For generations of Marvel fans, few creators have left a mark on the House of Ideas quite like Steve Englehart. From redefining iconic heroes to crafting some of the most memorable stories of the Bronze Age, Englehart’s work continues to influence comics to this day. One standout chapter of that legacy is Super-Villain Team-Up, the cult-favorite series that brought together Marvel’s most dangerous and fascinating villains in stories packed with ambition, intrigue, and cosmic-scale conflict.
Now, thanks to Clover Press, fans have a chance to celebrate that classic run in stunning fashion with the Marvel Masterworks: Super-Villain Team-Up collection. One of a series of four books that Clover Press has brought to Kickstarter. As the Kickstarter campaign enters its final days before closing on October 15, there’s never been a better time to revisit the series and the creative vision behind it. Recently, we were excited to speak with the legendary Steve Englehart about the origins of Super-Villain Team-Up, his approach to writing Marvel’s most notorious villains, and why these stories still resonate with readers decades later. So, let’s welcome Steve Englehart to GVN Talking Comics.
Inspirations
GVN: Thank you very much for sharing just a bit of your day, Steve. I had the privilege of briefly visiting with you at the 2023 Raleigh Galaxycon and getting you to sign a copy of Captain America and the Falcon “Secret Empire.” Since this will be our first real opportunity to visit, I want to start by discussing your early experiences with comics. When did you first realize that writing comics was something you aspired to? Additionally, whose work inspired that desire?
Steve: I was actually inspired by Dick Sprang and Chester Gould, to be an artist. I was working as an artist/low man on Marvel’s editorial pole when Roy Thomas offered me a story to script, and I suppose it was that night that I thought, “I like this.”
GVN: You could not go wrong with Dick Sprang (of Batman fame) and Chester Gould (Dick Tracy). So, let’s jump right into this exciting new edition for Marvel Masterworks, “The Super-Villain Team-Up.” When it came to writing a story using such iconic and complex antagonists as Namor and Dr. Doom, what excited you most about writing these two characters who are allies, rivals, and potential enemies all at once?
Steve: What you just said. I had written The Defenders with Namor, Hulk, and Dr Strange, among others, where they were not a team, so it was an easy fit.
Dr. Doom & Namor
GVN: As a follow-up, the fun thing about Namor and Doom (for me anyway) is that they are two of Marvel’s most complex personalities (they probably have as many similarities as differences). What aspects of their psychology or worldview were most important for you to highlight in this run?
Steve: Both of them rule their respective worlds, both are arrogant, but Doom will not accept defeat and Namor will – as a last resort for the moment. Namor is strategic; Doom not so much.
“The Main Characters Always LOSE”
GVN: No need for strategy when you’re right all the time (at least according to Doom). When you first approached “The Super-Villain Team-Up” in the mid-70s, what was your creative intent for a title built entirely around villains rather than heroes, and did you have any apprehension as you developed your narrative?
Steve: My creative intent was to figure out how to do a book where the main characters always lose. I’d solved harder problems than that so I wasn’t worried about getting there, and the answer turned out to be someone outside themselves they had to worry about – the Shroud.
Working with Iconic Artists
GVN: Alongside fellow writers Bill Mantlo and Roy Thomas, you had the chance to collaborate with some of the era’s greatest artists, including Bob Hall, Herb Trimpe, John and Sal Buscema, George Pérez, Steve Ditko, Keith Giffen, and Carmine Infantino—many of whom are personal favorites. Did working with such talented collaborators make your job easier or more challenging at the time?
Steve: Oh, easier for sure. I’ve often said how lucky I was to work with Sal on both Captain America and Defenders when I started. Working with all the different pro’s allowed me to be completely creative, without worrying whether the artist could draw what I thought up. Plus, they were all great people – very supportive on the craft of comics.
GVN: Thanks again for sharing just a bit of your time, Steve. This Masterworks volume pulls from many sources, i.e., Giant-Size Super-Villain Team-Up, Marvel Spotlight, Avengers, Champions, and Marvel Preview. When the idea of adding this collection was presented by Marvel and Oni Press, did you have any input into which stories might be included?
Steve: Nope. I’m as interested to see the compilation as you are.
Our heartfelt thanks to the legendary Steve Englehart for taking the time to reflect on the creation and enduring legacy of Super-Villain Team-Up. Decades after these stories first hit comic shop shelves, they are an endearing testament to the bold character-driven storytelling that helped define Marvel’s Bronze Age and cemented some of its most iconic villains as fan favorites.
With Clover Press’s Marvel Masterworks four-book collection’s Kickstarter campaign racing toward its October 15 finish line, fans have one last chance to help bring this beautifully curated collection to life and secure a piece of Marvel history for their own shelves. For longtime readers and new fans alike, it’s a fitting celebration of a groundbreaking series and the creative talent behind it.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
