Marvel 1985

Marvel 1985 (written on the cover as simply 1985) is a six-issue American comic book limited series, published in 2008 by Marvel Comics. It was written by Mark Millar^[1] and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards.^[2]

Plot

Issue 1

A boy named Toby Goodman has recently started reading Secret Wars comics. His parents are divorced and he is ostracized by his classmates and doesn't have many friends. Toby is walking home with his dad when he thinks he sees the Red Skull in the window of a house. Toby is reluctant to tell anyone about his discovery, but then he sees the Vulture on the television one evening. Toby revisits the house where he saw the Red Skull and finds Doctor Doom and Mole Man talking about taking over our world. Dr. Doom hears Toby and orders his minions to chase after him. Toby runs away in the woods and trips over The Hulk, ending the first issue.^[3]

Issue 2

The Hulk then tells Toby that his mind is currently that of Bruce Banner's, and that he was pulled into this world by an unknown force. Just then, the Juggernaut comes out of the woods, and attacks the Hulk, with the resulting devastation prompting Toby to run away. Meanwhile, Toby's dad goes to an assisted living home to see Clyde Wyncham, a catatonic man whose house is the one the Marvel villains were seen in, and who was Toby's father's friend in grade school. Toby then finds his father and tells him about the Hulk, which his father responds to by saying he shouldn't go near the Wyncham house again, and that he shouldn't tell anyone about what happened, because "People won't want to hear it ...Believe me." When Toby comes home, his mother and stepfather tell him that his stepfather is up for a job in England, and if he gets it, they will be moving there. Finally, the Stilt-Man is seen walking by Toby's dad's house, and the Sandman and Electro attack a couple at their home, one of whom was the nurse at Wyncham's nursing home.

Issue 3

After that, Toby and his father attempt to escape in his father's van which is attacked by The Lizard. Other characters like MODOK and Fin Fang Foom begin to appear throughout the city as the military begin to evacuate civilians while trying to fight Abomination, Blob, Mandarin, Molten Man, Morbius, the Living Vampire, and Sauron.^[4]

Issue 4

Rather than leave, Toby runs back to the old Wyncham house, where he finds a portal to the Marvel Universe. The Trapster discovers him and Toby leaps through the portal, landing in the middle of New York City and shouting "Call the Avengers, there's an emergency."

Issue 5

The Trapster quickly pursues Toby, but is struck by a car just before shooting the boy. Toby meanwhile makes his way to the Avengers Mansion only to be patronized and sent on his way by Edwin Jarvis who states that parallel worlds fall under the Fantastic Four's jurisdiction. Taking Jarvis' advise he attempts to enlist the Fantastic Four in saving his world, only to be told to wait his turn as there is a line to see them. Finally, he visits the office of the Daily Bugle where he lures Peter Parker to the roof and proceeds to tell Parker that he knows his identity along with details of his personal life. Almost immediately, Toby loses his footing and is saved from a fatal fall by Spider-Man who asks him to tell his story. Meanwhile Toby's father attempts to rescue his ex-wife, who he narrowly saves from an encounter with Wendigo and as they escape in a van, Galactus is seen looking over the city declaring "I hunger". ^[5]

Issue 6

Galactus is shown towering over the city, firing a destructive eye beam. Jerry warns Julie that Galactus plans to suck the earth dry with an elemental converter. The Lizard surrounds their van along with other villains including Mole Man, and identifies the confused Jerry Goodman by name. Just as Doctor Octopus' tentacle breaks through the windshield and grabs Jerry by his throat, Captain America's flying shield slices it off. Toby is shown, returned from the Marvel Universe, with the Avengers assembled behind him. As the heroes and villains fight, Toby reunites with his mother and Jerry reveals that it is time to "finish this".

Flashback twenty years to the Wyncham house, where Clyde Wyncham's mother blames Jerry for people being hypnotized and the death of Clyde's father. When Clyde admits to her that he has reality-altering mind powers (he was the first mutant of the real world), she knocks him in the head with a candlestick causing severe mental damage. While Clyde is recovering in a nursing home, his comics are taken away from him. He loses his temper and summons the super villains (shown earlier) to teach people a lesson. Jerry tries to reason with Clyde, but before Clyde can react, Red Skull shoots Jerry. Clyde screams "Enough!" and banishes the villains to where they came from, including Galactus. With the fight over and the asylum closed, Captain America offers to take Clyde with him to the Marvel Universe.

Moving ahead in time, Toby is revealed as the author. With his creative power, Toby ensures that his father didn't die earlier. Instead, Toby admits him to a hospital in the Marvel Universe, under the care of Dr. Blake, where he scores a date with his childhood crush, nurse Jane Foster. Jerry recollects how things turned out thanks to his son, and there is nothing else left to say than "Excelsior".^[6]

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a single volume:

• Marvel 1985 (February 2009, Marvel Comics, ISBN 0-7851-2158-7, Panini Comics, softcover, 172 pages, ISBN 1-84653-406-2)

References

External links

• Marvel.com listing for issue #1
• Marvel 1985 at the Comic Book DB