Bring on the Bad Guys: Origins of the Marvel Comics Villains

Now back in print and timed for its 50th anniversary—the landmark book Bring on the Bad Guys by Stan Lee!

Originally published in 1976, Bring on the Bad Guys was the follow-up to the hits Origins of Marvel Comics and Son of Origins of Marvel Comics. This book features the first appearances of characters who have dominated the pantheon of Marvel’s modern storytelling mythology—Doctor Doom, the Red Skull, Green Goblin, Dormammu, Abomination, Loki, and Mephistor—all hand-picked and introduced by the one and only Stan Lee, and serving as an essential showcase for writers and artists such as Stan himself, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita, and Marie Severin. Whether viewed as a historical artifact that launched an industry of presenting Marvel Comics to a broad audience of fans or a collection of the best in Bronze Age comics by many of the greatest creators to ever put pencil to paper, Bring on the Bad Guyss highlights both the lasting greatness of these iconic characters as well as the monumental contributions of the talented creators who launched an entire storytelling universe.

Stan Lee (1922–2018) began his career with wartime Timely Comics, and staying the course throughout the Atlas era, Stan the Man made comic book history with Fantastic Four #1, harbinger of a bold new perspective in story writing that endures to this day. With some of the industry’s greatest artists, he introduced hero after hero in Incredible Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men, and more, forming a shared universe for rival publishers to measure themselves against. After an almost literal lifetime of writing and editing, Lee was involved in movies and television via his company POV! Entertainment. He was Marvel’s chairman emeritus and best-known public representative.