Marvel Team-Up is the name of several American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series featured two or more Marvel characters in one story. The original series was published from March 1972 through February 1985, featuring Spider-Man as the lead "team-up" character in all but nine of its 150 issues; of the remainder the Human Torch and the Hulk starred in six and three issues, respectively. When cancelled, the title was replaced by Web of Spider-Man.
The second series was published for 11 issues from September 1997 through July 1998 and originally featured Spider-Man; Namor the Sub-Mariner was the featured character starting with #8. A quarterly series titled Spider-Man Team-Up fulfilled much the same purpose as the original title from 1995-1997. The third Marvel Team-Up series, written by Robert Kirkman, began publication in January 2005 and frequently featured Spider-Man. This volume often reintroduced lesser-known Marvel characters that had fallen into obscurity.
The spirit of Marvel Team-Up was carried on by Avenging Spider-Man and later Superior Spider-Man Team-Up.
Publication history
The series debuted with a March 1972 cover dated issue featuring Spider-Man and the Human Torch in a story by writer Roy Thomas and artist Ross Andru. The main artists on the series for the first several years were Andru, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, and Jim Mooney. Spider-Man met the X-Men in issue #4, which was during a period when the mutant team's own title was featuring reprinted material.
The series often featured Spider-Man meeting characters who were not superheroes such as Werewolf by Night in issue #12 and the Frankenstein's Monster in issue #36. A multi-issue time travel story arc began in issue #41 with Spider-Man and the Scarlet Witch traveling to the Salem witch trials in 1692. The latter chapters of the story would include the Vision, Doctor Doom, and Moondragon. With issue #47, the series had a crossover with Marvel Two-in-One #17, which featured the Thing. Jean DeWolff was introduced as a supporting character in the Spider-Man/Iron Man story in issue #48.
John Byrne, who would later become the artist on The Uncanny X-Men, first drew the characters in Marvel Team-Up #53. Byrne and his Uncanny X-Men collaborator, writer Chris Claremont worked together on several issues of Marvel Team-Up. Captain Britain, a character created for Marvel UK, made his first appearance in an American comic book in Marvel Team-Up #65 (January 1978). The cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live appeared in issue #74 (October 1978), while issue #79 (March 1979) featured the spirit of Red Sonja possessing the body of Mary Jane Watson to face Kulan Gath.
Karma, a character that later joined the New Mutants, was created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Frank Miller in #100's lead story. A photo cover by Eliot R. Brown was used for the Spider-Man/Captain America team-up in issue #128. Marvel Team-Up #137 (January 1984) was part of the "Assistant Editors Month" event and featured Aunt May and Franklin Richards battling Galactus. The series ended with issue #150 (February 1985) starring Spider-Man and the X-Men facing off with the Juggernaut and Black Tom Cassidy.
A Hulk and the Human Torch story written by Jack C. Harris and drawn by Steve Ditko in the 1980s that was intended for Marvel Team-Up was published by Marvel as Incredible Hulk and the Human Torch: From the Marvel Vault #1 in August 2011.
Spider-Man Team-Up was a brief attempt to revive the concept of the series and was soon followed by Marvel Team-Up vol. 2 which was published from September 1997 to July 1998. The third Marvel Team-Up series launched in January 2005 and ran for 25 issues which starred a variety of characters.
Marvel Team-Up
Annuals
Spider-Man Team-Up
Marvel Team-Up vol. 2
Marvel Team-Up vol. 3
Collected editions
- Essential Marvel Team-Up
- Vol. 1 collects issue #1-24, 496 pages, April 2002, ISBN 978-0785108283
- Vol. 2 collects #25-51, 528 pages, August 2006, ISBN 978-0785121633
- Vol. 3 collects #52-73, #75, and Annual #1, 480 pages, September 2009, ISBN 978-0785130680
- Vol. 4 collects #76-78, 80-98, and Annual #2-3, 480 pages, February 2013, ISBN 978-0785167341
- Fantastic Four/Spider-Man Classic includes Marvel Team-Up #100 and #132-133, 152 pages, April 2005, ISBN 978-0785118039
- Essential Defenders
- Vol. 5 includes Marvel Team-Up #101-111 and 116, 448 pages, August 2010, ISBN 978-0785145370
- Vol. 6 includes Marvel Team-Up #119, 528 pages, October 2011, ISBN 978-0785157540
- Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Saga Epic Vol. 5 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #1, 424 pages, April 2010, ISBN 978-0785144625
- Spider-Man: The Complete Ben Reilly Epic
- Volume 3 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #2, 432 pages, January 2012, ISBN 978-0785156130
- Volume 4 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #3, 464 pages, April 2012, ISBN 978-0785161318
- Volume 5 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #4, 464 pages, July 2012, ISBN 978-0785163831
- Volume 6 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #5, 448 pages, November 2012, ISBN 978-0785165521
- Thunderbolts Classic Vol. 1 includes Spider-Man Team-Up #7, 296 pages, April 2011, ISBN 978-0785153092
- Marvel Team-Up
- Vol. 1: The Golden Child collects Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #1-6, 144 pages, June 2005, ISBN 978-0785115953
- Vol. 2: Master of the Ring collects Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #7-13, 176 pages, December 2005, ISBN 978-0785115960
- Vol. 3: League of Losers collects Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #14-18, 120 pages, June 2006, ISBN 978-0785119463
- Vol. 4: Freedom Ring collects Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 #19-25, 168 pages, February 2007, ISBN 978-0785119906
