A new Marvel age is rising. Time to join the adventure.
If you’re a fan of Avengers, X-Men movies or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series and you wonder “could I enjoy the comics or understand what’s going on?” the answer is a “YES!”
It’s the eve of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Now as the publisher restarts with all-new number one issues. You see the Marvel Universe as fans knew it (including all it’s other timelines) came to an end with Secret Wars.
This week marks a new beginning with one Marvel Universe set eight months after the finale of the Wars. For current readers it’s not a reboot but more a refresh. For movie, television fans and new readers it’s a perfect time to head to your comics shop or app to join the new adventures.
Here’s our guide to the heroes, teams and books of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Now for new fans and a guide for longtime readers:
AVENGERS
The All-New, All-Different Avengers is the flagship team with familiar names but new heroes in the roles. Tony Stark is Iron Man. Sam Wilson (the Falcon) is now Captain America. Jane Foster is now Thor. Vision is well the Vision. These familiar heroes are joined by rookie Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) Nova (Sam Alexander) and Spider-Man (Miles Morales). Imagine a world without Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and this diverse group of old school and new blood heroes “Assemble.” (More on those classic heroic code-names with different alter ego names later on.) Expect fun and adventure in this fresh take on the biggest hero brand by Mark Waid, Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar.
Invincible Iron Man is the biggest star of Marvel’s movies and takes the lead in the comic era. Tony Stark will have new armor and a new mission. Tony learned he was adopted and goes in search of the truth about his parents. Mary Jane Watson of Spider-Man fame will go to work for Stark. There will be a second “sister” Iron Man book coming too. Writer Brian Michael Bendis is Marvel’s go-to guy for bring fresh energy to teams like Avengers, X-Men and he was part of a creative committee behind Marvel’s biggest movies so expect Iron Man to be big in this refresh.
Captain America is Sam Wilson. Where’s Steve Rogers? The super soldier serum was taken out of Rogers and he asked Falcon to step up. Rogers proves that even a non-powered senior citizen can be a hero as he acts as a super mentor to Wilson and member of the Uncanny Avengers (a team of Avengers, X-Men and diverse heroes created to have all of Marvel’s families work together.) Nick Spencer will chronicle the Captain America solo starring Sam. Gerry Duggan and Ryan Stegman assemble the Uncanny Avengers including Rogue, Rogers, Quicksilver and Deadpool.
Mighty Thor is a woman. The Odinson is still around but Jane Foster proved she was Worthy and fans loved the new Goddess of Thunder. Jane is fighting cancer but can wield the mystical hammer and transform into a Goddess hero but at a price. Thor’s adventures continue under Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman.
A-Force is an all-female Avengers team led by She-Hulk. One of the biggest Secret Wars hit books will continue with writer G. Willow Wilson assembling a squad of favorites like Dazzler, Captain Marvel and rookies like Singularity.
Ultimates is a combination of a think tank/pro-active squad mixing hard science and super heroics featuring Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Spectrum and newer heroes. The first mission sees the return of iconic villain Galactus.
Fans can enjoy Avengers in solo books including Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel (now written by the Agent Carter team) and a Totally Awesome Hulk – yes, “Incredible” is so old school and “Totally Awesome” is the adjective for teen genius Amadeus Cho who is the new Hulk.
X-MEN
Extraordinary X-Men is a new team led by Storm as the mutants face a world that’s never feared and hates them more. There’s a new threat facing the heroes born with their powers. A Terrigen Cloud is covering the planet. Terrigenesis turns humans in Inhumans but it’s attacking mutant genes, killing and sterilizing them. Cyclops are other fan-favorite mutants are MIA. Storm steps up as leader with Iceman, Colossus, Magik, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey and Old Man Logan (aka Wolverine) to save as many mutants as they can from the new threat and old enemies. Here’s where it gets time twisted. The original Jean Grey is still dead but this is the young Jean from the past. The original Wolverine is still dead but Old Man Logan is a Wolverine from a future timeline. Jeff Lemire and Humberto Ramos are the creative team on this new flagship X-book. Lemire is writing a solo book starring Old Man Logan as the future Wolverine gets a second chance in this new present.
Uncanny X-Men is led by Magneto? Yes, the classic adversary has become an anti-hero recruiting Sabretooth, Mystique, Fantomex and Psylocke into a pro-active squad taking on mutant threats before they can strike.
All-New Wolverine and All-New X-Men. X-23 (Logan’s cloned daughter) inherits her father’s code-name in her own new book and goes on the road with the original X-Men from the past as they defy the others in their own adventures.
INHUMANS
Uncanny Inhumans is the flagship book of a major new Marvel family. You may have seen the rise of Inhumans introduced on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Agent Skye (Chloe Bennet) was transformed into an Inhuman when her seismic powers was ignited because of Terrigenesis (aka exposure to Terrigen Crystals) and she is now known by her birth name Daisy but comics readers know her as Quake. In comics, Inhumans were a secret society led by a Royal Family (Black Bolt and Medusa are the King & Queen) but now NuHumans are popping up around the world after Black Bolt detonated a bomb which released a Terrigen Cloud still moving around the globe and changing any person with a trace of Inhuman DNA. The genetic cloud is having a negative effect on mutants by sterilizing and killing them. This will lead to a conflict between the genetic races. Beast (Dr. Henry McCoy) will join Queen Medusa and her team which includes classic Inhumans and NuHumans like Inferno. With Inhumans on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and their own movie on the way, this is the book to watch. A Karnak solo and All-New Inhuman books are on the way along with a new threat from the stars and the classic Avengers villain Kang. The big showdown on the horizon to watch: a possible X-Men vs. Inhumans war as the genetic phenomenon that is causing a surge in Inhumans is causing the extinction of mutants.
GUARDIANS
Guardians of the Galaxy writer Brian Bendis shakes things up. Rocket is in charge after Star-Lord leaves to take over his father’s throne as head of the Spartax Empire. Rocket, Groot, Venom are joined by Ben Grimm (formerly of Fantastic Four) and Peter Quill’s love, Kitty Pryde of the X-Men.
The new Star-Lord solo book feature a “Year One” origin story of Peter Quill’s past. Drax will get his own series co-written by C.M. Punk while a Gamora solo series is still being planned by film screenwriter Nicole Perlman and there’s a new ongoing based on the new Guardians of the Galaxy animated series.
SPIDER-MEN+
Amazing Spider-Man begins a new chapter for Peter Parker. Tony Stark watch out, Parker has used his genius to create a global high-tech empire and has a “bodyguard” named Spider-Man.
The Spider-Man book stars fan-favorite Miles Morales. This young man followed in the legacy of the late Parker of the Ultimate Universe and is now swinging in the main Marvel U plus a member of the new Avengers. The Spider-family of books keeps growing with Silk, Venom, Web Warriors, Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy from another timeline) and Jessica Drew (the original Spider-Woman) now pregnant.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will star in a new comic book by Marc Guggenheim (ironically an Arrow executive producer) with Phil Coulson’s team interacting with even more Marvel heroes you can’t see on the television series.
The All-New, All-Different Marvel Now starts this Wednesday with the first of several new number one issues starring Iron Man, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with more coming between now and Spring 2016. It’s an exciting new beginning and great time for movie fans to join further adventures of Marvel favorites and discover new heroes to cheer for and follow.
By Editor