(CBR) For the first half of the 1990s, Marvel Comics made sure to publish a special, over-sized issue filled with holiday cheer. The “Marvel Holiday Special” anthology series, published nearly yearly from 1991 to 1996, provided the parents of young Marvelites with the perfect stocking stuffer — that is, if they were fine with the issue suffering mild spine damage.
Each installment packed between five and eight short stories by some of the top names in the business. Stories by Walt Simonson, Arthur Adams, Ron Garney, Peter David, Ann Nocenti, and Kurt Busiek all appeared in the five issues, as each creator put some of Marvel’s most popular characters up against Christmas conundrums and Hanukkah havoc. If you’ve ever wanted to read a story where a blind child confuses Ghost Rider for Santa Claus, then these anthologies are for you!
With the holiday season in full swing and Christmas right around the corner, we decided now is the perfect time to run down the most seasonally spirited stories from each of the five volumes!