This allows us to see the ways in which the universe was expanded, sometimes carefully, often times not. We get to see undeveloped themes and the earliest examples of new themes.
Like an evolutionary biologist studying our small, brown furred burrowing human ancestors, we get a look at the way things were without the baggage of the way things are.
Last week we looked at Fantastic Four #4, which reintroduced the Sub-Mariner to comic readers, and effectively tied the continuity of the Fantastic Four to the Timely/Atlas comics of the 1940s and 50s. So let's look at the first issue of Marvel Comics, and see the very first appearance of the Sub-Mariner!
Title(s) :
Now I'll Tell One; Fred Schwab; 1 page The Human Torch; Carl Burgos; 16 pages
The Angel; Paul Gustavson; 8 pages
The Sub-Mariner; Bill Everett; 12 pages
The Masked Raider; Al Anders; 8 pages
Jungle Terror; Tom Dixon (Art Pinajian); 6 pages
Burning Rubber; Raymond Gill; 2 pages
Adventures of Ka-Zar the Great; Ben Thompson; 12 pages
Publication Date/On Sale Date :
Oct 1939/Aug 31, 1939
Sources :
Superman in Action Comics #1, The Angel is like a superhero version of Simon Templar aka The Saint, Ka-Zar is adapted from a 1936 pulp magazine Ka-Zar, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", The Lone Ranger, Peter Pan, A Dweller on Two Planets