# Marvel Comics Presents
**Marvel Comics Presents** was a [Marvel Comics](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvel-comics) anthology series published from September 1988 to March 1995, running 175 issues and presenting four stories per issue, most of them serialized across several installments.[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) • [2](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-114) It appeared on a biweekly schedule and was designed to give Marvel characters solo showcases without the commitment of an ongoing title.[3](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Run | Early September 1988 to March 1995; 175 issues (#1–#175)[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) |
| Format | Four 8-page stories per issue, mostly serials; biweekly publication[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) • [2](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-114) |
| Lead feature | Originally an X-Men character; Wolverine became the permanent star with #39[4](https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/series/marvel-comics-presents-1st-series) |
| Signature story | "Weapon X" by Barry Windsor-Smith, #72–84 (1991), Wolverine's adamantium-bonding origin[5](https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/1269/marvel-comics-presents-weapon-x) |
| Later format | From #90 a flip-book format featuring mostly Wolverine as the main story[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) |
| Revivals | Second volume 2007–2008 and a 2019 series under the same name[6](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series) |
| ISSN | 1044-7180[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) |
## Format and editorial setup
Each issue divided its pages equally among four stories, typically three serial installments and one standalone feature.[3](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105) The Grand Comics Database records the four parts as equal sections of 16 pages each, 18 counting covers.[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) Terry Kavanagh served as the title's editor, working with Michael Higgins and Mike Rockwitz as assistant editors, all reporting to editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco.[3](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105) Physically it was a standard Modern Age U.S. magazine, saddle-stitched, with a glossy cover and newsprint interior.[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/)
The anthology structure let Marvel run several continuing serials in parallel. A single issue might carry a [Wolverine](https://www.edgepedia.org/wolverine) lead, a [Man-Thing](https://www.edgepedia.org/man-thing) or [Shang-Chi](https://www.edgepedia.org/shang-chi) serial, and a rotating short feature, with each longer storyline unfolding over many issues.[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/)
## Wolverine and the lead slot
The lead slot was originally planned for X-Men characters, and the first ten issues anchored it to Wolverine; with #39 Wolverine became the series' permanent star.[3](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105) • [4](https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/series/marvel-comics-presents-1st-series) The opening serial, "Save the Tiger" by [Chris Claremont](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-claremont) and John Buscema, ran ten parts and introduced the fictional island of [Madripoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/madripoor) as Wolverine's second home, establishing the Tyger Tiger character and the "Patch" persona that carried into his concurrent solo series.[3](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105)
Beginning with issue #90 the series shifted to a flip-book format featuring mostly Wolverine as the main story.[1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/) According to Comic Vine, Ghost Rider took over the main-character role from issue #143, and the final issues ran under the [Midnight Sons](https://www.edgepedia.org/midnight-sons) branding associated with that supernatural line.[7](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/marvel-comics-presents/4050-4058/) • [1](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/)
## "Weapon X"
The series' most influential story was "Weapon X," written and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith and serialized in #72–84 in 1991. It depicts the experiment that laced Logan's skeleton with adamantium and the brutal methods his captors used to try to turn him into a killing machine, and Marvel describes it as Wolverine's defining origin.[5](https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/1269/marvel-comics-presents-weapon-x) • [8](https://atomicavenue.com/atomic/TitleDetail.aspx?HO=0&IS=0&M=1&PN=1&RE=0&TitleID=1278) The story has been reprinted repeatedly, including in collected editions gathering material from #72–84 alongside other Wolverine comics.[9](https://www.staffars.se/previews/marvel32-12.pdf)
## Other features
The rotating slots gave lesser-known characters extended runs. Issue #114, for example, paired Ann Nocenti's Typhoid Mary serial with artist Steve Lightle, a [Giant-Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/giant-man) backup scripted by [Dwayne McDuffie](https://www.edgepedia.org/dwayne-mcduffie) with penciler Ron Wilson, a [Ghost Rider](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghost-rider)/Iron Fist serial by Joey Cavalieri and Shawn McManus, and a standalone Arabian Knight story by Gary Barnum and James Blackburn.[2](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-114) Stories from the series have been gathered into collected editions of other characters, such as Daredevil and Avengers volumes that include material from #109–116, 123–130, and 150–151.[10](https://westfieldcomics.com/wow/pdfs/2026-01-PDF_01WestfieldCatalog.pdf)
## Revivals
Marvel has reused the title twice since the original run ended: a second volume published 2007–2008 and a 2019 series.[6](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series) Comic Vine describes the 2007 revival as a brief return to the anthology format.[7](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/marvel-comics-presents/4050-4058/)
## References
1. [GCD :: Series :: Marvel Comics Presents (1988 series), Grand Comics Database](https://www.comics.org/series/3654/)
2. [Marvel Comics Presents #114 "Typhoid's Kiss Part VI: Crisscross", ComicBooks.com](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-114)
3. [Marvel Comics Presents #4 "Save the Tiger Part 4: The Ordeal", ComicBooks.com](https://comicbooks.com/issue/marvel-comics-presents-4-45105)
4. [Marvel Comics Presents (1st series), uncannyxmen.net](https://uncannyxmen.net/comics/series/marvel-comics-presents-1st-series)
5. [Marvel Comics Presents: Weapon X, Series Spotlight, Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/comics/discover/1269/marvel-comics-presents-weapon-x)
6. [A to Z in Marvel Comic Series, Marvel.com](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series)
7. [Marvel Comics Presents (Volume), Comic Vine](https://comicvine.gamespot.com/marvel-comics-presents/4050-4058/)
8. [Marvel Comics Presents comic books from Marvel, Atomic Avenue](https://atomicavenue.com/atomic/TitleDetail.aspx?HO=0&IS=0&M=1&PN=1&RE=0&TitleID=1278)
9. [Marvel Collected Editions preview PDF, Staffars](https://www.staffars.se/previews/marvel32-12.pdf)
10. [Marvel Comics catalog PDF, Westfield Comics](https://westfieldcomics.com/wow/pdfs/2026-01-PDF_01WestfieldCatalog.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Creative written works and worlds › Comics and sequential art › Comic-book series and issues › Marvel Comics series and storylines › Marvel ongoing series and titles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license