The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features.
Places Certain places feature prominently in the Marvel Universe, some real-life, others fictional and unique to the setting; fictional places may appear in conjunction with, or even within, real-world locales.
Earth New York City Many Marvel Comics stories are set in New York City, where the publishing company is based.Bainbridge, Jason. ""I Am New York" — Spider-Man, New York City and the Marvel Universe." Comics and the City: Urban Space in Print, Picture and Sequence (2010): 163–179.
Superhero sites New York is the site of many places important to superheroes: Avengers Mansion: Currently in ruin, but long the home of the Avengers. Avengers Tower: Formerly Stark Tower, the current headquarters of the Avengers. Alias Investigations: A private investigations firm founded and owned by Jessica Jones. Baxter Building and Four Freedoms Plaza: The bases of the Fantastic Four. Daily Bugle: A newspaper building where Peter Parker (Spider-Man), among others, work. District X: A ghetto-like neighborhood of New York primarily populated by mutants. Since the Decimation, its mutant population has largely disappeared. Fisk Towers: A skyscraper owned by the Kingpin, and base of operations for his criminal activities. Hell's Kitchen: Home and protectorate of the Defenders (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist), and the Punisher. : A public hospital located in Manhattan. Nelson and Murdock Law Offices: The law firm founded by Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Foggy Nelson. Sanctum Sanctorum: The abode of Doctor Strange located in Greenwich Village. Oscorp Tower: A skyscraper owned by Norman Osborn. Now the headquarters for Alchemax. The Bowery: In Fantastic Four #4 (1962), the Human Torch discovers the Namor in this Manhattan neighborhood of "human derelicts", where Namor had taken up residence after sustaining amnesia. Wakandan embassy: The consulate/embassy of Black Panther's nation of Wakanda.
Companies New York is a center of industry, serving as the headquarters for a few Marvel companies: Alchemax: A megacorporation owned by Tyler Stone. Alchemax was created for the Marvel 2099 imprint, where the company appeared as an opponent of Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O'Hara). O'Hara later gains control of Alchemax, making it into a force for rebuilding Earth after multiple cataclysms.2099: Manifest Destiny 1998 Alchemax was later introduced into the mainline Marvel universe. Alchemax in other media The Earth-928 incarnation of Alchemax appears in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "The Spider-Verse". The Earth-616 incarnation of Alchemax appears in the Marvel's Spider-Man episode "Cloak and Dagger". This version is a science firm run by Tiberius Stone. Alchemax appears in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This version is run by Olivia Octavius and funded by the Kingpin. The Earth-928 incarnation of Alchemax appears in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, with Serena Patel, head of the company's Shadow Division, as a notable employee. Both the Earth-928 and Earth-616 incarnations of Alchemax appear in Spider-Man: Edge of Time. The Earth-928 incarnation of Alchemax appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. The Earth-616 incarnation of Alchemax appears in Marvel's Spider-Man. This version is a chemical plant located in Manhattan. Alchemax appears in Marvel Rivals.
Cross Technological Enterprises: A multinational industrial company run by Darren Cross. It is a rival of Stark Industries. Damage Control: A construction company that specializes in repairing the property damaged by super-powered individuals. Fisk Industries: A legitimate business on the surface founded and owned by Wilson Fisk. Frost International: A multi billion-dollar electronics conglomerate run by Emma Frost. Hammer Industries: A company founded and owned by Justin Hammer. Horizon Labs: A technological company headed by Max Modell. Midas Foundation: A company that was founded by Doctor Midas.Marvel Boy Vol. 2 #1. Marvel Comics. Oscorp: A company founded and formerly owned by Norman Osborn. Parker Industries: A company founded and owned by Peter Parker. Pym Technologies: A biochemical company founded by Hank Pym. : A conglomerate corporation and one of the largest fuel companies in the world. Inspired by, and initially loosely modeled after, real-world company Exxon. Stark Industries: A technology company founded and owned by Isaac Stark Sr. It is currently owned by Tony Stark (Iron Man). Trask Industries: A weapons and technology company founded and owned by Bolivar Trask. Von Doom Industries: An international megacorporation founded by Victor von Doom, who is the CEO.
Universities Columbia University: A real university whose fictional alumni include Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Elektra, and Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic). It is featured in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films. (ESU): A university whose alumni include Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, Emma Frost, Brad Davis, Chip Martin,Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #36 and Johnny Storm (the Human Torch). Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl) is currently enrolled in its computer science undergraduate program. Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) and Sophie Cuckoo are enrolled in the university in post-Krakoan Age stories. Faculty included Miles Warren,The Amazing Spider-Man #31 Edward Lansky,Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #1 Mendel Stromm, Gregson Gilbert, Clifton Shallot,The Amazing Spider-Man #127 David Jude,All-New X-Men Special #1 Curtis Connors,The Amazing Spider-Man #7 and David Alleyne. Empire State University in other media Empire State University appears in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Empire State University appears in The Spectacular Spider-Man. Empire State University is seen in Spider-Man, set in the Spider-Man Insomniac Universe, where it resembles New York University. Empire State University is seen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sotomayor University: A fictional university whose students include America Chavez (Ms. America) and David Alleyne (Prodigy). The university is named after Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Regions and countries Atlantis: A small continent with many human settlements. Over 20,000 years ago, an event called the "Great Cataclysm" caused it to be submerged into the sea. Attilan (; also known as the Hidden Land): Home of the Inhumans. Originally an island in the Atlantic Ocean, it has moved several times, including to the Andes, the Himalayas, the Moon, and Hala, the homeworld of the Kree. Attilan is destroyed in Infinity, with its remains becoming a sovereign state, New Attilan, ruled by Medusa. Attilan in other media Attilan appears in The New Fantastic Four episode "Medusa and the Inhumans". This city is ruled only by Medusa. Attilan appears in the Fantastic Four (1994) three-part episode "Inhumans Saga". Attilan appears in the Disney XD Marvel series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., Ultimate Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers Assemble. Attilan appears in Marvel Future Avengers. Attilan appears in Inhumans (2017). Bagalia: A sovereign island nation in an undisclosed location. It was founded by the Shadow Council and is ruled by criminals. Chronopolis: The city-state headquarters of Kang the Conqueror, located on the outskirts of the timeless dimension Limbo. It also appears in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. Costa Verde: A country in Central America where Silverclaw was born.The Avengers (vol. 3) No. 28 (May 2000) Demonica: An island north of Hawaii created by Doctor Demonicus; it eventually sinks back into the Pacific.Avengers West Coast #69–74. Marvel Comics. Deviant Lemuria: The undersea home of the Deviants located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Dynamo City: An interstellar city and space port for dynamism controlled by a municipal government. Genosha: An island nation off the coast of Africa, north of Madagascar, where mutants were once enslaved. Hyboria: The main continent of the Hyborian Age where Conan the Barbarian lived. Imaya: A country in North Africa. Kamar-Taj: A small kingdom in the Himalayas. Krakoa: A living island in the South Pacific. Latveria: A country in Europe ruled by Doctor Doom. Lemuria: A small continent and group of islands in the Pacific Ocean 21,000 years ago, which was ruled by the Deviants. It was sunk underwater during a battle with Atlantis. Madripoor: A city modeled after Singapore, to which Wolverine has connections. Monster Isle: An island where kaiju-style monsters rule. Muir Island: An island off the northwest coast of Scotland, containing Moira MacTaggert's mutant research lab. Nova Roma: An ancient Rome-like city in Brazil where Magma was born. Olympia: Mountain city of the Eternals, located on Mount Olympus in Greece. Providence: An artificial island made of parts from Cable's old space station, Graymalkin, located in the South Pacific Ocean, southwest of Hawaii. Providence was intended to be a place where the best minds on Earth could gather, live, and find new ways of doing everything in hopes of giving the world a peaceful future. Cable later destroys Providence to keep the future evidence of the Messiah Child's birth away from the Marauders. Savage Land: A place with a tropical climate, prehistoric animals, and strange tribes located in the heart of Antarctica. The (also known as the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven): Mystical, hidden cities spread across the Earth. Each of these cities possesses a legendary champion known as the Immortal Weapon, who represents it in the Tournament of Heaven, a sacred tournament held every 88 years, in which the cities temporarily merge to form the Heart of Heaven, where the tournament takes place. : Home of the legendary Iron Fist. Ruled by the Yu-Ti. : A city of dark magic ruled by the Crane Mother. It was protected by the Crane Champion. : A tropical land renowned for its women warriors. It was protected by Tiger's Beautiful Daughter. : A peaceful island of pig farmers. It was protected by a long line of warriors known as the Cobra. : A dark city covered in spiderwebs. It was protected by the Bride of Nine Spiders. : Home to the Prince of Orphans. : A city that serves as a home to all who are truly lost. The city was ruled by Dog Brother #1, who frequently roamed the Earth to find and rescue people to take them there. : A brutal and hellish city that serves as a prison for those sent from the other seven cities. Slorenia: An eastern Slavic nation. Sokovia: An Eastern European nation that was created for the Marvel Cinematic Universe before being integrated into the comics. In the MCU, Helmut Zemo, Wanda Maximoff, and Pietro Maximoff are depicted as Sokovian. Subterranea: A vast underground region. It is the home of the Mole Man, Tyrannus, and various underground creatures who serve them. Symkaria: A country in Europe adjoining Latveria and home of Silver Sable. : A country in Balkans. The birthplace of Spider-Woman, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. The men of the Russoff line were afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy in Transia. It is the base of operations for the High Evolutionary, and source of the "radioactive clay" used by the Puppet Master. One location is , a mountain to which Chthon was bound.The Avengers No. 187 Vorozheika: A country to the northeast of Chechnya. It is formerly part of the USSR and now ruled by Druig. Wakanda: An African nation ruled by T'Challa, the current Black Panther.
Prisons