The Avengers #300

Name: The Avengers #300
Brand: Marvel

Feb 1989 · Marvel · 1.75 USD; 2.25 CAD; 0.50 GBP

“Inferno²”

About this Issue

Avengers #300 is the tricentennial milestone issue of Marvel's flagship team book, and it carries real narrative weight: it formally reconstitutes the Avengers roster after a period of severe depletion, with Steve Rogers (operating as 'the Captain' rather than Captain America) and Thor rejoining while Reed Richards and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four take the unprecedented step of enrolling as full Avengers members. The issue also marks the first time the Eternal known as the Forgotten One formally joins the team under the codename Gilgamesh — a name suggested by Reed Richards himself — directly connecting Jack Kirby's Eternals mythology to Avengers continuity and setting up a character whose MCU incarnation (Don Lee in 2021's *Eternals*) introduced him to an entirely new generation. The anniversary package format — a giant-sized main story, a backup retelling of Avengers #1 from Loki's point of view, a comprehensive roster gallery spanning all 300 issues, a Handbook-style biography of Edwin Jarvis, and a floor plan of the new Avengers Park — made it one of the most ambitious celebratory packages the title had produced to that point.

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inker Josef Rubinstein · writer Peter Sanderson · artist Marc McLaurin · artist John Buscema · artist Tom Palmer · artist Bob Hall · artist Kyle Baker · inker Tom Palmer · inker Kyle Baker · colorist Andy Yanchus · cover John Buscema Tom Palmer

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History

The main story was scripted by Walt Simonson and laid out by John Buscema with finishes by Tom Palmer, all under editor Mark Gruenwald and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco; this issue represents both Simonson's final writing credit on the series (his 11th) and the conclusion of Buscema's roughly four-year run as the book's primary layout artist (his 45th credit), making it a genuine generational handoff. The backup story — a seven-page retelling of Avengers #1 from Loki's perspective — was scripted by Ralph Macchio with art by Simonson, a clever use of the anniversary format to double Simonson's contribution and close the bracket on the founding mythology. Simonson's tenure on the book fell between Roger Stern's celebrated earlier run and John Byrne's subsequent one, and the Inferno crossover context meant the issue's team reformation was driven as much by line-wide editorial scheduling as by organic character development.

Trivia · 8 facts

Published February 1989 (cover date); released October 1988. Giant-sized anniversary issue at 68 pages.
First appearance of Klytus, a minor demon antagonist introduced during the Inferno crossover battle at the World Trade Center.
Gilgamesh (the Forgotten One), an Eternal first created by Jack Kirby in Eternals #13 (1977), formally joins the Avengers for the first time and adopts the Gilgamesh codename at Reed Richards' suggestion.
Steve Rogers (as 'the Captain,' not yet reclaiming the Captain America identity) and Thor officially rejoin the Avengers; Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) and Sue Richards (Invisible Woman) join as full members — the first time both FF principals enrolled simultaneously.
Main story 'Inferno²' written by Walt Simonson, layouts by John Buscema, finishes by Tom Palmer. Backup story 'The Coming of the Accursed Avengers!' written by Ralph Macchio, art by Walt Simonson — a retelling of Avengers #1 from Loki's point of view.
Issue #300 marks John Buscema's final issue as the series' primary layout artist after approximately four years on the book, and Walt Simonson's final writing credit on the title.
The cover logo reverts to the classic bronze-age Avengers masthead design, a deliberate anniversary callback noted in contemporary issue listings.
Bonus features include a three-page gallery of every Avenger with their full issue-by-issue appearance record through #300, a two-page Handbook entry on Edwin Jarvis, a support-staff gallery for Avengers Island, and a floor plan of Avengers Park (the former site of Avengers Mansion). The issue has been reprinted in Avengers Epic Collection Vol. 25: The Gathering (2023), X-Men: Inferno Crossovers (2010), and Avengers: I Am an Avenger #1 (2010), among other international editions.