When did ‘Journey Into Mystery’ first come out?
Journey Into Mystery was a comic book series that ran for several decades. Initially, under Atlas Comics, Journey Into Mystery started the same way all good comic book “magazines” did: as a horror anthology and in the 1950s.
With the first issue cover-dated in June 1952, Journey Into Mystery would continue its schtick of releasing regular black and white horror comics relatively unabated. That was until the twenty-third issue was approved by the upstanding publishing nerds at the Comics Code Authority. This approval would eventually lead to horror comics having a very difficult run in the years to come.
Eventually, the dissolving of Atlas Comics would see Journey Into Mystery fall into the hands of Marvel Comics. Interestingly enough, it’s one of the very first comics to be labelled as published by Marvel Comics with an “MC” appearing on the front cover of Journey Into Mystery #69. The other comic to be the first to bare the “MC” oh it’s front cover was Patsy Walker. This happened in June 1961.
With Journey Into Mystery well and truly a Marvel Comics title, well-known Marvel characters would soon grace its pages. Specifically, Thor from Issue #83, which would eventually result in a title and logo change to “Journey Into Mystery with the Mighty Thor” before the first volume would finally conclude with Issue #125.
‘Journey Into Mystery’ – Volume 2 and Beyond
Journey Into Mystery would return with a second volume, running for 19 issues, from 1972 until 1975. The plan by then Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, Roy Thomas, was to form a line of science fiction and horror anthologies which would rival what had been released earlier in the 70s. So it was a weird time for Journey Into Mystery which ran alongside other horror anthology series including: Chamber of Chills, Supernatural Thrillers and Worlds Unknown.
The 1990s is where the numbering conventions of Journey Into Mystery gets a littl strange. When the Heroes Reborn event started, Thor ceased to have his own book and as a result ceased to be the focus of his own series. This resulted in a restoration of Journey Into Mystery relaunching with a third volume and from issue #503. This third volume ran until issue #521 with characters like Black Widow, Shang-Chi and Hannibal King getting their own story lines.
However, the bizarre numbering conventions didn’t stop there. In 2009, the Thor title resumed its original numbering with Thor #600. This included the intervening issues of Thor comics but at the same time ignoring the Journey into Mystery series from the 1990s. But then, with issue #622 the series reverted back to the Journey Into Mystery series name while at the same time Marvel also released a brand new series entitled Mighty Thor. A series written by Kieron Gillen.
When did ‘Journey Into Mystery’ end?
Journey Into Mystery would run until issue #646, where it suffered a name change, due to the Marvel Now imprint. At this point the Asguardians were the many focus of the series and Lady Sif was the main character. Then it would meet an end with a series cancellation with issue #655.
Journey Into Mystery then returned 10 years later with the ‘War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery’ event. An event which featured Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Sebastian Druid, Death Locket, Thori the Hellhound and Balder the Brave go on a quest to save earth.
Trivia and Easter Eggs in Other Media
- In the 2011 film Thor, a billboard features the words “Journey into Mystery”.
- In the pilot episode for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Jemma Simmons asks Grant Ward, “Are you excited to be coming on our journey into mystery?”
- The fifth episode of the Disney+ series Loki is titled “Journey into Mystery.”
