Marvel 1988-1994 pages: The DeFalco years

The New Universe came and went. Epic Comics unsuccessfully chased the elusive market of adult readers willing to pay a premium for higher quality stories and art. The Jim Shooter era gave way to the rise of the Image crowd, imitated across the industry even after they left Marvel to form their own company. Gritted teeth, bulging biceps, and huge weapons abounded for a while. Comics moved from spinner racks to specialty stores. The Copper Age had arrived.

Tom DeFalco told me that his corporate masters instructed him more than once that if Marvel sales did not improve, the company would be shuttered. This was the era of collectible gimmicks like foil covers. The rise of Wizard magazine, with its monthly price guides, fueled a speculative boom that meant riches for some and ruin for others.