First Appearance Of

1970 to 1983 · Stories grow up

Dates vary by source. Why 1984 counts as both Bronze and Copper

Bronze Age
first appearances

Social issues on the page, darker villains, more complex heroes. Wolverine debuts in Hulk #180 to 181. The X-Men relaunch. Direct-market distribution begins to reshape what is possible for the medium.

56 characters in archive
Key book Incredible Hulk #181 (1974)

Marvel

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DC

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Image

All Image debuts →

Indies

All Indies debuts →

The Bronze Age — frequently asked

Quick facts about this era and its first appearances.

When was the Bronze Age?

The Bronze Age spans 1970 to 1983. CGC's Registry range for the Bronze Age is 1970 through 1984. CGC also counts 1984 in the Copper Age, and this archive files 1984 books there, so the Bronze Age here ends in 1983.

Is a 1984 comic Bronze Age or Copper Age?

In this archive, Copper Age. CGC's Registry counts 1984 in both the Bronze Age (1970 through 1984) and the Copper Age (1984 through 1991). This archive files 1984 books in the Copper Age, which puts Secret Wars #1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 and The Transformers #1 there.

Why do sources give different end dates for the Bronze Age?

The ages are collector conventions, not publisher labels. CGC's Registry runs the Bronze Age through 1984 and also starts the Copper Age in 1984, and Overstreet's online glossary does the same (Bronze 1970 to 1984, Copper 1984 to 1992). Wikipedia's standard scheme ends the Bronze Age in 1985 and has no Copper Age. This archive ends the Bronze Age in 1983 and files 1984 books in the Copper Age.

What is the defining first appearance of the Bronze Age?

Incredible Hulk #181 (1974) is the era's landmark debut.

How many Bronze Age first appearances are in this archive?

This archive currently catalogues 56 character debuts and 10 team debuts from the Bronze Age.

What defines the Bronze Age?

Social issues on the page, darker villains, more complex heroes. Wolverine debuts in Hulk #180 to 181. The X-Men relaunch. Direct-market distribution begins to reshape what is possible for the medium.