MARVEL UNIVERSE: 1966 READING ORDER - Recommended & Essential Reading

The Marvel Universe reading order continues: Highlighting all the key moments, first appearances, crossovers and events in the ideal reading order. This time around, it's 1966!

As always, I'd like to thank the guys over at www.chronologyproject.com which I use as a basis and work out my own continuity. Those guys have done all the heavy lifting for me!

MCG Note: These pages are subject to change and will be constantly updated and added to. If you feel a story has been missed or want to know where tale would sit in continuity, I'm more than happy to add these for you, though they may or may not be recommended by me. This guide is aimed more at fans who need help with continuity and the stories they need to read rather than those already obsessed with it.

The Marvel Universe definitely steps up its game in 1966. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee make the Fantastic Four unmissable all year, introducing the world to the Black Panther and the Silver Surfer, telling emotional stories like the Thing's momentary return to human form, threatening the Earth with consumption by Galactus or having Doctor Doom steal the Surfer's powers. It really was the world's greatest comics magazine, that year!

Steve Ditko left Spider-Man and Doctor Strange - characters he'd created - but their stories continued to be told, most notably with the Green Goblin discovering Spidey's identity and revealing Mary Jane Watson for the first time. Aside from a very ambitious crossover (of sorts) that pitted Nick Fury, Captain America, the Hulk and Namor the Sub-Mariner against THEM, Thor was the character to watch when it came to long-running epics.

Aside from the Black Panther, Galactus, Silver Surfer and Mary Jane Watson, there's a whole slew of new characters and concepts including AIM, Ares, the Black Galaxy, Boomerang, Collector, Ego the Living Planet, Gladiator, High Evolutionary, Klaw, Living Laser, Man-Beast, Mimic, the Negative Zone, Plunderer, Pluto, Rhino, the Rigellians, Secret Empire, Super Adaptoid, Ulik, Ultimate Nullifier, Ultimo, Wakanda, Wyatt Wingfoot and Wundagore.

We're also introduced to Hercules, the original Human Torch, the Red Skull and Zeus who all made previous appearances in some form or other during the Golden Age.

MCG NOTE - your guide to reading comics:

• Issues in blue are worth reading and often play a part in the great Marvel tapestry.
• Issues in grey are possibly of interest, stories of note that aren't essential or issues added by fan request or once-great tales that are no longer 'required reading'.

Daredevil #12-14 (1966) 
First appearance of the Plunderer; Daredevil teams up with Ka-Zar against Ka-Zar's brother, the Plunderer; Ka-Zar's origin is revealed.

X-Men #19 (1966) 
First appearance of the Mimic.

Fantastic Four #48-50 (1966) 

First appearance of the Silver Surfer, Galactus, Wyatt Wingfoot, the Punisher Cyborg and the Ultimate Nullifier; the Silver Surfer leads the world-devouring Galactus to Earth and it's up to the Fantastic Four to convince him to leave; the Silver Surfer is so taken with Alicia Masters' humanity that he quits as the Herald of Galactus, only to find himself stranded on Earth by Galactus.

Fantastic Four #51 (1966) 

First appearance of the Negative Zone; Ricardo Jones steals the Thing's powers for himself; Jones redeems himself in the Negative Zone while passing as the Thing; Ben Grimm misses a shot at a normal life with Alicia Masters.

Journey Into Mystery Annual #1[1/5]
Journey Into Mystery #124[2/2]-125[2/2]
Thor #126[2/2]-127[2/2]

Tales to Astonish #79[2/2]

(1965-1966)

First modern appearance of Hercules, Hades and Mount Olympus; Thor clashes with his Olympian counterpart, Hercules during WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY.

X-Men #20 (1966) 
The origin of Professor X is revealed, including the moment he lost the use of his legs to Lucifer.

Tales to Astonish #77[1/2]-78[1/2]

Avengers #26
Tales to Astonish #79[1/2]-80[1/2]
Avengers #27
(1966)
Dr Hank Pym (the former Ant-Man/Giant-Man) accidentally wakes the Behemoth beneath Atlantis; the Puppet Master manipulates Namor the Sub-Mariner; the Avengers thwart Attuma's attempt to flood the surface world during AMONG US WALKS A GOLIATH. 

Marvel Monsters: Monsters on the Prowl #1 (2005) 
The Thing, Giant-Man, Hulk and Beast get caught up in a fight between monsters controlled by the Collector and the Mole Man during MARVEL MONSTERS.

Tales of Suspense #78[2/2] (1966) 
Captain America meets Nick Fury for the first time since World War II; Cap signs up to SHIELD during T.H.E.M.

Strange Tales #146[2/2] (1966) 
Doctor Strange steps in when Dormammu tries to assassinate Eternity; artist and creator Steve Ditko leaves the series after this issue.

Tales of Suspense #79[2/2] (1966) 
First modern appearance of the Red Skull; first appearance of the Cosmic Cube; the Red Skull sends assassins to attack Captain America during T.H.E.M.

Amazing Spider-Man #37 (1966) 
Norman Osborn's name is revealed for the first time; first appearance of the Robot Master (Mendel Stromm).

Strange Tales #146[1/2]-147[1/2] (1966) 
First appearance of AIM; Nick Fury continues to seek out the identity of THEM during T.H.E.M.

Daredevil #16-17 (1966) 
Daredevil and Spider-Man join forces against the Masked Marauder.

Amazing Spider-Man #38 (1966) 
The last issue to be drawn by Steve Ditko.

Daredevil #18-19 (1966) 
First appearance of the Gladiator (Melvin Potter).

Fantastic Four #52-53 (1966) 
First appearance of the Black Panther, Klaw, Prester John and Wakanda; the Fantastic Four help the Black Panther protect Wakanda; the Human Torch clashes with the immortal Prester John.

Fantastic Four #54-56
Fantastic Four Annual #4[1/4]
Fantastic Four #57-60
(1966-1967)
First modern appearance of the original Human Torch (Jim Hammond); the Fantastic Four have rematches against the Silver Surfer, Klaw, Sandman and Wizard; the original Human Torch briefly returns; Doctor Doom steals the Surfer's Power Cosmic during THE PERIL AND THE POWER.

Tales of Suspense #80[2/2]-81[2/2] (1966) 

The Red Skull turns his back on THEM in favour of pursuing ultimate power for himself with the Cosmic Cube during T.H.E.M.

Amazing Spider-Man #39-40 (1966) 
The Green Goblin unmasks Spider-Man and also reveals himself to be Norman Osborn.

Tales of Suspense #76[1/2]-78[1/2] (1966) 
First appearance of Ultimo; the Mandarin sends Ultimo to destroy Iron Man.

Tales of Suspense #79[1/2]-80[1/2]
Tales to Astonish #82[1/2]
(1966)
Iron Man battles an enraged Sub-Mariner during WHEN FALL THE MIGHTY.

Avengers #32-33 (1966) 
First appearance of the Sons of the Serpent; Black Widow starts trying to prove herself as an ally to the Avengers.

Tales to Astonish #81[2/2]-82[2/2]
Tales to Astonish #83
Strange Tales #148[1/2]-149[1/2]
Tales to Astonish #84
Tales to Astonish #85[1/2]
Tales of Suspense #82[2/2]-84[2/2]
First appearance of Boomerang, the Secret Empire and the Super-Adaptoid; AIM and the Secret Empire form factions of THEM and manipulate SHIELD, Captain America, Namor the Sub-Mariner and the Hulk; the factions are defeated, but the true identity of THEM is revealed during T.H.E.M.

Thor #128[2/2]-130[2/2] (1966)

First appearance of Ares, Artemis, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Pluto, Hippolyta and many other Olympians; first appearance of Tana Nile; Thor helps free Hercules from Hades when Pluto tricks him into becoming its new ruler during WHOM THE GODS WOULD DESTROY.

Thor #131-133 (1966) 
First appearance of Ego the Living Planet, the Rigellians and the Black Galaxy; Thor battles Ego.

Thor #134-135 (1966) 
First appearance of the High Evolutionary, Man-Beast, the New Men and Wundagore Mountain; Thor has to recapture the Man-Beast when it escapes in Wundagore Mountain.

Amazing Spider-Man #41 (1966) 
First appearance of the Rhino.

Thor #137 (1967) 
First appearance of Ulik.

Thor #140 (1967) 
First appearance of the Growing Man; Kang the Conqueror unleashes his Growing Man in modern day New York to test its abilities.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3[1/2] (1966)
The Avengers consider offering Spider-Man a place on the team; Spider-Man avoids selling the Hulk out to gain membership.

Amazing Spider-Man #42-43 (1966) 

First full appearance of Mary Jane Watson; Spider-Man tackles a spore-controlled John Jameson and has a rematch with the Rhino.

Avengers #34 (1966) 
First appearance of the Living Laser.

X-Men #27 (1966) 
The Mimic becomes the first non-mutant to join the X-Men.

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