Marvel Comics—home to virtuous heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Avengers—has a hidden sordid past, stretching back to long before the first Marvel Comic rolled off the presses. Authors Blake Bell and Dr. Michael J. Vassallo pull back the curtain on the real-life characters who built the publishing empire that became Marvel Comics, document their shady practices, and reveal how it all shaped the Marvel we know today. Lavishly illustrated and wildly revealing, The Secret History of Marvel Comics discredits long-held myths about Marvel and bursts open a treasure trove of lost artwork by comic book legends Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, Alex Schomburg, and dozens more. none of this art ever appeared in any comic book! Includes early writings by Stan Lee plus a rare Human Torch escapade—published here in color for the first time!