The Top 70 Most Iconic Marvel Comics Panels of All Time

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/08/01/the-top-70-most-iconic-marvel-panels-master-list/

Gary Groth (The Comics Journal editor, 1976–present; copublisher of Ghost World): There was a lot of pain in Kirby's work. Ben Grimm was always pissed off about being the Thing, the Hulk was in a constant state of angst— these guys clearly suffered!

Jim Steranko (Strange Tales; Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. writer-artist, 1966–1968): Marvel was in a different dimension than DC. One embraced a bravura ideology; the other was pragmatic and elitist. One was exhilarating; the other, exhausting.

Gary Groth: Kirby drew buildings and boulders and streets that felt real, whereas the same landscapes at DC looked like they were all made out of balsa wood. His fight scenes were down-and-dirty, where people really looked like they were pummeling each other.

Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men writer, 1975–1991): DC's theory was that you cycled through an audience every three years. Stan's revolutionary concept was, Why not just keep moving ahead?

This seriously gave me chills and I never read/saw half of these.

No list is complete without this:

http://www.heromachine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/captain-america-wank.jpg

There's a Kirby one there of Cap and Bucky fighting a load of Hydra agents which is magnificent. I'd rep hard for any of the Ditkos or Simonsons as well.

the Cap and Bucky fighting Hydra agents panel is by Steranko

It says something that I'm able to identify, if not the issue, the story that most of these came from. It's true even of the ones where I haven't read the story, only know of it!

I was amazed at how effective some of the newer ones are! I'd never seen "No more mutants" before and that panel almost redeems the trainwreck that is that storyline.

the Cap and Bucky fighting Hydra agents panel is by Steranko

Huh, could've sworn it was Kirby.

Missing: Galactus emerging from his ship, the Big G/Watcher face-off.

A couple of strange inclusions. What's special about that (recent, judging from the style) shot of Baron Zemo's head?

One small point: the Cap's death panel reminds me how annoying I find the trend for blanked-out swear words. If you're not allowed to print the words, don't have your characters swear, IMO.

What's special about that (recent, judging from the style) shot of Baron Zemo's head?

That's from the last page of Thunderbolts #1, when it's revealed that these new heroes are actually villains setting up an elaborate con.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel52.JPG
Funny, but not in the way they intended it to be.

own/know a lot of these

that Miller Bullseye-kills-Elektra thing is still pretty shocking

that Miller Bullseye-kills-Elektra thing is still pretty shocking

― go Nick go! Scrub that paint! Scrub it!! Yeah!! (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, August 27, 2009 3:00 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

yeah, good reminder of why people rated miller

the half-hidden smile on bullseyes face--so chilling

i haven't followed capt. america since some old kirby reprints. what's going on with this france thing?

It's from the Ultimate Universe, in which the Avengers are called The Ultimates and are tougher and swear more.

Funny, but not in the way they intended it to be.

I am reasonably certain that's funny in the way it was intended to be.

Is he beating up Sarkozy or something? BTW is there a well-known photo reference for that panel, because that expression looks pretty familiar.

i'd never seen the "i command you to WANK" panel before

was it someone's ilx username or something? the phrase is familiar

it now makes a degree more sense i suppose

p. nunez the captain america thing is from an alternate-timeline version of the avengers, where the present-day captain america doesn't really understand modern mores, walks around having hilarious opinions about women and foreigners, etc.; anyway it's near the end of an arc where the not-avengers are basically destroyed and the alien leader explains to captain america just exactly how screwed they are, asks "now, you see how doomed you are, etc., are you prepared to surrender?"

i think possibly captain america punches him in the face before saying that or something but the basics are there

pretty sure it was also published around the time of (or at least after) the "freedom fries" debacle, so the bravado is playing off of that, too

Is this the series where the hulk eats freddie prinze jr in a jealous rage? and if so, why isn't that panel in the top 5?

the captain america one is actually funny, the hulk one not (imho)

who wants to explain this one to me?

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel33.JPG

Avengers panel; I never read the story but that is basically a defining moment for Ant-Man and why everyone considers him to be a total ass.

see i didn't realise that that stuff in the ultimates was actually building on him being that sort of ass in the avengers!

it is kind of a sad comment on comics how many of these are, like, women getting hurt /:

Marvel seems to have had a thing for hurting/killing women, huh.

yeah no doubt.

one of the weird things about that Miller panel is the implication that it was censored/altered. Like, Miller couldn't show anyone actually being IMPALED, so you can't see the entry/exit wound or blood or anything. But what kind of fucking knife would go all the way through someone and then stretch the fabric of her outfit, rather than go right through it... the brutality of the act is still quite clear, but its also avoided in this weird way.

(not to get all Tuomas about it)

is it not picking the exact moment before the fabric snaps? i guess that wouldn't make much sense either

totally the most visually interesting panel here though. that and 'galactus falls!' - both share a very comics sense of motion, something you couldn't get across in any other medium

next q.: why exactly are there two versions of the same panel here?

is it not picking the exact moment before the fabric snaps?

Thinking about it, a sword thrust with the strength to ram straight through someone's torso wouldn't stretch facric, it would obliterate it. Unless Elektra's costume is made from adimantium or unstable molecules.

yeah, that's why immediately after writing that i wrote "that wouldn't make much sense either" /:

two versions of the same panel?

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel6.JPG

is this meant to be funny?

"Oh God I'm some screwed up horrendous not-even-human monster! I'm just a thing! A misshapen ugly thing!"

(uber-camp voice) "And I'll call myself Mister Fantastic!"

reed was always kind of a jerk

two versions of the same panel:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel47.JPG

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel54.JPG

first one, by dave cockrum, is jean grey/marvel girl becoming Phoenix for the first time

second one, by john byrne and terry austin, is Phoenix becoming DARK Phoenix!

loving colussus's expression there

not included in that list, but showed up on c.r. today. possibly still my fave kirby f.f. panel:

http://www.comicsreporter.com/images/uploads/kirby2009addff51-01_thumb.jpg

ALSO how could they have forgotten one of these. c'mon, cbr:

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8463/lolbabydeathqo8.jpg

Am I right in thinking that there is no Rob Liefeld in the list? Surely they should have had that bloke cradling the baby after revealing that he is teh gay.

strongo yr second image appears to be broken

i had only seen the first one in b&w reproductions before, it's kind of amazing

dv how about this one:

http://jordynmarcellus.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/liefeld-cap.jpg

Never forget the top down view of that Liefeld Cap:

http://julien-gautier.club.fr/rob_capt2.gif

i think what i love most about that kirby panel is how muddy the colors are. A WORLD OF LIMITLESS DIMENSIONS...AND LIMITLESS SHADES FROM AN OLD LADY'S COUCH.

(second image is prof x strangling cassandra nova in utero.)

also panel eight or eleven here (though admittedly they only kinda work in context):

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/351100065_2c9866165b_o.jpg

of the available choices, i'd probably go bullseye icing elektra.

the decor on fury's 'pad' is pretty excellent

either there's a lack of 90s/00s mega-crossover stuff here or i really can't recognise any of it, which is good. (exception: 'no more mutants').

http://files.myopera.com/drlaunch/blog/shotweb.jpg

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel49.JPG

Never seen anyone look this bummed about approaching Luke Cage before.

you've never read alias then?

Apparently Peter Parker has, and he just figured out where Mary Jane was last night.

A lot of these are kind of crap and a few aren't loading, but I'm rooting for:

Wolvie storming up out of the sewer
Spider-Man lifting up machine thing (never read this storyline but what a great fucking page)
"You just hit the jackpot"
Professor Xavier is a jerk - just on principle for Paul Smith's entire too-short X-Men run

My top 5 for emotional impact --

#3, Bullseye skewering Elektra
#29, "This Man This Monster" splash page
#49, MJ/"click"
#27, "Mutie"
#5, Spidey picking up the whole planet more or less

Paul Smith's entire too-short X-Men run

(Psssst...he penciled the most recent issue of X-Men Forever. Claremont and Smith, together again!)

Is X-Men Forever the thing that continues the early days of the X-Men series from the early 90s? If so, that thing is... not so good.

BWS Storm/Forge panel where she's in the rain screaming at him
The Banner being irradiated by the bomb testing one
About a zillion Kirby Thor panels
FF Reed/Sue marriage promenade
Daredevil pulling the trigger on comatose Bullseye

man, this really makes the case for byrne's place in funnybook history

can't express how deeply that wolverine panel thrilled me the first time I saw it, or how long the month felt waiting for the next issue

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/12/27/the-top-50-most-memorable-covers-of-the-marvel-age-master-list/

That Steranko page BLEW MY MIND the first time I read it in the pages of AMAZING ADVENTURES back in 1981 or so.

http://graphicnovelreporter.com/sites/default/files/UncannyXMen132JohnByrneWolverine_0.jpg

Mac...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel27.JPG

why are comics so bad

i enjoy how in the fear of galactus bits reed has a serious business no time to shave beard

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/70marvelpanel58.JPG

and yet his hair is still perfectly pomaded

tbf, pomade is pretty thick and he hadn't showered so it was probably as hard as a helmet

maybe magneto doesn't even WEAR a helmet