As a tribute, discover some of the most impressive and historical pages that George Pérez made in his career for Marvel Comics
The comic industry lost a legend. Widely known and respected for his incredible talent and kindness, artist George Pérez contributed to several ongoing Marvel titles, including Avengers (1998), Inhumans (1975), and Fantastic Four (1961).
Do not miss: The best works of George Pérez in Marvel
He also co-created Marvel’s first Latin American superhero and first Puerto Rican main character, Héctor Ayala, also known as White Tiger, who inspired more heroes under the same alias.
Pérez’s contemporaries and fans also praised his generous heart. He is, and will continue to be, lauded for his vast contributions to the comic medium. As an artist, Pérez was truly one of a kind. Nobody could handle a crowd scene like him, and the clarity of his sequential narration was second to none.
To celebrate the artist and his work, Marvel has selected some of our favorite George Perez pages. Although we could have kept adding pages because he was simply the best at what he did.
the danger room
Perez didn’t get much of a chance to draw Marvel’s mutant heroes, but in X-Men Annual (1970) #3, he made the most of the opportunity alongside series regular Chris Claremont and inker extraordinaire Terry Austin.
This double-page spread early on in the issue was particularly surprising thanks to its powerful depiction of the all-new X-Men only a relatively short time after they made their grand entrance into the book.
Apart from Wolverine, they are quite young and inexperienced compared to their modern counterparts. And yet they have rarely looked better than here.
Iceman arrives
Iceman’s solo story in Bizarre Adventures (1981) #27 was a rare opportunity for Pérez to show what he could do in black and white.
While teaming with writer Jo Duffy and inker Alfredo Alcala, the artist told the story of mutant Bobby Drake’s attempt to find a normal life at Dartmouth College. However, that wasn’t in Bobby’s cards when the thieves tried to steal Hank Pym’s work.
In this double page spread, Iceman gets the upper hand on the bad guys. Pérez also took the opportunity to draw several different heroes and heroines… in the form of ice!
Black Widow attacks
It’s important to note that Marvel Fanfare (1982) #10 was not Black Widow’s first turn as a main character.
That said, he really came out as a star in the opening installment of a four-part story illustrated and co-plotted by Pérez with writer Ralph Macchio (and impeccably inked by Brett Breeding).
In this visually stunning home page, Natasha Romanoff has turned the tables on the assassination team that tried to catch her off guard.
Big mistake, folks. Black Widow is many things, but she is never helpless.
Ultron’s bride
One of Pérez’s best-known contributions to Marvel Comics came in the pages of Avengers (1963), the series’ classic volume. During the artist’s early run on the title, he collaborated with writer Jim Shooter and inker Pablo Marcos on Avengers (1963) #162.
With the team seemingly defeated after Ultron’s sneak attack, the deadly android revealed the full scale of his plan on this memorable page.
Ultron took his Oedipus complex too far when he brainwashed Hank Pym into helping him transform his then-wife, Janet Van Dyne, aka Wasp, into Ultron’s cybernetic girlfriend.
It didn’t work, but only because the bride was self-aware, and then she transformed into the android Jocasta.
the snap
Jim Starlin and George Pérez’s Infinity Gauntlet (1991) was a key moment in Marvel history and has influenced a host of stories.
Though Perez couldn’t stick around for the entire limited series, this page from the first issue (inked by Joe Rubinstein with Tom Christopher) features the infamous Infinity Gauntlet “snap.”
With the full power of the Infinity Stones at his command, Thanos wiped out half the population of the universe with the slightest gesture.
The Return of Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock’s return to the land of the living began in Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #1, but Perez and Starlin wisely kept him out of the picture until just the right moment.
That moment came in Infinity Gauntlet (1991) #2 when Warlock made his grand entrance into the Sanctum Sanctorum just as Doctor Doom had Doctor Strange at his mercy.
Regardless, Warlock recruited both men for his mission to defeat Thanos. And that was just the beginning of Warlock’s makeshift army.
Thor-Mint Alert
Pérez made his triumphant return to Marvel in 1998 alongside writer Kurt Busiek and inker Al Vey. After Heroes Reborn: The Return (1997), Thor was gone.
But the God of Thunder made a very dramatic reappearance on this page of Avengers (1998) #1. Thor just caught most of the founding members of the team when he came to warn them about a threat to reality itself.
queen’s revenge
No one could pull off a double page touch like Perez. As illustrated in these pages from Avengers (1998) #3, the artist had an uncanny ability to add multiple characters to an image without losing clarity or focus.
It’s also worth noting that Perez designed new costumes for each member of the team seen here. In an alternate timeline created by Morgan le Fay, the Avengers were the Queen’s Revenge.
But they weren’t heroes, they were just enforcers for Le Fay. Some of the Avengers were able to break free of Le Fay’s spell, but the vast majority of them remained enchanted as they attacked the heroes in these pages.
“Ultron, we want to have a talk with you”
In the final part of the “Ultron Unlimited” story arc from Avengers (1998) #22, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, Iron Man, and Firestar had to fight their way through an army of Ultrons just to get to Ultron Prime and release their prisoners.
It may have been the fight of their lives, but the Avengers won that round and openly challenged Ultron to finish the battle on this unforgettable page.
Rick Jones’ Trophy Room
Finally, we have a double page spread of Hulk: Future Imperfect (1992) #1, which was illustrated and inked by Pérez himself. Peter David’s script envisioned a future where Bruce Banner’s worst instincts caused the Hulk to become the malevolent Master.
Decades from now, the Master ruled what was left of the world with an iron fist. That’s why the current Hulk was taken to the future to defeat him.
In this particular image, we see the vast collection of Avengers ally Rick Jones. Each item is an artifact of a fallen hero or villain, and we could get lost for hours trying to take in all the details.
Pérez was truly an expert in the medium, and this is yet another example of his masterful storytelling and craft.
It may interest you: Guardians of the Galaxy’s tribute to Infinity Gauntlet and George Pérez
Source: Marvel
Relive the excitement of The Infinity Gauntlet in SMASH and Marvel Comics Mexico
The gods are in his clutches, Mephisto is his lackey, only Death resists the might of Thanos! The cosmic forces of the universe – Space and Time, Love and Hate, Order and Chaos – rise up against Thanos, but with the universe cut in half, the Mad Titan may yet prove victorious. An almost forgotten hero from another era is the key to defeating Thanos’ power and making it his own!
SMASH and Marvel Comics Mexico brings you Marvel Deluxe: The Infinity Gauntlet, the story conceived by Jim Starlin, George Pérez and Ron Lim, which brings you the complete saga and extra materials that you won’t be able to see anywhere else.
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