Marvel Super-Heroes #8
Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #8 is, above all else, the debut of Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green), a character whose peculiar journey from forgotten one-shot punchline to beloved Marvel mainstay is unlike anything else in the medium's history. Writer Will Murray conceived her deliberately against the grim-and-gritty grain of early-1990s mainstream comics, and when scans of the issue eventually circulated online, her defeat of Doctor Doom became a foundational internet meme that kept the character alive long enough to earn her own ongoing series and a devoted fandom. The issue is also a quiet showcase for Steve Ditko's final burst of Silver Age sensibility at Marvel—a tonal anomaly inside a quarterly anthology that was otherwise very much a product of its Dark Age moment. Beyond Squirrel Girl, the issue introduces the third Red Raven (a successor character to the Golden Age original) and the Bird-Person Dania in its Namor segment, rounding out a surprisingly rich debut package.
In "Three Strikes, Yer Out!", Namor ventures into the depths to secure advanced technology from the hidden Avian island, only to find himself entangled in a dangerous game orchestrated by Diablo—right as the new Red Raven arrives on the scene. Written by Lobdell and illustrated by Wozniak, Lopez, Albrecht, and Karp, this 1992 Marvel Super-Heroes issue brings underwater intrigue and high-stakes maneuvering to the surface, with Erik Larsen’s cover capturing the clash of titans beneath the waves.
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Murray wrote the Squirrel Girl story entirely on his own before any artist was involved; Tom Morgan was the original artist assignment, but when Morgan departed the project Murray specifically requested Steve Ditko—and got him. Ditko's contribution went beyond the printed credits: he invented Squirrel Girl's signature retractable knuckle spikes, a detail absent from Murray's script. The cover-dated Winter 1991 issue shipped in January 1992 and was edited by Mike Rockwitz under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco, with the full-issue cover rendered by Erik Larsen. The anthology format allowed three new stories of varying creative teams—Michael Higgins on the X-Men segment, Scott Lobdell on the Namor piece—plus five pages of pin-ups by Jim Starlin, whose Infinity-era cosmic characters (Warlock, Thanos, Gamora, Drax, etc.) were then at the height of their profile.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Squirrel Girl (Doreen Green), created by writer Will Murray and artist Steve Ditko in the story 'The Coming of Squirrel Girl,' featuring Iron Man and Doctor Doom.
- First appearance of Monkey Joe, Squirrel Girl's squirrel companion and sidekick, who goes on to become an official (if short-lived) Great Lakes Avengers member before being killed in 2005.
- First appearance of Dania, a Bird-Person created by Scott Lobdell and Chris Wozniak in the Namor story 'Leftovers!', which also features the first appearance of the third Red Raven.
- The issue is a giant-sized Winter Special published January 1992, edited by Mike Rockwitz with a cover by Erik Larsen.
- The X-Men story 'Three Strikes, Yer Out!' (Part 3 of 3), scripted by Michael Higgins with art by M.C. Wyman and Sam de la Rosa, features Wolverine, Colossus, Rogue, Storm, Havok, Psylocke, Gateway, and the Abomination against a Sentinel threat in Australia.
- The Namor story 'Leftovers!' was scripted by Scott Lobdell with art by Chris Wozniak; Namor investigates the submerged former kingdom of the Bird People, bringing in Diablo as a villain.
- Five pages of pin-ups by Jim Starlin feature his Infinity-era cosmic cast—including Adam Warlock, Thanos, Gamora, Drax, Pip the Troll, and Moondragon—capitalizing on the then-recent Infinity Gauntlet crossover event.
- Will Murray based the Squirrel Girl character in part on a former girlfriend who loved wild animals, and deliberately designed her as a lighthearted counterpoint to the heavily dramatic stories dominating mainstream comics at the time.
Cast · 40 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Namor is trying to procure technology from the submerged island of the Avians when he and the new Red Raven get caught up in the schemes of Diablo.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).