Marvel Universe.

I believe there was a book at one point which was called Marvel Universe. I never read it. What was its concept ? (I'm not talking about The Official Handbook)

I always thought such a book would be necessary to feature different characters (who got their own series canceled) in great and I mean great stories.

Characters like D.P.7, Psi-Force, Quasar, Wonder Man, Nightcrawler, Sleepwalker, Nomad, Scarlet Spider (why not put a little what if in it ? ), Spider-Man with black symbiote, Sabretooth, Iron Fist, Shang-Chi, Kyllian, Beyonder, Captain Universe, Black Cat, different characters of What Ifs and MC2 and others like Rachel Summers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Galactic Guardians, 2099, etc. There are lots of important characters for the minority of fans who cares about them. Such a book could encompass them all and tie up loose ends and resolve storylines (not become a boring fill-in though). This book should be a cornerstone, an anchor, a classic, a high-quality book not to be canceled, but, instead, always to be improved on (NOT re-vamped !!! CLASSIC !!!).

Stories from the history of the Marvel Universe. Basically a vehicle for Roger Stern to write anything he liked as long as it was set in the past.

Quite popular on this group, but it sold abominably and didn't very last

Seven issues. I loved that book but apparently the comic shops didn't order it worth a damn.

Didn't it last for like seven issues or so? The Monster Hunters and the Invaders were the first two storylines if I remember correctly.

Specified 'before Fantastic Four #1 of 1961', IIRC.

As for what you're asking: there have been other anthology-type titles which featured different characters in rotation. From memory, these include Marvel Comics Presents and Marvel Fanfare, and I wonder if the new 'Ultimate Adventures' title could go that way.

Former Marvel-owned properties which were pretty much allowed to lapse include the 'alternate universe' Malibu and New Universe lines. I'm told that the New Universe's planet Earth was visited by Mark Gruenwald's _Quasar_ and transferred into some distant location in Marvel's 'real' universe for some reason; Malibu's universe, I believe, is technically still in existence as a parallel world which Marvel characters have visited (when those stories aren't being ignored), but is not being used at all (I had no interest in it anyway)?...

7 issues is right. #1-3 were the Invaders issues, #4-7 were Monster Hunters. And popular on this groups seems to go hand in hand with selling abominably. I really liked it.

The concept didn't sound remotely interesting on paper to me, but it was an excellent excellent book!