Marvel Publishing, Inc, a company engaging in business as Marvel Comics, produces Yankee comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. Marvel counts among its characters such well-known properties as Spider-Man, the Fantastic four, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the X-Men ( notably Wolverine ), and others. Most of Marvel's fictional characters operate in one single reality called the Marvel Universe.

The comic-book arm of the company started in 1939 as Timely Publications, and by the 1950s had often become known as Atlas Comics. Marvel's modern incarnation dates back to 1961, with the launching of fantastic four and other superhero titles made by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and others. Marvel has since become the biggest Yankee comic book publisher over long time competitor DC Comics.

Martin Goodman set up the company later known as "Marvel Comics" using the moniker "Timely Publications" in 1939. Goodman, a pulp-magazine publisher who started by selling a Western pulp in 1933, expanded into the rising and by that point already highly popular new medium of comic books. Goodman commenced his new line from his existing company's offices at 330 West 42nd Street, NY City, New York. He officially held the titles of editor, handling editor, and business executive, with Abraham Goodman officially listed as publisher.

Timely's first publication, Marvel Comics 1 ( October 1939 ), included the 1st appearance of Carl Burgos' android superhero the Human Torch, and the 1st often available appearance of Bill Everett's anti-hero Namor the Sub-Mariner, among other features. The contents of that sales blockbuster came from an external packager, Funnies, Inc, but by the next year Timely had its own staff in place . With the second issue the series title modified to Marvel puzzle Comics.

While no other Timely character would achieve the success of these "big three", some notable heroes plenty of which continue to appear in modern-day retcon appearances and flashbacks include the Whizzer, Miss America, the Destroyer, the original Vision, and the Angel. Timely also revealed one of humor cartoonist Basil Wolverton's best-known features, "Powerhouse Pepper," as well as a line of kids's funny-animal comics whose most popular characters were Super Rabbit and the duo Ziggy Pig and mad Seal.