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Years in comics
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1920s
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1930s
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1940s
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1950s
1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959
1960s
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1970s
1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979
1980s
1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989
1990s
1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999
2000s
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009

Notable events of 1977 in comics. See also List of years in comics.

Events

Year overall

• Wendy and Richard Pini establish WaRP Graphics.
• Jan and Dean Mullaney establish Eclipse Comics.
• The United Kingdom's Eagle Awards are established.
• Bob Brown dies at age 62.

January

• With issue #6 (Jan//Feb. issue), DC cancels Four Star Spectacular.
• January 24: John Rosenberger passes away at the age of 58.

February

• With issue #258, DC cancels Tarzan, a title it acquired from Gold Key Comics in 1972 (and continued the Gold Key numbering).
• With issue #250, DC suspends publishing Blackhawk, which ran from 1957 to 1968, and was revived in 1976.
• With issue #33, the Marvel imprint Curtis Magazines cancels Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.
• Planet of the Apes, with issue #29, is cancelled by Marvel.
• Ka-Zar vol. 2, with issue #20, is cancelled by Marvel.
• February 1: Edmond Hamilton dies at age 72.
• February 26: 2000 AD is launched.

Spring

• Doc Savage: Man of Bronze, with issue #8, is cancalled by Curtis Magazines (Marvel Comics).

March

• With issue #302, DC changes the title of Our Army at War to Sgt. Rock.
• Kobra, with issue #7, is cancelled by DC.
• Werewolf by Night, with issue #43, is cancelled by Marvel.
• March 5: Judge Dredd debuts in the second issue of 2000 AD with the story "Judge Whitey", written by Peter Harris and drawn by Mike McMahon.

April

• Paul Gustavson, creator of The Human Bomb and The Angel, dies at age 60.
• Marvel Spotlight, with issue #33, is cancelled by Marvel.
• April 30: The Judge Dredd storyline "The Robot Wars" begins in 2000 AD (running through June 18).

May

• With issue #205, DC changes the title of Star Spangled War Stories to The Unknown Soldier.

June

• Challengers of the Unknown is revived by DC Comics with issue #81 (June/July cover date; continued from 1958 series); storyline picks up from Super-Team Family issues #8–10.
• Secrets of Haunted House revived with issue #6 (June/July issue) after a 17-month hiatus (DC Comics).
• With issue #5, DC cancels Ragman.

July

• With issue #231, Marvel UK changes the title of the weekly magazine Super Spider-Man and the Titans to Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain, now featuring new Captain Britain stories (as well as Amazing Spider-Man reprints).
• With issue #11, DC revives The New Gods (now called Return of the New Gods), continuing the numbering from the 1971 series.
• With issue #126, DC cancels Young Love.
• With issue #7, Marvel publishes the final issue of Logan's Run.

August

• Golden Age artist Louis Cazeneuve dies at c. age 69.
• With issue #94 (Aug./Sept. cover date), DC revives Showcase, continuing the numbering from the 1956 series, which ceased publishing in 1970.
• With issue #57, DC revives Aquaman, continuing the numbering from the 1962 series, which ceased publishing in 1971.
• With issue #230, DC cancels Superboy (at this point titled Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes).
• With issue #29, DC cancels DC Special (1968 series).
• With issue #12 (Aug./Sept. cover date), DC cancels Hercules Unbound.
• With issue #12, Marvel cancels The Inhumans.
• With issue #12, Marvel cancels the anthology title Marvel Presents.

September

• With issue #19, DC revives Mister Miracle (1971 series), which had gone on hiatus in 1974.
• With issue #10, Marvel publishes the final issue of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

October

• With issue #10, Marvel cancels Omega the Unknown.
• With issue #8, DC cancels Starfire.

November

• With issue #18, DC cancels Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter.
• November 5: Asterix co-creator René Goscinny dies at age 51.

December

• Dave Sim begins writing and independently publishing Cerebus under the publisher name Aardvark-Vanaheim.
• John Byrne and Terry Austin begin their acclaimed run as X-Men penciller/inker team with issue #108 of the title.
• John Verpoorten, inker and Marvel Comics production manager, dies at age 37.
• With issue #8 (Dec. 1977/Jan. 1978 cover date), DC cancels Isis.

Exhibitions and shows

Conventions

Awards

Eagle Awards

Presented in 1978 for comics published in 1977:

• Favourite Comic Book (Dramatic): Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Single Story: "The Final Threat," Avengers Annual #7, by Jim Starlin
• Favourite Continued Story: Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, by Jim Starlin
• Favorite Comic Book (Humor): Howard the Duck, by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan
• Favourite Group or Team: Uncanny X-Men
• Favourite Writer: Chris Claremont
• Favourite Artist: Neal Adams
• Favourite Inker: Terry Austin
• Favourite Comic (UK): 2000 AD (Fleetway)
• Favourite Artist (UK): John Bolton^[1]
• Favourite Editor (UK): Dez Skinn, for MAD magazine

First issues by title

DC Comics

Black Lightning

Release: April. Writer: Tony Isabella. Artist: Trevor Von Eeden.

DC Special Series (catch-all series primarily for one-shots of different formats, released on an irregular schedule)

Release: September. Editor: Paul Levitz.

Jonah Hex

Release: March/April. Writer: Michael Fleisher. Artist: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.

Men of War

Release: August. Editor: Paul Levitz.

Shade, the Changing Man

Release: June/July. Writers: Steve Ditko and Michael Fleisher. Artist: Steve Ditko.

Star Hunters

Release: Oct./Nov. Writer: David Michelinie. Artists: Don Newton and Bob Layton.

Marvel Comics

Black Panther

Release: January. Writer/Artist: Jack Kirby.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Release: August. Writer: Doug Moench. Artists: Herb Trimpe and Jim Mooney.

John Carter, Warlord of Mars

Release: June. Writer: Marv Wolfman. Artists: Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum.

Human Fly

Release: September. Writer: Bill Mantlo. Artists: Lee Elias.

Logan's Run

Release: January. Writer: Gerry Conway. Artists: George Pérez and Klaus Janson.

Marvel Super Action

Release: May. Reprints classic Captain America stories.

Rampaging Hulk

Release: January by Curtis Magazines. Editor: John Warner.

Star Wars

Release: July. Writer: Roy Thomas. Artist: Howard Chaykin.

What If

Release: February. Writer/Editor: Roy Thomas.

Independent publishers

2000 AD

Release: February 26 by IPC Media. Editor: Tharg the Mighty.

Cerebus the Aardvark

Release: December by Aardvark-Vanaheim. Writer/Artist: Dave Sim.

Heavy Metal

Release: April by HM Communications, Inc.. Editor: Sean Kelly and Valerie Marchant.

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Baron Blitzkrieg, in World's Finest Comics #246 (Aug./Sept.)
• Black Lightning, in Black Lightning #1 (April)
• Celsius, in Showcase #94 (Aug./Sept.)
• Joshua Clay, in Showcase #94 (Aug./Sept.)
• Dawnstar, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #226 (April)
• Doctor Phosphorus, in Detective Comics #469 (May)
• Cal Durham, in Adventure Comics #452 (July)
• Faora, in Action Comics #471 (May)
• Godiva, in Super Friends #7 (October)
• Golden Glider, in Flash #250 (June)
• Gravedigger, in Men of War #1 (August)
• Huntress, in DC Super Stars # 17 (Nov./Dec. 1977)
• Icemaiden, in Super Friends #9 (December)
• Impala, in Super Friends #7 (October)
• Jack O'Lantern, in Super Friends #8 (November)
• Owlwoman, in Super Friends #7 (October)
• Rising Sun, in Super Friends #8 (November)
• Seraph, in Super Friends #7 (October)
• Shade, the Changing Man, in Shade, the Changing Man #1 (June/July)
• Silver St. Cloud, in Detective Comics #470 (June)
• Sklarian Raiders, in Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #233 (November, DC Comics)
• Tasmanian Devil, in Super Friends #7 (October)
• Rupert Thorne, in Detective Comics #469 (May)
• Tuatara, in Super Friends #8 (November)
• Valentina Vostok, in Showcase #94 (August)

Marvel Comics

• Aqueduct, in Ghost Rider #23 (April)
• Arcade, in Super Spider-Man & Captain Britain #248 (November 9, 1977, Marvel UK)
• Aries (Life Model Decoy), in The Defenders #49 (July)
• Bereet, in Rampaging Hulk #1 (January, Curtis Magazines)
• Bushmaster, in Iron Fist #15 (September)
• Constrictor, in Incredible Hulk #212 (June)
• Deathbird, in Ms. Marvel #9 (September)
• Devil-Slayer, in Marvel Spotlight #33 (April)
• Doctor Bong, in Howard the Duck #15 (August)
• Dreadknight, in Iron Man #102 (August)
• Dyna-Mite / Destroyer, in Invaders #14 (March)
• Forgotten One, in The Eternals #13 (July)
• Henry Peter Gyrich, in Avengers #165 (November)
• Human Fly (Rick Rojatt), in Human Fly (Rick Rojatt) #1 (September)
• Imperial Guard, in X-Men #107 (October)
  • Astra
  • Electron
  • Fang
  • Flashfire
  • Guardian
  • Magique
  • Mentor
  • Neutron
  • Nightside
  • Oracle
  • Pulsar
  • Scintilla
  • Smasher
  • Starbolt
  • Titan
• Jocasta, in Avengers #162 (August)
• Killer Shrike, in Rampaging Hulk #1 (January, Curtis Magazines)
• Lightmaster, in Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #3 (February)
• Machine Man, in 2001: A Space Odyssey #8 (July)
• Malice, in Ghost Rider vol. 2, #25 (August)
• Paragon / Kismet, in The Incredible Hulk Annual #6
• Ringer, in Defenders #51 (September)
• Rocket Racer, in Amazing Spider-Man #172 (September)
• Sabretooth, in Iron Fist #14 (August)
• Nicholas Scratch, in Fantastic Four #185 (August)
• Sphinx, in Nova #6 (February)
• Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), in Marvel Spotlight #32 (February)
• Spirit of '76, in The Invaders #14 (March)
• Starjammers, in X-Men #107 (October)
  • Ch'od, in X-Men #104 (April)
  • Corsair, in X-Men #104 (April)
  • Hepzibah, in X-Men #107 (October)
  • Raza Longknife, in X-Men #107 (October)
• Swarm, in Champions #14 (July)
• Warrior Woman, in Invaders #16 (May)
• Will O' Wisp, in The Amazing Spider-Man #167 (April)
• Arnim Zola, in Captain America #208 (April)

Independent titles

• Cerebus the Aardvark, in Cerebus #1 (December, Aardvark-Vanaheim)
• Rico Dredd, in 2000 AD prog 30 (Fleetway)
• Judge Dredd, in 2000 AD #2 (Fleetway)
• Judge Giant, in 2000 AD prog 27 (Fleetway)
• Judge Goodman, in 2000 AD #2 (Fleetway)
• Bill Savage, in 2000 AD #1 (February 26, Fleetway)
• Tharg the Mighty, in 2000 AD #1 (February 26, Fleetway)

References