The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe

Do you know what the diameter is of Captain America’s shield? Are you curious to know the names of Storm’s parents? Maybe you’ve got a bet with your friend about the first issue appearance of the Vanisher, the Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe is the definitive source for those answers and more.

In 1982 Marvel published issue one of the Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe, (OHOTMU), the brain child of Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter and edited by the late Mark Gruenwald. The book was part encyclopedia, part baseball card, and part Dungeons & Dragon character sheet. Each entry included a substantive write up of a character’s origin, a full body visual depiction of the character, and statistics ranging from place of birth to the comic and issue of their first appearance. The centerpiece to these entires were the Eliot R. Brown technical cutaway drawings of headquarters, weapons, and vehicles. Absolute eye poppers.

Since it’s inception the handbook has gone through several iterations in both format and content. Once being an encyclopedic approach to everything in the 616 and more akin to an Ikea instruction manual, the most recent versions are more like special event guides with accompanying character synopsis. In between these two formats were editions with a three ring binder sheet set, (OHOTMU Master Edition ’94), individual spotlights like ‘FF: 50 Fantastic Years’ (’10) and four single issue releases grouping individual character entries by decades such as Marvel Legends. (’18),

Regardless of the design these different handbooks offer an opportunity to jump start a new reader’s understanding of a group of characters, or to offer a long time reader a chance to stay current with recent storylines. Marvel Pets Handbook, Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files, and the King In Black Handbook are also great examples of how you can tailor a book to a specific audience without trying to create a baseline product which appeals to everyone or requires a year long commitment.

Interesting notes about the early days of the series; Joe Rubenstein inked every issue of the original 20-year run due to his ability to leave the spirit of the pencils, and while the working title of the project was originally called ‘The Marvel Super-Specifications Handbook’ the use of the phrase “Marvel Universe” was taken from the book Al Milgrom was editing, and would later go by the name of ‘Marvel Fanfare’. All of the covers for the original series were drawn by Cloak and Dagger co-creator Ed Hannigan and the updated deluxe edition saw interlocking covers by John Byrne.

Many of the bullpen writers believed the original handbook would limit their ability to craft new and interesting stories outside of the known origins captured in the handbook, but with enough time having passed since those initial concerns were expressed, the original handbooks can now be looked at as a love letter to 20+ years of continuity and lore and not an end to the Marvel Universe.

(Answers to the trivia in the first paragraph)

1. 2 1/2 feet,

2. David and N’Daré

3. X-Men #2