Superheroes have been in our culture for over 100 years. They have appeared in various types of media, whether it be newspaper, comic books, radio, TV or film. Some superheroes have been portrayed in different time periods and have had their story lines updated. This has caused some confusion about who came first. With Marvel, there is the Marvel Comics Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The creative timelines are sometimes blurred between these two media. Since MCU’s first movie was Ironman, you might be tempted to think he was first. Or perhaps the title Captain America: The First Avenger may lead you to think Steve Rogers was the first Marvel superhero. So then, who was the first Marvel superhero?
Superheroes in Our Culture
The world has been drawn to the idea of superheroes since the early 1900s. While you might think that Superman was the first superhero, appearing in June 1938, there were actually superhero prototypes that came years before in comics and other writings. A superhero is someone that has extraordinary abilities or super-human power and uses them to accomplish good deeds. Superman was the first costumed superhero, but years before, readers followed the deeds of Hugo Hercules (1902) in newspaper comics and watched The Scarlet Pimpernel (1903) on stage. These two superheroes are examples of our two-part definition of a superhero. The Scarlet Pimpernel had extraordinary abilities of sword fighting and disguise, while Hugo Hercules had superhuman strength. Both used the powers for the good of those around them.
Throughout the decades more and more superheroes rose to prominence through newspaper comics, radio plays, comic books, and film. Detective Comics (DC) gave us Superman, who was the prototype for costumed superheroes which became a mainstay of comic book industry ever since. DC Comics introduced many more superheroes throughout the so-called Golden Age of Comics, most notably Batman and Wonder Woman.
Superheroes in comics has a long and detailed history, and we may get into some fun history in this site. In this age of technology, the superhero stories were brought to us by radio, TV, and finally on the big screen at movie theaters. While the first blockbuster movie was Superman (1978), in recent years, it has been Marvel Comics that has brought us some of the greatest movies and characters. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) brought the heroes that we knew from the comics, introduced them to us through their own movies, and then teamed them up in the Avengers.
It is the history of Marvel Comic superheroes that I want to look at in this blog today. Who was the first Marvel superhero?
Who was the first Marvel Superhero? (kinda depends)
In 1939, there was a comic series called Marvel Comics #1 (pulp-magazine Timely Publications’ very first release), and it featured Namor the Submariner and the Human Torch. Wait! Don’t get confused here. This wasn’t Johnny Storm from the Fantastic Four. No, this Human Torch was actually an android (odd that an android would be called human, right?). This series was very popular and set the stage for other popular Timely characters, most notably a guy named Steve Rogers. You’ve probably heard of him – the skinny kid that became Captain America.
So since Namor was really an anti-hero, that would make the Human Torch the first Marvel superhero, right? Maybe not. While Marvel was the name of the series, we should remember that the name of the publication was Timely.
So Then, Who Was First?
It would be many years later that the Marvel Comic Universe would be created by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Jack Kirby. Their creations started with a different superhero, or rather, superheroes. Comic purists may argue that technically, Timely’s android Human Torch was the first; but in reality, the first Marvel Comics heroes were Stan Lee’s creation of The Fantastic Four. This comic book team written by Lee and illustrated by Kirby was a new type of hero and was a big hit with the readers.
Before the creation of the Fantastic Four in 1961, superheroes were perfect god-like characters that fought simplistic battles. These characters appealed to children. But with Marvels’ new series came changes to how we would view our superheroes. The Fantastic Four were flawed characters. When Fantastic Four #1 was published in November 1961, readers were introduced to Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Human Torch, and the Thing. These people were flawed, petty, and egotistical. They argued with each other. They even made mistakes! Yes, they had super powers, but they were also relatable; comic book readers couldn’t get enough of this type of hero, and Marvel Comics found great success.
Shop Fantastic Four Comics and Products!
Comic Book Readers Are Drawn to Flawed Heroes
The success of the Fantastic Four confirmed to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics what their readers wanted, so they again ignored the superhero archetype. This time their superhero was a nerdy, unconfident teenage boy that was bitten by a radioactive spider. Peter Parker was introduced in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy series, which began in 1961 as Amazing Adventures. After changing the name to Amazing Fantasy in issue 7, Marvel’s biggest hit came in August, 1962 (issue #15), with the introduction of Spider-Man. Since most comic readers were kids, they were able to relate to this new hero, who was a teenager himself. Young readers identified with his self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness.
Up until this time, teenagers in superhero stories were relegated to being a sidekick (Robin and Bucky come to mind), but Peter Parker didn’t have an adult like Batman or Captain America to help him navigate his new powers. He was all alone and often struggled. By the end of the first issue, his own indifference to his power is responsible for the death of his uncle.
Spider-Man was a smash hit with comic book readers; the success giving him his own series. He went on to become the greatest superhero Marvel ever created.
Shop Spider-Man Comics and Products!
But What About Ant-Man and The Incredible Hulk ?
OK, so you had to ask about them. And yes, they were in earlier Marvel issues. Should we count them before Spider-Man?
Tales to Astonish first hit the comic book shelves in January 1959. This series was a science fiction anthology, much like The Twilight Zone. Issue #27 looked like it was going to be another science fiction tale, but actually was the introduction of a new superhero. Hank Pym was testing a shrinking serum and found himself trapped in an anthill. After escaping the peril, he uses the reversal formula and restores himself to normal size. It was 8 years later when Marvel bought Hank Pym back as the superhero Ant-Man.
The Incredible Hulk was introduced in his own comic of May 1962. In that issue, we find Bruce Banner, a scientist who was exposed to gamma rays as he tried to rescue a boy trespassing on the government test site. Like the Fantastic Four, Bruce Banner was altered by the gamma rays; but in his case, he became a gigantic, green monster – Marvel’s first horror-themed antihero. Once again, Marvel Comics had created a comic book character, the likes of which had never been seen and was a huge success. The Hulk still remains an important part of Marvel Comics.
So.. It Started with a Flawed Family and a Lonely Teenager
Do we have this all straight now?
Timely Publications had its superheroes in their publication called Marvel Comics, but that wasn’t the same Marvel Comics that we know today. When Marvel Comics began publishing their own comic books, they took inspiration from other comic book superheroes and created something totally different – flawed heroes that dealt with other issues besides super heroics.
Their first book was about a flawed family of superheroes – The Fantastic Four (November 1961). They followed up with scientists (Hank Pym), monsters (The Incredible Hulk) and finally their next superhero – a nerdy, lonely teenager who became Spider-Man (August 1962).
Who was the first Marvel superhero? It really started with a team of heroes.
You are welcome to leave your thoughts in the comments section.
I know that Captain America was the first Avenger, but I was always wondering who was the first Marvel superhero overall, and this post has helped me to scratch that itch. Thanks for sharing this content! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the encouragement!
But was Captain America really the first Avenger? 🙂 Hmmm. Maybe I’ll need to write about that soon. 🙂
My, I read Superman as a boy and never realized how much had come before! This was a very engaging article that gave me a lot of information. Well written, but oh, how much research this must have taken! I look forward to any follow-ups that may appear. I happen to like your style.
Phil,
Thank you for the kind words! I hope you come back and read some more posts. I’ve just started. I also have Who Was the First Avenger? and When Did Iron Man First Appear? You may also enjoy How to View the MCU movies in chronological order.
Wow!
I always thought that Superman was the very first Marvel superhero because he was the most popular character long before Peter Parker came into the scene. By the way, I love both of them; it’s just that Superman will always be my number one. I do not know in America but here in Asia, it was Christopher Reeves who really made a mark as Superman.
Then you mentioned Antman. Funny because when our current president was interviewed during the presidential campaign early this year, he was asked when did he realize he wanted to become a leader. He said it was while watching the Antman. When I heard about that, I had no idea who the Antman was, lol. Now, I know, thanks to you. ☺
Christopher Reeve was pretty big here in America too!
Thank y for commenting. Please check out my other posts about Marvel superheroes.
This was very interesting to read. I only knew a little about heroes, and I was looking for more information and looking into the start of these and found your article.
I thought it was Captain America, the first one me too, and he is one of my favorites to collect items of.
Thank you for commenting! I hope you will come back and check out this site again. In the meantime, check the other posts on my site. You may find them interesting!
This is very interesting to read about the first superheroes and finding that the Scarlet Pimpernel was actually regarded as a superhero. My first memory of a superhero is Superman, closely followed by Batman, so I assumed one of them would be the first.
So amazing to see that the Fantastic Four, was actually the first. As I am not familiar with the Fantastic Four, I am now curious to discover more about them. Where is the best place to buy the books, or can one watch it in a movie? Thank you.
Thank you for reading and I’m glad you enjoyed my post. You can find the Fantastic Four comics on Amazon. Just search for Fantastic Four comics. You can see the Fantastic Four movies on Disney Plus. When I was child, the Fantastic Four animated series was a big hit on Saturday mornings.
I hope you come back and read more of my posts!
To be honest while I am a huge fan of all recent superhero films from both Marvel and DC I was never such a big fan of comics. Yes, obviously as a kid I would also read superman, batman and spiderman but I was never totally drawn into these worlds. I am more of a visual guy and the films appealed to me much more. But to learn the history of these characters is very intriguing. A very good read indeed.
I really loved the movies too! Thanks for letting me know that my article had enough interesting content that would engage someone that really didn’t follow all the characters and their world that closely. That was good encouragement.
Hi Scott,
Some of these super heroes I had never heard of before and it was interesting to learn a little more about them. I love that you focused only on the super heroes, and not just characters like the anti heroes, sidekicks, and monsters to fattening who was considered first. I love your style and look forward to seeing more. Now I’m curious to know if Superman was the first DC superhero or if someone came before him too!
Thank you for stopping by and your kind words. I do hope you come back and read some more of my exciting content. I’m just getting started! 🙂
Scott,
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise regarding these classic superhero characters. I had no idea that there was so many superseding Superman, the Incredible Hulk, and Spiderman. George Reeves was an amazing superman, as was Christopher Reeves.
Wow! You have curated an amazing, invaluable collection of superheroes. These characters delivery a powerful message about real life by having nerdy, lonely, flawed characters. Superheroes are quite impactful on society in general.
Rachele
Rachele, thank you for stopping by. I am happy you enjoyed reading my post. If you haven’t yet, please check out my other articles on my site. I think you might find them engaging as well. – Scott
Great article; thank you for sharing “Who Was the First Marvel Superhero?”. I had never heard about Scarlet Pimpernel and Hugo Hercules; I thought superheroes started with Superman. Also, I didn’t know Fantastic Four was first published in 1961; that’s awesome. Recently I watched “Black Adam”, probably the latest superhero movie. What do you think will be the next big movie from Marvel?
Great post; I loved it.
Thanks
Vlad – thank you for stopping by. I am glad you enjoyed it. The MCU has a lot of plans for future movies. You might enjoy reading my post Avengers Movies Chronological Order. Here are 3 movies that are planned for 2023 release:
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)
The Marvels (July 28, 2023)
First, the article mentions that the first Marvel superhero was the Human Torch, but it also mentions that Captain America predates the Human Torch. Could you clarify which character was actually the first Marvel superhero?
Additionally, the article mentions that the Human Torch was created by Carl Burgos and that he first appeared in 1939. However, I was under the impression that Marvel Comics was not founded until 1961. Could you explain the history and timeline of Marvel Comics and how the Human Torch fits into that history?
Finally, the article mentions that the Human Torch was not the only Marvel superhero to debut in 1939. Could you provide more information about these other characters and their place in the Marvel universe?
Overall, this was a fascinating read and I am looking forward to learning more about the history of Marvel Comics and its iconic characters. Thank you for sharing this valuable information!
Hi Lorenz,
Thank you for reading and your comments and questions. i’ll try to answer your questions briefly here. The conclusion of my post was that the first Marvel super heroes were the Fantastic Four, since Marvel Comics didn’t begin as we know it until 1963.
The first super hero characters to appear under the name Marvel were the android Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner (look for a new article about this guy soon to come), but this Marvel was under the umbrella of Timely Publications, a predecessor of Marvel Comics. I don’t think the article says that Captain America predates the Human Torch. What the article says is that the android Human Torch of 1939 set the stage for other popular Timely characters such as Steve Rogers (aka Captain America). My article doesn’t mention Carl Burgos, so you must know a little bit about comic history to have asked about him. He did indeed create the character of the android Human Torch in 1939. You can read more about how Captain America fits into the timeline here: When Did Captain America First Appear.
Timely Publications created many comic characters in their Marvel Comics during the 1930s and 1940s. I will try to provide more information about these in the future.
Wow! I’ve just attended a history lesson on Marvel and DC Superheroes. I grew up watching and reading these superheroes and I still do, including all its spin-off series. The latest was “Secret Invasion” which I finished watching last few days. My teenage son is a big fan of Marvel and never missed a single MCU movie. This is the reason why I’m following all the movies and series. Anyways, this is a very good post sharing the history. Now, I know who was the first marvel Superhero(s).
Perhaps you can write a post about Marvel Supervillains.
HI Sharon! I am so glad you enjoyed this post! I hope you and your son come back and explore my site Superherocollectors.com. I have several articles that you might find interesting and I will be adding more. I do have a couple articles about villains.
Namor the Submariner – He made an appearance in the latest Black Panther movie
Kang the Conqueror – He’s the next big villain in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe
Come back soon!
Scott
Scott, this article on the beginnings of Marvel superheroes is truly enlightening. Delving into the past and understanding the transformation from Timely Publications to today’s Marvel Comics was a revelation. The shift from superheroes being almost god-like to more human and vulnerable was especially intriguing. Do you think this “human touch” is a major reason behind Marvel’s enduring success? It’s interesting how relatable heroes resonate more with readers. Eager to hear your thoughts.
Hi Louis! Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you found this article enlightening! I do believe Marvel’s enduring success has been tied to the human element. Fans rushed to the newsstands to buy these comics when they came. They wanted to read more about these super heroes that had problems.
I hope you come back and read more of my posts about Marvel super heroes and villains.
Scott
http://www.superherocollectors.com
Hey thank you for this post!
I enjoyed reading it and learning something new about one of my favourite superhero! I didn’t know much about the history until coming across your post, so it was certainly an interesting read!
Superheroes did start quite early on!
I am aware of the newer superheroes which have been introduced probably starting from the late 2000s but before that is history for me!
Thanks again and have a great day!
I think I am of that generation that started to see more Marvel superheroes like Superman and Batman, and I even remember the Hulk (I’m from 1972), but I would never have thought this already existed in the 1900s, interesting!
But now that you mention it, I think that Hercules is a great example of a superhero Marvel, I just never stopped and thought about this! Our generations think it is something quite recent, and I thought so to, but thanks for opening my eyes haha!
Great article, loved to read it!
Hi Lizzy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this post and that it brought back memories. Yes, these superheroes have been around since the 1940’s – some even before! Please tell others about my site and I hope you come back for more superhero content!
-Scott