Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. He is best known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, Captain America, and Doctor Strange for Marvel Comics and for his work on Superman for DC Comics including "The Death of Superman" storyline.
Among the comic characters Stern co-created are Nebula, Monica Rambeau, Doomsday, Hobgoblin and Maxima.He also created the Westcoast Avengers team.
Biography
Early career
In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the
respectively), and Charlton wished to make inroads into the superhero market, as well as "establish a fan presence," leading to the alliance with CPL to produce the Charlton Bullseye.
Stern broke into the industry as a writer in 1975 as part of the Marvel Comics "third wave" of creators, which included artists John Byrne and Frank Miller, and writers Jo Duffy, Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio.Stern worked as an editor from 1976 to 1980.[3]Jim Shooter claims that Stern co-plotted (as a ghostwriter) his last few stories for DC Comics in 1976.[4] Stern wrote the "Guardians of the Galaxy" feature in Marvel Presents #10-12 in 1977.[5] He briefly collaborated with Byrne on Captain America.The two produced a story wherein Captain America considered running for the office of President of the United States,[6] an idea originally developed by Roger McKenzie and Don Perlin.Stern, in his capacity as editor of the title, had originally rejected the idea but later changed his mind about the concept.[7][8] McKenzie and Perlin received credit for the idea on the letters page at Stern's insistence.[9] His first regular monthly book was as staff writer for The Incredible Hulk taking over for departing Len Wein in 1978.[9] Stern later became the writer of The Spectacular Spider-Man with issue #43 (June 1980).[10] He then took over The Amazing Spider-Man with issue #224 (January 1982).[11] In addition to his Spider-Man work, Stern is known for his lengthy stints on Doctor Strange, and The Avengers.[12]
In 1987, after a dispute with editor Mark Gruenwald over upcoming storylines, Stern was fired from The Avengers.[18] He began freelancing for DC Comics, where he was one of the core Superman writers for almost a decade, working on Superman (vol. 2), Action Comics, and Superman: The Man of Tomorrow.He contributed to such storylines as "Panic in the Sky"[19] and "The Death of Superman" which revived interest in the character in the early 1990s.He created the Eradicator in Action Comics Annual #2[20][21] and later incorporated the character into the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc beginning in The Adventures of Superman #500.[22]
In 1996, Stern returned to Marvel to write the miniseries Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives,[28] and contributed to three issues of Spectacular Spider-Man in 1998 which featured the first confrontation between Norman Osborn and Roderick Kingsley.[29] Over the next four years, he wrote the short-lived Marvel Universe series, as well as such miniseries as Avengers Two, Avengers Infinity, and Spider-Man: Revenge of the Green Goblin.Stern collaborated with Avengers writer Kurt Busiek on Iron Man and the miniseries Avengers Forever, and with John Byrne on Marvel: The Lost Generation.[12]
After a major editorial shuffle at Marvel in 2000 left him without assignments, Stern began writing for European publisher Egmont, for whom he produced scripts for Fantomen (The Phantom), and Panini UK, for whose Marvel Rampage magazine he wrote Spider-Man and Hulk stories.[12] Stern and Busiek co-wrote the Darkman vs. Army of Darkness limited series which was drawn by artist James Fry and published by Dynamite Entertainment.In 2007, Stern wrote an issue of The All-New Atom and reunited with Byrne to produce a five-issue story arc for JLA Classified for DC in 2008.
The next year, Stern returned to Marvel, where he wrote new stories for Giant-Size Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man,[30]Young Allies 70th Anniversary Special, Amazing Spider-Man Family, Web of Spider-Man (vol. 2), Captain America and The Many Loves of the Amazing Spider-Man.He collaborated again with Busiek, co-writing several issues of Marvels: Eye of the Camera, the sequel to the Marvels miniseries.[12] Stern has continued to freelance for Marvel, writing the 2010 miniseries Captain America: Forever Allies and Captain America Corps, another miniseries, in 2011.[12] In 2012, he worked on an issue of the limited series Hulk Smash Avengers with artist Karl Moline, and wrote issue #156.1 of Peter Parker: Spider-Man vol. 2. In 2015, he contributed a story to Spider-Verse Team-Up #1.
As part of Marvel Comics' 80th Anniversary the one-shot Avengers: Loki Unleashed! by Roger Stern and artist Ron Lim that takes place after Stern's famous "The Siege" storyline, has been published in September 2019.[31]
For the Binge Books label of publisher Sitcomics, Stern wrote the 68-page comic book Heroes Union #1 (August 2021), pencilled by Ron Frenz and inked by Sal Buscema.[32] That same year, Stern contributed a two-page story titled "A Climate of Hope" to Rewriting Extinction for The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World,[33] an anthology about the climate and the biodiversity crisis.[34]
In 2023, Stern contributed a story to The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special #1, drawn by Butch Guice. He also wrote a five-page story for the anniversary issue Doctor Strange #450, published in 2025.
Graphic novels
Stern has also written a number of graphic novels, including Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment; Superman for Earth; The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman; Superman: A Nation Divided; and Untold Tales of Spider-Man: Strange Encounters.
Prose
In addition to his comics work, Stern has written three novels: The Death and Life of Superman (Bantam Books, 1993), Smallville: Strange Visitors (Warner Books, 2002), and Superman: The Never-Ending Battle (Pocket Books, 2005).The Death and Life of Superman was a New York Times bestseller in hardcover and was released as a mass market paperback in 1994; a new trade paperback edition was released by Barnes & Noble in 2004.
Personal life
Stern married Cornell University chemistry professor Carmela Merlo in Ithaca, New York, on June 19, 1982, at a ceremony attended by many Marvel staffers, including editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.[35]
Bibliography
DC Comics
9-11 – The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember Volume 2 (2002)
10.Matthew K. Manning. Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging Dorling Kindersley, 2012^
11.Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 126: "Writer Roger Stern moved from the helm of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man to sit behind the wheel as the new regular writer of The Amazing Spider-Man with this issue."^
12.{{gcdb|type=writer|search= Roger+Stern|title= Roger Stern}}^
13.DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 209: "Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita, Jr., this new Captain Marvel soon went to New York to ask the Avengers to teach her how to control her new abilities."^
14.Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 133: "Writer Roger Stern and artists John Romita, Jr. and John Romita, Sr. introduced a new - and frighteningly sane - version of the [Green Goblin] concept with the debut of the Hobgoblin."^
15.Peter David, Robert Greenberger. The Spider-Man Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles Spun from Marvel's Web Running Press, 2010^
16.Cronin "Stern and guest-artist Ron Frenz tell the heartfelt tale of a little boy who might be Spider-Man's biggest fan. Spidey visits the boy and has a nice talk with him (and naturally, there is a twist to the tale)."^
17.Glenn Greenberg. When Hobby Met Spidey Back Issue!, TwoMorrows Publishing, August 2009^
22.Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 259: "The issue also featured four teaser comics that introduced a group of contenders all vying for the Superman name...The Eradicator returned in a preview tale by writer Roger Stern and artist Jackson Guice."^
24.Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 249: "With their nuptials looming, Clark thought it was time to reveal his dual identity to the love of his life, in this landmark issue by writer Roger Stern and artist Bob McLeod."^
25.Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 271: "Superman gained a new quarterly title to ensure his weekly appearance on comic book store racks in...Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1, by writer Roger Stern and penciller Tom Grummett."^
26.Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 275: " The behind-the-scenes talent on the monumental issue appropriately spanned several generations of the Man of Tomorrow's career. Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, the one-shot featured the pencils of John Byrne, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Paul Ryan, Jon Bogdanove, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Grummett, Dick Giordano, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ron Frenz, and Dan Jurgens."^
27.Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 235: "New Starman Will Payton debuted in his own ongoing series in October [1988] by writer Roger Stern and artist Tom Lyle."^
28.Cowsill, Alan "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 234: "The mystery of the Hobgoblin's true identity was finally solved in this three-issue miniseries by writer Roger Stern and artist Ron Frenz."^
Besides his work on Superman, Stern (with co-plotter Tom McCraw) wrote
Legionnaires
from 1996 to 1999.
Other work for DC included a relaunched Atom series, drawn by Dwayne Turner[12] and the co-creation of the Will Payton version of Starman with artist Tom Lyle.[27]
Crazy Magazine #63, 65 (incorrectly marked as #66 on cover) (1980)
