1991 in comics

Events

Year overall

• Publishers Cartoon Books, Comic Zone Productions, Personality Comics, and Boneyard Press all enter the arena; First Comics stops publishing.
• Egmont UK bought Fleetway Publications and forced to merge with London Editions to form Fleetway Editions.

January

• Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.
• El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.
• Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15.
• Alien Legion: On The Edge is canceled with issue #3.
• Avengers Spotlight is cancelled with #40.

February

• The Amazing Spider-Man #344 - First appearance of Cletus Kasady, who later becomes the super-villain Carnage.
• New Mutants #98 - Introduction of Deadpool, Domino, and Gideon. (Marvel Comics)
• Power Pack is canceled by Marvel with issue #62.
• Heathcliff is cancelled with issue #56.

March

• Weapon X begins in Marvel Comics Presents.
• With #12, Stalkers is cancelled by Epic Comics.
• With #4, The Last American is cancelled by Epic Comics.

April

• New Mutants #100, the title's final issue, featuring the debut of X-Force (Marvel Comics).
• April 4: Graham Ingels dies at age 75.
• With #6 Cadillacs & Dinosaurs is cancelled.
• With #5, Hollywood Superstars is cancelled.
• First issue of Seth's Palookaville

May

• W. B. Park receives the National Cartoonist Society Advertising and Illustration Award.

June

• Armageddon 2001 crossover event.

July

• Superman: The Man of Steel #1 - debut issue of fourth ongoing Superman title. Written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Bob McLeod, Dan Jurgens, Dennis Janke, Jerry Ordway, and Brett Breeding.
• Wizard publishes its premiere issue.
• Muir Island Saga begins.
• With #10, Mighty Mouse is cancelled.
• With #80, The Transformers is cancelled by Marvel Comics.
• With #25, Yummy Fur moves to Drawn and Quarterly

August

• New Gods vol. 3 is canceled by DC with issue #28.
• With #19, Cloak & Dagger is cancelled.
• August 18: Underground comics artist Rick Griffin dies at age 47.

September

• Alpha Flight #100: "The Final Option, Part Four: Decisions of Trust," written by Fabian Nicieza.
• With #2, Impossible Man Summer Vacation Spectacular is cancelled.
• With #4, Car Warriors is cancelled.
• With #3, Samurai Cat is cancelled.
• With #4, Damage Control v3 is cancelled.
• Everything's Archie is canceled by Archie Comics with issue #157.
• September 5: Carol Kalish, Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics, dies at age 46.

October

• Crisis is canceled by Fleetway with issue #63.
• With #2, Legion of Night is cancelled.
• With #3, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is cancelled.
• With #4, Alpha Flight Special is cancelled.
• With #6, Sweet XVI is cancelled.
• With #10, Foolkiller v1 is cancelled.

November

• Alpha Flight #102: Introduction of Wild Child as Weapon Omega.
• Maze Agency is canceled by Innovation Comics with issue #23.
• With #12, Marvel Comics' Zorro is cancelled.
• November 21 – the Marathi comic strip Chintoo is first published

December

• The Incredible Hulk #388: Jim Wilson revealed to be HIV-positive.
• December 21: Sheldon Mayer dies at age 74.
• December 29: Long-time Disney comics artist Tony Strobl dies at age 76.

Conventions

• Tri-State Con — guests include Michael Avon Oeming, Evan Dorkin, Nat Gertler, Romeo Tanghal, Paul Ryan, Bob Wiacek, and Mike Manley
• April 27–28: WonderCon (Oakland Convention Center, Oakland, California) — guests include Kevin Eastman, Mark Bodé, Miguel Ferrer, Bill Mumy, Steve Leialoha, and Max Allan Collins
• June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• June 21–23: Comix Fair (Holiday Inn-Medical Center, Houston, Texas) — ninth annual convention; guests include Russ Heath, Nestor Redondo, Jeff Millar, Bill Hinds, and Richard Klaw
• June 28–30: Chicago Comicon (Ramada O'Hare, Rosemont, Illinois) — guests include Jim Steranko, Kevin Eastman, and Chris Claremont
• July 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (San Diego Convention Center and Pan Pacific Hotel, San Diego, California): 15,000+ attendees; official guests: Clive Barker, Dan DeCarlo, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Keith Giffen, Joe Haldeman, Lynn Johnston, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, Don Maitz, Sheldon Moldoff, Rick Sternbach, and Janny Wurts
• July 12–14: Dragon Con/Atlanta Comics Expo (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) — 5,200 attendees; guests include Philip José Farmer and Frank Miller
• July 19–21: Dallas Fantasy Fair (Dallas, Texas)
• July 26–28: Atlanta Fantasy Fair (Atlanta Hilton & Towers, Atlanta, Georgia) — official guests include Marina Sirtis, Dean Stockwell, Marc Singer, Matt Wagner, Julius Schwartz, Greg Bear
• September 21–22: Miamicon (Ft. Lauderdale Design Center Sheraton Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and Miami Marriott, Miami, Florida) — guests include Chris Warner, Evan Dorkin, Bob Schreck, and Matt Wagner
• November: Mid-Ohio Con (Ohio)

First issues by title

DC Comics

• Deathstroke the Terminator
• Superman: The Man of Steel

Limited series

• Black Canary

Release: November.

Dark Horse Comics

• Star Wars: Dark Empire

Marvel Comics

• Barbie

Release: January

• Barbie Fashion

Release: January.

• Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic Book

Release: December.

• Captain Planet and the Planeteers

Release: October.

• Darkhawk

Release: March.

• Deathlok v2

Release: July.

• The Destroyer v3

Release: December.

• Double Dragon

Release: July.

• Original Ghost Rider Rides Again

Release: July.

• NFL SuperPro

Release: October.

• Sleepwalker

Release: June.

• Sweet XVI

Release: May.

• The Toxic Avenger

Release: April.

• Wonder Man

Release: September.

• X-Force v1

Release: August.

• X-Men v2

Release: October.

Limited series

• Adventures of Captain America

Release: September.

• Alpha Flight Special

Release: July.

• Captain Confederacy

Release: November by Epic Comics.

• Car Warriors

Release: June by Epic Comics.

• Damage Control v3

Release: June.

• Deadly Foes of Spider-Man

Release: May.

• Deathlok Special (reprint of Deathlok v1)

Release: May.

• The Infinity Gauntlet

Release: July.

• Legion of Night

Release: September.

• The Pirates of Dark Water

Release: November.

• Samurai Cat

Release: June by Epic Comics.

• Spider-Man Saga

Release: November.

• Terminator 2

Release: September.

• The Transmutation of Ike Garuda

Release: July by Epic Comics.

• Weaveworld

Release: December by Epic Comics.

Independent

• Bone

Release: July by Cartoon Books

• Dirty Plotte

Release: January by Drawn and Quarterly

• Palookaville

Release: April by Drawn and Quarterly

• Rubber Blanket

Release: by Rubber Blanket Press

Initial appearance by character name

DC Comics

• Abattoir in Detective Comics #625
• Alexandre LeRoi in Batman: Master of the Future
• Atomic Skull II in Adventures of Superman #483
• Bloody Mary in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Donna Cavanaugh in The Sandman #32 (November )
• Chantinelle in Hellblazer #43 (July )
• Destruction of the Endless in The Sandman Special #1 (November )
• Electrocutioner II in Detective Comics #626 (February )
• General Glory I in Justice League America # 46 (January )
• King Snake in Robin #2 (February )
• Linear Men in Adventures of Superman #476 (March )
• Lynx II in Robin v1 #1 (January )
• Mirage II in The New Titans #79
• Monarch I in Armageddon 2001 #2 (October )
• Nightrider in New Titans Annual #7
• Pantha in New Titans #73 (February )
• Speed Queen in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Terra II in New Titans #79 (September )
• Ron Troupe in Adventures of Superman #480 (July )
• Malice Vundabar in Hawk and Dove vol. 2 #21 (February )
• Waverider in Armageddon 2001 #1 (May)
• Paul Westfield in Superman Vol. 2, #58 (August )

Marvel Comics

• 8-Ball in Sleepwalker #1 (June )
• Helmut in The Incredible Hulk #379 (March )
• Lucas Bishop in Uncanny X-Men #282 (November )
• G.W. Bridge in X-Force v1 #1 (August )
• Copycat in New Mutants #98 (February )
• Abraham Cornelius in Marvel Comics Presents #73 (March )
• Fabian Cortez in X-Men vol. 2, #1 (October )
• Cyber in Marvel Comics Presents #85 (September )
• Darkhawk in Darkhawk #1 (March )
• Deadpool in The New Mutants #98 (February )
• Devos the Devastator in Fantastic Four #359 (December )
• Marco Delgado in X-Men v. 2, #1 (October )
• Wyndell Dichinson in Web of Spider-Man #81 (October )
• Feral in New Mutants vol. 1, #99 (March )
• Firebrand II in Web of Spider-Man vol. 1, #77 (June )
• Trevor Fitzroy in Uncanny X-Men #281 (October )
• Muriel Frost in Doctor Who Magazine #169
• Gauntlet I in X-Factor v. 1, #65 (April )
• Gideon in New Mutants (vol. 1) #98 (February )
• Impala in Captain America #388 (July )
• Krugarr in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1
• Lodestone in Darkhawk #7 (September )
• Fabian Marechal-Julbin in New Warriors #9 (March )
• Nox in Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #31 (July )
• Paibok in Fantastic Four Vol. 1, #358 (November )
• Phobos I in Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #32 (August )
• Phoenix (Giraud) in Guardians of the Galaxy #11 (April )
• Protégé in Guardians of the Galaxy #15 (August )
• Psynapse in X-Factor #65 (April )
• Rancor in Guardians of the Galaxy #8 (January )
• Replica in Guardians of the Galaxy #9 (February )
• Shatterstar in New Mutants vol. 1, #99 (March )
• Shinobi Shaw in X-Factor #67 (June )
• Sleepwalker in Sleepwalker #1
• Speedfreek in The Incredible Hulk #388 (December )
• Squirrel Girl in Marvel Super-Heroes Special vol. 2, #8 (Winter)
• Jeremy Stevens in Uncanny X-Men #283 (December )
• Carl Stricklan in Daredevil Annual #9
• Talon in Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (November )
• Tusk in X-Factor #65 (April )
• Nathan Taylor in The Incredible Hulk #379 (December )
• Weapon X II in X-Force v. 1, #2 (September )
• Buford Wilson in New Warriors vol. 1, #9 (March )
• John Wraith in Wolverine (vol. 2) #48 (November )
• Zodiak in Ghost Rider Vol. 3, #10 (February )

Other publishers

• Detective-Judge Armitage in Judge Dredd Megazine v.1, #9 (Fleetway, June)
• Lady Death in Evil Ernie #1 (Chaos! Comics, December )
• Erica Pierce in Solar, Man of the Atom v. 2, #1 (Valiant Comics, September )