TheOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe is anencyclopedicguide which details thefictional universe featured inMarvel Comics publications. The original 15-volume series was published incomic book format in 1982, followed by sporadic updates.

Jim Shooter, Marvel's theneditor-in-chief, conceived the idea of envisioning a guide detailing statistics much in the manner of those found upon the back ofbaseball cards.^[1][2] This initial project was to be calledThe Marvel Super-Specifications Handbook (the eventual title incorporating the term "Marvel Universe" was appropriated fromAl Milgrom, who used it as a working title for the anthology seriesMarvel Fanfare).^[2] Shooter appointedMark Gruenwald editor of the project, and Gruenwald developed the project to include all aspects of the Marvel Universe, although he noted it was not comprehensive.^{[citation needed]} In addition to Gruenwald, contributing writers on the initial volume were Marvel editorsMike Carlin, Eliot R. Brown,^[2] andPeter Sanderson.^[1] Gruenwald brought inJosef Rubinstein to be the soleinker of the project because he felt Rubinstein was best able to make the characters easily recognizable and to subvert his own style to that of the handbook's variouspencillers.^[3]

Critics of theHandbook have argued that the level of detail within the guide effectively limited the ability of writers to innovate, a charge Gruenwald dismissed, reputedly stating that the information presented was only the most recent data and was subject to change.^[4] Sanderson, one of the writers of the original guide, noted that "Mark sought to make the Marvel characters' super-powers as firm a basis in real science as possible. After the first version of theHandbook, Mark decided that some of the explanations had grown too complicated, and asked me to simplify them."^{[citation needed]}

TheOHOTMU detailed the more significant characters, items and locations in theMarvel Universe, itemizing them into individual entries. Individual entries usually consisted of:

• A frontal full-body view of the character.
• Prose text describing the character's origin, powers, and other abilities and unique traits, as well as statistics such as their place of birth, former aliases, and physical features. The original edition opted only to describe the "origins" of characters (how they acquired their powers), instead focusing heavily on detailed explanations for how those powers functioned. In theBook of the Dead supplement, however, the handbook provided entire "histories" for the deceased characters, a trend which was then adopted for the main body of theDeluxe Edition, allowing the entire life and career of the characters to be covered. Major important pieces of equipment were also given technical illustrations with breakdowns of their functions and features.
• Example images of the character in action, taken directly from the comics themselves.

In the original, characters were listed at one character to a page, although minor characters were sometimes listed at two to a page and major characters would occasionally receive more than one page. In theDeluxe Edition, every character received at least one page, with significant characters receiving up to 3-5 pages. Both editions had wraparound covers that could be linked together to form a giant poster. In the late 1980s, a poster made up of the first twelve issues of the originalHandbook was released. For the poster, several characters were added and others received up-to-date looks.

In theMaster Edition (1990–1993) this changed and every character was allocated a double-sided loose leaf page. Later versions allocate characters different lengths of entry depending on their history and importance.

There have been several versions of the concept since it was first published in 1982:

• 1982-1984: a 15-issue series. Issues #13-14 are titled theBook of the Dead and Inactive, featuring characters and groups who were, at the time, believed dead or inactive. Issue #15 is titled theBook of Weapons, Hardware, and Paraphernalia, featuring technical drawings of equipment such asCaptain America's shield andSpider-Man's web shooters. One issue of the series (#9) can be seen in the movieExplorers.
• 1985-1988: a 20-issueDeluxe Edition is published; technical drawings of equipment are incorporated into individual characters' entries. Although numerous entries reference an Appendix, the Deluxe Edition Appendix is not published. This run was also collected intrade paperback format, in a series of 10 128-page volumes. The trade edition also feature updates of many characters. Supplements for licensed properties are published, includingConan the Barbarian,G.I. Joe, and theTransformers.
• 1989: An additional eight-issue supplement to theDeluxe Edition, denotedUpdate '89 on the cover, is published. This series covers primarily new characters and is notable for including numerous non-superhumans. This series also sported wraparound covers but, unlike previous versions, these did not link together.
• 1990-1993: A 36-issueMaster Edition series is published, with each issue a shrink-wrapped pack of loose-leaf pages. A three-ring vinyl binder was also released for the pages to be inserted into.
• 2004-2005: Themed one-shot supplements are published, such asOfficial Handbook to the Marvel Universe: X-Men 2004. Other entries in this themed, subtitled series includeSpider-Man 2004;Avengers 2004;Hulk 2004;Daredevil 2004;Wolverine 2004;Golden Age 2004;Women of Marvel 2005 andAvengers 2005.
• 2006: A new 12-issue series, theAll-New OHOTMU A-Z, was published featuring new characters. A series of themed one-shot issues was also published in the same style as the 2004-2005 books, includingCivil War Files which tied in with Marvel'sCivil War crossover series. The originalHandbook, original 20-issueDeluxe Edition, and theUpdate '89 edition were also reprinted in fiveEssential volumes.
• 2007: FourA-Z Update issues, six themed issues (includingWorld War Hulk: Gamma Files andX-Men: Messiah Complex - Mutant Files) and the first issue of theMarvel Atlas are published.
• 2008: All material from 2004-2007 is updated and printed in theOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Premiere HC set, divided into 14 volumes (each containing 240 pages). The second issue of theMarvel Atlas is published. Other publications includedUltimate Secrets,All-New Iron Manual,Secret Invasion: Skrulls!, andAmazing Spider-Man: Brand New Day Yearbook.
• 2009: TheOfficial Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z Premiere HC set continued publication. A sister project to theHandbook, theOfficial Index to the Marvel Universe monthly series, began publication in January. Other forthcoming titles includeDark Reign Files andWolverine: Weapon X Files.

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Marvel Fact Files are a series of encyclopedic guides which detail the fictional universe featured in Marvel Comics publications. The magazine series is published in the U.K. by Eaglemoss Publications starting in 2013.

Lawrence Henry Apodaca reviewed the originalThe Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe inSpace Gamer No. 64.^[80] Apodaca commented that "Non-comic collectors should be able to find copies at stores which carry back issues - and should look for them. They are a valuable aid to science fiction or superhero RPGs."^[80]

• The Classic Marvel Figurine Collection
• List of Marvel Comics characters
• List of Marvel Comics teams and organizations
• List of Marvel Comics publications
• Official Marvel Index
• Who's Who in the DC Universe

• OHOTMU at the Marvel Universe
• Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
• Who Watches the Watchers OHOTMU Discussion Forum
• Jeff Christiansen's Master List
• Marvel Catalog at Marvel.com

• Marvel Comics titles
• 1982 comics debuts
• Marvel Comics encyclopedias
• Magazines about comics
• 20th-century encyclopedias
• 21st-century encyclopedias

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