#the comics code

I swear anytime sex is alluded to in comics, everyone online (outside of Tumblr) has a meltdown

Mind you no one has explicitly had sex in a single x book since Krakoa started and the only threesome in marvel comics was in guardians of the galaxy

(no one I know of, I guess anything could be happening in Legion of x or xforce or whatever. I doubt it, because again, anytime anything sexual happens comic fans have a public meltdown online so I would know. Oh and I guess Krakoa fucked thst one time)

I say this as an asexual: if you can't handle sex jokes, some light nudity and an IMPLIED threesome spread out over 5 years and hundreds of issues of comics you need to grow up and examine why you have such a negative relationship with sex, even if you are never going to have it or prefer not to read about it

Part 3 of 3 in our series about the Comics Code. Part 1, Part 2

Perhaps the most important set of comics in history regarding the Code are The Amazing Spider-Man 96 through 98 from May 1971. For the first time since its inception a major publisher elected to put out a book without the approval of the Comics Code Authority.  

This particular storyline (The Green Goblin Reborn!) was actual created in response to a request from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. At the time, with Stan Lee at the helm, Marvel was the reigning king of comics – and Spider-Man had one of the largest readerships among kids and young adults. To capitalize on this, Lee was asked to produce a story detailing the deadly dangers of drugs and addiction.  

The Code of 1971 had not changed much from the one of 1954, and the rules regarding drugs and addiction were implicitly tied to those regarding "good morals" and aversion to showing vulgar behavior. Most notably, the wealthy Harry Osborne is shown popping pills, which was seen as a violation of one of the Codes regulations: keep drugs out of comics. 

Because this was Marvel, and the Government, and the CCA was an entirely private, voluntary system the comics were able to be published and distributed. Later In '71, DC published a similar story (Snowbirds Don't Fly) featuring the Green Arrow helping his sidekick Speedy work through his addiction. Because of the impact of The Green Goblin Reborn! The Code underwent revisions to allow for such depictions of drug abuse (maintaining that it should in no way be glorified). This began the slow process of testing the limits of the Code, changing small parts of it, and repeat until it was rendered functionally obsolete.

Further Reading: 

Code Regulations

Green Goblin Reborn!

Stan Lee discussing the Code (and Marvel in the ‘70s)

Snowbirds Don’t Fly