Add to favoritesLegacy numbering started out as a fun gift to fans, sort of a way to apologize for relaunching so many series. However, Marvel has managed to overcomplicate it as they really stretch the definition of a legacy series, as well as adding in mini-series, and also not understanding proper math skills. John Jackson Miller at Comichron has a really good explanation for the logic behind most of the legacy numbering:
It’s important to understand that Marvel’s goal was not to create a census counting all issues published under a series’ name, but rather to restore the post-1960s numbering that most of its legacy titles spent the longest amount of time under. Hence, Captain America gets the credit for Tales of Suspense issues he was not in, because the longest-running Captain America title took over the numbering of Tales and any attempt to force imaginary numbering on a plurality of the series’ issues would be counterproductive. The idea, rather, was to pretend that the wave of 1990s-and-later reboots never happened. So, too, there is no error in leaving out the first six issues of Incredible Hulk‘s original run; they were never presumed to be part of the sequence by collectors during the hundreds of issues the Tales to Astonish-born series ran, and have no more role in its renumbering than the Golden Age Captain America title does.
Another key to determining legacy numbering is finding the core series of a franchise, even if it didn’t have the exact same name. Also, specially numbered issues (such as #-1, #0, or any number with a decimal) are not counted in the whole numbers.
The “Quick Math” section under each series is what number to add to an issue from a particular volume to get its legacy number.
Avengers
#1-402
Avengers volume 1 #1-402
(series began in 1963)
#403-415
Avengers volume 2 #1-13
(“Heroes Reborn” series launched in 1996)
Quick math: 402
#416-499
Avengers volume 3 #1-84
(“Heroes Return” series launched in 1997)
key issues:
–#35 (450) – Maximum Security crossover
–#41 (457) – legacy numbering printed on covers starting with this issue until #500
–#57-76 (472-491) – Geoff Johns run
Quick math: 415
#500-503
Avengers volume 1 #500-503
(series reverted to original numbering in 2004 for Avengers Disassembled event)
#504-567
New Avengers #1-64
(series launched in 2005)
Quick math: 503
#568-601
Avengers volume 4 #1-34
(series launched in 2010 as part of “The Heroic Age”)
key issues:
–#33 (600) – milestone issue
Quick math: 567
#602-645
Avengers volume 5 #1-44
(series launched in 2012, written by Jonathan Hickman)
Quick math: 601
#646-660
All New All Different Avengers: #1-15 (660)
(series launched in 2015 in aftermath of Secret Wars)
Quick math: 645
#661-671
Avengers volume 6: #1-11
(series launched in 2016)
Quick math: 660
#672-690
Avengers volume 1 #672-690
(series reverted to original numbering as part of Marvel Legacy initiative.)
#691-707
Avengers volume 7 #1-17
Key issue: #10 (700) – milestone issue
Quick math: 690
All issues from this point on carry the Legacy numbering on the cover.
#708-717
Avengers: Road to Nowhere: #1-10
(Marvel specifically published the legacy numbers on this mini-series to include them in the overall numbering)
Quick math: 707
#718-766
Avengers volume 7: #18-66
Quick math: 700
#767-current
Avengers volume 8: #1-current
Quick math: 766
*as of the November 2024 solicitations, the most recent issue is #20 (786)
Milestone issues:
#600 – Avengers volume 4 #33
#700 – Avengers volume 7 #10
At the time of its launch, “New Avengers” was the primary Avengers title, even though other spinoffs were launched later on. When the franchise relaunched as part of the “Heroic Age” initiative, “Avengers” returned as the flagship title and carrying the legacy numbering, even though another “New Avengers” series was launched.
Captain America
#1-99
Tales of Suspense #1-99
During the Marvel Legacy publishing initiative, Marvel revived Tales of Suspense for #100-104 as a Winter Soldier and Hawkeye mini-series, but those issues are not part of any other legacy numbering.
#100-454
Captain America volume 1 #100-454
(series continued numbering from Tales of Suspense)
#455-467
Captain America volume 2: #1-13
(“Heroes Reborn” series launched in 1996)
Quick math: 454
#468-517
Captain America volume 3 #1-50
(“Heroes Return” series launched in 1997)
Key issues:
–#25-50 (492-517) – Dan Jurgens run
–#33 (500) – milestone issue
Quick math: 467
Volume 3 #50 featured a legacy number of #518 on the cover, but that was clearly a typo.
#518-549
Captain America volume 4 #1-32
(series launched in 2002 under the Marvel Knights imprint)
Quick math: 517
#550-599
Captain America volume 5 #1-50
(series launched in 2005 after Avengers Disassembled, written by Ed Brubaker)
Key issue: #25 (574) – Death of Captain America
Quick math: 549
#600-619
Captain America volume 1 #600-619
#620-638
Captain America volume 6 #1-19
(series launched in 2011, concluding the Brubaker run)
Quick math: 619
#639-663
Captain America volume 7 #1-25
(series launched in 2012)
Quick math: 638
#664-669
All New Captain America: #1-6
Quick math: 663
#670-693
Sam Wilson, Captain America: #1-24
Quick math: 669
#694
Captain America volume 8 #25
(series continued from Sam Wilson, Captain America)
There was also a “Steve Rogers, Captain America” series that ran concurrently to this series for 19 issues, but is not counted in the legacy numbering because Sam Wilson was the primary Captain America at the time.
#695-704
Captain America volume 1 #695-704
(series reverted to original numbering as part of Marvel Legacy initiative.)
#705-734
Captain America volume 9 (2018): #1-30
(series launched in 2019, written by Ta-Nehisi Coates)
Quick math: 704
#735
Captain America #0
This special published in 2022 led to the launch of two concurrent series – Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (focusing on Steve Rogers, running for 13 issues) and Captain America: Symbol of Truth (focusing on Sam Wilson, running for 14 issues). Symbol of Truth carried the legacy numbering on the covers, which requires us to bend the rule regarding special numbers.
#736-749
Captain America: Symbol of Truth #1-14
(series launched in 2022)
Quick math: 735
#750
Captain America volume 1 #750
(published in July 2023)
#751-current
Captain America volume 10 #1-current
(series launched in 2023 by JMS)
Quick math: 750
*as of the September 2024 solicitations, the most recent issue is #15 (765)
Captain America and…
When Captain America (volume 6) was launched, Marvel also ran a team-up series continuing the numbering from volume 1. These numbers are not included in any legacy numbering.
Captain America and Bucky #620-628
Captain America and Hawkeye #629-632
Captain America and Iron Man #633-635
Captain America and Namor #635.1
Captain America and Black Widow #636-640
Thor
#1-125
Journey into Mystery volume 1 #1-125
Key issue: #82 – first Thor
#126-502
Thor volume 1 #126-502
(series continued numbering from Journey into Mystery)
When the character of Thor was shifted over to the Heroes Reborn universe, the series continued as “Journey into Mystery”, but those issues were not counted in legacy numbering. (More information on “Journey into Mystery” below.)
#503-587
Thor volume 2 #1-85
(series began in 1998 as a late “Heroes Return” entry)
Key issues: #80-85 (582-587) – Ragnarok arc (Avengers Disassembled tie-in)
Quick math: 502
#588-599
Thor volume 3 #1-12
(series began in 2007 by JMS)
Quick math: 587
#600-621
Thor volume 1 #600-621
Once again, the numbering was continued as “Journey into Mystery” when a new Thor series was launched.
#622-643
The Mighty Thor #1-22
(series began in 2011)
Quick math: 621
Many issues of the original Thor series were unofficially titled “The Mighty Thor” on the cover, but this is the first time it’s officially part of the title.
#644-668
Thor: God of Thunder #1-25
(series began in 2012)
Quick math: 643
#669-676
Thor volume 4 #1-8
(series began in 2014 featuring Jane Foster)
Quick math: 668
#677-699
The Mighty Thor volume 2 #1-23
(series began in 2015)
Quick math: 676
#700-706
Thor volume 1 #700-706
(series reverted to original numbering as part of Marvel Legacy initiative.)
#707-722
Thor volume 5 #1-16
(series began in 2018)
Quick math: 706
#723-726
King Thor #1-4
Quick math: 722
#727-761
Thor volume 6 #1-35
(series began in 2020)
Quick math: 726
#762-current
Immortal Thor #1-current*
(series began in 2023)
Quick math: 761
*as of the November 2024 solicitations, the most recent issue is #17 (#778)
Journey into Mystery
Like most of the early Marvel anthologies that eventually changed into a single hero series, “Journey into Mystery” eventually became “Thor”. But at various points in time as the “Thor” series was relaunched, the original numbering was continued until the “Journey into Mystery” title. None of those reversions count in the legacy numbering, and there is no way to create a cohesive set of numbering for Journey into Mystery.
#1-125 – series becomes Thor
volume 2 #1-19 – a horror anthology series from the 1970s, not connected to Thor
#503-521 – continuing from Thor volume 1 during Heroes Reborn event
#622-655 – continuing from Thor volume 1 as “The Mighty Thor” was launched
Iron Man
#1-332
Iron Man volume 1 #1-332
(series began in 1968)
#333-345
Iron Man volume 2 #1-13
(“Heroes Reborn” series launched in 1996)
Quick math: 332
#346-434
Iron Man volume 3 #1-89
(“Heroes Return” series launched in 1997)
Quick math: 345
#435-462
Iron Man volume 4 #1-28
(series launched in 2005 after Avengers: Disassembled)
Quick math: 434
#463-466
Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #29-32
(Iron Man volume 4 was retitled in 2008)
Quick math: 434
This series continued for three more issues (#33-35), with the cover title of War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD. At the same time, a new Iron Man series was launched. At the time, Marvel did not count these three issues when they reverted to Iron Man #500, but they did count them when creating the numbering for Marvel Legacy a few years later.
#467-499
Invincible Iron Man #1-33
(series launched in 2008 and was the first time “Invincible” was an official part of the title.)
Quick math: 466
#500-527
Invincible Iron Man #500-527
#528-530
Due to a math error, these issues don’t seem to exist. When “Invincible Iron Man” was launched in 2008, the “Iron Man: Director of SHIELD” title was still running for three issues. Those issues (#33-35) featured War Machine and had a “War Machine: Weapon of SHIELD” logo plastered over the Iron Man logo on the covers. Marvel did not count those issues when they calculated Iron Man #500. However those issues were counted when calculating the number for Marvel Legacy, which is why Marvel now says that #500-527 are really #503-530. The editors handling the Marvel Legacy numbering project were clearly just looking at the highest issue number of each volume to add together.
#531-558
Iron Man volume 5 #1-28
(series launched in 2013)
Quick math: 530
#559-567
Superior Iron Man #1-9
Quick math: 558
#568-581
Invincible Iron Man volume 2 #1-14
(series launched in 2015 by Brian Michael Bendis)
Quick math: 567
#582-592
Invincible Iron Man volume 3 #1-11
(series launched in 2016, also by BMB)
Quick math: 581
#593-600
Iron Man volume 1 #593-600
(series reverted to original numbering as part of Marvel Legacy initiative.)
Technically, these issues are officially part of “Invincible Iron Man” volume 3.
#601-619
Tony Stark: Iron Man #1-19
(series launched in 2018 by Dan Slott)
Quick math: 600
#620-625
Iron Man 2020 #1-6
(mini-series published in 2020 to conclude Slott’s run)
Quick math: 619
#626-650
Iron Man volume 6 #1-25
(series launched in 2020 by Christopher Cantwell)
Quick math: 625
#651-670
Invincible Iron Man volume 4 #1-20
(series launched in 2022 by Gerry Duggan and ties into the X-Men Krakoa era and “Fall of X”)
Quick math: 650
#671-current
Iron Man volume 7 #1-current*
Quick math: 670
*as of the November 2024 solicitations, the most recent issue is #2 (#672)
Annuals
Annuals have created their own kind of problems with legacy numbering. From the 1960s through the mid-1990s, Marvel numbered annuals sequentially, although they referred to some as “King Size” and/or “Specials”. Starting in 1995, the X-Men titles got annuals labelled by year (ex. ’95) with the practice expanding to the rest of the Marvel line in 1996. In 1998, all of the Marvel annuals were team-ups, and some characters or groups were represented in multiple annuals. In most cases, whichever series was referred to first in the title claims that annual. From 1999-2001, Marvel continued to number by year (using all four digits), and then discontinued annuals in favor of extra regular issues during the year. Sometime in the late 2000s, annuals returned, but there has been no consistency among numbering practices. Some series got legacy numbers, some get a new Annual #1 to go with each relaunch, and some Annuals get renumbered even if the parent series had not been relaunched. And naturally, over the years, there have been misnumbered and forgotten annuals.
Avengers
#1-23 - numbered sequentially along with volume 1
#24 – Avengers/Squadron Supreme ’98, going along with volume 3
#25-27 – Marvel used the full years for numbering: 1999-2001, going along with volume 3
#28-30 – New Avengers Annuals #1-3
#31 – a new Annual #1 in 2012, going along with volume 4
#32 – another Annual #1 in 2013, going along with volume 5
#33 – All New All Different Avengers Annual #1
#34 – yet another Annual #1 in 2021, going along with volume 7
Captain America
#1-13 - numbered sequentially along with volume 1
#14 – Captain America/Citizen V ’98, going along with volume 3
#15-17 - Marvel used the full years for numbering: 1999-2001, going along with volume 3
The Iron Man/Captain America ’98 Annual is credited to Iron Man’s series.
Iron Man
#1-15 - numbered sequentially along with volume 1
#16 – Iron Man/Captain America ’98, going along with volume 3
#17-19 - Marvel used the full years for numbering: 1999-2001, going along with volume 3
#20 – Iron Man: Director of SHIELD Annual #1
#21 – Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 in 2010
#22 – Iron Man Annual #1 (2014), probably goes along with volume 5