The New York City Secrets of the Marvel Universe

Didja Know digs into the fun facts, strange stories, and divine details that helped build the hallowed halls of the House of Ideas!

Hey, heroes! If there’s one thing we’ve all learned about the merry ol’ Marvel Universe of characters over the years, it’s that they love to take a big bite out of the Big Apple any chance they get.

For instance, take next week's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18, wherein sinister situations once again surround Manhattan’s jewel, Central Park. Why? Read the rest of the HUNTED story arc and then the new issue, bunky!

Meanwhile, we’re gonna indulge ourselves in a bit of Mighty Marvel musing over the bombastic brouhahas that’ve gone down in our beloved New York City!

Didja Know… Central Park attracts a whole lot of heroes and villains?

It’s true! Sure, it’s right there in the middle of the city, but does it deserve such audacious attention? For example, the dreaded Dark Phoenix first flew her freak flag over the park in the classic UNCANNY X-MEN #135 and proceeded to mow the lawn there—along with her former fellow X-Men!

Then, remember back in the original SECRET WARS when that weird alien thingamajig appeared in Sheep's Meadow in the park and one-by-one drew our honored heroes into its stygian depths? And some time later after their furious fight on the Beyonder’s bodacious Battleworld, they all reappeared in the exact same spot!

Fast forward even later and you’ll recall when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and a few friends faced off against the scary Skrull army in SECRET INVASION #8. And where did this frantic fracas frow down—oops! We mean throw down! That’s right! Central Park, which seems to be some sort of menace-magnet for the Marvel Universe. Sheesh!

Didja Know… a sorcerer once gave the entire island of Manhattan a makeover?

Oh, boy…this story’s a real doozy!

A powerful evil sorcerer from an ancient time possessed the body of a mugger and whipped up a wild and wacky wonderland across the entire island of Manhattan in UNCANNY X-MEN #188. How bad was it? Believe us when we say that when you hailed a taxi you got an ox-drawn cart instead! Every building, every street, everybody found themselves in this guy’s freaky fantasy of his old stomping grounds in the far, far past!

Then, enter Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. These two heroes remembered how NYC used to be, but they were the only ones! And to make matters moot, they were captured and killed—well, okay, Spidey was, but the Master of the Mystic Arts managed to pull a rabbit out of his non-existent hat to save the day! With the help of the New Mutant whose moniker was Magik, Doc swiped a time switcheroo for the sorcerer’s set-up and everyone, including the Big Apple, got better. Whew!

Didja Know… a demi-god moved Manhattan all by himself?

Okay…this one. This one you’d better sit down for, friend. Once you’ve heard it, you probably won’t believe it. We’re not even sure we believe it, and we work here!

An earthquake occurred in MARVEL TEAM-UP #28 that kinda shook everybody up. Now, you’re saying, sure, but these things happen all the time, right? Well, not in New York they don’t! Spider-Man and that hunky hero named Hercules both looked into the shakedown and discovered…a shakedown! Meaning, a plot to steal Manhattan and hold it for ransom! Yeah, we hear ya—cray-cray! But hang on, Happy Harry, it gets worse!

So, Spidey and Herc halt the guys behind the plot, but the island’s already been separated from its bedrock cradle and hauled out into the bay. What to do? You have to ask? Hercules—get this—hooks some big chains to the city and step by step, inch by inch, drags it back into place.

Yep, we thought so, too. You ain’t the only ones. You’re in good company, True Believers.

Peruse these eye-poppin' publications with Marvel Unlimited right now! Then head to your local comic shop to read AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17 now and then pick up AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18 next week!