Marvel Universe

The Marvel Universe (also known as Earth-616) is a primarily comic book-based canon made up of thousands of comic books, mostly featuring superheroes.

Canon Material[]

A full list of material considered canon in the main Marvel Universe would be ridiculously long, and quite frankly one does not exist. As a general rule, stories are Marvel canon if they are published by Marvel and are:

referenced in a handbook or index
an appearance of a known canon character

However, most Marvel-published material may be considered canon unless:

Marvel says it isn't
It can't be

In addition to the main Marvel universe, known as Earth-616, a number of other alternate realities exist within the Marvel Multiverse.

Two-Way Connections[]

Archie Comics The Punisher Meets Archie #1 (Aug 1994), which was joint published with Archie, involves the Punisher meeting various characters from their various series, and is confirmed as canon in the handbooks.
Guiding Light The character of Harley Cooper, after recieving superpowers in the TV show, then went on to appear in Civil War: Choosing Sides #1 (Dec 2006).

Connections IN the Marvel Universe[]

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Captain Nemo appears in Defenders #5 (June 2012)
Amazing Man The Prince of Orphans, first appearing in Immortal Iron Fist #8 (Oct 2007), is actually Marvel's continuation of this Golden Age character.
American Flagg Rick Flagg makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Ash Event Comic's Ash makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
'Breed Jim Starlin's 'Breed makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Crimson Plague George Perez's Crimson Plague makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Cthulhu Mythos The Necronomicon appears in Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness. The demonic tome's author, the mad Abdul Alhazred, fought Wolverine in Marvel Comics Presents.
Dan Dare Dan Dare's nemesis, the Mekon, made cameo appearances in The Daredevils #6 and Thanos: The Infinity Siblings #1. A Treen appeared in Sensational She-Hulk #6.
Destroyer Duck Spider-Man Team-Up #5 (Dec 1996) essentially acts as an unofficial crossover with Savage Dragon/Destroyer Duck, with both of the titular characters appearing.
Doc Savage Starting with Marvel Two-In-One #21 (Nov 1976), the Doc makes a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, including his own series.
Doctor Nemesis This Golden Age character made a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, the first in Invaders #1 (May 1993).
Doctor Who The seventh Doctor drops the cyborg "freelance peacekeeping agent" Death's Head off on top of the Fantastic Four's Four Freedoms Plaza in Death's Head #9. In Excalibur #14, a Dalek makes a cameo, mistaking the Doctor-like scientist Alistaire Stewart for its old nemesis. In Uncanny X-Men #218, both Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant-Major Benton, two soldier allies of the Doctor, make cameo appearances.
Dracula The vampire Dracula and his foes from the Bram Stoker novel are all present in the Marvel Universe.
Dragon Lines Several members of Dragon Lines make cameo appearances in Ultraforce/Avengers #1
Freebooters Axus from Barry Windsor-Smith's Freebooters makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Fu Manchu Sax Rohmer's literary villain was incorporated into the Marvel Universe in Special Marvel Edition #15 (Dec 1973).
Grimjack Wolverine, Elektra, Phoenix and other Marvel characters make unofficial cameo appearances in the Munden's Bar strip in Grimjack #27. Grimjack later made a cameo appearance in New Mutants #50, using the alias Haggard.
Groo the Wanderer Groo makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Harry Potter Harry, Hermione and Ron all make a cameo appearance in New Excalibur #1 (Jan 2006).
Homicide: Life on the Street Tim Bayliss and Frank Pembleton from the show both make cameo appearances in Cable #33 (Jul 1996).
Human Meteor This Golden Age character made a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, the first in Invaders #1 (May 1993).
I-Bots Several of the I-Bots make cameo appearances in Ultraforce/Avengers #1
James Bond The handbook entry for Clive Reston heavily implies that James Bond is his father.
Known Space A Pierson's Puppeteer, one of the more prominent species of Known Space, is present at a state ball held by the alien Shi'ar Empress Lilandra in X-Men #125 (September 1979). N'rill'iree of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, introduced in Uncanny X-Men #155 (March 1982), is a member of the Kzinti, another prominent Known Space species.
Lone Ranger In Rawhide Kid #1 (Apr 2003), the title character makes a direct reference to the Lone Ranger.
Man Called AX AX makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1
The Mighty Magnor Magnor makes a cameo appearance in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Nexus Nexus made a cameo appearance in New Mutants #50, visiting M'nden's Bar.
The Nocturnals Several of the Nocturnals make cameo appearances in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Popeye The famous sailor makes various cameos in various Marvel comics, the first in X-Men #125 (Sep 1979).
Raffles The amateur cracksman met the android Human Torch during World War II in All Winners #8 (March 1943).
Sachs and Violens Both Sachs and Violens make cameo appearances in Ultraforce/Avengers #1.
Savage Dragon Spider-Man Team-Up #5 (Dec 1996) essentially acts as an unofficial crossover with Savage Dragon/Destroyer Duck, with both of the titular characters appearing.
Sherlock Holmes The Marvel Atlas references Holmes' existence within the Marvel canon. Clive Reston hints that Holmes is a relation on his mother's side.
Spider Queen This Golden Age character made a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, the first in Invaders #1 (May 1993).
Strongman This Golden Age character made a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, the first in Invaders #1 (May 1993).
Tintin This well-known character makes a cameo appearance in Fantastic Four #1 (Jan 1998).
Volton This Golden Age character made a number of appearances in the Marvel canon, the first in Invaders #1 (May 1993).

Connections TO the Marvel Universe[]

Crossgen Dr. Strange, Clea, Diablo, Dormammu and the Scarlet Witch make cameo appearances in Crossgen's Mystic #15.
Dare-A-Day Davy In Britain in the 1960s, Odham's comic Pow! reprinted Marvel strips, such as Nick Fury, alongside their own strips, such as Dare-A-Day Davy, a humor strip featuring a boy who was unable to decline any dares supplied by readers' letters, no matter how insane or dangerous. In Pow! #33, Davy was challenged to take on Nick Fury in a boxing match, resulting in a crossover appearance and Davy getting severely pounded.
Dark Shadows Dark Shadows #34 (Nov 1975) contains a crossover with Doctor Strange. Though Strange does not appear himself, Agamotto, the Eye of Agamotto and the Orb of Agamotto all do, and the villainous wizard Mordath visits Dr. Strange's Sanctum, identified by its general address, and stated to be the address of a sorcerer. When Mordath appears, he startles a woman, who calls out for "Stephen."
Green Hornet 1992's Sting of the Green Hornet miniseries, published by Now Comics, features appearances from Captain America and Nick Fury, in addition to a reference to Namor.
Nodwick In the Nodwick strip Greetings from Down Under, Nodwick's wizard associate Artax placates the angered spider-goddess Lolth by giving her the details of a potential suitor living on another plane of existence; she is subsequently seen amorously pursuing Spider-Man.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TMNT #1 (May 1984) suggests that the turtles share an origin with the hero Daredevil.
The Avenger This character features in Dynamite's 2014 adaptation of Justice, Inc., which references Heinz Krueger, the German spy who killed Dr. Abraham Erskine (the man behind the US supersoldier project) in the Marvel Universe.
The Shadow This character first linked to Marvel in Dark Horse's 1995 The Shadow and Doc Savage miniseries, which referenced Dr. Abraham Erskine (the man behind the US supersoldier project), in addition to featuring in Dynamite's 2014 adaptation of Justice, Inc., which references Heinz Grueger, the German spy who killed Erskine.
Top Ten A number of Marvel characters have cameos in Top Ten's Neopolis, a city of superhumans which has lots of interdimensional traffic.

Inter-Universal Connections[]

DC Universe The two major comics universes have crossed over several times. These include overt crossovers such as Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man (1976), DC Special Series #27 (Batman vs. the Hulk), Marvel and DC Present featuring The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans No. 1 (1982), the 1996 Marvel vs. DC miniseries, and JLA/Avengers in 2003, and covert and unofficial crossovers such as the Marvel titles Amazing Adventures #16, Thor #207, and DC's Justice League of America #103 all being set at the Rutland Halloween Parade in Vermont with each issue featuring an installment of the same continuing storyline.
Evil Dead Ash Williams, the lead protagonist of the Evil Dead movie series, crossed over with Marvel in Marvel Zombies vs. the Army of Darkness.
Invincible In Marvel Team-Up #14 (Jan 2006), Spider-Man and the Avengers meet Invincible, who is clearly travelling between universes. The circumstances that led to Invincible travelling between universes is shown in Invincible #33.
Ultraverse Marvel Universe and Ultraverse characters interacted repeatedly for a few years after Marvel purchased Malibu Comics.