There’s one person primarily responsible for the storytelling and architecture of the modern Marvel Universe — and perhaps all of modern comics: Loki’s Mobius M. Mobius.

Wait - sorry. That’s the fictional version.

Every minute piece of multiversal trivia, every rule of character and variant interactions, and alternate reality arcana that comes out of Owen Wilson’s mouth as he plays Mobius in Disney+'s Loki series. That’s all based on…

Okay, it’s still a fictional version. Wilson’s character is based on the comic book version of Mobius M. Mobius, who first appeared in 1991’s Fantastic Four #353. Created by Walter Simonson, Mobius was a loving tribute to his friend and Marvel's then-executive editor, Mark Gruenwald.

While individual superheroes may be the legacies of various creators for the medium’s 85 years, the multi-layered, multiversal architecture of modern superhero comics is all Gruenwald—the least known and greatest hero of the Omniverse.

There shall come... a Gruenwald!

With humble midwestern roots (Oshkosh, Wisconsin!) and a college degree in Art and Literature from the University of Wisconsin, Mark Gruenwald moved to New York in the mid-'70s, hoping to land a job in comics. He kept going when his comics career didn’t launch right away. He took the time to focus on his passion — the structure of comics’ universes and their worlds.

Gruenwald was obsessed with the idea of continuity and making all the stories in any given comic universe fit across all universes. He took the concepts of DC’s multitude of earths and Marvel’s alternate timelines and examined them in his fanzine, Omniverse, which he edited and co-published with his friend Dean Mullaney.

As Gruenwald himself related in the opening editorial of Omniverse #1, the magazine was born while distributing copies of his 'Treatise on Reality in Comic Literature' (a.k.a. TORICL) at the 1976 New York Comic Art Convention. The book continued exploring topics that Gruenwald and his father, Myron, had written earlier, 'A Primer on Reality in Comic Books.'

While the fanzine only saw two issues in print, each was a magnum opus of what Gruenwald loved. Subtitled The Journal of Fictional Reality, Omniverse was more than just fans being fans. Gruenwald was passionate about the nuts and bolts of how continuity worked across all stories. Omniverse wasn’t 'just' a fanzine per se; it was a fan-produced academic journal dedicated to exploring Omniversal Theory.

Gruenwald’s plan wasn’t just to explore the nit-picky details of how Batman could have been teaming up with the Martian Manhunter while he was off-earth with the Justice League — although he did chart storylines. The larger plan was to explore it all. In the first issue, Gruenwald’s writers explored the shrinking of the Atom in DC storylines along with that of Ant-Man and the Wasp in Marvel continuity — and how they held up through the lens of reality. Also, in that issue, was an exploration that Marvel’s Howard the Duck, created by Steve Gerber, could have originated in the same 'universe' as the Disney ducks, Donald, Uncle Scrooge, et al. Gruenwald wrote a lengthy piece on a speculative 'Earth-E' in the DC multiverse - a place where all the stories that didn’t quite 'fit' in Earth-1 or Earth-2 continuity happened.

None of the articles were jokes - they were as serious as Gruenwald and the writers could make them. Omniverse also allowed Gruenwald to review recent comics based on his TORICL guidelines. His specific criteria for stories read:

A: Enhances continuity or illuminates some new facet of reality
B: Despite some minor oversights, solid in its depiction of reality
C: Major problems in its depiction of reality
D: Detrimental to the reader’s understanding of reality.

All are very much like the criteria a certain Mobius M. Mobius could also use. No one loved — and understood continuity as well as Mark Gruenwald.

The Marvel Age of Mark

In 1978, Mark Gruenwald’s hopes, networking, and love of comics paid off — he was hired by Marvel as an assistant editor and promoted to full editor four years later. By then, Gruenwald was everywhere at the publisher, seemingly doing everything. Gruenwald’s editing load during this time included The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Woman, and, of course, the reality jumping What If?

Unofficially, Gruenwald was also Marvel’s “continuity cop,” predating his fictional self but serving the same role. When did an obscure character last appear? Gruenwald knew. Who possessed a particular artifact in the Marvel Universe? Was a dead character’s death ambiguous enough to bring them back? Has a character’s powers ever been used in a proposed novel way? Gruenwald knew. Continuity was in his blood.

Gruenwald’s arguably biggest lasting legacy to modern comics came at this time as well. In 1982, he was integral in creating and co-writing Marvel Super Heroes Contest of Champions — the first company-wide crossover miniseries event. Every massive comics crossover since, as well as superhero meet-ups like those seen in Captain America: Civil War, Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, can trace their roots back to Contest of Champions.

Also, in 1982, Gruenwald’s true labor of love saw the light of day. Titled The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (TOHOTMU to fans), the 15-volume encyclopedia held entries for virtually every Marvel character, living and dead. Covering character histories, powers, allies, and enemies and written in a dry but informative manner, TOHOTMU was a dream come true for fans and Gruenwald: its creator, editor, and co-writer.

Fully fleshed-out characters with traceable backstories in comics? Schematics of Iron Man’s armor or any Marvel technology seen in the movies? All the hallmarks of the Handbook. For fans at the time, every issue was an event. TOHOTMU’s legacy and DNA runs deep in modern comics.

But that was just the start for Gruenwald.

You’re lucky to have one big, well-received, and successful project in comics. Some creators have a handful. Thanks to his boyish and boundless creativity, Mark had dozens. During Gruenwald’s time at Marvel, editors often wrote series, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Gruenwald’s output included Spider-Woman, Marvel Two-in-One, Hawkeye, D.P.7, and many others. But three titles stand head and shoulders above the rest among his comics work.

Beginning in 1985, Gruenwald wrote Captain America for a legendary 10-year run, creating John Walker/U.S. Agent, Crossbones, Diamondback, and dozens of other characters and storylines during that time. For much of his run, when Steve Rogers gave up being Cap, Gruenwald wrote two distinct storylines — one starring John Walker as The Captain and one following Rogers as he sought answers. There were also significant chunks of Gruenwald‘s run where the book shipped twice monthly. Under Gruenwald’s care, Cap’s mythology (and his enemy list) deepened.

Also in 1985, Gruenwald kicked off his 12-issue Squadron Supreme “maxi-series,” starring Marvel’s thinly veiled version of DC’s Justice League that had been kicking around the Marvel Universe since the late ‘60s. The storyline was groundbreaking for the time — the heroes decide that they can run the world better than any government. Things go wrong. Badly wrong. Set in an alternate (of course) universe, Gruenwald was free to play in his sandbox, do whatever he wanted, and go wherever the story called him. The series starkly deconstructed the idea of the superhero against a world that couldn’t fight these gods in their midst. It was a masterpiece of then-modern comics.

And before you think things, Squadron Supreme #12 hit stands one month before DC’s Watchmen #1.

The third of Gruenwald’s “holy trinity” was Quasar. Starring one of Marvel’s minor cosmic heroes, Gruenwald explored and innovated during his 60-issue run on the title. Of all his work, Quasar was a direct connection to the concepts and power of continuity and alternate realities in Omniverse. Gruenwald’s imagination ran wild in Quasar — alternate realities, giant ideas, and even the appearance of a character that looked remarkably like DC’s Flash.

And those were just three of his writing projects. As editor, Gruenwald shepherded dozens of series through classic storylines and events. As a true Marvel fan, he wrote his “Mark’s Remarks” column in Marvel Age Magazine and gave readers a candid look inside comics and his travels through the industry. Ever seeking to keep things streamlined and organized, Gruenwald also helped to develop the counting of Marvel’s alternate earths (616, etc.). He even drew a little here and there.

In 1987, Gruenwald was named Marvel’s Executive Editor and charged with being the publisher’s keeper of continuity. It was only fitting for Gruenwald, who was, in many ways, the heart and soul of Marvel through the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Gruenwald was a passionate and enthusiastic fan who took fandom seriously and wanted others to love comics and their characters as much as he did.

Looking back, everything Gruenwald touched, either by writing or editing, seems prescient now. Creators of the time often looked to Gruenwald to try and keep up with what he was doing, but he was already living in the future of comics, charting out what superhero stories would become. Quietly, Gruenwald raised a generation of fans through his storytelling and attention to detail.

Lo, behold... Mobius!

It was writer/artist Walt Simonson who created the character of Mobius M. Mobius in a 1991 issue of Fantastic Four. Mobius in comics was the same as played by Wilson in Loki - a middle manager charged with keeping the timeline flowing smoothly and dealing with variants, glitches, and other aberrations. Simonson could think of no one better to base the character on the Gruenwald, of course.

Mobius isn’t singular - in the comics, it’s clones of Mobius that manage the TVA. Gruenwald is forever keeping his eyes on all aspects of Marvel continuity. Wilson’s appearance as Mobius in Loki? Based on Gruenwald.

And so much more

To only talk about Gruenwald as the comics writer/editor responsible for the tone and style of much of the current MCU is selling him short, though. Throughout his years at Marvel, Gruenwald was known for his wicked humor and practical jokes around the office, like wallpapering his office with posters of local newscaster Michelle Marsh and, just as quickly, stripping it bare. Or calling off work for a day for paddleball contests, song-writing days, or going out to the movies.

He was also beloved by fans for his panels at comic cons, often turning them into interactive events that attendees would remember for years (and aped by other publishers in cons to come). And somewhere amidst it all was the TV show Cheap Laffs — a freewheeling public-access comedy showcasing skits by Gruenwald, Marvel editor Mike Carlin, and artist Eliot Brown. Gruenwald couldn’t stop creating — and couldn’t stop pulling others into his world, as many Marvel editors, creators, and staff appear as guests in the grainy footage that still survives.

A legend never dies

Given Gruenwald’s lust for life, it shocked all of comics when he unexpectedly passed away from a heart attack in August of 1996. He was 43 years old. As the news broke, many waited by their phones and computers, hoping that this was Gruenwald’s best practical joke yet. The “gotcha!” message from Gruenwald never came. Marvel lost something irreplaceable.

But he wasn’t done with comics yet. In his famous will, Gruenwald asked that his ashes be mixed with ink used in comics. Marvel and Gruenwald’s widow came to an agreement, and in 1997, Gruenwald’s ashes went into the ink used to print the trade paperback collection of Squadron Supreme, and some were used in ink to print a poster of all the Marvel characters.

But literally being a part of a comic project he loved is the smallest part of Gruenwald’s legacy. Throughout his life, he loved and lived comics. He created work that will long outlive him, both on the page and on the screen.

If death is just shifting from reality to another in the larger Omniverse, Griuenwald is out somewhere, notebook in hand, studying all the myriad pathways of reality and maybe, just now and again, nudging one back on its proper path.

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