Amazing Fantasy is one of the most seminal comics of all time. It’s the series that introduced the world to Spider-Man, who would go on to be Marvel’s biggest hero to this very day. Funnily enough, despite how iconic we see it as today, Amazing Fantasy (1962) only existed for a single issue. Before that, it went by Amazing Adult Fantasy, trying to garner an older audience, and before that, Amazing Adventures. Amazing Fantasy #15 was actually the final chapter of the original series, being canceled before it even hit shelves, which gave Stan Lee and Steve Ditko the freedom to test out their new character.
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Of course, with it being so important to their mythos, Marvel has revived the Amazing Fantasy comic a few times over the years. In 2004, it returned as an ongoing focusing on introducing new characters, with a new team taking over every arc. Our topic for today, however, is Marvel’s most inventive use of the Amazing Fantasybranding, truly turning it into a fantasy series where Marvel superheroes were thrust into Dungeons & Dragons-like adventures. It all started in Amazing Fantasy (2021) #1, where three iconic heroes from iconic times were shoved into a world unlike anything they’d ever seen before.
Death Is the Start of Every Fantasy
This five-issue limited series brought teenage Spider-Man, World War II Captain America, and Red Room Black Widow all to the shores of a mystical, fantastic land that was something straight out of a fantasy novel. They each arrived by facing a horrific tragedy that seemingly killed them, and each soon found solace in a different tribe on this strange island. Every force prepared for war, dragging our heroes into the middle of their affairs, all unaware that a mysterious entity was stringing them all along, engineering dispute and conflict to attain the ultimate power.
The heroes soon discovered that this was a realm of the dead, filled with lost souls, and even Uncle Ben, who blamed Peter for taking him away from Aunt May. In the end, the mystery man behind everything transformed nearly everyone into zombies and used the power of death to tear open a portal through time and space to the real world. The person behind everything was actually an evil version of Peter, bent on giving Spider-Man a chance to save Uncle Ben, freeing himself from the responsibility he took on while retaining his power. Of course, Spider-Man rejected that path, and the heroes returned to their lives and saved the day as they always do. The land of the dead was healed once again.
Heroes Embracing the Fantasy that Created Them
Fantasy is a spectacular genre that is foundational to superhero stories. Most superhero tales are urban fantasy and science fiction, after all, and Marvel’s earliest issues were classic fantasy tales. This brought modern superheroes back to the roots of their genre, thrusting them into adventures that were as much metaphor as they were reality. It challenged each hero to face their biggest shortcoming in a uniquely fantastical way. Black Widow longed for a home, and found a kingdom that was promised to her, even as it was built on lies. Captain America was at his lowest point in the war, desperate to protect people, and had to defend a boy named America. Spider-Man literally met Uncle Ben, who besmirched everything Peter did in his name.
It was a story about growing past the regrets and fears that held these heroes down in life and death. When everyone died in this realm, they became zombies, but when Uncle Ben spent his last moments apologizing to Peter and urging him to let go of the guilt that made him end up here, he turned into a Spider-Man mask. It was the ultimate symbol of this series, urging Peter to carry on the torch and regrets without looking back. Yes, it hurt to lose Uncle Ben again, but he refused to reject what he’d learned, even when Ben was the one telling him to. Spider-Man clung to responsibility, opening the door for everyone to return home. Responsibility was greater than power.
What do you think of this fantastical take on one of Marvel’s most important series? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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