In 1967, Marvel began rewarding readers who performed a 'meritorious service to the cause of Marveldom' with an empty envelope that contained a 'No-Prize'
Readers qualified to receive a 'No-Prize' by pointing out a continuity error, providing an explanation for an error, sharing a creative idea or winning a contest
The 'No-Prize' award evolved from a reply to a reader in the letters column of Fantastic Four #22 which caused an influx of letters pointing out any little error and also confusion over not receiving a physical prize from Marvel which led to the distribution of the empty envelopes
Although it was Stan Lee who coined the phrase and the idea, later editors continued the tradition into the late 80s
