Features of the Marvel Universe

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The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940's have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. The following lists detail many of them.

1 Places
2 Artifacts
3 Other objects

[edit] Places

Certain places, some of which exist in real-life and some of which are fictional, figure prominently in the Marvel Universe.

[edit] New York City

Most of the action of Marvel Comics takes place in New York City.

New York City is the site of many places important to superheroes:

Avengers Mansion - currently destroyed, but long the home of the Avengers
Baxter Building and Four Freedoms Plaza - fictional buildings that have, at one time or another, been the home of the Fantastic Four
Daily Bugle - fictional newspaper building where Peter Parker (Spider-Man) works as a photographer for J. Jonah Jameson
Hell's Kitchen - Home and protectorate of Daredevil
Marvel Comics - publishers of comic book adaptations of the exploits of the Fantastic Four (the team members had licensed their names and likenesses to the company). See here for more info.
The Raft, a fictional prison for superpowered villains, located on Ryker's Island (modeled after the real-life Riker's Island; note the different spelling); the Raft is the successor to the earlier superhuman prison called the Vault, located in Colorado
Sanctum Sanctorum - fictional abode of Doctor Strange located in Greenwich Village
Stark Tower - fictional skyscraper of the Avengers

New York City is a center of industry, serving as the headquarters of:

OsCorp, formerly owned by Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin
Stark Industries, owned by Tony Stark, Iron Man

Two universities are also especially prominent in the Marvel Universe:

Columbia University - real university whose alumni include Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Elektra Natchios, and Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic)
Empire State University - fictional university whose alumni include Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Emma Frost, and Johnny Storm (the Human Torch)

[edit] Other locations

Avalon
Avengers Compound
Department H
Avengers Hydro-Base
Caldecott-Fictional western Mississippi county and town where the X-men's Rogue was born.
Massachusetts Academy
Ravencroft Institute
Salem Center - a hamlet in the town of North Salem, Westchester County, New York
- Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
  - X-Mansion - home of the X-Men, located in Salem Center
    - Danger Room - training center for the X-Men
Vault – A prison for superhumans in Colorado.

[edit] Regions and Countries

Atlantis - home of Namor the Sub-Mariner
Attilan (also called The Hidden Land) - home of the Inhumans, in the North Atlantic ocean, it has moved to the Blue Area on the Moon.
Deviant Lemuria - undersea home of the Deviants located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Dynamo City - an intersteller city and space port for dynamism controlled by a Municipal government.
Genosha - island dwarf-nation off the coast of Africa, north of Madagascar; an apartheid-like state where mutants were once enslaved
Kamar-Taj – A small kingdom in the Himalayas
Krakoa - Living island in Africa.
K'un-L'un
Latveria - fictional country ruled by Doctor Doom
Lemuria - Undersea nation similar to Atlantis.
Madripoor - fictional city, modeled after Singapore, to which Wolverine has connections
Muir Island - fictional island off the north west coast of Scotland, containing Moira MacTaggert's mutant research lab
Nova Roma - Home of Magma in Brazil. Ancient Rome-Like city.
Olympia - mountain city of the Eternals, located on Mount Olympus in Greece.
Project: PEGASUS – A secret government-run energy research facility, specializing in superhuman studies.
Savage Land - a fictional place with tropical climates and prehistoric animals located in the heart of Antarctica.
Subterranea
Symkaria – Country adjoining Latveria
Transia - birthplace of Spider-Woman, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, and where Mt. Wundagore (prison of Chthon) is located.
Vorozheika - A country to the northeast of Chechnya, formerly part of the USSR and now ruled by the Eternal Druig.
Wakanda - An African nation ruled by T'Challa, the Black Panther.

[edit] Planets

Asteroid M – secret base of Magneto
Astra — A planet where humanoid aliens possess magnetic and molecule-controlling powers that enable them to have every power on metal.
Blue Area – on the Moon, home of Uatu the Watcher and the Inhumans.
Counter-Earth - now occupied by the second duplicate of Earth. The first was built by the High Evolutionary, moved away from the solar system and destroyed by the power of the Infinity Gauntlet. The second and current was built by Franklin Richards in the transition from Onslaught to Heroes Reborn.
Ego the Living Planet— a sentient planet
Kosmos — A planet from which a criminal sludge-like alien escapes to hide on Earth where he kills The Wasp's father and fights Ant-Man
Krelar - The second homeworld of the blue-skinned Kree Race. Home world of Captain Mar-Vell, "Colonel Yonn-Rog," "Captain Atlas," and "Una."
Mojo World – planet of spineless aliens
Titan - main moon of Saturn and technologically advanced home to the Titan Eternals.
Wundagore – A planet circling Sirius; also, a mountain in Transia (Eastern Europe)

[edit] Extradimensional places

Asgard – home plane of superhuman beings analogous to the Norse gods
Beyond-Realm
Heliopolis – home plane of superhuman beings analogous to the gods of Egypt
Limbo
Microverse
- Micronaut homeworld – a chain of connected worldlets, resembling a ball-and-stick molecular model.
- Subatomic universe
Negative Zone –
Nexus of All Realities –
Olympus – home plane of superhuman beings analogous to the Greek gods

[edit] Artifacts

Some items have been created specifically for the Marvel Universe and carry immense powers:

Adamantium - a virtually indestructible metal alloy which is best known for being integrated into the skeleton and claws of Wolverine and a version of Captain America's shield.
The Book of the Vishanti
Carbonadium
The Casket of Ancient Winters
Cloak of Levitation, worn by Doctor Strange.
The Cosmic Cube
The Cosmic Egg
The Darkhold
The Evil Eye of Avalon
The Eye of Agamotto, worn by Doctor Strange.
Infinity Gems/Infinity Gauntlet - Six gems that grant their owner supreme power over Mind, Power, Soul, Time, Space, and Reality. They can be combined in the Gauntlet.
The Legacy Virus, a devastating plague that tore through the Mutant population.
The Mandarin's Ten Rings
Mjolnir, the Hammer of Thor.
M'Kraan Crystal - The "nexus of realities". By entering the crystal, the user can enter any universe they wish. The protector of the crystal is singular in all universes, with the same memories in each, which suggests that the reality immediately surrounding the crystal is anchored in place.
The Orb of Agamotto
The Serpent Crown
The Siege Perilous
The Tallus
Terrigen Mist, a mutagen which can alter Inhuman physiology.
The Ultimate Nullifier
Unstable molecules
Vibranium - a metal which comes in two forms; one variety (Wakandan) absorbs vibratory and kinetic energy, while the other (Antarctic) causes all nearby metals to melt.
The Wand of Watoomb