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Marvel Feature was a comic book comics anthology series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. It was a tryout book, intended to test the popularity of characters and concepts being considered for their own series. The first volume led to the launch of The Defenders and Marvel Two-in-One, while volume two led to an ongoing Red Sonja series.
The first series was published for twelve issues from December 1971 until November 1973. The lead story in Marvel Feature #1, by writer Roy Thomas and artist Ross Andru, featured the first team-up of the Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Namor as the Defenders. (2025). 9780756641238, Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780756641238 The first two issues of Marvel Feature were in the 52-page format, with the remaining pages filled out by a new Doctor Strange solo tale and a Sub-Mariner reprint. The Defenders continued as the stars of Marvel Feature for two more issues and then received their own self-titled series in August 1972.
Hank Pym was the lead of Marvel Feature for issues #4–10, paired with his un-billed female companion, the Wasp, starting with issue #6. Doing an Ant-Man feature was editor Roy Thomas's idea, but he found he did not have the time to write it himself and so turned it over to writer Mike Friedrich and artist Herb Trimpe. The series featured the only comics work of Trimpe's brother, Mike, who inked issue #6 over Herb's pencils. Herb Trimpe explained that Mike was a graphic designer at the time and took on the inking job when his regular work slowed down. Issues #7–10 each featured three separate Ant-Man stories and included art by P. Craig Russell. The final issue also reprinted non-Pym stories from the Tales to Astonish series, all written by Stan Lee.
Marvel Feature #11 featured a battle between the Thing and the Hulk. Issue #12 teamed the Thing and Iron Man and featured an early appearance of Thanos. Both issues were penciled by Jim Starlin. As with The Defenders before it, the concept of teaming the Thing with a different character each issue proved popular enough during its Marvel Feature tryout to justify a regular series, titled Marvel Two-in-One.
The series was cancelled as of issue #12. Though it was successful in its intended role as a popularity gauge (both of the series spun off of Marvel Feature had long runs with generally strong sales), it was unable to sustain a readership of its own.
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