The age of planet earth had been estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old. In the world, there were said to be 7 continents - Africa (had 54 countries), Europe (46), Asia (44), North America (23), Oceania (14), South America (12) and Antarctica (0). According to the World Atlas, earth comprised of 29.1% land area, 70.9% water area (of which 97% salt, 3% fresh) and populated by inhabitants (of which some 7 billion were people).
In the comics world, since 1957, Marvel Comics had displaced DC Comics to become the largest American comics producer. The 7 comic characters regarded "milestones in the art form" were Superman, Batman (the first superhero without super powers), Wonder Woman, Spider-man, Captain America, Captain Marvel and Plastic Man (the first tongue-in-cheek superhero). "They're a ticket to another reality. There's almost something magical about it," it was said.
Captain America, the alter-ego of arts student Steve Rogers was created in March 1941 as an adversary for Adolf Hitler. After 1945 he became a popular Cold War superhero. Mike Benton made the observation in 1990, "On the surface, comics were written mainly for children, but on so many levels they reflect our society and our culture. The comic strip is not American. It goes back to cave paintings or hieroglyphics. They represent the best of American values. They were born out of good old American capitalism. At the same time, they were the most democratic art form you can imagine. Truth, justice, liberty, fair play and right winning over all." By 1997, Bill Radford of The Gazette observed, "Captain America (and others) had been transported to an alternate universe with no memories of their previous world. In this universe – what readers came to know as the Heroes Reborn universe – characters' histories were rewritten and their careers launched anew."
Back in 1967, Stan Lee told the press, "I think I've written more stories than any human being who ever lived. All (Marvel) characters were humans. We tried to make the characters flesh and blood. They had problems and they had Achilles heels. I felt it made them more interesting to the reader...The amazing thing is today (in 1967) that more and more educators are saying that comic books are one of the greatest defenses against creeping illiteracy. Comic books are about the only things that young people will pick up voluntarily and they enjoy them. A comic book makes a youngster equate reading with pleasure. We take our responsibility pretty seriously. Comics are a very influential medium for children and we're well aware of that."
Jim Shooter added in 1980, "I think one of my most uncanny and valuable abilities is my ability to remember exactly what it was like, and how I thought, as a kid. Basically, the way to appeal to a 13-year-old is to write something he thinks the 15-year-old is reading. As far as sophistication...let me tell you something about sophistication. Something that is sophisticated is something that can be understood and appreciated by anyone."
Mike pointed out, "The underground artists delineated drug-induced enlightenment, sexual revolution and the political paranoia of the '60s with an explicitness never before seen in comic books. As we become post-literate...we leave behind the written word in favor of images and pictures. Comics teach kids how to take care of themselves in a visual, friendly, engaging, non-threatening method. We try not to let the characters get in the way of the message of the book. Comics are the perfect low-tech medium."
It was explained, comics "are a static medium, allowing the reader to study the pictures and flip back if they don't understand something."
