Mmmh... I'm actually with sonofdarkchild on this. True, Jean Grey's return was not the first time a decision had been reversed; but I still view it as the most egregious case of breaking the tacit agreement that there were comic-book deaths and real deaths when it came to characters. We used to know the difference, and more importantly, the writers used to know the difference. Bucky? Really dead. Uncle Ben? Really dead. Gwen? Really dead. Jean? Really dead. Those were the deaths that marked us, that were made truly dramatic and heart-wrenching because of their permanence, just as in real life. They're the ones that made the grieving period of Peter Parker or Scott Summers so moving. But Doctor Octopus blown up in a nuclear explosion? Doctor Doom falling into deep space? Odin falling when facing the Mangog? Nah, they'll be back. We knew that.

Jean's death was a major move because she was a (sort of) major character. Not in the captain America or Reed Richards league, but still one that mattered more than Stilt-man, and one we had grown attached to thanks to the development she had undergone under Chris Claremont. Sadly, many writers didn't realize that what made her death so poignant was not the death itself, but the build-up to it... they didn't seem to understand that when the pope farts in public, it isn't the sound of the fart that's funny. And so they started killing characters left and right to try and recapture the drama of Jean's death (and failing, naturally). Next, Jean's return did more than invalidate much of what had been written before; it also opened the possibility of scrapping the idea that dead means dead, and major characters could be killed and brought back. This degenerated to such a point that when Nick Fury was killed, an entire issue of Hulk was devoted to making the point that he was not a LMD, nor a clone, nor a robot, nor anything else than the real, honest-to-god Nick Fury. (And of course... he was not!!!) Death in the comics quickly became a joke, even among the characters.

Regarding the "permanent" changes prior to Jean's return: it's true that comic-book universes are status quo-prone. But the early Marvel Universe allowed growth and development: I doubt Stan, Jack and Steve were planning for series that would last for more than 50 years. So we had Sue and Reed marrying and having a child, Peter graduating and so forth. Going into the '70s, there were still a few "real" deaths: Warlock died at the end of MtiO annual #2, and that was meant as his permanent death (already foretold in his own series, in a time-travel cameo). Captain Marvel died for good in the first MGN, a rare case of a death that stuck. We still had a separation between comic-book deaths not meant to be taken that seriously, and the "real" ones meaning we'd never see a favourite character again.

All that truly went out the window in the mid-80s. Jean's return sent the clear message that nothing was sacred in the make-believe world of the Marvel universe, and that any death could be reversed, any reality negated.

What from the post-Secret Wars era is going to have the legs to keep going and keep entertaining audiences beyond the initial hardcore audience who bought it initially?"

Thing is that Secret Wars was 84 and there are quite a few other 80s titles going that are in the classic vein. While I can see what you guys are going for with that being the big start of event comics (along with DC's Crisis), I think a more appropriate end point might be...1986.

1. When Byrne left F4...
2. When X-Factor debut splitting the classic X-Men team
3. The Marvel 25th Anniversary and Shooter's New Universe folly (happening after he had already run off a ton of the good talent and started the whole weird replacement scheme...)

Marvel style comics didn't just vanish, it kinda faded out and really was a huge part of DC's mid to late 80s upsurge.

I think in the mid-late 80s Marvel did start to become darker too like Spider-man's Sin Eater/Jean DeWolff story, Kraven's Last Stand, Apocalypse etc. Peter David's Hulk run starts here too and that is a pretty classic run. Simonson's Thor was still going on too.

The 60's and 70's kind of go together, in my mind.

I'm not really sure what you mean by "comic books, not comic stories in other mediums". But then, we don't actually use the term "comic book" over here. Comics are just comics, and you can still find them in any high street newsagent in the UK. Admittedly, American imports are now confined to the speciality shops again, but as I recall, the rise of the US direct market had very little do with content and everything to do with retailers' profit margins. The fact that, basically, just two companies started using crossovers to generate sales is not what's reduced the appeal of comics. Kids just don't read much anymore.

Secret Wars led immediately into the black suit saga in Spider-Man, which is one of his most famous stories, and that in turn led to Venom. The X-Men had Mutant Massacre, Fall of the Mutants, and Inferno, and in the 90s there was Age of Apocalypse. Iron Man had Armor Wars and his battle against the Iron Monger. The second half of the 80s still had plenty of classic stories that are still well-known and influential today. Just because a trend starts doesn't mean it takes full effect until many years later.

No, I think that's a fair assessment, broadly speaking. '70s Marvel is definitely a little darker than what came before.