Jim Shooter

Jim Shooter (1951-2025) was an American comic book writer, editor, and publisher born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began writing DC's Legion of Super-Heroes at age 14, creating characters and the Superman villain Parasite that endured for decades.

Shooter joined Marvel Comics in 1976 and became editor-in-chief in 1978, a position he held until 1987. During his tenure, he oversaw Chris Claremont and John Byrne's X-Men, Frank Miller's Daredevil, Walt Simonson's Thor, and Roger Stern's Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man. He created Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984), which pioneered the company-wide crossover event format that became an industry standard. His editorial policies ended the era of chronic missed deadlines at Marvel, though his management style was controversial.

After leaving Marvel, Shooter founded Valiant Comics in the early 1990s, reviving characters like Magnus, Robot Fighter and Solar, Man of the Atom while creating new properties. He later launched Defiant Comics and Broadway Comics.