Features of the Marvel Universe
The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places. Certain places feature prominently in the Marvel Universe, some real-life, others fictional and unique to the setting; fictional places may appear in conjunction with, or even within, real-world locales. Earth. New York City. Many Marvel Comics stories are set in New York City, where the publishing company is based. Superhero sites. New York is the site of many places  important to superheroes: Companies. New York is a center of industry, serving as the headquarters for a few Marvel companies: Universities. Two universities are also especially prominent in the Marvel Universe: Prisons. Alcatraz. Alcatraz is a real-life island prison in San Francisco Bay that was operational in 1859–1963. In the Marvel universe, it held superhuman criminals in special section in the 1940s; the designation "the Alcatraz Annex" has been used in various Marvel handbooks to distinguish it from Alcatraz in general. First mentioned in "Marvel Mystery Comics" #26 (1941), when the android Human Torch's foe the Parrot was  being transported there. Later seen in "Human Torch" #8 (1942), when the golden age Angel's foe the Python escaped. During the "Dark Reign" storyline, Alcatraz was occupied by H.A.M.M.E.R., who used it as a detention center for the mutants that the Dark Avengers apprehended. During the "AXIS" storyline, Iron Man used Alcatraz as the site of Stark Island. Alamogordo. Alamogordo is a nuclear testing facility in New Mexico that held the Armageddon Man and perhaps others in suspended animation. First appeared in "X-Men" #12 (1992). Big House. see Lang Memorial Penitentiary Cage. Based on a remote island in  international waters, the Cage is a prison that uses a special forcefield to deprive inmates of their superhuman powers. The Cage was home to four prison gangs: a group of Maggia loyalists, the Skulls (a white supremacist gang loyal to the Red Skull), the Brothers (a black prison gang), and the Cruisers (a cabal of sexual predators who preyed on the other inmates as best as they could). The Cage was later shut down and its role was replaced by the Raft. Mystique was imprisoned in The Cage for one day before she escaped in "All-New X-Men #14 . Created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Sean Chen in the pages of Wolverine" vol. 2 #164 (2001). Crossmore Prison. Crossmore Prison is Her (Britannic) Majesty's Ultimate Security Prison that was previously known as Crossmoor. Deadpool and Juggernaut were known inmates here. Cube. The Cube is a prison for super-powered beings such as Hulk, Abomination, Absorbing Man, and Leader. Its location is undisclosed and only high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents know of its existence. It has a special program where prisoners are brainwashed to become obedient soldiers. The Cube was created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J. G.  Jones in "Marvel Boy" #6 (2000). When last seen in " Civil War: Young Avengers & Runaways" #4, Marvel Boy had taken control of the entire facility. During the "Dark Reign" storyline, the Cube served as the Thunderbolts' base of operations. Cube in other media. The Cube appears in "". First appearing in the episode "Breakout, Part 1", this version is a S.H.I.E.L.D. prison for gamma-powered supervillains and housed the Leader, the Abomination, Absorbing Man, Madman, the U-Foes, the Wrecking Crew, Bi-Beast, Radioactive Man, and Zzzax before a mysterious technological fault allowed them to escape. In the two-part episode  Gamma World, the Leader uses the Cube as a staging ground to turn the world into gamma monsters before the Avengers defeat him. Ice Box. The Ice Box is a Canadian maximum security prison. The Ice Box held a crime lord named Ivan the Terrible. The Ice Box first appeared in "Maverick" #8. Ice Box in other media. The Ice Box appears in the 2018 film "Deadpool 2", housing mutant fugitives such as Deadpool, Rusty Collins, Black Tom Cassidy, and the Juggernaut. Lang Memorial Penitentiary. Also known as the Pym Experimental Prison #1 (and ironically dubbed "The Big House"), inmates  in the Lang Memorial Penitentiary are shrunk down using Pym particles for cheaper storage and easier control. It is also known as the "Ant Hill" due to operators using versions of the Ant-Man helmet to influence ants to act as security within the prison. Known inmates of the facility were 8-Ball, Absorbing Man, Dragon Man, Electro, Figment, Grey Gargoyle, Mad Thinker, Mandrill, Rhino, Sandman, Scarecrow, Scorpion, Silencer, Southpaw, Titania, Tiger Shark, the U-Foes (Ironclad, Vapor, Vector, X-Ray), Vermin, Whirlwind, and the Wrecking Crew (Wrecker, Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball). The Big House in other media. The Big House  appears in the animated series "". First introduced in the eponymous micro-series episode "The Big House" (later incorporated into the first-season episode, "The Man in the Ant Hill"), it is established as a miniaturized prison for superhuman criminals developed by Hank Pym for S.H.I.E.L.D., housed inside a single room on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier and internally maintained by benign incarnations of Ultron. Some of its most notable inmates include the Mad Thinker, Whirlwind, Grey Gargoyle, and members of the Serpent Society. The placement within the Helicarrier proves disastrous in the series premiere, , as a massive prison escape across several superhuman  penitentiaries results in the Big House growing to full size, causing enough internal damage to cause the Helicarrier to crash. Project Pegasus. Created in "Marvel Two-in-One" #42 (Aug. 1978) by writers Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio, Project Pegasus (Potential Energy Group, Alternate Sources, United States) was originally intended to research alternative (and unusual) forms of energy. It was later used as a prison for super-powered individuals with energy-based powers. It was originally located in the Adirondack Mountains, New York. Several heroes have served terms working security at the facility, including the Thing and Quasar. At one  time, it also served as a temporary home for the Squadron Supreme when they were exiled from their own universe. In the "Ultimate Marvel" reality, P.E.G.A.S.U.S. appeared in the series Ultimate Power. This Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S was located in Devil's Point, Wyoming. It was a S.H.I.E.L.D. program that served to store all objects of mysterious origin or unexplained power that United States authorities had accumulated over the years, in which every precaution was made to keep the objects safe. Originally, Project Pegasus was the center of "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s universe" (something that the recent directors of S.H.I.E.L.D., Carol Danvers and Nick  Fury, were completely unaware of). It was later reduced to a storage house, but still kept some of the original facility which included an underground laboratory. Project Pegasus was attacked two times by the Serpent Squad, who had come for the Serpent Crown that was stored there, and was protected by the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Iceman, and Rick Jones. P.E.G.A.S.U.S. also housed the Watcher Uatu after it was discovered by American personnel at Project Rebirth, until Uatu was "activated" and forewarned the Fantastic Four, Carol Danvers, and P.E.G.A.S.U.S.'s overseer, Wendell Vaughn, about an upcoming cataclysm before it disappeared . Following the events of Ultimatum, Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. was put on alert in the wake of unexplained attacks on the Baxter Building and Roxxon Industries. P.E.G.A.S.U.S.'s personnel were aided by Captain Mahr-Vehl, but Mahr-Vehl was infected with an unknown virus and went berserk, attacking P.E.G.A.S.U.S. personnel. Mahr-Vehl was transported away by Rick Jones/Nova, but that left Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. vulnerable. It was invaded by the true instigator of the attacks, Reed Richards, who pilfered the facility's valuable possessions. The Raft. The Raft is a fictional prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in the Marvel  Universe. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Finch, it first appeared in "The New Avengers" #1 (2005) as the "Maximum-Maximum Security" wing of the Ryker's Island Maximum Security Penitentiary. The Raft is introduced as the setting of a large-scale prison break, with the New Avengers being concerned when their analysis of computer records shows that some of the Raft's inmates are listed as having been dead for years. One of the former guards notes that the prisoners developed "hierarchies", congregating with others who share some aspect of their powers or nature. Crossfire, for  example, formed a small gang with Controller, Corruptor, Mandrill and Mister Fear, who all can manipulate others' minds. The Raft is the setting of a multi-part story in "Spider-Man's Tangled Web" featuring Tombstone as a villain-protagonist. The Raft was later converted into Spider-Island Two by Otto Octavius (in Peter Parker's body) until it was destroyed by the Goblin King. Ravencroft. Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane was a maximum-security asylum for the mentally ill. Many insane murderers and supervillains were kept at Ravencroft. The institute was first mentioned in "Web of Spider-Man  #112, written by Terry Kavanagh. The institute is officially opened in Web of Spider-Man" Annual #10 (1994). The institute is featured in a number of Spider-Man storylines. Dr. Ashley Kafka was the founder and first director of Ravencroft. John Jameson was head of security. Both were fired in "The Spectacular Spider-Man" #246 and Dr. Leonard Samson became Ravencroft's new director. In Leonard Samson's next appearance, he owned a private practice instead of running the institute. The institute reappeared in "Vengeance of the Moon Knight". In this incarnation, it housed mostly non-superpowered psychopaths and had  an imposing metal front gate with a Gothic facade similar to DC's Arkham Asylum. Known patients at Ravencroft include Carnage, Chameleon, D.K., Doctor Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, Gale, Jackal, Massacre, Mayhem, Mysterio, Prism, Pyromania, Ramon Grant, Shriek, Venom, Vulture, and Webber. The storyline after "Absolute Carnage", "Ruins of Ravencroft" eventually explains its true origin. It turns out that the institute is more than just for the criminally insane. It used to act as a staging area for superhuman experiments, particularly supernaturals such as for Dracula in centuries ago prior to being raided by Captain America-Steve Rogers and Bucky  (now a Winter Soldier in the present) during World War 2 in the 20th century. Ryker's Island. "Ryker's Island" is the Marvel Universe counterpart to the real-world Rikers Island, New York City's largest jail facility, which also includes the 415 acre (1.7 km) island on which it sits. The fictional Ryker's houses both conventional criminals and costumed offenders lacking superpowers. Daredevil is held there after his arrest in "Daredevil" vol. 2 #80. In "The Amazing Spider-Man" vol. 4 #1, Ryker's Island has been renamed the "Cellar" when it was bought and improved by  Empire Unlimited. Others held there include Alistair Smythe, Blacklash, Black Tarantula, Blizzard, the Brotherhood of Mutants (Avalanche, Blob, Destiny, Mystique, Pyro), Bullseye, Carnage, Chemistro, Cheshire Cat, Cobra, Commanche, Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton, Enforcers (Fancy Dan, Montana, Ox II), Griffin, Hood, Jigsaw, Kingpin, Melter, Mister Hyde, Mr. Fish II, Nitro, Punisher, Rhino, Sandman, Spear, Spider-Man, Turk Barrett, Ulik, Venom, Vin Gonzales, Wizard, and the Wrecking Crew (Bulldozer, Piledriver, Thunderball, Wrecker). Ryker's Island has a special branch for dangerous superhuman criminals called the Raft. Seagate Prison. Seagate Prison (also called "Little Alcatraz") where the wrongly convicted Carl Lucas agreed to become  a test subject for Dr. Noah Burstein. These experiments lead to him gaining super powers. He changed his name to Luke Cage. Known inmates of Seagate Prison are Beetle, Comanche, Crimebuster (Eugene Mason), Noah Burstein, Plantman, Robert Rackham, and Shades. Seagate Prison in other media. Seagate Prison appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Marvel One-Shot "All Hail the King" and the Netflix series "Luke Cage". Justin Hammer, Trevor Slattery, Luke Cage, Comanche, and Shades were all inmates, while Noah Burstein and Reva Connors were among Seagate's staff. The Vault. The United States Maximum Security Installation for the Incarceration  of Superhuman Criminals., known as The Vault, is a defunct prison facility for super-human criminals (predominantly supervillains) in Marvel Comics' Marvel Universe. It first appeared in "The Avengers" Annual #15 (1986) and figured prominently in the 1990 Marvel crossover "Acts of Vengeance". It was destroyed in "Heroes for Hire" #1 (Feb. 1997). Outer space. Outer space prisons. The following prisons are located in outer space: Anvil. Anvil is a penal colony on the planet Annoval XIV. It was the site of an attempted breakout by Nebula. First appeared in "Silver Surfer" #74 (1993). Kyln. The Kyln were a series  of artificial moons at the edge of known space, which served both as a superhuman prison and a source of nearly unlimited power. Operations at the Kyln were overseen by the Nova Corps. All life on the Kyln moons was extinguished in "Annihilation Prologue" #1. Kyln in other media. The Kyln appears as a Nova Corps prison in the film "Guardians of the Galaxy". Before coming together, the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy had been imprisoned here alongside other unnamed inmates where some of them have personal issues with Gamora. The Kyln was later destroyed by Nebula on  Ronan the Accuser's orders to "cleanse" it. Negative Zone Prison Alpha. Introduced in "" #5, it is a prison originally constructed to house super-villains but which acted as a holding facility for unregistered heroes during the civil war. The portal to the prison is operated by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The prison itself is an automated facility. Designed by Reed Richards and built by Stark Enterprises and Fantastic Four Inc., it is located in the Negative Zone. The inmates call the facility "Fantasy Island" and "Wonderland", probably because prisoners who are unable to manipulate technology to their own ends are connected  to virtual reality systems. It is also referred to as "File 42" due to it being the 42nd item on a list written by Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Hank Pym of ways to make a world with super-powered beings safer. The prison is an extremely secure, clean facility with cells custom-designed for each inhabitant. Notable inmates during the war include Iron Fist (Daredevil stand-in), Robbie Baldwin and Cloak and Dagger. After the war, it is now used for super-villains, and was known to house at the very least Taskmaster and Lady Deathstrike until Taskmaster made  a deal with Camp Hammond to become an instructor and Lady Deathstrike somehow escaped as she appeared in X-Men: Messiah Complex. However, the prison was later overrun by Negative Zone ruler Blastaar. Negative Zone Prison Alpha in other media. Prison 42 appears in the "" season 2 episode "Assault on 42", without the Civil War background as the event never happened in the cartoon's continuity. Instead, it simply serves as a new prison for superpowered individuals which is eventually attacked by Annihilus. Stockade. A 31st-century prison planet in the Guardians of the Galaxy universe, shown in "Guardians of  the Galaxy" #21 and #51–53. Known inmates of Stockade have included Charlie-27, Tork and Teju. Objects. Artifacts. Some items have been created specifically for the Marvel Universe and many of them carry immense powers: