Ben Payton

Bronze Age Marvel has no shortage of intriguing bit players, and Ben Payton is one of those names that rewards the deep-diver — debuting in the pages of Spider-Woman #1 in 1978, courtesy of Marv Wolfman and Carmine Infantino. Over a span stretching nearly two decades, he turns up across a wonderfully eclectic corner of the Marvel universe, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Spider-Man, Captain America, and even Victor Von Doom, and popping up in titles as varied as Seeker 3000, Devil Dinosaur, and Godzilla. With only six catalog appearances to his name, Ben Payton is the kind of quietly persistent background figure that reminds collectors just how richly populated the Bronze Age Marvel cosmos really was — a small thread woven through some genuinely memorable books.