Pittsburgh: Comic Book Appearances

Although not fictional like Gotham or Metropolis, or a hotbed of superhero activity like New York, Pittsburgh has had it fair share of appearances within the pages of comic books nonetheless. The original Captain Marvel of Fawcett Comics was the first in 1944 and made a repeat visit in 1977, while a number of superheroes made the journey during the 1980s, including Spider-Man and the Avengers. Pittsburgh may never be mistaken for Gotham, but its comic book appearances are noteworthy just the same.

Alpha Big Time

Andy Maguire, the teenage superhero known as Alpha who had his powers taken away by Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, moved to Pittsburgh in 2013 and starred in his own five-issue miniseries.

Captain Marvel: The Man Who Inherited Pittsburgh

Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego visited Pittsburgh in September 1944 to aid the elderly Josh Dovey against his scheming younger brother, who is intent on stealing a deed to the city.

Scalphunter: The Devil’s Pay

In a 1980 issue of Weird Western Tales, main character Scalphunter journeys to Pittsburgh in 1862 but has difficulty accepting the contradictions of life in the Steel City during the Civil War.

Shazam: Captain Marvel Fights the Man of Steel

Previous Steel City visitors Billy Batson and his superhero alter ego returned to Pittsburgh in 1977 to face nemesis Doctor Sivana and his versions of both Joe Magarac and Superman.

Star Brand and The Pitt

Within Marvel’s New Universe of the 1980s, Kenneth Connell receives the power of the Star Brand and inadvertently destroys his hometown of Pittsburgh, transforming it into The Pitt.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Growing Pains

Mary Jane Watson’s connections to Pittsburgh were revealed when Spider-Man visited the Steel City in 1987, resulting in a battle with a Spider-Slayer on Mt. Washington.

The Avengers: Peril in Pittsburgh

The Avengers, including Captain America, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and the Falcon, visited Pittsburgh in 1980 in a storyline that tied into Thor’s stopover in the Steel City during the 1960s.

The Lonesome Death of Jack Monroe

The life of the former masked crime fighter came to a tragic end in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the 2005 Captain America: Winter Soldier comic book series written by Ed Brubaker.

The Walking Dead: The Princess of Pittsburgh

During the summer of 2017, characters from The Walking Dead comic book visited Pittsburgh in a pair of issues that serve as a homage to director George Romero, who had died a month earlier.