MARVEL SUPER SWAPS

Invincible Iron Man #4 courtesy Marvel
Invincible Iron Man #4 courtesy Marvel

Mary Jane Watson leaving Spider-Man for Tony Stark?

MJ will join Stark’s supporting cast in Invincible Iron Man #4.

What is Spider-Man’s longtime love doing in the Armored Avenger’s book? Remember this is coming from Brian Michael Bendis who made us rethink who should be an Avenger (Spidey, Wolverine, Luke Cage, The Sentry, Jessica Drew) and made fans love the change.

Mary Jane is going to work for Team Stark. It doesn’t mean that MJ and Tony will become an item but it does bring up a look back at when Marvel made major switches between icons of different franchises.

Storm & Black Panther.

The X-Men leader shared a past with the King of Wakanda via a major retcon but Ororo and T’Challa made a cool power couple. The X-Woman and Avenger replaced Reed and Sue in the Fantastic Four following Civil War and Bendis recruited Storm to the Avengers. Ororo tried to balance her devotion to mutants with her love for T’Challa and duties as Queen. The super couple’s marriage started crumbling then imploded during Avengers vs. X-Men. This Fall T’Challa joins the new Ultimates while Storm leads the Extraordinary X-Men.

Legendary Star-Lord #7 courtesy Marvel
Legendary Star-Lord #7 courtesy Marvel

Kitty Pryde & Star-Lord.

I never imagined anyone else for Kitty except Colossus….until a different Peter blasted into her orbit. During The Trial of Jean Grey sparked ignited during the X-Men/Guardians of the Galaxy crossover. The new couple even inspired a devoted social media following: #StarKat. When the All-New, All-Different Marvel Now arrives, Quill and Kitty aren’t together and she’s not with the X-Men either. Kitty is the new Star Lord when Guardians of the Galaxy returns.

Cyclops & Emma Frost.

Scott and Jean forever…until Grant Morrison came along. Part of the original New X-Men era was the dissolution of Scott & Jean. Morrison made Emma part of the team, created the concept of “psychic adultery” and ultimately killed Jean for a second and so far final time. Morrison set the stage and Joss Whedon made Scott and Emma the new Astonishing X-Men power couple. Scott and Emma are missing from the All-New, All-Different Marvel Now but don’t count this power couple out.

Medusa and Johnny Storm

Sparks and tempers will fly this Fall when Uncanny Inhumans launches. The Fantastic Four apparently are no more but Johnny finds a home among the Inhumans and by the side of Queen Medusa. Ever since Black Bolt ignited the Terrigen Bomb, destroyed Attilan and vanished, Medusa has become a more powerful political force as she holds the Inhuman family together. The Queen was always completely devoted and in love with Black Bolt. But as revealed in the New Comic Book Day preview, Medusa is in love with the Human Torch. How will Black Bolt react? How will Crystal (Medusa’s sister and Johnny’s old flame) react as the Elemental returns in All-New Inhumans?

Marvel is proving the All-New, All-Different Marvel Now that fans should be ready for big changes and surprises.

What do you think of characters switches franchise families?

By Editor