The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1 for Sale - First Appearance of Ariel - Where to Buy

Identification plate

Series: The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Marvel, 1983 series)
Issue: #1
Publication date: January 1983
Key date: 1983-01-00
On-sale date: 1982-09-28
Indicia publisher: Marvel Comics Group
Price: $1.00; 0.50 GBP; 1.25 CAD
Pages: 36

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

First appearance of Ariel - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance of Alejandro Montoya - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Seq	Story	Type	Pages	Credits	Characters
0	A: From Abomination to Avengers Quinjet	cover	1	pencils: Ed Hannigan; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus	Abomination, Absorbing Man, El Águila, Ajak, American Eagle, Anaconda, Angar the Screamer, David Angar, Angel, Annihilus, Ant-Man, Aquarian, Arabian Knight, Arcade
1	-	table of contents	1	letters: Eliot R. Brown
2	Abomination	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Ron Wilson; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Abomination [Emil Blonsky]; Betty Ross (in panel art)
3	Absorbing Man	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Ron Wilson, John Buscema; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Absorbing Man [Carl Creel; Crusher Creel]
4	El Aguila	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Dave Cockrum; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	El Aguila [The Eagle; Alejandro Montoya]
5	A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics)	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Luke McDonnell; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	AIM Agent [A.I.M. Agent]
6	Ajak	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Ron Wilson, Jack Kirby; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Ajak
7	Alpha Flight	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: John Byrne; inks: Terry Austin; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Alpha Flight [Vindicator [James McDonald Hudson]; Sasquatch [Walter Lankowski]; Aurora [Jean-Marie Beaubier; Jeanne-Marie Beaubier]; Northstar [Jean-Paul Beaubier]; Shaman [Michael Twoyoungmen]; Snowbird [Anne McKenzie]; Marina [Marinna Smallwood]; Puck [Eugene Milton Judd; Eugene Judd]]
8	Alpha Primitives	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald; pencils: Ron Wilson, Jack Kirby; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Alpha Primitive Drone
9	American Eagle	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Ron Wilson; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	American Eagle [Jason Strongbow]
10	Anaconda	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Mark Gruenwald; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Anaconda [Blanche Sitznski] (villain); Thing [Ben Grimm] (in inset clip panel art)
11	Angar the Screamer	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Brian Postman; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Angar the Screamer [David Angar]
12	Angel	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Brian Postman; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Angel [Warren Worthington III]
13	Annihilus	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Luke McDonnell; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Annihilus (villain)
14	Ant-Man	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Brian Postman, John Byrne, Bob Layton; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Ant-Man [Scott Lang]
15	Aquarian	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Mark Gruenwald; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Aquarian [Wundarr]
16	Arabian Knight	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Mark Gruenwald; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Arabian Knight [Abdul Qamar]
17	Arcade	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Bob Budiansky; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Arcade
18	Ares, God of War	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Paul Smith; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Ares
19	Ariel	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Paul Smith; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Ariel [Kitty Pryde; Sprite; Shadowcat]
20	Arkon	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Bob Budiansky; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Arkon
21	Arnim Zola	character profile	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Jack Kirby; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Arnim Zola (villain)
22	Asgard Home of the Norse Gods	illustration	2	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Peter Gillis; inks: Tom Orzechowski; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
23	Asgardians	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Ron Wilson; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Thor [Donald Blake]; Odin; Loki (villain); Balder
24	Atlantis	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Peter Gillis; inks: Rick Parker; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
25	Atlanteans	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Paty Cockrum; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
26	Attilan, Home of the Inhumans	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Peter Gillis; inks: Eliot R. Brown; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
27	Attuma	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Walt Simonson; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Attuma
28	Aurora	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: John Byrne; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown	Aurora [Jean-Marie Beaubier]
29	Avengers	character profile	2	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: John Byrne; inks: Terry Austin; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
30	Avengers Mansion	character profile	2	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Eliot R. Brown; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
31	Avengers Quinjet	character profile	1	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Eliot R. Brown; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
32	Alien Races	character profile	2	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; pencils: Paty Cockrum; inks: Josef Rubinstein; colors: Andy Yanchus; letters: Eliot R. Brown
33	Editorial	text article	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald; letters: Eliot R. Brown
34	Appendix	text article	0.5	script: Mark Gruenwald, Alan Zelenetz, Eliot R. Brown, Ralph Macchio, Peter Sanderson; letters: Eliot R. Brown

Printings and variants

Edition	How to tell
Newsstand	price 1.00 USD; barcode 0714860281201
Canadian	price 1.25 CAD; barcode 0714860281201

Where to read it

Collection	Year
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1	1985	On eBay ›
Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #1	2006	On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

Check the price box: Marvel ran 30-cent and 35-cent test-market price variants in 1976-77.
Canadian and Whitman editions exist for many bronze books; match the barcode area to the plate.
Look for Mark Jewelers inserts and date stamps - they affect collector preference, not authenticity.

Series context

1 of 15#2 ›

Sources

Grand Comics Database, issue record (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com