The Marvel Age of Comics has its beginnings with Timely Publications whose Publisher, Martin Goodman, brought out the first Timely comic magazine, Marvel Comics, in 1939. This first issue introduced two of the great heroes of all time, The Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner. The Human Torch was a lousy android, but his tradition lives on in Johnny Storm, member of Marvel’s Fantastic-Four, who came by his powers legitimately, in a freak rocket accident. That very same SubMariner is still with us, drawn by his creator, Bill Everett.

In 1940, Timely summoned forth Captain America to do battle with the Hun. The Captain was the work of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; Simon had assisted in the construction of Superman, and Kirby has left his mark on just about every stage of modern comic activity.