolinski "Lady Jane"
Jon Figueroa and Ron Wilson
Collected in Wolfpack: The Complete Collection24Shamrock "I Haven't Got Time for the Pain"
Scott Lobdell and Dennis JensenHavok (X-Men) "Pharoah's Legacy"
Howard Mackie and Rich Buckler
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus25Nth Man "From Little Acorns Grow"
Larry Hama and Ron WagnerUrsa Major "Sophia"
Scott Lobdell and Don Hudson26Mr. Fixit (Hulk) "Splashdown"
Peter David and Jeff Purves
Collected in Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1, Atlantis Attacks Omnibus, and Incredible Hulk Epic Collection Vol 16: Joe FixitColdblood "Rise and Shine"
Doug Moench and Paul Gulacy27American Eagle "Just Another Shade of Hate"
Scott Lobdell and Ron Wilson28Triton (Inhumans) "Giving Peace a Chance"
Robert Campanella and Javier Saltares29Quasar "It Came from Within..."
Mark Gruenwald and Paul Ryan
Collected in Quasar Classic Vol. 130Leir "The Temper of a God..."
Sue Flaxman and Tom Morgan31Excalibur "Having a Wild Weekend"
Michael Higgins and Erik Larsen
Collected in Excalibur Epic Collection: The Sword is Drawn and Excalibur Omnibus Vol 132Sunfire "The Dreaded Deadline Doom"
Scott Lobdell and Don Heck
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus33Sub-Mariner "Dying in Paradise"
Don McGregor and Jim Lee34Captain America "Past and Present Sins"
Sholly Fisch and Jack Sparling35Her "Gods R' Us"
Fabian Nicieza and Erik Larsen36Hellcat "Encounter in the Alley of Death"
Jack Harris and June Brigman
Collected in Women of Marvel: Celebrating Seven Decades Omnibus37Devil Slayer "To Slay the Devil"
Dwight J. Zimmerman and Rodney Ramos38Wolverine "Black Shadow White Shadow"
Marv Wolfman and John Buscema
Collected in Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 2 and Wolverine Omnibus Vol. 2Wonder Man "Stardust Miseries"
Michael Higgins and Javier Saltares
Collected in Wonder Man: The Early Years OmnibusMr. Fixit (Hulk) "Art for Art's Sake"
Bill Mumy and Marshall Rogers39Hercules "All in the Family"
Bob Layton
Collected in Marvel Premiere Classic - Hercules: Full CircleSpider-Man "With Liberty and Justice for All"
Bill Mumy and Aaron Lopresti40Overmind (The Eternals) "Anything"
Scott Lobdell and Don Heck41Freedom Force "Forced Fed"
Scott Lobdell and Dave Cockrum
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus42Union Jack "The Establishment"
Fabian Nicieza and Kieron DwyerDaughters of the Dragon "Armed and Dangerous"
Jo Duffy and Chris Tsuda43Iron Man "Donovan's Brains"
Ed Simmons and Mark BagleySyrin (X-Men) "Hello Little Girl...Is Your Father Home?"
Scott Lobdell and Larry Stroman
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus44Doctor Strange "Trashed"
Roy Thomas and Dave SimonsPuma "...And Not a Drop to Drink"
Dan Mishkin and Gavin Curtis45Mr. Fixit (Hulk) "The Main Event"
Peter David and Herb Trimpe
Collected in Incredible Hulk by Peter David Omnibus Vol. 1 and Incredible Hulk Epic Collection Vol 16: Joe FixitShooting Star "Bang Bang, Shoot Shoot"
Robert Campanella and Jose Delbo46Devil-Slayer "Lost Souls"
Dwight J. Zimmerman and Rodney RamosAquarian "A Gift of Death"
Fabian Nicieza and Hugh HayesSub-Mariner "The Eye That Sees"
Hollis Bright and Dell Barras47Captain America "Old Glories"
Len Wein, Deni Loubert and Steve BuccellatoArabian Night "A Father's Love"
Scott Lobdell and Don Perlin48Wolverine and Spider-Man "Life's End"
Erik Larsen
Collected in Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 2, Wolverine Omnibus Vol. 2, Spider-Man by David Michelinie and Erik Larsen Omnibus, and Wolverine Versus Spider-Man (1995)Wasp "Object"
Marcus McLaurin and Eric ShanowerStorm and Dr. Doom "When It Rains"
Dwight J. Zimmerman and Rodney Ramos
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus49Daredevil "White Messiah"
John Figueroa and Ron WilsonGladiator (Imperial Guard) "The Unbeatable Foe"
Len Kaminski and Don Heck
Collected in X-Men: X-Tinction Agenda Omnibus50Comet-Man "A Family Affair"
Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer and Kelley JonesCaptain Ultra "I Just Flew in from Poughkeepsie and Boy Are My Arms Tired"
Scott Lobdell and Dennis JensenSilver Surfer "You Can't Go Home Again"
Ed Simmons and Jack Sparling
Collected in Silver Surfer Epic Collection: Thanos Quest and Silver Surfer: The Infinity Gauntlet Omnibus51Wolverine/Wild Child (Alpha Flight) "The Wilding"
Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza
Collected in Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol. 3, Wolverine Omnibus Vol. 2 and Marvel Universe by Rob Liefeld OmnibusIron Man "The Other Way Out"
Steve Saffel and Mark BrightLe Peregrine