Marvel Comics Presents launched in 1988 as an ad-free anthology showcasing four eight-page features, stuffed inside a wrap-around cover. This guide will tell you everything you wanted to know about the series - and more!
Marvel Comics Presents #85
Cover Date: 1991 | Cover Price: $1.25 | Cover Artist: Sam Kieth; Jae Lee (back)
Wolverine in "Blood Hungry" part 1
written by Peter David
art by Sam Kieth
In Madripoor, Wolverine goes hunting with a wild wolf while a mysterious cloaked figure is traveling to that country. Later, Logan visits his old friend, Tyger Tiger, who explains that General Coy is involved in establishing new drug activity in the nation. The issue ends with General Coy's representative welcoming the cloaked man, who is calling himself Cyber.
Firestar in "Life During War Time" part 4
written by Marie Javins with Marcus McLaurin
art by Dwayne Turner
In order to get a donor lung for her father, Firestar is forced to fight Freedom Force (Mystique, the Blob & Pyro). If she can capture Mystique, her father will get the lung from the Arms of Salvation. While the battle rages, the Arms of Salvation attack an innocent family in order to acquire a lung ... from another living, breathing man! They kidnap the man and another girl from the house named Meg (a friend of Firestar's).
Beast in "Just Friends" part 1
written by Scott Lobdell
art by Rob Liefeld/Jae Lee
The Beast reflects back on his first hour as an X-Man with Ship (X-Factor's sentient headquarters). He went on a rampage - his anger directed at the Professor because Xavier had erased the memory of Henry McCoy from one of Hank's childhood friends (in order to protect his new life as an X-Man), named Jennifer. Meanwhile, in Brussels, a killer mutant is on the loose - Lt. Commander Courage considers timing inconvenient since the city will soon be holding the first world symposium on mutant research. Back in the U.S.A., the Beast's mail carrier is attacked while trying to deliver the invitation to the symposium. The Beast defeats the assailant ... but who sent him to stop the invitation from reaching its target?
Speedball
written by Scott Lobdell
art by Ron Wilson
At Hammond Labs (the place where Speedball got his powers), Doc Benson introduced Robbie Baldwin to Edgar Marlopolis, an exchange student from the island of Trepica. But, there's more to Edgar than initially believed - he steals Benson's experimental battle armor with plans of ruling the world. Luckily for the world, Speedball is there to defeat the "Dude in the Really Rad Armor".
Here's another important issue for the Marvel Universe (albeit, mostly for Wolverine's history): it's the first appearance of Cyber. It's also the first (of many!) Sam Kieth covers for this series. As a Kieth fan, I'm psyched to start digging into these covers - and the interior art, as well! The first part of the Wolverine feature laid some neat groundwork. Firestar's story moved along into a big battle issue. The Beast story features an interesting look at a never revealed part of early X-History and the big stinker was the Speedball short. On Ebay: Marvel Comics Presents | Wolverine | Firestar | Beast | Speedball On AtomicAvenue: Marvel Comics Presents | Wolverine | Firestar | Beast | Speedball