Marvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel
Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary
of Marvel Entertainment, Inc.[2]
Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man,
Wolverine, Iron Man, The X-Men, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, The Hulk,
Thor, Daredevil, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Blade, The Silver Surfer,
Nick Fury, and others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in a single
reality known as the Marvel Universe, with locales set in real-life cities such
as New York.[3]
The comic-book arm of the company started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by
the 1950s had generally become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern
incarnation dates from 1961, with the launching of Fantastic Four and other
superhero titles created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others.
Marvel has since become the largest American comic book publisher over longtime
competitor DC Comics
