Cover: Paul Johnson & Steve Lightle

Marvel Comics Presents #166

Oct 1994 · Marvel · 1.75 USD; 2.35 CAD

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★ 1st appearance — Amanda Chaney

About this Issue

Marvel Comics Presents #166 (cover-dated October 1994) is a four-story anthology that serves as a meaningful node in at least two concurrent 1994 Marvel storylines. Its second story — a Force Works chapter featuring Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman, John Walker's U.S. Agent, Wanda Maximoff, Century, Jim Rhodes, and War Machine — slots directly into the early Force Works reading order and reflects the creative ambition of that short-lived but distinctive Abnett-and-Lanning West Coast team. Meanwhile, the issue continued both the 'Behold the Man-Thing' serial (part 3 of Ted Sallis's swamp-horror arc) and an ongoing Vengeance chapter featuring Michael Badilino at the height of Marvel's Midnight Sons–era supernatural output, making the issue a compact time capsule of mid-'90s Marvel's simultaneous experiment with cosmic-team books, swamp-horror anthology fiction, and hellfire antiheroes.

In "Behold The Man: Part Two," Ted is forced to confront the horrifying aftermath of the Man-Thing’s rampage as he witnesses the deaths of Genevieve, Phil, Eddie, Mutt, and Elijah. With the creature closing in, long-buried memories surge back, unraveling the truth behind his past. Written by Simon Jowett and brought to life by Paul Johnson’s distinctive art—pencils, inks, and colors all by Johnson—this gripping issue builds tension with a visceral, emotional weight. The cover, a dynamic collaboration between Paul Johnson and Steve Lightle, captures the moment of dread with stark intensity.

Contains 4 stories

Behold The Man: Part Two

8 pp · Horror-Suspense

Eddie (death)Phil (death)

In "Behold The Man: Part Two," Ted watches helplessly as the Man-Thing claims Genevieve, Phil, Eddie, Mutt, and Elijah one by one. As the creature turns toward him, long-buried memories surge back, forcing Ted to confront a past he’s spent years trying to forget.

The Great American Mall Shootout [Part 1 of 3]

8 pp · Superhero

unnamed stalker (introduction, villain)

Cutting Class [Part 1 of 2]

8 pp · Superhero

Tempered Steel [Part 3 of 3]

8 pp · Horror-Suspense, Superhero

Boone (introduction)

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (NM) $3

CGC 9.8 · 1 in census $38

CGC 9.6 none in existence

CGC 9.4 · 1 in census $20*

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

More listings for this title

Newsstand $2.54 VF+ $3.5 VF · Newsstand $3.99 VF/NM $7.49 VF+ $8.49 VG $9.6 VF/NM $12 VF · Signed $14.99

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History

The issue was released on August 30, 1994, under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco, as part of the long-running bi-weekly anthology series Marvel Comics Presents (vol. 1, 1988–1995). Four separate creative teams contributed to the issue: Simon Jowett and Paul Johnson handled the Man-Thing chapter; Nel Yomtov, John Czop, and Tim Dzon produced the Force Works segment; Chris Cooper and Reggie Jones wrote and penciled the Vengeance story ('Part 3: Tempered Steel'); and Evan Skolnick and Guy Dorian delivered the Turbo 'Great American Mall Shoot-Out' arc installment. The anthology's multi-strip format, a format Marvel had used since issue #1 in 1988, allowed each creative team to run a serialized character study within a shared monthly pamphlet, a model that was increasingly rare by late 1994.

Trivia · 8 facts

The issue was published on August 30, 1994, with a cover date of October 1994, during Tom DeFalco's tenure as Marvel editor-in-chief.
Four distinct stories appear: a chapter of 'Behold the Man-Thing' (part 3, starring Ted Sallis and the Beaumain family), a Force Works segment (featuring Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman, U.S. Agent/John Walker, Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Century, Jim Rhodes/War Machine, and Amanda Chaney), a Vengeance chapter titled 'Part 3: Tempered Steel' (starring Michael Badilino/Vengeance, Sam Buchanan, Rebecca Taylor, and Agent Uno), and a Turbo installment from the 'Great American Mall Shoot-Out' arc (featuring Mickey Musashi and Michael Jeffries as Turbo).
Turbo (Mickey Musashi) had debuted in New Warriors #28 (October 1992), created by Fabian Nicieza and Darick Robertson; her partner Michael Jeffries first appeared in New Warriors #33. Their appearance here is part of an ongoing MCP serial, not a debut.
Michael Badilino first appeared as himself in Ghost Rider (vol. 3) #21 and as Vengeance in Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #9 (April 1993); by MCP #166 he was appearing in a sustained solo serial, 'Tempered Steel' being part 3 of an arc that ran across multiple issues in 1994.
The Force Works story in this issue is part of the pre-'Hands of the Mandarin' reading thread for the team; the Scarlet Witch collecting community places MCP #166 (2nd story) in sequence alongside Force Works #5–6 in the broader Force Works continuity.
Vengeance's MCP serial across this era (issues #147–168 and beyond) was one of the lengthiest ongoing Badilino features published, giving the character far more page-time in the anthology than he received in dedicated single-title Ghost Rider issues at the time.
Both a direct-edition and a newsstand edition of MCP #166 were distributed, consistent with Marvel's dual distribution practice of the mid-1990s.
The series Marvel Comics Presents ran from 1988 to 1995 and was one of Marvel's primary vehicles for serialized short-form storytelling; issue #166 appears in the final quarter of the series' life, approximately one year before its cancellation.