Way back in 1939 right before World War II, there wasn't a Marvel Comics Group. The company was there it was just known as Timely Comics.  Timely Comics didn't have the Marvel name yet but they produced one of the most valuable comics of all time Marvel Comics number 1. This book had at one time surpassed Action Comics number 1, coming in today around 300 thousand dollars. Action Comics #1 is  around the 400 thousand dollar mark now.

Timely now had the Original Human Torch and the Submariner. But it wouldn't be until 1941 that Captain America would premiere selling around the million mark per month.

The first issue of Cap showed him punching out Adolf Hitler. Which believe it or not actually drew criticism from some isolationist. 

After the war and into the 1950's comic super heroes were taking a beating. Funny animals, horror, romance, westerns, and war comics were the in thing. Even worse, The government almost outlawed comics, which brought about the comics code authority.

By the sixties the time had come once again for super heroes. Stan (The Man) Lee who had worked for Timely Comics and who would be the one to name Timely, Marvel Comics, would with the help of Jack Kirby and Steve Dikto revolutionize the comics industry.