Secret Avengers #26 cover by Alan Davis on MTV Geek courtesy Marvel.com
Maybe some Avengers won’t be alive for the big fight against the X-Men? Marvel gave MTV Geek this spectacular cover image and a foreboding press release for Secret Avengers #26.
“Thor leads a secret team of Avengers on a suicide mission to stop the Phoenix by any means necessary.”
Rick Remender and Renato Guedes provide story and art. This cover is by the legendary Alan Davis. Majestic comes to mind when I think of his art!
Secret Avengers #24 by Arthur Adams courtesy Marvel.com
New creative team. New team leader. New members. New arc. New enemies from an old source. Marvel is releasing the Father Files this week to give fans an idea of what to expect when Rick Remender takes over Secret Avengers.
Remender is revealing the secrets of The Descendants, evolved from the most famous robots and androids of the Marvel Universe. He is revealing to Marvel.com his notes as he prepares to take over the title with February’s Secret Avengers #22.
Today Remender gave us a commentary on the Vision – the basis for the Ultravisions coming to threaten the team.
“In terms of [the Ultravisions’] lineage, there are obviously connections to [original Human Torch] Jim Hammond, The Vision and Ultron,” Remender notes.
“[Real-life scientist] Ray Kurzweil and his research and his theories on the singularity come into play with them the most. Their bodies are less important. The Vision’s body has always been important to him. The Ultravisions are more about consciousness and their consciousness can be saved on a computer the size of a molecule that can then be transferred to another body. They’re un-killable and highly evolved. A lot of my ideas come from what Ray Kurzweil thinks will happen when man bonds with robotics.”
The Vision courtesy Marvel.com
“Here’s a small taste of the Ultravisions’ abilities: Ultravisions can phase seconds forward into time and predict what you’re going to do using ‘Tachyon Fu,’ [and] a Vision and a Jocasta can bond/couple to form a bigger, way-more-powerful robot.”
For more of Remender’s notes on the original Vision click here.
Rick Remender had an incredible 2011 with Uncanny X-Force. 2012 sees the writer take on another of Marvel’s covert teams: The Secret Avengers. In today’s Marvel presser Remender and artist Gabriel Hardman revealed their plans for the team.
Secret Avengers 21.1 (with artist Patrick Zircher) will introduce the new Masters of Evil who have set up their own sovereign nation. This issue will be bringing new team leader Hawkeye into the book.
“In Clint’s eyes, he’s the direct approach kind of guy, he doesn’t like spy work, but cap thinks this fits his skill set. An archer or a sniper needs to be covert and deadly. Cap’s only concern is Clint’s temper, so the Point One issue is a test, ” Remember says of Clint Barton.
Secret Avengers #22 interior preview art by Gabriel Hardman courtesy Marvel.com
“The first big story is based around a guy named father, who readers of Uncanny X-Force will be familiar with. He had a hand in creating a race of descendants from all the robots in the Marvel Universe who live in the core of the Earth. The threat is actually much bigger, and we’ll reveal it as we go. It’s something I’ve been working on for some time.” Remender said of the growing mech threat.
“Adaptoids are like Sentinels for Avengers. They have a deep hatred for the Avengers. They view them as the bad guys. They protect humanity at the expense of other species like mutants or these guys” Remender added about the frequent Avenger foes.
Arthur Adams will provide covers. Gabriel Hardman will handle variant covers and interior art. With such a diverse team (Hawkeye, Valkyrie, Venom, Black Widow, Human Torch, Beast, Captain Britain) who is the big challenge?
Secret Avengers #22 interior art courtesy Marvel.com
“It’s fun drawing this characters I’ve never worked with. I need to find individual personalities for these guys. Beast is probably the biggest challenge because the way he is visually interpreted varies a lot and I needed to nail down my way to draw him. I basically draw him as Lemmy from Motorhead, so hopefully that will work,” Hardman said.
Secret Avengers #22 cover Gabriel Hardman courtesy Marvel.com
“I haven’t gotten to draw Venom in action yet, but I love that costume and am excited to do it. I like the more down to earth, gritty look for Hawkeye. It’s more practical…though the fan in me would have had a lot of fun drawing the goofy purple costume,” Hardman continued.
Secret Avengers 21.1 on sale January 25th. Secret Avengers 22 on sale February 8.
Uncanny X-Force 17 from Marvel.com. Cover Art by Esad Ribic
The Dark Angel Saga is one of the most violent and compelling stories of 2011. Rick Remender took Wolverine’s covert team into the Age of Apocalypse in order to save Angel’s soul.
After years of struggle with the evil Archangel inside him, Warren was about to become the next embodiment of Apocalypse. I recounted the The Seeds of the Dark Angel Saga and how the once golden boy of the original X-Man had transformed into the cold, calm executor of Apocalypse’s vision.
One of the best aspects of Remender’s run this year is his redefining of Psylocke. You felt Betsy and Warren’s love deteriorate with heartbreaking moments and punches in the gut. Like Mike Carey’s portrayal of Rogue on his X-Men: Legacy, I think Rick Remender will be known for his writing of Psylocke.
As I write this I have my bagged copy of Uncanny X-Force #18, the conclusion to the Dark Angel Saga. I’m about to rip and read what could be the final fate of Warren Worthington. The Regenesis previews give you an idea of what might happen to the covert mutant squad but with Rick Remender’s writing, the thrill is in how we get there.
In case you missed it, here’s my post on The Seeds of the Dark Angel Saga. I think all of these storylines are foundation pieces for this violent epic that be enjoyed all on their own. Warren’s journey from golden boy to villain’s pawn to ultimate evil will be long remembered in X-history.
Masters of Evil teaser courtesy Marvel.com. Art by Patrick Zircher
Marvel is unveiling the new Masters of Evil and today’s reveal was a shocker: Max Fury!
I was excited to report that Uncanny X-Force writer Rick Remender will take over Secret Avengers in 2012 with Hawkeye as the new team leader.
Today Marvel gave new details about Remender’s first issue. In Secret Avengers 21.1 Captain America and Hawkeye’s covert team ventures into a nation run by criminals for criminals.
The Masters of Evil is one of the largest and longest running alliances of villains in the Marvel universe. Baron Zemo, Ultron, Egghead and Doctor Octopus have been some of the criminal masterminds who gathered teams to oppose the Avengers.
Avengers #277 courtesy Marvel.com
One of my favorite clashes between The Avengers and the Masters of Evil was in Avengers: Under Siege by Roger Stern in Avengers #273-#277. The villains had the audacity to storm Avengers mansion. This version led by Helmut Zemo was the most powerful and the plan was to overwhelm the heroes with raw power.
Marvel delivered a new twist on the Masters of Evil when the villains posed as heroes called the Thunderbolts. Ironically some of the members of this incarnation liked being heroes and renounced their evil ways.
Stay tuned as Marvel reveals more members in the latest incarnation of the supervillain alliance.
Uncanny X-Force 17 from Marvel.com. Cover Art by Esad Ribic
Uncanny X-Force is one of my favorite books of the year. The title was just named #6 on MTV Geek’s top ten list of best comics of the year.
The Dark Angel Saga features a slow corruption of original X-Man Angel into a calm and cool villain methodically turning Apocalypse’s vision into reality. I also love the writer’s portrayal of Psylocke. Rick Remender is the mastermind of the covert X-team and their incursion in the Age of Apocalypse dimension. He takes over Secret Avengers in 2012.
In an earlier post I outlined the seeds of the Dark Angel Saga to get you prepped for the finale of this 8 part epic.
Uncanny X-Force 17 from Marvel.com. Cover Art by Esad Ribic
Today the Dark Angel Saga Volume 1 is available. This collects the first chapters of Rick Remender’s violent epic starring Wolverine’s covert team – it’s one of my favorite storylines of 2011.
As The Dark Angel Saga races to the finale in Uncanny X-Force I recall the twisted tales that serve as the foundation for this adventure. Wolverine’s covert ops team has been searching for the Life Seed to save original X-Man Warren Worthington/Archangel from becoming the next Apocalypse. The seeds for this story are definitely worth reading. There are links to the books throughout the post.
Logan and Wolverine’s covert squad traveled to the Age of Apocalypse. This alternative timeline is where Apocalypse conquered North America. Back in the 90’s Marvel made a radical move by cancelling all the X-titles. During Legion Quest Professor X had been killed in a freak time travel incident by his own son and never formed the X-Men. Without opposition, the evil mutant Apocalypse rose to power. The new titles reflected this dark new status quo. Reality was eventually restored but some beings from that dimension escaped into the real Marvel universe and the X-Men have been pulled back into this alternate realm in previous stories.
Uncanny X-Men #1 Marvel.com
Warren Worthington was always the golden boy of the original X-Men. Being rich, blonde, athletic and born with mutant wings, Warren was christened Angel by creator Stan Lee.
Many years later the original five X-Men regrouped to form X-Factor. This is when the golden boy’s life turned tragic. During the Mutant Massacre, Angel was brutally attacked and his wings had to be amputated. But Warren would fly again thanks to Apocalypse. Warren was now armed with wings of poisoned blades that he could shoot at his enemies. Under Louise Simonson’s reign as writer Angel became the Archangel, one of Apocalypse’s Four Horseman. It was just one of the game changing stories affecting all the X-teams during the Fall of the Mutants event.
I believe this stands as one of the most radical transformations in comics and lead to emotional storytelling and some vicious showdowns that included Archangel versus Wolverine. One of Archangel’s most vicious battles was in the X-Tinction Agenda.
Eventually Angel was reborn. Warren’s white wings returned but the blue skin stayed. During this period Warren and Psylocke fell in love. Psylocke is a fellow X-man who underwent a radical change from telepathic British model to Asian psychic ninja. Psylocke’s transformation deserves a whole post – I’ll work on that!
During the Messiah Complex epic Cyclops and Wolverine created a covert team to do the dirty work the X-Men couldn’t. X-Force was created to take out threats to mutants even if it meant killing. During the first mission Warren’s white wings were shredded again and the Archangel persona took over during a clash with the Purifiers. After the events of Second Coming Cyclops ordered Logan to disband X-Force.
Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution cover courtesy Marvel.com
Warren and Logan form their own covert team to seek and destroy the newly resurrected Apocalypse in The Apocalypse Solution. The story raises a lot of questions about ends justifying the means and when a hero’s actions are really heroic. X-Force is definitely not for every reader.
I think those storylines are the seeds to give you the foundation for The Dark Angel Saga. These epics are always exciting to enjoy anytime. You may want to give them a read to give you more context while you wait for the final chapter and learn Warren’s fate.
. This alternative timeline is where 
