How Much Of The Timely Publications Era (1939-1960) Is Current Marvel Canon?!

[Ood Omega]

Recently I was asked how much of the Timely Comics era was actually part of the Marvel continuity. My reply was I guess most of it but now I'm not totally sure. What stuff is mentioned as being part of the current Marvel canon? What characters other than the obvious ones (Captain America, Namor) are still part of the 616 universe?

I'm also wondering how much of it is collected in trades. Are there collections of Adventures In Terror, Space Squadron, All-Select Comics, Venus, Blonde Phantom, Red Raven, All Western Winners, etc.?

[MRP]

Recently I was asked how much of the Timely Comics era was actually part of the Marvel continuity. My reply was I guess most of it but now I'm not totally sure. What stuff is mentioned as being part of the current Marvel canon? What characters other than the obvious ones (Captain America, Namor) are still part of the 616 universe?

I'm also wondering how much of it is collected in trades. Are there collections of Adventures In Terror, Space Squadron, All-Select Comics, Venus, Blonde Phantom, Red Raven, All Western Winners, etc.?

Some of the Timely characters appeared as part of Jeff Parker's Agents of Atlas. The first trade of Agents collected the origins stories from the Timely era for each of the characters used. So they at least are part of the 616.

-M

[MajorHoy]

And some of it is mainly considered fictional stories published in the Marvel world.
For example, the WWII-era Young Allies stuff has been referenced, but as stuff written for comic books that didn't accurately reflect what supposedly happened in the "real" world of the Marvel Universe. (See the four-issue mini-series Captain America: Forever Allies)

[shaxper]

It was always my impression that none of it was canon. It influenced later continuity but isn't part of it. Essentially, those heroes did exist and many of their adventures did too, but only as explained to us in 616 continuity. Even the Captain America stuff retold in Avengers #4 is a pretty heavy revision of his Golden Age continuity, in which Cap continued fighting crime after the end of the war.

[JKCarrier]

Even the Captain America stuff retold in Avengers #4 is a pretty heavy revision of his Golden Age continuity, in which Cap continued fighting crime after the end of the war.

They eventually explained those post-war stories by introducing a couple of replacement Captains who took over after Steve Rogers was frozen.
I think the rule of thumb is that the old stories happened, but the details aren't always accurate.

[MajorHoy]

By the way, anybody buy / buying this: Marvel Firsts: WWII Super Heroes?

[Ood Omega]

By the way, anybody buy / buying this: Marvel Firsts: WWII Super Heroes?

"Collecting material from MARVEL COMICS #1; DARING MYSTERY COMICS #1-3, #5 and #7; MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #4, #13, #28 and #49; MYSTIC COMICS #1-2 and #4-7; RED RAVEN COMICS #1; CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1, #6 and #13; HUMAN TORCH COMICS #4; YOUNG ALLIES COMICS #1; and USA COMICS #1-2."

That looks awesome

[MajorHoy]

"Collecting material from MARVEL COMICS #1; DARING MYSTERY COMICS #1-3, #5 and #7; MARVEL MYSTERY COMICS #4, #13, #28 and #49; MYSTIC COMICS #1-2 and #4-7; RED RAVEN COMICS #1; CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1, #6 and #13; HUMAN TORCH COMICS #4; YOUNG ALLIES COMICS #1; and USA COMICS #1-2."

That looks awesome

Looking through it in Barnes & Noble last weekend, it's only about one story per a character, and doesn't contain all the stories in each of those issues. But I ordered it from Barnes & Nobles' website anyway.

[Reptisaurus!]

Recently I was asked how much of the Timely Comics era was actually part of the Marvel continuity. My reply was I guess most of it but now I'm not totally sure. What stuff is mentioned as being part of the current Marvel canon? What characters other than the obvious ones (Captain America, Namor) are still part of the 616 universe?

I'm also wondering how much of it is collected in trades. Are there collections of Adventures In Terror, Space Squadron, All-Select Comics, Venus, Blonde Phantom, Red Raven, All Western Winners, etc.?

Roy Thomas talked about this in the Invaders letter columns. If I remember right, the gist was: The stuff from the '40s is in continuity unless it contradicts what I write in Invaders. In that case, Invaders is conrinuity.

In PRACTICAL terms, I'd guess it's up to individual writers what they want to use and what they want to ignore. I don't think there's any editorial/continuity cop limitations on what Golden Age material can be referenced and ignored, beside the VERY broad strokes.