Volume four of the Gamer’s Handbook of the Marvel Universe—Serpent Society thru Zzzax (1988) is the last of the main group of books. They were followed by four annual updates (‘89, ‘90, ‘91 and ‘92), which noted the major story lines, costume changes, deaths and first appearances. All told, these books amount to a clear accounting of five or six years of Marvel comic history. They’re a fascinating time capsule, given their publication on the threshold, then across that threshold, of big changes in the comic industry. But I mostly just like them because they remind me of being a kid.

X-men on the cover, which seems like a given. Wolverine was starting his trend of appearing in everything right around then. Also, punk rock Storm forever.