 This was not the first time that Marvel's characters had interacted with one another—Namor the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch had been rivals when Marvel was Timely Comics (Marvel Vault)— but it was the first time that the comic book publisher's characters seemed to share a world.The Marvel Universe was also notable for setting its central titles in New York City; by contrast, many DC heroes live in fictional cities.Care was taken to portray the city and the world as realistically as possible, with the presence of superhumans affecting the common citizens in various ways.