Inspired by the success of DC Comics Justice League of America based around a team of DC's favourite heroes Marvel Publisher Martin Goodman asked Stan Lee to come up with something similar to boost flagging sales. In November 1961 the first Fantastic Four comicbook went to the news stands and was an instant hit. Instead of the wooden characterisations of earlier heroes, the Fantastic Four where portrayed as real people with real lives. Jack Kirby drew the comic, and by issue three Lee had included a fan page for readers letters that where pouring in. Issue four saw the return of the Submariner, the first of the Golden Age heroes to be resurrected from the past to be included in the Marvel Universe. The following year a real heavyweight entered the Marvel Universe in the guise of The Incredible Hulk. A cross between Frankenstien and Dr Jeckll and Mr Hyde the Hulk debuted in Tales to Astonish but by May 1962 had a comicbook of his own. In August of the same year, Thor followed and was introduced to the world in Journey into Mystery issue 83. The best known of all the Marvel characters very nearly did not get into print. Spiderman appeared as a one shot story in Amazing Fantasy 15, a comic about to be dropped from print, the webslinger was hugely popular and made it into his own comic in March 1963. Ant Man and the Wasp became regulars in Tales to Astonish, and Tales of Suspense issue 39 spawned the metal clad Avenger Ironman. Lee also created cross over story lines where characters would guest star in another's comic firmly establishing the continuity of the Marvel Universe. By 1963 the Marvel Universe was teaming with new characters and these where brought together with a revived Captain America to create a new super team the Avengers. The original line up included Thor, the Hulk, Ironman, Wasp and Antman, they where joined by Captain America in issue three, his brief 1950s return conveniently forgotten. The next team comic created by Marvel was very different from anything that had come before. The X- Men, a team of mutant teenagers led by a bald professor in a wheelchair, was launched alongside the Avengers in September 1963 and with its extended story lines, an innovation developed by Lee proved very popular. These years of prodigious creativity produced a multitude of long lasting characters including Dr Strange in the pages of Strange Tales and Daredevil, the blind superhero with no special powers but his radar sense, with his own comic in April 1964. Nick Fury first appeared as the battle hardened sergeant in the retrospective World War Two comic Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos in 1963 and was brought into the modern Marvel Universe in 1965 as Colonel Fury, head of the Supreme Headquarters of International Espionage and Defence, as Nick Fury- Agent of Shield. By 1966 Marvel characters where so popular that they gained their own half hour Animated Cartoon TV Series showing five different stories featuring Captain America, Ironman, Hulk, Thor and Submariner the following year Spiderman and the Fantastic Four each received their own shows. As the 1960s swung to an end Marvel went from strength to strength creating new and fantastic characters to fill the Amazing Marvel Universe that they had created.

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