Starting in 1992, Marvel's 2099 showed what life would be like in the Marvel Universe just over 100 years in the future.

It is a world of contrasts — high-rise towers and flying cars, but also absolute poverty for the forgotten lower classes. The rich enjoy breathtaking virtual reality, while the poor are exposed to an addictive form of the same technology. Criminals of the upper classes can buy their way out of trouble with their black cards, while criminals of the lower classes band together in violent street gangs.

While national governments still exist, their power is greatly curtailed by the transnational mega-corporations that took over during the Corporate Wars. There are a number of these companies, both large and small, but the most important in 2099 are Alchemax (chemicals and medicine), Synthia (foodstuffs), Stark-Fujikawa (computer technology), Pixel (computer software), and D/Monix (security technology).

The first four titles released were Spider-Man 2099, Ravage 2099, Doom 2099, and Punisher 2099. These were followed with 2099 Unlimited (which led to a Hulk 2099 series), X-Men 2099, and Ghost Rider 2099. There were also short runs of Fantastic Four 2099 and X-Nation 2099.

Roughly two years after the series started, Doom launched a bloody coup and took over as President of the United States. This change in the status quo affected every title, and several of the lower selling series were canceled. Several one-shot comics were published at this time, providing a more granular look at the United States under Doom.

Eventually, Doom was overthrown in an even bloodier coup when the mega-corporations struck back. By now, sales of the 2099 titles were slowing down, and all of the series were cancelled in 1996 and folded into a single comic, 2099: World of Tomorrow. This series abruptly ended after eight issues, and 2099: Manifest Destiny was the final original 2099 comic published, tying (almost) everything up in a neat little bow.