Marvel is known for its bold storytelling, with a mix of big blockbuster events and grounded, personal affairs. The publisher knows how to keep readers on their toes, while also teasing what it has in the pipeline. A special one-shot to close out the year has foreshadowed the following year’s biggest storylines, and the latest version came in Timeslide #1. The team up featuring the X-Men time travelers Cable and Bishop gave glimpses at what’s in store for 2026, but there was one scene that laid out what’s to come.

Cable and Bishop encountered Bronze, one of the new mutants Kitty Pryde is training in Exceptional X-Men. Bronze showed Cable and Bishop a list of events that have already occured in her timeline, but have yet to take place in theirs. The list is long, but it teases many of the storylines that will presumably take place in various books throughout 2025.

[RELATED: Wolverine #400: Marvel Teases Surprise Return From Logan’s Past in Milestone Issue]

We’ve done the dirty work for you and pulled ten of the events teased in Timeslide #1 that Marvel fans will want to pay attention to this year. They range from new status quos for Doctor Doom and Danny Rand’s Iron Fist, to the return of old villains and new threats rising to the surface. Make sure to let us know your thoughts as you make your way through the list, and let us know which ones you’re most excited about reading.

Strange of Asgard

Doctor Strange undergoes an identity crisis after losing the title of Sorcerer Supreme to Doctor Doom. Fans have wondered what will come of Stephen Strange, but Marvel revealed the mystical hero will head to the magical world of Asgard in a new ongoing series. Doctor Strange of Asgard is by writer Derek Landy and artist Carlos Magno, and finds Doctor Strange attempting to become the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard.

Strange will become embroiled in a deadly power struggle and murder mystery that will bring him into conflict with Loki, Thor, and the other sorcerers of the Golden Realm. Marvel promises that long-hidden secrets of Asgardian myth will be uncovered in the series.

The Time of Strife

At first glance, this prognostication doesn’t offer many clues, but fans may have gotten an answer in the first issue of Deadpool/Wolverine. The mystery X-Men villain that writer Benjamin Percy had been teasing to make a comeback turned out to be Stryfe, Cable’s evil clone. Stryfe manipulates Deadpool throughout the debut issue, and the comic also alludes to Stryfe having a part to play in Deadpool and Wolverine’s past.

Fans got a primer on Cable’s history in the first season of X-Men ’97, as the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (Jean Grey’s clone) got sent to the future so he could get treatment for the techno-organic virus ravaging his body. After the hit success of Deadpool & Wolverine, the team-up comic that brings the two X-Men characters together against the time-traveling villain will be a can’t-miss title.

Beware the Spider-Verse

The name of this teaser is partially blocked in Timeslide #1, but we’re going to assume it’s referring to the Spider-Verse and its upcoming war with the Venomverse. Marvel’s multiverse has exploded in recent years in titles like Edge of Spider-Verse and Venomverse Reborn. That trend will continue in Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood and Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains, all leading up to the event series Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse.

Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood and Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains will continue to introduce new Spider characters and Lethal Protectors as the guardians of the Web of Life and Destiny collide with the Symbiote Hive-Mind.

The Ghost Fist Walks

Danny Rand died in Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special #1, but his resurrection was already hinted at thanks to a QR-coded bonus scene. After having his arm and leg cut off and killed by the blade-handed assassin Razor Fist — possessed by the mystical creature named Ch’i-Lin — a skeletal hand burst through Rand’s gravesite, alluding that the Immortal Iron First would rise again.

What form Danny Rand takes upon his resurrection remains to be seen. Will he be a new Spirit of Vengeance a la Ghost Rider, or instead of being the Iron Fist, will he simply be called the Ghost Fist?

Ms. Marvel – Second Genesis

In X-Men lore, “Second Genesis” refers to Professor X’s second team of X-Men with fan favorites like Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. What it means for Ms. Marvel is a mystery for now, though there are some guesses we can take. Similar to Cyclops, could we see Ms. Marvel leading a new team of X-Men after another team disbands? Ms. Marvel is already the lead in NYX, but perhaps a Second Genesis title replaces that one.

There’s also the possibility that Ms. Marvel experiences a second mutation of some kind. The conclusion of Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant teased changes to her powers, as her mutant powers never manifested because of her exposure to the Inhuman Terrigen Mist. “Second Genesis” may see those mutant powers explode.

The Will of Doom

At the beginning of the year, we will see the Marvel Universe under the reign of Doctor Doom in “One World Under Doom.” But what does the latter half of the year hold for Marvel fans? We may find out in “The Will of Doom.”

[RELATED: Marvel’s Next Generation of Heroes Just Went on a Major Recruiting Drive]

“One World Under Doom” has to conclude at some point, and it’s not like things will simply go back to the way they were before Doctor Doom stole the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Doom has plans on top of plans, and if Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are somehow able to get the upper hand, he will surely enact them. “The Will of Doom” could become the next act in Marvel’s Doctor Doom resurgence.

XVX

We’ve had Avengers vs. X-Men and Inhumans vs. X-Men, but now we’re apparently getting XVX. You would have thought that’s what the X-Men event “Raid on Graymalkin” is about, but that might be the prelude to an even bigger X-Men civil war coming down the line. Heroes fighting heroes has always been a money-making recipe, so it’s not a surprise to see a tease for another throwdown on the horizon.

We know X-Manhunt is coming in March, and it finds Charles Xavier on the run as the most dangerous mutant in the world. Again the X-Men will have to choose a side, whether it’s in favor of their former mentor, or against him for his crimes against mutant-kind at the end of the Krakoan era.

Galactic Leaders Assassinated

One of the more mysterious entries deals with the assassination of galactic leaders. There are several leaders of galactic nations, including Emperor Hulkling ruling over the combined Kree and Skrull races. If the leaders of these different empires are killed, it could send the galaxy into chaos. The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe continues to grow and expand, and an event like this will only help to raise its profile.

Marvel has teased a new secret project from Jonathan Hickman with the title Imperial. Galactic leaders are very similar to imperials, meaning this may be the project Jonathan Hickman is working on. “Nature abhors a vacuum” is another clue that points to a galactic assassination. If these leaders were truly killed, then that would leave a vacuum of power open for opportunists to exploit. The only question is who are the executioners and who are the assassinated?

Ultimate Incursion

Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe was one of the highlights of 2024, and as we move on to Year 2 it appears that a crossover of some form is upon us. Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch kicked off the Ultimate Universe 2.0 in Ultimate Invasion, and soon we’ll have Ultimate Incursion.

Hickman introduced readers to incursions in the lead-up to 2015’s Secret Wars, with different worlds colliding and destroying themselves. We’ve also had incursions name-dropped in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the Multiverse Saga plays out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ultimate Incursion could be a crossover between the Ultimate Universe and the Earth-616 universe.

One World Under Doom

It’s all about Doctor Doom in 2025. Robert Downey Jr. is portraying Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and Doctor Doom is now the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe. “One World Under Doom” is the first big publishing event of the year, and there will be several tie-ins and limited series spinning out of the storyline. There is also a One World Under Doom title that finds Marvel’s heroes responding to Doctor Doom declaring himself Emperor Doom.

ComicBook spoke to One World Under Doom writer Ryan North to find out all the details, including Doom’s opening salvo and some of the big confrontations to come, such as Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four, and the one character Doom turns to for advice.

The post 10 Marvel Storylines Fans Can Look Forward to in 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With great power comes great relaunchability. Marvel’s previously announced relaunch of The Amazing Spider-Man may have a new #1 (on sale April 9), a new volume number (Vol. 7), and a new artist (X-Men and Blood Hunt‘s Pepe Larraz), but it’s more of a renumbering than a restart. Not only will this new era feature some of Spider-Man’s classic enemies — alongside one Spider-Villain “we haven’t seen in over seven years” — but it will be written by former Spider-Man/Deadpool writer and current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly, with art by Larraz and John Romita Jr. (best known for legendary runs on Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1, the J. Michael Straczynski-penned Vol. 2, and 2022’s relaunched Vol. 6 under Zeb Wells).

In addition to a villain-filled wraparound cover by Larraz, 2025’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 will mark Eisner-nominated artist Simone Di Meo’s return to Marvel following his runs on DC’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Batman and Robin. The just-revealed variant cover by Di Meo, below, comes over five years after his work on issues of Immortal Hulk: The Best Defense, Old Man Logan Annual, Venom Annual, and Champions.

The debut issue will also feature variant covers by Ryan Stegman (X-Men and Superior Spider-Man Returns), Lee Bermejo (Daredevil and Winter Soldier), and the late Gil Kane, who penciled 1971’s Amazing Spider-Man #101 (the first appearance of Morbius) and the classic “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” arc spanning 1973’s Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.

A synopsis states, “The new run finds Peter Parker without a job and looking for gainful employment, but his job search is interrupted by a rampaging Rhino who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg. What major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?! Also, what is that Goblin-free Norman Osborn up to these days?”

Amazing Spider-Man #1 wraparound cover by Pepe Larraz

Might that secret Spider-Villain be Mendel Stromm, a.k.a. Robot Master? Once the pre-Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s business partner before he became a cyborg supervillain, Stromm has been known to back other villains before his apparent death back in 2018’s Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) #5… seven years ago.

“Even though this is a new #1, I don’t think of it as a ‘restart’ per se,” Kelly told Polygon about the relaunch. “I’m writing the next chapter of the story of one the world’s greatest characters, lucky enough to follow in the footsteps of the folks before me. After that sinks in, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I love about Spider-Man and his cast, what stories resonated with me at different times of my life, and how I can synthesize all of that into something that works with what came before but breaks new ground.”

Kelly continued, “I’m fascinated by the internal lives of these characters and exploring new territory there — Peter’s youth is interesting, for example, the days before he was ‘puny Parker’ in high school. At the same time, I feel a drive to take bold, unexpected swings in order to see how Spider-Man deals with Marvel-sized curve balls. Pressure makes diamonds.”

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Ryan Stegman Variant Cover

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Lee Bermejo Variant Cover

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Hidden Gem Variant Cover by Gil Kane

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 7) #1 goes on sale April 9 from Marvel Comics.

The post Marvel Thwips Up New Look at the Relaunched Amazing Spider-Man #1 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

McFarlane Toys is set to drop a third wave of 1:10 and 1:6-scale Marvel poseable figures, which will include heroes like X-Men’s Cyclops, Secret Wars Spider-Man, Mighty Thor’s Thor, and more. If you’re unfamiliar, this line of figures/statues are based on iconic Marvel covers from the likes of Jim Lee, Steve Ditto, John Romita Jr., Rob Liefeld and, of course, Todd McFarlane. Look for Wave 3 to launch January 15th at 9am PT / 12pm ET here at Entertainment Earth and here on Amazon. Check out the entire list of heroes below along with a gallery of teaser images.

• Marvel Collection 1:6 Scale Wave 3 Thor Mighty Thor #177 Comic Cover Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:6 Scale Wave 3 Spider-Man Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 Comic Cover Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:10 Scale Wave 3 Spider-Man Amazing Spider-Man #302 Comic Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:10 Scale Wave 3 Cyclops X-Men #1 Comic Cover Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:10 Scale Wave 3 Daredevil #600 Comic Cover Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:10 Scale Wave 3 Storm Marvel Tales Featuring Spider-Man and the X-Men #235 Comic Cover Statue
• Marvel Collection 1:10 Scale Wave 3 Captain America All-New Captain America #1 Comic Statue

Back in May of last year, Todd McFarlane, the comic creator, president of Image Comics and CEO of Mcfarlane Toys, exclusively told Comicbook about the launching of this new line. McFarlane had the following to say to ComicBook about the future of the lineup:

“Well, you know, I sort of got a soft spot for some of the guys I grew up with,” McFarlane said. “I’m gonna do a tip of the hat in the first series to Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld because I thought that during that whole era where we came along, we sort of each made our mark in different ways that were there.”

“Eventually, I’d like to tip my hat to some of the people that inspired me a ton, George Perez and John Byrne,” McFarlane said. “But I also know that there’s a whole generation that have come in who those aren’t the guys they grew up with, right? It’s more of people that they’re looking at right now. And whether it’s the interior artist and, or the cover artist, I’ll be sort of looking at what they’re asking for and giving them that.”

Want to stay up to date with all the latest comic book news? Then keep an eye on our Gear Page!

The post McFarlane Toys Marvel Comic Cover Statues Wave 3 Drops January 15th appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most surprising crossovers in recent years has seen Team 7 teaming up with the Heroes in a Half Shell for a new comic book series. Creating an entirely new universe to help facilitate Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi coming face-to-face with Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, IDW is hinting at some big changes to the lore for each team. Set to release four issues in total, The Big Apple and the Hidden Leaf Village denizens are hinting at some major surprises for the future of this crossover that might just take the cake when it comes to fictional ninjas meeting for the first time.

Warning. Be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory for the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to turn back now. As mentioned previously, this new series creates an entirely new universe with a new backstory for all the players involved. Rather than seeing the TMNT dropped into Konoha or Team 7 hitting the Big Apple, “Big Apple Village” is a new village that exists in the anime ninja world and harbors the green-skinned teenagers. In a new mission to protect April O’Neil, Naruto and his allies run into the “Heroes in a Half-Shell” and have a case of mistaken identity in doing so.

[RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Reveals a Shocking Connection Between Kakashi And Splinter]

Master Splinter x Kakashi

One of the biggest twists of the first issue of this crossover was that Master Splinter and Kakashi the Copycat Ninja appear to share a common history. While that origin wasn’t unveiled in the premiere offering of the crossover series, a new preview for issue two hints that the next story will get right into it. Even though the crossover series only has four issues in total, the changes that have already been made prove that the meeting of the Ninja Turtles and Konoha’s finest will be one for the record books.

Teenage Mutant Ninjas Crossovers

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have come into contact with a lot of pop culture icons in their history. While the Heroes in a Half Shell haven’t ventured much into the anime realm for crossovers, they have met the likes of Batman, the kids from Stranger Things, the Ghostbusters, the Transformers, Savage Dragon, The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and even Mulder and Scully from the X-Files. Ironically enough, while there was never an official meeting between the TMNT and Naruto’s top ninjas, the four turtle brothers did get their own anime series.

Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend was an original video animation released in 1996 that gave TMNT fans a very different take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What made this series so memorable is the fact that the turtle siblings were given the ability to transform into more powerful forms that made them look much more like human beings. As it stands, this is the only anime output that the TMNT has received in their history but fingers crossed that this Naruto crossover might receive its own special animated adaptation.

Want to stay on top of all the anime crossovers? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest anime updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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One of the oldest distributors of comics has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Tuesday morning, Diamond Comic Distributors filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 in order to help facilitate the restructuring of its business. Chapter 11 falls under the United States Bankruptcy Code and is typically used to reorganize the company’s debt and business. As part of the filing, Universal is looking to acquire Diamond UK and has a stalking horse bid for Alliance Game Distributors, which all means more changes to the evolving comic book landscape behind the scenes.

“Diamond has been a linchpin of the comic book industry for over four decades. Our priority has always been to provide quality service to publishers, retailers, and, ultimately, comic fans, and we remain committed to finding additional buyers for our businesses,” said President Chuck Parker.

[RELATED: IDW’s 2025 Godzilla Comic Plans Detailed, Including Brand New Universe (Exclusive)]

“Universal Distribution is looking forward to working with the Alliance and Diamond UK teams to bring a stronger balance sheet and growth opportunities to retailers and suppliers. Both companies have deep roots in the industry, and we look forward to continuing that into the future,” said Angelo Exarhakos, President and CEO of Universal.

Other information to come out of Diamond Comic Distributors’ Chapter 11 filing is that it received a $39 millionstalking horse bid for Alliance Game Distributors from an affiliate of Universal Distribution. Also, Diamond received commitments of up to $41 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from JP Morgan Chase to fund post-petition operating expenses and ensure adequate working capital to meet its obligations to associates and suppliers.

Diamond entered a Non-Binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Universal to acquire Diamond UK. Diamond is actively pursuing offers for, and has received interest from potential purchasers for, its other business units, including Diamond Book Distributors, Collectible Grading Authority, and Diamond Select Toys, as well as its main comic, toy, and collectible distribution lines.

[RELATED: 5 Things Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars Need to Include From the Comics

How all this shakes out for the comic book consumer remains to be seen. There has been a rash of delays for comic book shipments the last month with the holidays and weather affecting comics making it to stores weekly. In response, publishers have had to push back release dates of these comics. Diamond has lost market share to Lunar Distribution and Penguin Random House with the Big 2 of Marvel and DC moving their business elsewhere.

The post Diamond Comic Distributors Files for Bankruptcy as Another Company Looks to Become a Buyer appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Miles Morales and Black Panther went from working together to solve Miles’ vampirism to having a battle to the death. All orchestrated by two deities with a grudge to bear. Along with gifting Miles Morales a Vibranium suit, Black Panther has also brought the young Spider-Man to Wakanda to seek the aid of the Panther God Bast. But when dealing with the gods, there’s always a catch that you’re not expecting. In this case, it’s that Bast wouldn’t help Miles because the Spider God Anansi already claimed him. Thus, Miles Morales and Black Panther must not fight for Anansi’s enjoyment.

Marvel released a preview of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 by Cody Ziglar, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Bryan Valenza, and VC’s Cory Petit. It begins with a faceoff between Miles and Black Panther, with Anansi trying to pump up his champion for the fight ahead. Miles, understandably, doesn’t want to fight T’Challa, but that’s how it has to go for Anansi to get the story he’s looking for.

[RELATED: New Black Panther Rumor Has Marvel Fans Fuming (But Some Are Happy With It)]

“There are lessons in stories, child,” Anansi tells Miles. “You don’t understand yet, but you will.” Anansi is similar to Loki in that he’s a trickster god, though Anansi is probably more trustworthy. Miles keeps bobbing and weaving to avoid attacks from Black Panther before finally letting loose with a venom punch. T’Challa merely shrugs it off as Bast complains about having her time wasted watching this fight play out.

Before the preview for Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 ends, Anansi promises to give Miles the push he needs to become Anansi’s great champion of story and song. It looks like Anansi may be giving Miles a power boost of some kind, but in what form that will take remains to be seen.

“FIGHT TO THE (UN)DEATH! Can SPIDER-MAN hope to defeat BLACK PANTHER at the height of his powers in the heart of his homeland?!” the description of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 reads.

Miles Morales and Deadpool collide in Pools of Blood crossover

Miles Morales will go from fighting Black Panther to fighting Deadpool in his next story arc. Marvel previously announced “Pools of Blood,” a four-issue crossover between writer Cody Ziglar’s current runs on Deadpool and Miles Morales: Spider-Man. The recently revived Deadpool and his daughter Ellie will be contracted to take out Miles, so talk about your daddy-daughter bonding moment. “Pools of Blood” spills out into Deadpool #11-12 and Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30-31 in February and March.

“Anyone who knows me knows how much esteem I hold for Miles and the Deadpools,” Ziglar shared. “Which is why I’m so excited to write a crossover that lets them all interact! Ellie is new to the super hero scene so having her interact with someone else who’s picked up a mantle was so fun to write.”

The preview of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #29 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, January 15th.

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Villains: assemble! Before the Avengers reassemble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to battle Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Comics is uniting Earth’s mightiest heroes — and villains — in One World Under Doom. The nine-issue series, by writer Ryan North (Fantastic Four) and artist R.B. Silva (Captain America: Symbol of Truth), anchors the biggest Doom-centric event since 2015’s Secret Wars, when Victor von Doom usurped the power of the Beyonders to make himself God Emperor Doom.

This time, Doom manipulated Doctor Strange into transferring him the mantle of Earth’s new superior Sorcerer Supreme to save the world from invading vampires during Blood Hunt. As Strange embarks on a journey to become the first-ever Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard in the One World Under Doom tie-in series Doctor Strange of Asgard, Doom will declare himself Emperor of the World and ruler of a new United Latveria.

RELATED: One World Under Doom, Explained: How Doctor Doom Became the New Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe

Leading the charge against Emperor Doom is Sam Wilson’s Captain America, the star of Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World, while Red Hulk and the Thunderbolts — who are also set to make their MCU debuts this year — will take aim at the iron-fisted dictator in new tie-in series Red Hulk and Thunderbolts: Doomstrike. In another example of MCU synergy, Captain America’s strike team in One World Under Doom #3 (out April 23) will consist of villains recently featured in the movies.

The just-revealed team of Avengers allied with villains includes Baron Mordo (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor in 2016’s Doctor Strange), Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and Alejandro Saab in What If…?), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home), and M.O.D.O.K. (Corey Stoll in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).

“This issue features a huge fight – all the heroes (and villains!) versus Doom,” North said. “It was a ton of fun to write, and even more fun to see drawn when R.B. Silva was done with it. And it doesn’t go the way you might think, and actually leads to an even BIGGER fight in the next issue! It’s got some Doom moments I’m super proud of. How could it not, when you’ve got characters like M.O.D.O.K. and Doctor Octopus trying to take down Doom for their own reasons?”

The synopsis:

“The Avengers have faced Doom. But Earth still needs avenging – and it’s not just the heroes who dislike having Doom in charge. And so heroes and villains unite against Doom, intent on taking him down once and for all!

But that’s not all: A simultaneous magic attack reveals the shocking truth of HOW Doom took over the world – with terrifying implications for how others might – or might not – take it from him. However, Doom’s mind – vast and cool and unsympathetic – is not the only one regarding Earth with envious eyes.”

One World Under Doom #1 goes on sale Feb. 12.

The post Sam Wilson’s Captain America Is Leading a Team of One-off MCU Villains Against Doctor Doom appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wolverine is officially joining the Marvel Universe, but this isn’t the same Logan most fans are used to. The new Ultimate Universe is quite different from its previous iteration, and it’s all because of The Maker. The evil version of Reed Richards changed the past to prevent heroes from reaching their full potential. We’ve watched as heroes like Spider-Man and the Ultimates have started popping up to oppose Watcher and his evil council. For three members of the Maker’s council, keeping control of their territory means unleashing the Ultimate Wolverine — part Wolverine, part Winter Soldier. Talk about a terrifying combination.

Marvel released a preview of Ultimate Wolverine #1 by Chris Condon, Alessandro Cappuccio, Bryan Valenza, and VC’s Cory Petit. It begins near the border of the Eurasian republic and Latveria, where an airplane carries the Ultimate Wolverine for his next mission. He sit silently as two soldiers discuss how scary he is, along with some of the rumors of how he was created from the corpses of dead soldiers. Ultimate Wolverine then stands suddenly, opens the cargo door and jumps out the flying plane without a parachute.

[RELATE: Ultimate Wolverine Is on the Hunt for Two Fan-Favorite X-Men]

Wolverine barrels towards the ground like a bullet. We see a forest where survivors of an airstrike are being dragged through the snow. Wolverine eventually lands outside a heavily guarded fortress, where he rips its guards to pieces looking menacing the entire time. Ultimate Wolverine doesn’t speak or utter a word, but much like the Terminator, he doesn’t need to.

“THE MAKER’S ULTIMATE WEAPON! From rising star Chris Condon (THAT TEXAS BLOOD) and MOON KNIGHT powerhouse artist Alessandro Cappuccio comes the story of the ULTIMATE WOLVERINE!,” a description of Ultimate Wolverine #1 reads. “In order to maintain control of their corner of the Maker’s world, three members of his council – Magik, Colossus and Omega Red – deploy their most lethal asset: The Winter Soldier! But WHO is the weapon behind the mask?”

Magik, Colossus, and Omega Red are the leaders of the Eurasian Republic, known to the public as a “rogue state” among the seven major territories that comprise Earth-6160. We know their Winter Soldier isn’t Bucky Barnes, because he was confirmed to be dead in Ultimate Invasion, with the Maker collecting his blood sample. How Logan was turned into a weapon of destruction is a mystery that will unfold as Ultimate Wolverine continues.

The preview of Ultimate Wolverine #1 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, January 15th.

The post Marvel Reveals Wolverine’s Ultimate Form (and It’s Terrifying) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The hype train has already left the station for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. This began with San Diego Comic-Con in 2024, when Kevin Feige announced the return of Marvel heavyweights Robert Downey Jr. and filmmakers the Russo brothers, and continued with the news that Chris Evans will also return to the MCU. These movies are looking to revolve around RDJ’s Doctor Doom and seem to be taking their marching order from the Secret Wars comics, the name of a series of excellent Marvel event comics.

Marvel has bungled the Multiverse Saga and these two movies are their tickets back to the top. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gotten further and further away from its comic-accurate roots, there are several things from the Secret Wars comics that these movies could use to great effect. Secret Wars stories have some tropes that have helped them become beloved, and Marvel Studios would do well to include the best ones.

Battleworld

Battleworld appeared in both the original Secret Wars from 1984 and the 2015 one. The original Battleworld was an amalgamation of different planets created by the Beyonder. The Beyonder made it so that the heroes and villains would have places to fight — hence the name — for the ultimate reward. The second Battleworld was made up of pieces of the Multiverse that Doom, Doctor Strange, and Molecule Man were able to save after the Incursions destroyed the Multiverse.

Battleworld is an integral part of the Secret Wars mythos. No matter where Marvel takes the story — whether it goes more towards the 1984 or the 2015 Secret Wars — Battleworld needs to be part of it. Each version has its charm — the original has high-tech alien bases and a variety of flora, fauna, and geographic conditions while the latter has pieces of the coolest worlds from the Marvel Multiverse. The latter is probably the version that the movies will use, as the Incursions have already been teased in the MCU, letting MCU fans experience Battleworld.

The Beyonder/Beyonders

Without the Beyonder and his people, there is no Secret Wars. The first Secret Wars revolved around the Beyonder, then known as One from Beyond, bringing together the heroes and villains of Earth to test them against each other. The character would get fleshed out in Secret Wars II, when he took on a human body and went to Earth to learn about being human. The Beyonder became a fixture in the Marvel Universe, showing up to do crazy stuff and then disappearing for a while.

Jonathan Hickman’s run on Avengers/New Avengers would introduce readers to the Beyonders and go more into the origin of the Beyonder — it was part of a race of all-powerful beings who dwell outside the Multiverse. They created the Celestials and maintained the Multiverse, and eventually started the Incursions as an experiment. Much like Battleworld, it’s impossible to imagine a Secret Wars story without the Beyonder or Beyonders. Things are pointing to them appearing, again because of the Incursions, and that’s a very good thing.

Molecule Man

Molecule Man first appeared in 1960 Fantastic Four #20. Owen Reece gained the power to control molecules and fought the Fantastic Four many times over the years. He was part of the villains gathered by the Beyonder. He’d become a major part of the Secret Wars mythos in Secret Wars II, his powers allowing him to stand against the Beyonder. His godlike power had its drawbacks — they drove him crazy — and it was revealed that they came from the universe of the Beyonders, linking him to them. The Molecule Man would allow Doom to manipulate the powers of the Beyonders in 2015’s Secret Wars, kept secret from the rest of Battleworld by Doom and Doctor Strange.

[RELATED: New Black Panther Rumor Has Marvel Fans Fuming (But Some Are Happy With It)]

Molecule Man is an important factor in Secret Wars stories. His relationship to the Beyonders and the Multiverse — it’s revealed that he can exist on a multiversal level, with one of him in every universe — is unique in the Marvel Universe, and he’s a rather sympathetic villain, having tapped into something he doesn’t understand. The MCU could always use more sympathetic villains, and Doomsday/Secret Wars could use Molecule Man to great impact.

God Emperor Doom

The announcement of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom was a massive surprise, and it’s one that fits the tropes of the Secret Wars comics. Doctor Doom plays an integral role in the first and last Secret Wars. In the 1984 one, he’s basically the leader of the villains and eventually is able to steal the power of the Beyonder, becoming a god and the main villain of the story. In the 2015 Secret Wars, he’s the savior of the Multiverse and the leader of Battleworld, ruling as God Emperor Doom.

Doom became a god twice in the Secret Wars stories and he needs to become one in the movies as well. It’s still unknown how Doom is going to work in the new movies — whether RDJ Doom is the actual Doom or a multiversal Iron Man pretending to be Doom trying to fight the true Doom — but regardless, God Emperor Doom has to appear. It’s such an important part of what Secret Wars is.

Superpowered Warfare

This one might seem like a no-brainer, given the name, but Secret Wars has always revolved around the concept of superpowered warfare. The 1984 version pits two sides against each other for the ultimate prize, while the 2015 version started with the 616 and 1610 Marvel Universes fighting each other for survival. This opened on a Battleworld that had been living under a fragile peace which is shattered when survivors of Earths-616 and 1610 start agitating the various factions and cause them to rise up against Doom. War is very important to these stories and the movies need to remember that.

The MCU has shown that they know how to cool superpowered war scenes — Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame have excellent, large-scale battle scenes — so it should be a snap to include that sort of thing in the new films. A multiversal war, manipulated by the Beyonders, Doctor Doom, or both, has to be the main focus of these movies. Marvel Studios needs to bring things to the next level with these films, and superpowered war is the road they need to take to get there.

The post 5 Things Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars Need to Include From the Comics appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’re less than two weeks into 2025, but the King of the Monsters is about to have a banner year. Not only will other publishers be doing stories with Godzilla, but IDW Publishing, who have held the Godzilla comics license for over 10 years, will continue to move Toho’s kaiju and all his friends (and enemies) into exciting and unique new places. In February alone IDW will publish the new mini-series Godzilla: Heist as well as kick off its new anthology Godzilla vs America, with March bringing another new series that fans will no doubt be eager to read, Mothra: Queen of the Monsters. Those three however are just the beginning for what IDW has planned in 2025.

“I want to do stories that haven’t been done, and couldn’t be done anywhere else,” Godzilla line editor Jake Williams told ComicBook in an exclusive interview. “When it comes to soliciting pitches for the new universe, I was super specific about the directions I wanted to go in. But in general, I’m just looking for excitement. I’m searching for that gut feeling you get when you read the right pitch, and you instantly want to run off and tell your coworkers about it. If a pitch doesn’t make me feel that way, it’s not worth pursuing.”

To Williams’ credit, one of those pitches that was an easy one to immediately greenlight was Godzilla: Heist. Written by Van Jensen (The Flash) and art by Kelsey Ramsay (Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor), the series follows a protagonist that gleefully summons Godzilla to be the perfect distraction for a daring robbery. Of course, with technology like that, getting caught with stolen goods may be the least of his problems.

“Godzilla: Heist is one of those perfect pitches that you don’t have to think twice about,” Williams said. “I remember bringing it to an internal pitch meeting on Van Jensen’s behalf, and after explaining the premise I ended my pitch with ‘I mean, come on.’ It didn’t take any more convincing than that.”

RELATED: Godzilla Shares First Look at New Bug Kaiju (and It Is Nightmare Fuel)

One week after readers can grab Godzilla: Heist #1, IDW will release the first issue of the Godzilla vs America series with Godzilla vs Chicago. This will be the first of five issues that will be released under the banner in 2025, with the “vs Chicago” issue featuring stories by Tim Seeley, Mike Costa, Ryan Browne, Caroline Cash, and Ezra Claytan Daniels. For Wiliams and his fellow editor on the book, Nic Nino, Godzilla vs America was about showcasing parts of America that fans have never seen Godzilla venture toward. The pair then gave themselves another rule that would narrow down the list even more, finding comic creators from or living in those cities.

“It’s not like there’s some database online with the address of everyone who works in comics, so that part took a lot of googling. It also eliminated some of the smaller cities that may not have 8 available professional comic book creators.”

Readers that find themselves hoping for more should know that the potentially for another round of Godzilla vs America could be in the cards, provided the book itself is a hit. Williams added, “If people are digging it, then we’ll definitely keep doing more! Honestly, that goes for everything we make. I love an ongoing series. I love long running stories. Buy the books and we’ll make more!”

Godzilla has not only been the mainstay of most of IDW’s kaiju stories, but his name has also been the one at the front of every title. That changes in March with Mothra: Queen of the Monsters, a new series from Sophie Campbell and Matt Frank. Williams said the decision to make Mothra the first kaiju other than Godzilla to carry their own comic came down to Campbell and Frank having a pitch for the character.

“If we have an angle, I’d be down to give other kaiju the spotlight, but I think Mothra was the natural first choice for a lot of reasons,” Williams said. “On a commercial level, she’s a fan favorite. From a story perspective, her unique lore and moral alignment make her a really fun kaiju to explore. While stories about some of the other kaiju might look a lot like classic Godzilla stories with a different kaiju swapped in to destroy the city, Mothra stories naturally take a different direction.”

Godzilla fans will keep eating in 2025 though and IDW will pull back the curtain in a big way on this year’s Free Comic Book Day. On May 3, readers will be able to pick up Godzilla: The New Heroes Free Comic Book Day 2025, which will not only introduce new kaiju and new characters, but kick off a brand new Godzilla universe for the line. Williams confirmed that this new universe “absolutely” means fans should expect a new ongoing title as well as connected comics set in the same timeline.

“We’ve created a new world to explore, and we’re going to use the various series to show every angle of it,” Williams added. “This take is going to let us do different stories, in different genres, that will feel standalone, but also serve as a smaller part of the larger narrative.  But, just to assuage any concerns–in the same way Marvel or DC has a core continuity and out-of-continuity stories, we won’t stop publishing off-the-wall books like Godzilla’s Monsterpiece Theatre.”

Godzilla fans are no doubt well aware that both Marvel and DC have been using the King of the Monsters within their publishing lines, but the difference there is that they’re bringing Godzilla into what they’re already doing. IDW on the other hand is charting courses that those two companies cannot.

“While those are sure to be fun comics, we’re building a universe that Godzilla can call its own,” Williams said. “A stomping ground designed specifically for the King of the Monsters, that we can tell stories in for years to come.”

Readers should also expect something horrific when the new Godzilla from this line is revealed, as Williams confirms the version of the character on the cover for the Free Comic Book Day issue (seen above) is NOT the Godzilla from this new universe.

“We have to get covers in incredibly early for FCBD, and we weren’t quite ready to show-off our new design–so I had Oliver Ono cook up that incredible cover featuring his take on a more classic Godzilla,” Williams said. “As far as the new design, what I can say is that Nikola Čižmešija (with an assist from Pablo Tunica) cooked up a take on Godzilla that is absolutely TERRIFYING. This is the biggest swing IDW has taken with a Godzilla design yet, and we think it’s going to really carve out a unique spot for us in the Godzilla canon.”

The post IDW’s 2025 Godzilla Comic Plans Detailed, Including Brand New Universe (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wakanda has a new Champion. Marvel’s New Champions #1 by writer Steve Foxe (X-Men ’97) and artists Ivan Fiorelli (Fantastic Four) and Ig Guara (Sensational She-Hulk) asks the question: Who are the New Champions? First introduced as The Assembly in Foxe’s 10-issue Spider-Woman run, the San Francisco-based teen team includes the jet-powered Cadet Marvel, the spell-casting Hellrune, the hard light-constructing Beacon, and the light-absorbing Moon Squire. After Spider-Woman freed the brainwashed superheroes from the control of the terrorist organization Hydra, The Assembly reassembled as the New Champions.

When Hellrune cast a magic spell summoning the New Champions, she brought together a group of young heroes to fight the undead Cult of Hela: the Ghost Rider-inspired roller derby jammer Fantasma; the green-skinned, super-strong Hulkette; the Scarlet Witch’s protégé, Amaranth; Justin Jin, the unstoppable Kid Juggernaut; the temperature-wielding Logan Lewis, a.k.a. Nightshade; Spider-Man’s forgotten kid sidekick, Bailey Briggs, a.k.a Spider-Boy; and a “Wakandan runaway” known only as Gold Tiger. (Upcoming issues will introduce card-slinging magician Monte and the pink-clad Magnetrix, who resembles the mutant master of magnetism: Magneto.)

RELATED: Marvel’s Next Generation of Heroes Just Went on a Major Recruiting Drive

Marvel’s 2025 Black History Month variant cover series has revealed a closer look at Gold Tiger, who will adorn the cover of New Champions #2 in February with a variant cover by artist Alitha Martinez (Iron Man).

Created by artist Ernanda Souza, Gold Tiger first appeared on the cover of 2023’s Black Panther #5 as part of the New Champions Variant Cover program that imagined all-new young heroes as partners of established superheroes like Deadpool, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Moon Knight.

Souza’s original design (below) was inspired by Black Panther co-creator Jack Kirby’s unused design for T’Challa, at first named “Coal Tiger” by Kirby and co-creator Stan Lee. (Black Panther would debut in 1966’s Fantastic Four #52, while Coal Tiger — an alternate universe version of T’Challa — would come face-to-face with his mainstream counterpart in 1992’s Avengers #356.)

Gold Tiger takes her name from her golden claws and is shown with spell-casting abilities like Doctor Strange. It remains to be seen if the Wakandan teen has any connection to Queen Nehanda, Wakanda’s 11th-century Black Panther, who trained in the occult arts and was granted the power of Soul Sight with the Heart-Shaped Herb that gives a Black Panther their powers.

“As soon as I saw the New Champions variants, my mind started racing dreaming up possible origins and powers and codenames for these imagined sidekicks,” Foxe said of the characters created for variant covers. “Reverse-engineering the cast from the covers was unlike any other creative process I’ve ever been involved in, and I’m beyond stoked to debut a whole new class of Marvel heroes — and a few villains! — in New Champions alongside Ivan Fiorelli, who makes each and every one of these new additions feel like they’ve been part of the fabric of the universe all along.”

Foxe continued, “I’ve been dying to write a teen hero team my whole career—it’s the time in everyone’s life when we’re figuring out who we really are, and adding Norse magic or jet-powered punches or accidental hell portals to that search for identity is a recipe for storytelling gold.”

Marvel’s Black History Month variant covers will also spotlight Black heroes Black Panther (Avengers #29), Luke Cage (Power Man: Timeless #1), Storm (Storm #5), Captain America (Sam Wilson, Captain America #2), Temper (X-Men #11), Frenzy (X-Factor #7), and Spider-Man (Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30). The Gold Tiger New Champions #2 cover goes on sale Feb. 12.

New Champions #1

WHO ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONS? What do four kids whose lives were derailed by Hydra, Scarlet Witch’s mysterious protégé, a cursed roller derby jammer and a Wakandan runaway have in common? Not much! But when Hellrune’s mysterious powers activate to bring them together, they’ll have to learn how to work as a team quickly – or face the wrath of the Cult of Hela! Steve Foxe and Ivan Fiorelli (TIMESLIDE) team up to introduce the next generation of Marvel Heroes!

On sale: Jan. 8

New Champions #2

NEW ALLIES… AND ENEMIES? Hellrune has summoned young heroes from far and wide, but who among them has what it takes to become a New Champion? The smooth-talking magician Monte seems to be a prime candidate, but is he more than he appears? And who is the mysterious MAGNETRIX?

On sale: Feb. 12

New Champions #3

CHAMPIONS VS. CHAMPIONS! The New Champions adopted a name that didn’t belong to them – and the previous Champions have something to say about that! But when an old enemy threatens both teams, they’ll have to work together to survive – or there might be no Champions left at all!

On sale: March 19

The post Marvel Spotlights New Wakandan Superhero Gold Tiger appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wolverine is going for gold. After celebrating the metal-clawed mutant’s 50th anniversary in 2024, Marvel Comics has revealed the first look at another milestone in 2025: Wolverine #400. On stands in April, the over-sized Wolverine #8 — from ongoing series creative team Saladin Ahmed (Daredevil) and Martín Cóccolo (The Immortal Thor), with a bonus story by guest writer-artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Transformers) — marks 400 issues of The Best There Is as the adamantium-coated Canuck faces the mysterious call of the Adamantine.

Marvel’s solicits have been teasing that March’s Wolverine #7 (legacy #399) contains a “key appearance” and “a shock twist and surprising return you’ll have to read to believe.” In Wolverine #400, on sale April 16, the milestone issue promises to shake up the status quo with “several key appearances and revelations that will define Logan’s adventures moving forward.”

RELATED: No More Adamantium: Is Marvel Teasing the Return of Feral Wolverine?

“A big anniversary issue is always a great excuse to go crazy with reveals and unveilings, and we’ve taken that to heart here,” Ahmed said. “In this over-sized issue, an old enemy drives Logan’s new pupil the Wendigo to the brink, Logan finally comes face to face with the cryptic entity known as the Adamantine, and a stunning new family revelation plants the seeds for the next chaotic chapter of Logan’s life.”

Who might that familial link be? When December’s Timeslide #1 peered into the future of the Marvel Universe, it showed a glimpse of the feral mutant Wild Child, who Logan called “untameable” during their time together in Canada’s Department H (in Alpha Flight).

After all, the animalistic mutant has powers similar to Wolverine’s — claws, enhanced senses, and a healing factor — and Logan has sired many children over the centuries (including his son, Akihiro/Daken, and his daughter, Laura Kinney/Wolverine).

The Wolverine #400 cover above features classic foes Omega Red and Logan’s longtime archnemesis Sabretooth (who was killed with a Muramasa blade in last year’s Volume 7-ending Wolverine #50), plus Cyber, Lady Deathstrike, and Constrictor, all of whom have been infected by The Adamantine: an ancient, primal presence that seeks to purify and purge the “false metal” adamantium from the Earth.

Ahmed and Cóccolo’s ongoing Wolverine comic run also introduced a new Wendigo named Leonard, a cursed teenager that Logan took under his wing while in the Canadian wilderness. Meanwhile, The Adamantine has been imbuing Wolverine’s adamantium-laced enemies with the golden Metal of the Gods that is similar to the artificial metal alloy that coats Wolverine’s claws and skeleton — only godlier.

Below, see the solicits for upcoming issues of Wolverine and issue #400 variant covers by Andy Kubert (X-Men, Wolverine: Origin) and Jerome Opeña (Hulk, Inferno).

Wolverine #6

HEAVY METAL CLASH! Two WOLVERINEs and a NIGHTCRAWER versus CONSTRICTOR, CYBER and DEATHSTRIKE in a clash of the adamantium titans! United by a mysterious power, if LOGAN can’t beat them…will he join them? Come for the battle – stay for the jaw-dropping surprise!

On sale: Feb. 5

Wolverine #7 (Legacy #399)

GO FOR THE GOLD METAL! The ADAMANTINE saga reaches new heights, with a shock twist and surprising return you’ll have to read to believe! The GOLDEN metal means death for WOLVERINE…but is it also the world’s salvation? Collectors’ note: A key appearance is contained in this issue.

On sale: March 5

Wolverine #8 (Legacy #400) — Andy Kubert Variant Cover

A massive issue you cannot afford to miss! Wolverine faces off with the Adamantine! The Wendigo is pulled into a deadly trap as a specter from Wolverine’s past emerges – and the Wolverine story you never thought you’d see begins here!

On sale: April 16

Wolverine #8 (Legacy #400) — Jerome Opeña Variant Cover

On sale: April 16

The post Wolverine #400: Marvel Teases Surprise Return From Logan’s Past in Milestone Issue appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Fantastic Four are one of Marvel’s most venerable teams. They kicked off what has been called the “Marvel Age of Comics,” when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby changed superheroes forever. For years, Fantastic Four was called “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine,” but the team’s success outside of the comics has been lesser than many of Marvel’s other franchises. There’s a few animated series, two movies from the ’00s, and one major flop, Fant4stic.

The FF are getting their chance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The movie releases July 25th and many MCU fans want to know more about the FF. Well, they need to look no further. These ten stories will give them a primer on the best FF stories, ones that will better acquaint MCU fans with Marvel’s First Family.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1

For MCU fans, it’s not always good to start at the beginning. Oftentimes, characters have changed a lot since their first appearance. Not only that, but comics have also changed a lot since then, and older books may not appeal to modern readers. However, for the Fantastic Four, the best place to start actually is the beginning. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s vision for the series is on display immediately in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #1, which tells the story of how Marvel’s First Family gained their powers and then pits them against the Mole Man.

Lee and Kirby hook readers immediately with this classic. Its Cold War setting shows off the creators’ beliefs in American exceptionalism, but it still does a tremendous job of showing the direction this team is going to take as the years go on. This issue sets the standard for every FF story that has come after it. With the rumor the Fantastic Four: First Steps is going to take place in the past, this is the best place for MCU fans to start.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5

Doctor Doom is going to play a massive role in the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and the best place to start with the character for MCU fans is Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #5, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This issue sees Doom attack the FF for the first time, using his time machine to send the team back in time to the age of pirates. On this jaunt, the Thing becomes the basis of the legend of Blackbeard before the team returns to the present and defeats Doom.

Lee and Kirby created one of comics’ greatest villains in this story and began a rivalry that would define the Marvel Universe. This comic harnesses the energy of two comic greats and is the definition of fun superhero action. Lee’s dialogue can be a little much, but it perfectly illustrates who each character is. Kirby’s art is amazing as always, jumping off the page at the readers. This is classic Marvel and MCU fans will find the kernels that grew into the universe they loved here.

“The Galactus Trilogy”

Fantastic Four: First Steps‘ villain is Galactus, so the best place to start for MCU fans may be the first Galactus story. Running through Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #48-50, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it’s gone down in history as “The Galactus Trilogy.” This story sees the Watcher, familiar to MCU fans, warn the Fantastic Four about the coming of Galactus and his powerful herald Silver Surfer. The team is nearly helpless against the all-powerful cosmic power of Galactus, with the Earth seemingly doomed.

The Galactus Trilogy is exactly the kind of cosmic spectacle that inspired the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lee and Kirby are on fire here, presenting a story that dips into cosmic horror as Galactus is, after all, an unfeeling force of destruction, not caring about the lives on the planets he devours. Lee gets to write one of his favorite characters, Silver Surfer, and Kirby’s art is as bombastic as ever. This is one of the greatest comic stories ever, and perfect for MCU fans who want to see Galactus before his MCU debut.

“The Man, This Monster”

The tragedy of the Thing is one of the most important parts of the Fantastic Four mythos. While the other three members of the team got great powers and could bask in the glow of celebrity as scientists who saved the world, Ben Grimm was transformed into a monster. Mister Fantastic did everything he could to cure his old friend but always failed. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #51, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, titled “This Man, This Monster,” puts the Thing on full display, when an evil scientist takes his power and pretends to be the Thing in order to destroy the Fantastic Four, forcing Ben to save the day and eventually transform back into the monster he hates being.

Lee had quite a grip on the pathos of Ben Grimm, and this issue puts it on display perfectly. This issue has gone down as one of the best Fantastic Four comics ever. It’s full of drama and pathos, rendered beautifully by Kirby. It cuts to the soul of the Thing and shows the powers of the bonds between the FF. This is the one issue that will help MCU fans truly understand the Thing and how far he will go to save the day, making it a must-read.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244

While the first Galactus story is generally considered the best, there’s another one that many fans love. Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #242-244, by John Byrne, brought Galactus and his new herald Terrax to Earth. Galactus was at his lowest, not fed in ages, and the FF teamed with the heroes of New York City to stop the World Devourer. After they defeat Galactus, though, instead of destroying him, the FF comes up with another solution that leads the cosmic god to get another herald and leave the Earth.

John Byrne is probably the greatest comic creator to work on Fantastic Four after Lee and Kirby. His run on the book has gone down as one of the best comic runs of all time and is full of brilliant stories (several of which are on this list). This Galactus story is unlike any other MCU fans could experience, and it shows that the FF aren’t typical superheroes either, with the surprising ending of this story reveals exactly what kind of heroes the FF are and has repercussions down the road for the FF. More on that later.

[RELATED: Marvel Is Reprinting These Classic Fantastic 4 Comics — Do They Hint at The Fantastic Four: First Steps Plot?]

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258

Doctor Doom is an amazing character readers have learned to love over the decades. A big reason for that is how well the character has been fleshed out, and one of the best examples of this comes in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #258, by John Byrne. This comic showed readers a day in the life of Doctor Doom, telling the story from his perspective. Comics about villains were rare in the early ’80s, and this comic does an amazing job of showing why Doom is one of the greatest villains of all time. The issue’s most well-known sequence sees Doom’s young ward Kristoff asking a question that sees the monarch show his petty true colors.

Doctor Doom is a complicated character, and this comic shows that. Byrne is on fire in this issue, and this book is often considered one of the greatest Doctor Doom comics of all time. If MCU fans want more Doom, then this issue is perfect for them. It captures all sides of the character, and it’s one that MCU fans should read to better understand the villain.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262

The Fantastic Four saved Galactus when he was at his lowest ebb, something that showed the core of goodness that defines the FF. However, saving him would allow him to continue committing genocide on a massive scale, something which the rest of the universe wasn’t exactly happy about. This caused them to arrest Mister Fantastic leading to the trial of Reed Richards in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #262. Richards has his defenders and detractors alike, including his family, the Watcher himself, and many survivors of Galactus. However, a most surprising being comes to the trial, one who is there to speak for Richards — and is also the last person most of the jury wants to listen to.

MCU fans have barely gotten a taste of how big the Marvel Universe truly is, which makes this comic perfect for them. It shows some of the greatest alien races in the Marvel Universe and goes into the terror that Galactus has caused over the years. This is truly epic cosmic Marvel and is perfect for MCU fans who want to see the grandeur of a great FF story.

Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268

The Fantastic Four are first and foremost a family. Reed is married to Sue, Sue’s brother is the Human Torch, and the Thing has been like a brother to Reed since the moment they met. Reed and Sue even had a child by the 1980s, Franklin. Sue later finds herself pregnant again, but problems with the radiation in her system lead Reed to a villain in Fantastic Four (Vol. 1) #268, by John Byrne. Reed asks Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus for help. Doc Ock agrees and the two race to the hospital. However, when Ock’s arms break out of a secure facility and look for their master, things are about to get tragic.

This issue is completely heartbreaking and shows the problems with being a superhero with a family in the Marvel Universe. Byrne does an amazing job of this issue, balancing drama and action beautifully, playing with the reader’s expectations and giving them a suspenseful journey. It’s a brilliant use of the comic storytelling medium, and it’s something that MCU fans need to experience.

“Unthinkable”

Doctor Doom can be a noble monarch, and for this reason, many readers forget that he is also a monster. Doom has done heroic things over the years, but he’s also done terrible things. Nowhere is this more on display than the story “Unthinkable,“ by Mark Waid and the late great Mike Wieringo. This story sees Doom embrace the occult like never before to finally destroy his hated enemies in the Fantastic Four. However, to get the power he needs to destroy his enemies, he has to make a terrible sacrifice that will change the way readers look at him forever.

Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom is going to make it hard for many MCU fans to hate him. RDJ is Iron Man, after all, and these fans have been conditioned to love him. This is why they need to read “Unthinkable.” It shows just how far Doom’s hatred will make him go, containing his most ghastly act. This story shows Doom is the ultimate villain — a man who can make everyone think that he’s not that bad but is capable of acts that would freeze the blood of any person who witnesses them.

Secret Wars (2015)

Secret Wars (2015), by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic, isn’t technically an FF story. It’s an event that shook the Marvel Multiverse, pulling in characters from many Earths. However, at its core, Secret Wars is all about the FF. The story’s main character is Doctor Doom, and the members of the FF play massive roles. Secret Wars is about the end of the Multiverse and what comes next, with Doom standing tall as the savior of all. However, even when doing something altruistic, Doom is still evil, and a group of survivors of the old multiverse — led by two different versions of Reed Richards — decide to overthrow God Emperor Doom and try to rebuild creation as it should be.

Doom’s hatred of the Fantastic Four, and his grudge against Reed Richards, are central to this story, making it an FF story at its core. The MCU is likely going to take a lot from this tale in the years to come, and in many ways, it’s the ultimate Fantastic Four story, which should put it on every MCU fan’s list.

The post 10 Fantastic Four Stories Perfect for MCU Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2025 is looking to be the year of Superman and that’s alright with me. The recent release of the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman as gotten not just comic book fans but moviegoers more hyped than ever for the upcoming film, reigniting an interesting in and a love for it’s titular character. I am one of those fans. While I’ve long been a fan of Superman, it’s a love that has waned over time, but that trailer has reminded me of exactly why I am such a fan of the character and it all comes down to how much Gunn’s movie reminds me of a particular story: All-Star Superman.

Mark Waid Boiled Superman Down to His Essence for Me

All-Star Superman is one of the greatest Superman stories ever told. I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the greatest superhero comics ever, if not the greatest. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely teamed together to create a story that took everything great about Superman and put it on display. It showed how cool all the things that the post-Crisis DC tried to convince us were lame really were. It’s beautiful. In the second volume of the hardcover reprints, Mark Waid wrote the introduction and it shows an understanding of the character of Superman that few have. Waid wrote, “Gods achieve their power by encouraging us to believe in them. Superman achieves his by believing in us.”

That quote took All-Star Superman and brought it to the next level for me. That’s when I truly realized why I loved Superman. Superman represented something that humanity needs. He’s the hero that humans have created over and over again. He’s Sinbad. He’s Hercules. He’s Arthur. He’s something that we feel the need to constantly create.

While Waid showed me the way, it was Morrison who again drew the throughline for me when I was reading SuperGods. Grant Morrison is all about the reality of fiction. To paraphrase what Morrison said at one point in the book: Superman will outlive us all. How are we more real than that? We create the things that we want to see in the world and Superman is just that. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created a character that represented the things that all humans want in the world. We want someone who cares about us. We want someone who will save us from ourselves long enough for us to reach the next stage. Just like Jor-El says in Superman: The Movie, “They will join you in the sun.”

Superman‘s trailer was a massive success because it hits that button that makes me, you, everyone love Superman. James Gunn captures the super and he captures the man. He captures the bombast and he captures the hope. There’s a feeling throughout the trailer, a sense of who Superman is and what he means that is always there. I watched it and I got the same feeling that I got when I read Mark Waid’s introduction to All-Star Superman Volume Two. That feeling, that sense of wonder, that sense of awe, that sense of love is right there in the trailer. Watch it again. It just feels like Superman, doesn’t it? It feels like Superman in a way that nothing else has in a while, right? That’s why we love it.

Superman has a lot riding on it. The failure of Superman in the DCEU – and yes, Snyder failed with Superman – is a big reason why that cinematic universe never really worked. Superman is such a huge part of DC, of pop culture, that when he’s not right, it’s obvious. Gunn is making Superman right, just like Morrison did, just like Waid and Siegel and Shuster and Donner and Magin and Binder and so many others have. We need Superman right now. Hope is short order, the world is falling apart. We need someone to believe in us. We need someone to believe in us.

If Loving Superman Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right

The world can be a cold place. We all watch it all the time, on our phones, and we make jokes about the terror that infects every second of our lives. Regardless of what you’re political beliefs are, you feel it. Hope is far off at times – more often than not, really – but we have Superman. Over the last eighty-six and some change years, thousands of people – writers, artists, editors, directors, actors, film crews, special effects crew, and more I’m forgetting – have banded together to create stories of this god who loves us. We have thousands of hours of this strange visitor from another planet, this Titan that could easily lord over us, just loving us. Fighting for us. Trying to be like us.

Maybe if Superman wants to be like us, we aren’t that bad. Maybe the darkness, the cold isn’t total. Maybe it won’t win. Superman – who is really us in every way that counts – can be better, so we can, too. And there’s something about that feeling. If we can make Superman, we can make the world better.

James Gunn’s Superman opens in theaters July 11th.

The post Why James Gunn’s Superman Trailer Reminded Me I Love Superman appeared first on ComicBook.com.

X-Men ’97 was a massive hit, which is something of a surprise. X-Men: The Animated Series was a classic ’90s cartoon, with millions of fans, but the fact that a sequel series could draw back in so many lapsed fans so well is impressive. X-Men ’97 succeeded because it remembered what the original show did so well — take stories from the X-Men comics and bring them to the screen in the best ways, creating adaptations that were both faithful and original at the same time.

X-Men ’97 captured some perfect ’90s X-Men moments, and longtime X-Men readers can see where the cartoon’s next few seasons could be going. There are several ’90s X-Men stories that X-Men ’97 should read, some because they are places the shows might go and some because they are just plain excellent stories. These five X-Men stories will scratch an itch for more retro X-Men goodness.

“Onslaught”

X-Men ’97 ended with Magneto pulling the adamantium out of Wolverine and Xavier hitting him with the mindwipe, which comes from the classic story known as “Fatal Attractions.” In the comics, this action saw a seed of Magneto’s evil take root in Xavier, leading to the creation of the beast known as Onslaught. Onslaught would wait in the shadows, finding allies and building its power, before attacking the X-Men and then the rest of the world in the summer crossover “Onslaught.“

Onslaught has always been a controversial character, and a big reason for that is the titular story starring the villain. A lot of fans find it emblematic of Marvel in the ’90s, a period that saw the publisher hit its lowest ebb creatively. However, this story does have its charm and is definitely a direction that X-Men ’97 could go. It’s definitely worth a read for fans of the show, an action-packed story that sees the entire Marvel Universe band together against a powerful villain.

“Children of the Atom”

After “Onslaught,” the X-Men had to labor on without Xavier, who was imprisoned by one of X-Men ’97‘s main Season 1 villains, Bastion. The X-Men would face off against Bastion in “Operation: Zero Tolerance,” but the end of the story would see them still Xavier-less. Eventually, their old mentor would appear, recruiting a new team of X-Men who would attack the X-Men in the two-issue story “Children of the Atom,” by Steve Seagle, Joe Kelly, Chris Bachalo, and Brandon Peterson, from Uncanny X-Men #360 and X-Men #80.

The story is a tight little tale that pruned down what was at the time a sprawling X-Men team down to seven members — Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Rogue, and Marrow. The enemy X-Men team, consisting of mutants that Xavier almost recruited over the years is full of cool characters, and the twist at the end of the story sets up the next story on this list. While the show might not go in this direction, it’s an excellent X-Men story that has callbacks to various moments in X-Men history, and will definitely tickle an X-Men ’97 fan’s fancy.

“The Hunt for Xavier”

The end of “Children of the Atom” revealed that Cerebro, which everyone thought was destroyed by Operation: Zero Tolerance, had gained sentience and was trying to find Xavier. After its first failure, it decided to look on its own, and its search and the X-Men’s overlapped, leading to the six-part “The Hunt for Xavier,” by Joe Kelly, Steve Seagle, Chris Bachalo, Adam Kubert, and Leinil Yu. The story saw the X-Men split up, each team going after a separate lead, coming back together to battle Cerebro for Xavier in an epic battle. This fight was made all the more dangerous by the fact that Cerebro had access to their Danger Room training sessions and the Xavier Protocols, which Xavier created to deal with the X-Men in case they went evil.

[RELATED: Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 Is the Best Animated TV Show of 2024 (Golden Issue Awards)]

This is an excellent story from one of the best periods of the ’90s X-Men comics. Kelly and Seagle’s run as X-Men writers was very short — barely over a year — but it was full of amazing stories. This story finally reunited the X-Men and Xavier after several years and had some amazing action. Cerebro as a villain was an amazing idea and it would be one that the show could do wonders with.

“The Twelve”

X-Men ’97‘s first season ended by laying out some major clues for the future, as the X-Men were thrown into the timestream. Some of them ended up in the ancient past and others in the future, but these two far-flung locales had one thing in common: Apocalypse. The past X-Men were thrown to is Apocalypse’s past in Egypt and the future is the time when Apocalypse has taken over the world. In the comics, this future had its origins in the present day when Apocalypse gained godlike power. All of this points to the show adapting the X-Men story that ended the ’90s — “The Twelve.”

“The Twelve” ran through all of the major X-Men books — X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, Cable, and X-Man — and saw Apocalypse trying to gather the Twelve, a group of mutants whose powers would combine to grant godhood to whoever brings them together. This story represents the culmination of all the ’90s X-Men plots, so not all of it will make sense to X-Men ’97 fans who aren’t well-versed in the comics, but it does a great job of explaining itself. The story isn’t as popular as some other big-time X-Men events and is somewhat hard to find, but it’s worth hunting down.

“Warriors of the Ebon Night”

This one is almost certainly not going to get adapted and made a part of X-Men ’97, however, it’s the perfect encapsulation of why the ’90s X-Men were so great. The story does need some set-up — in Uncanny X-Men #328, Sabretooth breaks free of his imprisonment in the X-Mansion and nearly kills Psylocke. In Uncanny X-Men #329-330, by Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, and Joe Madureria, Wolverine and Archangel team up to get their hands on the Crimson Dawn, a magical elixir that is the only thing that can heal the dying Psylocke. They team up with Gomurr the Ancient and journey into the magical underbelly of New York City’s Chinatown, where they encounter a powerful enemy who holds what they need.

Titled “Warriors of the Ebon Night,” this story is all killer and no filler. Wolverine and Archangel are two characters that don’t spend a lot of time together, so it’s an interesting pairing, and it shows the breadth of what the X-Men deal with. Sure, they’re mostly out there dealing with the enemies of humanity and mutantkind, but sometimes, they also find themselves going on trips to find magical ways to save their friends. It’s a wonderful little snapshot of a long lost era of the X-Men and it’ll show X-Men ’97 fans why the X-Men comics were so popular in the 1990s.

The post 5 X-Men Stories X-Men ’97 Fans Need to Read appeared first on ComicBook.com.

X-Men follows Cyclops’s team of X-Men, a team which includes Magneto. Magneto helped Cyclops found this new team, but has been an X-Men ally for a long time. Magneto rejoined the X-Men during the Utopia Era, working with Cyclops to protect mutants and has stayed with the team ever since. The current X-Men books — published under the “From the Ashes” publishing initiative — are all about bringing the X-Men back to basics, so Magneto’s role on the current X-Men team is similar to Xavier’s role on previous teams — a mentor more than someone who goes into the field.

Readers noticed something was different about Magneto almost immediately in the ad material for “From the Ashes” and the first issue of X-Men. He was often seen in a wheelchair and his powers didn’t seem as potent as they had been in stories like The Resurrection of Magneto and Fall of the House of X. The truth behind this was soon revealed — that Magneto was afflicted with a mysterious new disease. However, as time went on and more was revealed about the disease, the less it made sense.

Magneto’s Disease Comes From Krakoan Resurrection but There’s Something Wrong With That

During the Krakoa Era — a time when the X-Men were based on the living mutant island of Krakoa — the X-Men were very different than the team that many got reacquainted with during X-Men ’97. Mutants had their own nation, one that combined heroes and villains. While there were technically no leaders on the island, Xavier and Magneto were the ones everyone looked to for guidance. Xavier and Magneto’s friendship was foundational to the island nation, and the two did everything they could to allow their people to flourish.

The combination of mutants allowed for them to experiment by working together and they were able to create a method of resurrection by combining Xavier’s telepathy, Mister Sinister’s DNA library, and the mutant powers of the Five — Hope Summers, Proteus, Tempus, Egg, and Elixir. This resurrection method allowed dead mutants to be brought back to life, giving the Krakoans an edge over their enemies.

Magneto had several resurrections over the Krakoa Era, mostly while trying to destroy the ultimate Sentinel Nimrod, but nowhere near as many as other mutants. After some of the island’s more unsavory secrets, secrets Magneto and Xavier kept, were revealed, he went to Arakko — Mars terraformed by mutants (the Krakoa Era was… complicated). Magneto worked with Storm to gain leadership of the Arakkii and as such had to embrace their culture, which meant giving up his resurrection back-ups. Magneto ended up dying defending Arakko and was unable to be resurrected.

Of course, Magneto was always going to come back, so Marvel put out The Resurrection of Magneto series. The Krakoa Era ended not long after — don’t worry, we’re getting into the home stretch here — and Magneto helped found the new X-Men team, when a mysterious disease started to affect him and his powers. Beast worked to try to find the origins of this disease, and learned that it came from Krakoan resurrection. Anyone resurrected by the Krakoan method could come down with this disease.

However, there’s a huge problem with this when it comes to Magneto. While Magneto has Krakoan resurrections, his last resurrection wasn’t using the Krakoan method. Magneto’s latest resurrection came from Storm journeying into the Elysian Fields, a place for mutant souls set up by Scarlet Witch in The Trial of Magneto, to retrieve him. His body was recreated as a perfect version of his original body with magic, not one of the bodies cloned from Sinister’s DNA library made by Egg, Proteus, Tempus, Elixir, and Hope.

Not much is known about the resurrection disease right now. Magneto isn’t the only person afflicted with it, but he is the highest profile. In some ways, it seems like a way to make Magneto more Xavier-like — weakening him physically and keeping him away from the field. This disease keeps Magneto from being the powerhouse and solving all of the team’s problems, one similar to the role he played in the early stages of Season 1 of X-Men ’97. It serves an interesting thematic reason, but it doesn’t really make sense when taking into account the events of the end of Fall of X.

The Real Reason Magneto’s Disease Makes No Sense

There is an actual reason that Magneto’s disease doesn’t make any sense and it comes long before the end of the Krakoa Era. Basically, Marvel decided to begin the work on the post-Krakoa Era X-Men comics before the ending of the era was turned in. So, new X-Men editor Tom Brevoort had no idea how Magneto was going to be resurrected, he just knew he was going to be resurrected. When Brevoort and the writers he brought on board were coming up with ideas, they came up with the Krakoan resurrection disease idea before knowing everything that had happened at the end of the Krakoa Era. By the time they knew Magneto’s last resurrection wasn’t going to come from the Krakoan method, they had finished multiple issues of X-Men.

The Krakoan resurrection disease is actually a pretty good idea. Krakoan resurrection always felt a little too convenient and relied on too many factors that could be suborned. In fact, Mister Sinister had messed with the DNA of every mutant so he could take control of them. Introducing a disease based off of it is a smart idea; the problem was they decided that Magneto would come down with the disease without knowing exactly how he was coming back.

Marvel wanted to put out X-Men comics that would be easy for fans of X-Men ’97 to get into and that could lead the mutants to an MCU-friendly status quo at some point soon. They rushed the ending of the Krakoa Era and the beginning of work on the current “From the Ashes” Era. This led to mistakes and the nonsensical nature of Magneto getting the Krakoan resurrection disease is one of these.

The post Marvel’s X-Men: Why Magneto’s New Disease Makes No Sense After Krakoa appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Let’s not beat around the bush: as a franchise, Transformers is in deep trouble. This is especially true for the saga on the big screen, where audiences have begun to give this series the cold shoulder no matter how positive the critical reception is. In 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts became the lowest-grossing live-action Transformers movie in history. This past September, Transformers One outright bombed with a $128.27 million worldwide haul on a $75 million budget.

No wonder Hasbro has announced it’s pulling back on co-financing movie adaptations of its toys. To rub salt into the wounds, there isn’t a massive culture-defining animated Transformers TV show currently on the airwaves introducing these characters to a new generation of youngsters. Even the toys haven’t been making much in the way of headlines beyond collectibles aimed at nostalgic adults. How did the Transformers franchise get into this shape? On a happier note, though, how could there also be a spark of hope for this long-running saga?

How the Transformers Franchise Got Into Trouble

The Transformers saga got into its current position simply by exhausting nostalgia for as long as it could. The ’80s kids who grew up on “The Touch” and Peter Cullen’s iconic Optimus Prime kept coming out to the original Transformers movies (despite their toxic reviews and eschewing of Transformers canon) and buying merchandise. However, it’s clear now that titles like Transformers: Age of Extinction didn’t do much to cultivate the next generation of Transformers fans. By the time superior family-friendly movies like Bumblebee and Transformers One opened, it was too late. The well had been tainted.

In terms of yesteryear pop culture properties that appeal to youngsters and adults alike, the world has moved on to things like Sonic the Hedgehog or The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meanwhile, children’s television, the domain the Transformers first exploded in back in the 1980s, no longer belongs to these robots. 2010s animated Transformers shows like Transformers: Prime or Transformers: Robots in Disguise couldn’t hold a candle to the popularity of, say, Adventure Time or Steven Universe.

With this inability to generate new fans, Transformers is stuck in an awkward situation. People recognize Optimus Prime, but they also don’t have tremendously fond memories associated with either him or the franchise he originated from. Still, even in the midst of this turmoil, hope springs eternal. The comic book incarnations of the Transformers offer some hope that these characters aren’t gone just yet.

[RELATED: Michael Bay’s Transformers Movies Were Almost Derailed After the First Film]

Hope Lies Not in the Stars but in Comics

In 2023, Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics began running a series of Transformers comics that immediately captured the public’s imagination. Not only have sales been strong for these comics, but they’ve also garnered incredibly positive reviews championing how well they make the various Autobots and Decepticons dramatically compelling characters. Also running simultaneously is another acclaimed Transformers comic book line, Energon Universe, overseen by Invincible creator Robert Kirkman.

Energon Universe also garnered positive marks from readers, particularly for the creative ways it incorporated new details into Transformers lore. While these comic sagas feature visuals and storyline details harkening back to older Transformers mythos, it’s also clear they’re generating fanbases unique unto themselves. Right now, the passionate fervor surrounding these Transformers comics is evocative of how IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics got that franchise back on its feet. The miniseries The Last Ronin especially overhauled expectations for what a Ninja Turtles story could look and feel like.

Those creative risks led to a resurging Ninja Turtles fanbase that was more than ready to embrace new movies like 2023’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Only time will tell if the ongoing comic book exploits of Transformers lead to a similar renaissance. For now, though, these successful comics show that these characters can still garner new fans and anchor compelling stories.

Best of all, they offer a glimmer of hope that this saga can evolve beyond just evoking 1980s nostalgia or reminding people of terrible Michael Bay movies. A fresh generation could have versions of Optimus Prime and Cybertron of their own that rekindle a love for this fictional mechanical world. These Autobots may have been knocked out at the box office, but they’re most certainly not down and out just yet. Like Ninja Turtles, Transformers are finding a brand new lease on life in the wide, exciting world of comic books.

Transformers One is now streaming on Paramount+

The post The Transformers Franchise Is in Trouble (but There’s One Bright Spot) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For years, the worlds of North American comic books and Japanese manga have gone head-to-head in countless ways. While the latter continues to outsell comics from the likes of Marvel and DC, outlets like the Marvel Cinematic Universe rake in untold profits by adapting major comic book storylines. While there have been instances of universes colliding that see classic Marvel superheroes meeting major anime figures, a new X-Men series has been influenced by certain members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Considering the current Marvel series is one for a character who has never had their own comic before, this makes for quite the crossover.

The character known as Magik, aka Illyana Rasputin, has seen some big years in recent memory. Never before having her own solo series until recent days, Magik has made appearances in some big projects as of late. In the multiplayer video game, Marvel Rivals, she can be picked to teleport across the map and use her Soul Sword to strike at enemies. Prior to Marvels, the sister of Colossus was a major character in Marvel’s Midnight Sons. Magik even was a part of a live-action film as she was played by actress Anya Taylor-Joy in Fox’s New Mutants. Finally getting her own Marvel Comic, writer Ashley Allen confirmed that her new take on Illyana has some major influences from the anime world.

[RELATED: Magik Headlines Her First X-Men Solo Series]

Demon Slayer Magic

In a recent interview with outlet AIPT Comics, Ashley Allen explained that Demon Slayer was a major influence on Magik’s current series as the X-Man cuts her way through scores of demons. Here’s what Allen had to say when mentioning the Demon Slayer Corps along with other big anime series that influenced the latest Marvel comic,

“I would say our tone is more supernatural, with a few horror elements sprinkled throughout! In my writing, I always aim to have a sense of hope in every scene while not shying away from those darker elements of a supernatural story. To that end, my goal for this series was to have lots of action combined with softer moments for Illyana’s heart of gold to shine through. I grew up with manga so I wanted to channel my favorite series like Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Demon Slayer, among others.”

Magik’s Supernatural Side

Illyana might be a mutant but her story is set deep in the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe. The X-Man has long been linked to the underworld locale known as “Limbo,” harboring a demonic side of herself known as the Darkchylde. Her mutant powers allow her to create portals that help her to teleport from one spot to another but its in her Soul Sword that her mastery of the supernatural shines through. Rasputin has become such a powerful force in the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe that she has often been thought of as a potential heir to the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Needless to say, Magik’s popularity and new series will continue to take Illyana to new heights in the comics and beyond.

Want to see what the future holds for the Demon Slayer Corps and Marvel’s foray into all things anime? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Demon Slayer and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via AIPT

The post Demon Slayer Inspired New X-Men Series (And Here’s How) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals has taken the gaming world by storm, but it’s also brought in a legion of Marvel fans who are able to play some of their favorite mainstream and not so mainstream characters. With the launch of season 1 this week, there are even more costumes for fans to customize their characters with, including completely original designs and designs pulled from the comics and movies, with the promise of even more to come.

That got us thinking about which comic costumes we’d like to see added to the game, especially as more and more characters are added to the playable roster. Without further ado, we’ve assembled a list of 10 great costumes pulled from the comics that we absolutely need to see in the game ASAP, and if they are given the same treatment as other costumes in Rivals, they could all be must-have additions for fans.

Black Widow: Gray Bodysuit, Hellfire Gala

Starting things off is everyone’s favorite super spy Black Widow, and her core Rivals costume adds some red accents and modern flair to her classic Black suit. She also has her White Widow suit from the MCU, so for her comics additions, the first one we’re starting with is another classic look from the 80s. That would be her grey bodysuit that still maintained the sleekness of her now conic look but added a little flair with an angular collar, a black widow symbol, and yellow Widow Bites gauntlets. It’s rare that this costume doesn’t look cool, and Rivals could certainly work their magic on it with some added elements too.

Widow has several great costumes to choose from, but we’re throwing in a bonus for her. The Hellfire Gala gave us some truly unforgettable costume designs over the last few years, and for 2022’s Gala Russell Dauterman created this beauty of a look that screamed Black Widow but stood out from anything else she’s worn in the past. A huge part of that is the red mask coupled with the long braid that goes almost to the ground, and through a Rivals filter, this suit might just be one of the best in the game if it makes it in.

[RELATED: Marvel Rivals: Who Is Jeff The Shark and Why Do Fans Love Him?]

Captain America: Ultimates World War II

There’s no shortage of memorable Captain America Costumes, but one that has become iconic and rather timeless is the Ultimates World War II design. The militaristic aesthetic and textures on the suit coupled with the goggles, A-adorned helmet, and more angular shield to create an unforgettable look. Even if Rivals gives the suit some touches here and there, as long as they keep the core elements and overall feel, this will be quickly become a favorite.

Moon Knight: Hunter’s Moon

As many choices as there are for Moon Knight in the costume department, this choice was beyond easy. Jed MacKay’s Moon Knight run revealed that there’s actually two Fists of Khonshu, and the other is a man named Yehya Badr, better known as Hunter’s Moon.

Hunter’s Moon is a lot like Moon Knight in terms of abilities, so him being featured as an alternate costume seems like a perfect fit. The suit features more black in the suit with a white cape and white symbol on the forehead to go along with gold gauntlets, boots, and a larger belt. Add a few touches from the Rivals design team and you’ve got an instantly cool costume that is also a huge nod to the Moon Knight comics, and that seems like a genuinely inning combination.

Magik: Phoenix Five

There was a time when several X-Men were in possession of the Phoenix force, becoming known for a time as the Phoenix Five. Magik was part of that group alongside Colossus, Cyclops, White Queen, and Namor, and Marvel Rivals should be able to create something extremely slick based on Magik’s Phoenix Five design. The red and gold of the suit shakes things up from her standard look, though the spiky armor and longer black boots feel tied to that standard, so it still feels familiar. Think this would look pretty rad as Magik tears up the battlefield with her soulsword, right?

Spider-Man: Hellfire Gala

This one was difficult, because aside from Batman, there’s not many with a wardrobe of memorable costumes that can rival Spider-Man. Not going to lie, Scarlet Spider was here for a while, and it’s still my absolute favorite Spider-Man look…but then the Hellfire Gala raised its hand for consideration.

The 2022 Hellfire Gala delivered some truly stunning designs, and one of them was this beauty. Few costumes fit the current Rivals aesthetic better than this Hellfire Gala Spider-Man look, which comes with an almost neon lit Spider design that stretches across the front and back but across the side, and it looks insanely cool and unlike any other Spider-Man design. Thrown in the neon webbed boots, gloves, and eyes, and you’ve got yourself a costume that feels ready made for Rivals from day one.

Fantastic Four: Future Foundation

Like with Anti-Venom, if this set isn’t already in the works it feels like a truly missed opportunity. The Future Foundation costumes have remained one of the best costume redesigns in the modern era, and not just for the Fantastic Four, but for Marvel heroes period. The white and black color scheme and clean modern lines looked fantastic on the page, and they would look just as great in the midst of all the chaos onscreen. Plus, you just released the Fantastic Four, and you could also give one to Spider-Man at some point, so this seems like a no-brainer.

Storm: Age of Apocalypse

We’re heading to an alternate universe for this next one, and that would be one of my favorite all time stories the Age of Apocalypse. Now you could fill a whole list with looks from this alternate future, but we’re going with two of them, starting with Storm. Storm already has a mostly black suit and a mostly white suit in the game, and Storm’s AoA suit actually is a blend of both, with a touch of signature 90s style.

The suit stands out for its relatively sleek design and black and white color scheme, but it also has the puffier look towards the shoulders, the vest-jacket combination that is broken up with the gold sash, and the longer white boots. It also features the shorter hair and the black tattoo around the eye, creating an incredibly memorable look that feels familiar but doesn’t look like anything else currently in Rivals. If you were to give this to the Rivals design team and let them add some of their flair to it, you could have something insanely cool to shake up your Storm costume rotation.

Wolverine: Age of Apocalypse, Horseman of Death

Last but certainly not least is Wolverine, who currently has a few killer costumes already in the game, including his yellow and blue costume and the Old Man Logan-esque look that stole the show of this week’s brand new battlepass. He has plenty more in the vault though, and one of them is the Age of Apocalypse redesign that has become an all time favorite. In Age of Apocalypse, Wolverine sported a blue and red costume that looks good on its own, but when combined with the wilder hair and metal stump over his other hand becomes something else altogether. If Rivals went with this look, you would see quite a few AoA Logans running around the battlefield, and I can’t blame anyone because I’d be right there with them.

Now, if you wanted to do something completely different, you could go with the Horseman of Death design. Logan’s time as the Horseman of Death had him wearing a red cloak around his face and at one point also around his head to hide his identity, and that was combined with a primarily blue armored costume with silver accents and brown straps that held the chest plate and gauntlets in place. If given a Marvel Rivals-style design, you could easily see this being something that caught people’s eye, and it might even help people spot Wolverine more as he darts across the battlefield.

Alright, those are our picks for 10 plus costumes from the comics we hope to see in Marvel Rivals, but let us know which ones you want to see too! You can talk all things Marvel Rivals and comics with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post 10 Comics Costumes We Absolutely Need in Marvel Rivals appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wolverine has made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, with Hugh Jackman returning to play the mutant in Deadpool & Wolverine. Jackman’s return reminded everyone why he’s the longest tenured superhero actor and showed off Wolverine at his best. Wolverine is hot right now and MCU fans can’t wait to see him again. Luckily for them, there are fifty years of amazing comics they can read to get the best Wolverine stories imaginable.

Comics can be very hard to get into and Wolverine comics are no different. It’s hard to know where to start, but luckily this list has you covered. These ten Wolverine stories are the ones that MCU fans need to read. They’ll show MCU fans Wolverine in new ways and are among the best Wolverine stories of all time.

Weapon X-Men

The MCU loves multiverse stories and Deadpool & Wolverine showed off multiple versions of the character. For MCU fans that want a story that brings Wolverines from around the multiverse together, Weapon X-Men, by Christos Gage and Yildray Cinar, will scratch that itch. The story brings together five versions of Wolverine to travel the multiverse and try to stop the nigh-omnipotent villain Onslaught.

This is an exciting story, and is one of the best multiverse stories of the last decade. However, what makes it work so well for MCU fans is that the book goes into detail about each of the Wolverines. It answers any questions they’d have about them and takes each of them on an interesting journey. Weapon X-Men is perfect for fans who want to see Wolverine in a completely different light and succeeds in basically every way.

Weapon X (1995)

Weapon X-Men and Deadpool & Wolverine both feature one of the best multiversal Wolverines – the one-handed Wolverine from the blockbuster X-Men event The Age of Apocalypse named Weapon X. Weapon X #1-4, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert, takes place in an alternate universe where Professor X was killed in the past and Apocalypse took over. The series begins with Logan and Jean Grey working for the Human High Council and battling Apocalypse’s forces. When Logan volunteers to guide the Human armada into North America for a nuclear attack, Jean leaves him, and Logan has to figure out how to get past Apocalypse’s defenses on his own.

Weapon X is one of the better miniseries from The Age of Apocalypse. It tells an interesting story, showing off a very different Wolverine. Many fans wondered who the one-handed Wolverine from Deadpool & Wolverine is, and this book will tell them his best story. Hama is one of the best Wolverine writers of all time – this won’t be the last time he appears on this list – and this story shows that he can work with any kind of Wolverine, even one from a completely different universe.

Old Man Logan

Old Man Logan, by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven, is quite familiar to fans of Deadpool & Wolverine and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. Old Man Logan appeared as one of the multiversal Wolverines that Deadpool tried to recruit and Logan is very loosely based on this story. Old Man Logan takes place in a future where the Marvel villains won. Logan is now a pacifist, working a farm in the Hulk’s territory. In debt to the Hulk Gang, he’s approached by Hawkeye for a bodyguard job, one that will allow him to pay off his debt. The two set off across the US, going on a bloody adventure that readers will never forget.

Old Man Logan is one of the best dystopian future stories out there. It’s dark and violent, with a reveal in the middle that will surprise readers. It’s an amazing piece of Wolverine fiction which perfectly understands the character. While the writing is very good – it’s almost certainly Millar’s best Marvel work – it’s the art that truly makes it sing. McNiven was sensational in this comic, his visual storytelling helping capture the flavor of this dystopian nightmare world.

Enemy of the State

Old Man Logan wasn’t Mark Millar’s first dance with Wolverine. The writer worked on the character before, with the year-long action epic known as Enemy of the State, alongside artist John Romita Jr. Enemy of the State sees Wolverine lured to Japan by the Gorgon, a leader of the magical ninja clan known as The Hand. Gorgon murders Wolverine and resurrects him, controlling his mind and making him join up with Hydra. The mind-controlled Wolverine becomes the greatest weapon of the two terrorist factions, battling the superhero community.

Enemy of the State was originally published as two six-issue story arcs – the first titled “Enemy of the State” and the second titled “Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, which should give readers an idea of where the story goes. These 12 issues are filled with amazing action scenes, showing off why Wolverine is one of the most formidable characters in the Marvel Universe. This story is pure excitement and will impress MCU fans who loved the Wolverine action scenes of Deadpool & Wolverine.

The Shiva Scenario

Wolverine’s past in the Weapon X program changed his life and The Shiva Scenario digs into what they did to his mind. Published in Wolverine (Vol. 2) #48-50, by Larry Hama and Marc Silvestri, the story followed Wolverine as he tried to plumb the depths of his memory. With the help of Professor X and Jean Grey, he finds clues to where Weapon X vivisected his mind. What he finds there is Shiva, a robot planted there to destroy Weapon X subjects who dig too deeply into their memory implants. This leads to a climactic battle against a machine built to kill people like Wolverine.

This story came out in 1991, around the same time as hyped books like X-Men (Vol. 2) #1 and X-Force #1. It was the first Wolverine story of many ’90s fans and did an amazing job of hooking readers. It’s an exciting story that showed just how deep of a character Wolverine can be, setting up his relationships with his friends in the X-Men, and ended with an action-packed bang. It also plays off another Wolverine story on this list, one that digs even deeper into Wolverine’s past.

Related: 3 Times Wolverine Should Have Died (And His Healing Powers Worked Overtime)

Weapon X (1991)

In the early ’90s, Wolverine appeared monthly in the X-Men books, his own solo series, and the anthology book Marvel Comics Presents. In 1991, writer/artist Barry Windsor Smith took over that last book’s Wolverine feature and gave readers Weapon X, which ran through Marvel Comics Presents #72-84. This story focused on the heads of Weapon X as they oversaw the adamantium bonding process on the subject known as Logan. However, something goes terribly wrong, and Logan is able to escape, cutting a bloody swath through Weapon X.

It’s the second story on this list with the title Weapon X, but this story is also one of the most important Wolverine stories of all time. Fans were rabid for information about Wolverine’s origin in 1991, and this story gave them a part of it. Windsor-Smith is one of the comic industry’s greatest talents, and he definitely brought his A-game to this story. Fans got a glimpse of Weapon X in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Apocalypse, and this comic inspired those, making it a must-read.

Not Dead Yet

Wolverine: Not Dead Yet, by Warren Ellis and Leinil Yu, takes place during the bone claw years of Wolverine. These years contain some amazing stories, showing off Wolverine having to learn to fight without his unbreakable claws and skeleton. This plays into Not Dead Yet, as an assassin who knew him in his black ops days known as the Gweilo sets his sights on Wolverine. The Gweilo is among the greatest assassins on the planet, an expert at creating death traps for his quarry. However, the Gweilo’s information is a little out of date and he’s prepared to kill a Wolverine with an unbreakable skeleton.

This story is yet another masterpiece of action storytelling. Wolverine weathers the Gweilo’s assaults, trying survive long enough to strike at the assassin. This story shows Wolverine at his most desperate, but also at his most resourceful. This makes it a great story for MCU fans who want to see the character tested in ways they’ve never seen on the big screen. It’s a gem of the bone claw years.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90

Wolverine and Sabretooth have fought wars over the years. Sabretooth is Wolverine’s greatest foe, and there are lots of great battles between the two for MCU fans to explore. The next two entries on this list show off two of the best. The first comes from Wolverine (Vol. 2) #90, by Larry Hama and Adam Kubert, which takes place during the bone claw years. Wolverine has returned to the X-Mansion – he had left because he feared his loss of adamantium would make him a liability – and finds Sabretooth a prisoner there. He holds himself back from executing his hated enemy, but that changes when he realizes that Sabretooth is about to escape. The two have a knockdown, drag-out fight, one that ends in a way that no one ever would have guessed.

This issue has some amazing fold-out pages that give the story a larger than life feel. Every page is excellent. Hama has written several Wolverine and Sabretooth fights, and he cuts to the core of their hatred for one another in this issue. Kubert, himself one of the greatest Wolverine artists of all time, gives readers a visceral showdown between the two characters, his art capturing the enmity and brutality. This Wolverine/Sabretooth fight is one of the ones MCU fans need to experience. It could easily be called the best Wolverine/Sabretooth story if it wasn’t for the next entry on this list.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10, by Chris Claremont, John Buscema, and Bill Sienkiewicz, is considered by many to be the single greatest single issue of Wolverine ever. The story takes place on Wolverine’s birthday on the island of Madripoor, as he tries to lay low. The reason why is revealed in the issue’s flashbacks, which take place far in the past on his birthday. Coming home from a fishing trip, he finds his girlfriend Silver Fox brutally murdered, with Sabretooth’s stink all over her and their cabin. This leads him to town, where he attacks Sabretooth and learns a painful lesson. Meanwhile, he’s not able to stay out of trouble in the present, constantly looking over his shoulder for his longtime foe.

Wolverine (Vol. 2) #10 presents an important part of Wolverine’s past, from a master of Wolverine. Claremont made Wolverine famous during his run on Uncanny X-Men, and this is easily one of Claremont’s finest forays with the character. John Buscema was a Marvel veteran and this issue saw him inked by Bill Sienniewicz, giving his fluid pencils a very special feel. This is an amazing story, a taut story that gives readers everything they could ever want from a comic. It shows the origins of Wolverine and Sabretooth’s vendetta, making it a must-read for any MCU fan.

Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4

Wolverine became a big star in the late ’70s and early ’80s because of his place on the cast of Uncanny X-Men. It was only a matter of time before he got his own solo series, and that moment came in 1982. Wolverine (Vol. 1) #1-4, by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, saw Wolverine going to Japan to help the love of his life Mariko Yashida. Her father, Yakuza boss Shingen, has married her to one of his flunkies. Wolverine steps in and the more skilled Shingen beats him within an inch of his life. The rest of the story sees Wolverine team up with the wild ninja Yukio, learning to think about how he fights in time for a rematch with Shingen.

This story will be somewhat familiar to longtime fans of the Wolverine movies – The Wolverine partly adapted it. However, the original comic is vastly superior. Claremont is at his finest – few writers can cook like early ’80s Claremont – and working with fellow legend Frank Miller on pencils makes him even better. Miller also turns in some of his best art, capturing the man and warrior that is Wolverine. MCU fans need to experience Wolverine in Japan and this is the finest Wolverine in Japan story of them all.

These Wolverine comics are available from Marvel.

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One of Batman’s most iconic tools may just be the Batmobile. The vehicle is pretty much the vigilante’s Swiss army knife of equipment, serving as everything from transportation to protection to weaponry and beyond and has seen many iterations over the decades. Most recently, DC’s Absolute Batman #2 debuted a brand-new version of the vehicle, on that is more insane than even The Dark Knight Trilogy’s Tumbler but now, the Scott Snyder-written book has done it again, introducing another new version of the Batmobile that makes the case that bigger isn’t always better.

Warning: spoilers for Absolute Batman #4 from Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and Gabriel Hernandez Walta beyond this point.

Absolute Batman #4 gives readers a deeper look into the early moments of Bruce Wayne’s efforts as Batman, revealing some of his first forays into fighting Gotham’s crime — including something of a proto-Batman that not only used a gun but was much more theatrical, complete with face paint and a pair of fangs containing a paralytic that deployed when he bit a foe. But we also see Bruce’s efforts evolve and that leads us to the introduction of what may just be the tiniest ever Batmobile — just don’t let the size fool you because that thing is lethal.

[RELATED: DC Reveals the Tragic Origin & Meaning of Batman’s Wild New Absolute Costume]

While in pursuit of a tractor trailer truck full of weapons and drugs being brought into Gotham by the Maronis and Falcones, Batman uses a radio-controlled car that he’s tricked out to wreck a shipment and subsequently take down the henchmen driving the truck. The tiny Batmobile isn’t anything particularly special; the issue describes it as “a bottle jack. An RC Roadster loaded with a 4600KV, Some black paint. All under a grand,” but it packs a major punch. It also serves as a reminder that while Absolute Batman is an alternative version of the iconic hero with a different origin and vastly different resources, he’s still incredibly intelligent and able to come up with elaborate and effective tools to support his crime-fighting trade.

The tiny Batmobile also isn’t the only new and interesting gadget of sorts that we’re introduced to in Absolute Batman #4. The issue also reveals Bruce testing out a new tool, the Bat-Thumb. That device is a sort of grappling hook but isn’t one that you have to manually throw or fire out of a gun. Instead, it’s a device that’s worn strapped to his hand and wrist that activates with a bend of the hand. Once activated, the Bat-Thumb extends and curls to attach to whatever surface the user plans to anchor themselves to. The issue shows Bruce using it to climb in through a window and while the Bat-Thumb looks like a ridiculous device, it’s one that seems a lot more practical, giving Batman an on-demand device that presumably could have other uses as well.

Between the tiny Batmobile and the new Bat-Thumb, Absolute Batman is really giving readers not just new equipment to be excited about as part of the vigilante’s arsenal, but also serves to highlight that, at the core of this character in any iteration is his ingenuity — which means it will be interesting to see what this version of Batman comes up with next.

Absolute Batman #4 is on sale now.

The post Batman Just Got Another Wild New Version of the Batmobile (And It’s Lethal) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When Disney announced their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, Marvel fans knew it was only a matter of time before the X-Men joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s been five years of a slow rollout, with projects like X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine showing just how rabid fans are for Marvel’s merry mutants. Kevin Feige has said that the next few Marvel projects will start to incorporate mutants more, hyping fans up even more.

The X-Men can be quite a complicated beast (no pun). The mutant corner of the Marvel Universe is its own little fiefdom, one that is completely different in a lot of ways from the mainline Marvel Universe. For MCU fans who want to understand the X-Men side of things, see where the movies could be going, and get more context for events from Marvel Studios projects like X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine, there are some stories that must be read. The 10 X-Men stories listed below are perfect for the MCU fans who want an X-Men primer, readying them for the eventual MCU debut of Charles Xavier’s finest students.

10. The Age of Apocalypse

Deadpool & Wolverine showed several Wolverine variants, including one with one hand. This is Weapon X, the Wolverine from The Age of Apocalypse, a story that is widely considered the greatest alternate reality story in comic history. The premise is simple – Legion, wanting to make Professor X’s life better and spend more time with his father, goes back in time to kill Magneto, but accidentally kills Xavier. Without Xavier to create the X-Men, Apocalypse decides to use mutants to attack the world, conquering the Americas and starting a war with humanity. Magneto decides to form his own team of X-Men to battle Apocalypse, fighting a desperate war against the ancient mutant and his overwhelming power.

The Age of Apocalypse spans two bookend issues and ten miniseries. Not all of them are amazing, but they serve as the most complete look at an alternate universe that Marvel had created up until the first Ultimate Universe premiered in the 2000s. Marvel has printed the entire saga in several omnibuses, making them easy to find, and MCU fans should give them a chance. The MCU loves multiversal stories and they’ll definitely use The Age of Apocalypse at some point. It would behoove fans to be familiar with it, plus it’s a mostly killer story, making reading it a win-win.

9. The Brood Saga

Writer Chris Claremont is the X-Men’s greatest architect. Claremont took the concept of the team and revolutionized it, mixing superhero action with sci-fi, horror, social commentary, and soap opera dynamics that made the members of the team into three-dimensional characters. This list is going to include a lot of Claremont – the man wrote X-Men comics for over twenty years in three different runs as well as several more years writing alternate universe X-Men stories – and the best place to start is with The Brood Saga, from Claremont, Dave Cockrum, and Paul Smith.

The Brood Saga is a sci-fi horror with the X-Men in it. It introduces the Brood, a race of aliens who share a lot in common with the Xenomorphs of Alien fame, and documents the first of many battles the X-Men fought against them. It incorporates the Shi’Ar Empire, which fans of X-Men ’97 are definitely familiar with, and tests the X-Men in entirely new ways. It also proves how well the X-Men work in horror stories, something that the MCU could explore, especially with the fact that Marvel Studios is more liable to go R-rated nowadays.

8. E Is for Extinction

Writer Grant Morrison is one of the comic industry’s greatest scribes. While they’re mostly known for their DC work, Morrison did work at Marvel from 2000 to 2004, and had a forty-issue stint writing the X-Men in New X-Men. Their first story, with artist Frank Quitely, is called E Is For Extinction and it serves as a soft reboot for the X-Men after the chaos of the ’90s. It introduces Deadpool & Wolverine villain Cassandra Nova and shows off her war against her twin brother Professor X, one that costs the lives of sixteen million mutants when her Mega-Sentinels destroy the mutant nation of Genosha.

This story was partly the inspiration for X-Men ’97 but is completely different from that show. It sets up a new team of X-Men – Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Wolverine, Professor X, and former villain Emma Frost – and kicks off a new status quo for the team, one that sees them act more as teachers and mutant rescue workers than superheroes. However, the book has its fair share of action and its epilogue issue sets up the first phase of Morrison’s saga. It’s definitely a different type of X-Men story than MCU fans are used to, but Morrison’s wild creativity is on display and sucks readers in. While Quitely’s art is definitely an acquired taste, it works perfectly for this revolutionary story.

7. Riot at Xavier’s

The Xavier Institute is an important part of the X-Men mythos and the MCU needs to include it. Morrison’s run focuses a lot on the school, and that comes to a head in Riot at Xavier’s, a story that shows that sometimes the reality of anti-mutant bigotry flies in the face of Xavier’s idealistic dream. The story, from Morrison, Quitely, and Keron Grant, introduces readers to Quentin Quire, a mega-powerful telepath who finds out he’s adopted. This shatters his worldview and sees him start to rail against the ideals of the Xavier Institute, forming the Omega Gang, and deciding to start a riot on the day of the school’s open house.

Riot at Xavier’s is unique in the pantheon of the X-Men. It’s rare that an X-Men book so directly questions Xavier’s dream. The themes of youthful rebellion are a lot of fun and it’s nice for MCU fans to get a different view of the school and its students. Riot at Xavier’s shows off what can be done with the X-Men, and it’s an important story in the team’s history.

6. God Loves, Man Kills

God Loves, Man Kills is one of the greatest distillations of all the X-Men’s themes. Claremont went hard in this story, working with artist Brent Anderson, telling the story of the X-Men’s battle against Reverend Stryker and his Purifiers, a group of religious nutjobs who hate mutants. After the murder of two mutant children, the X-Men and Magneto team up to fight the Purifiers and their toxic beliefs, leading to a confrontation that was extremely controversial when the book was published and is as important today as it was then.

God Loves, Man Kills revolves around a villain who perverts religion to fuel bigotry. This is exactly the kind of story that the X-Men should be telling. It’s one of the greatest pieces of social commentary in the history of the superhero comic medium. MCU fans have rarely seen superhero stories like this, which is why they need to experience this powerful yarn. The MCU can often be empty calories, for lack of a better term, and this story is anything but.

Related: 5 X-Men Characters That Were Ruined by the Movies

5. Mutant Genesis

The X-Men’s relationship with Magneto is one of the best protagonist/antagonist relationships in the comic industry. Pretty much anyone who is a fan of superheroes, whether they be movies only or comic readers, knows about it and there are some excellent stories revolving around them. However, the best of these, the one that illustrates the rivalry the best comes from X-Men (Vol. 2) #1-3, from Claremont and Jim Lee, which is collected as Mutant Genesis.

The story sees a group of mutants chased to Magneto’s doorsteps by S.H.I.E.L.D.. The Master of Magnetism saves them and decides that humans need a lesson again about their dealings with mutants. The story introduces the Acolytes, the X-Men’s Blue and Gold teams, and outlines the main plot beats of the war between the X-Men and Magneto. It’s epic in every sense of the word, with Claremont and Lee hitting the next level. This story could easily be used as inspiration for the first MCU movie, which makes it a must-read for MCU fans.

4. Fatal Attractions

X-Men ’97 adapted Fatal Attractions to end its first season, so it’s at least somewhat familiar to MCU fans. The comic is somewhat different, and is one of the better X-Men stories of the post-Claremont 1990s. Magneto decides that he’s going to destroy human civilization and begins to call certain mutants to his new space station Avalon, sending his servant Exodus and the Acolytes to the Earth. This leads to battles with the various X-teams, and Magneto makes his move, detonating a planet-crippling EMP, just like in X-Men ’97. This spurs the X-Men to go and end Magneto’s threat, leading to a battle that almost costs them Wolverine and sees one of Xavier’s most desperate actions.

Fatal Attractions incorporates most of the heroes of the 1990s X-Men universe, showing MCU fans the breadth of the mutant side of things. While there are some things that MCU fans won’t have much context for – like the death of Illyana Rasputin – it’s still pretty new reader-friendly. Taken altogether, it’s an amazing story and is yet another near-perfect Magneto story.

3. Gifted

Morrison’s New X-Men took the X-Men away from their superhero roots, and when Morrison left Marvel – itself an amazing story for another day – the company decided to put the X-Men back in the colorful spandex. Astonishing X-Men: Gifted, from Joss Whedon and the late great John Cassaday, brings Kitty Pryde back to the X-Men and sees them deal with the threat of a new alien villain named Ord and a mutant cure, which represents an existential menace for the team and their students.

Gifted borrows heavily from Claremont – soap opera dynamics combined with big superhero action. Cassaday’s art is beautiful and brings the story to life in the best possible way. It’s hard to say nice things about Whedon in 2025, but his writing is perfect for MCU fans. The story explains everything a new reader needs to know, and has the snarky sense of humor that MCU fans expect from superheroes. It has just the right mixture of action, dramatic stakes, characterization, and humor.

2. Days of Future Past

Claremont worked with some brilliant artists, but most X-Men fans agree that his time working with artist/co-plotter John Byrne shows off some of the best X-Men stories of all time. The two worked well together, and anyone who wants to see peak X-Men needs to read their stories. Days of Future Past represents one of their finest stories as a team, as fans of the X-Men movies know all too well. It takes place in a future where the Sentinels have conquered the Earth, killed most of the superhumans, and put humans into camps, all to keep control of the mutant population. The X-Men decide to make a two-pronged attack – try to destroy the Sentinel’s Master Mold while sending Kate Pryde back in time to stop the assassination that created their timeline.

Days of Future Past is a short story – spanning only two issues of Uncanny X-Men – but its one of the most important stories not only in X-Men history but in Marvel history. Every dark dystopian superhero future owes a debt gof ratitude to this story. Every page is brilliant, the perfect combination of art and prose. This is true art, something that MCU fans need to see. However, it can’t hold a candle to the next story, Claremont and Byrne’s finest hour together…

1. The Dark Phoenix Saga

The Dark Phoenix Saga is widely considered the greatest X-Men story ever, but that’s selling it short. It’s the greatest Marvel story ever, a poetic piece of superhero pop art from Claremont and Byrne. It takes everything that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby set up for superheroes and takes it to the Nth degree. This is perfect Marvel, a story that revolves around the characters and their history while giving readers jaw-dropping action and drama. The Dark Phoenix Saga is truly that good, the perfect synthesis of a creative team as they craft a story that will stick with readers forever after.

The Dark Phoenix Saga revolves around a simple concept – power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. The fall of Jean Grey, exacerbated by the manipulations of the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club, is rendered perfectly by Claremont and Byrne. Claremont has never met a piece of purple prose that he didn’t love, and this story sees him at his most elegiac, every caption inflaming reader’s minds while Byrne’s art gives their eyes a treat unlike any they’ve ever had. This ultimate Marvel story is what every MCU fans needs to experience. Few adaptations have ever done the story justice – fans who went back and watched X-Men: The Animated Series before X-Men ’97 have seen the only good one – which speaks to the kind of accomplishment that this story represents.

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Mathematical news for Adventure Time fans: Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and friends are making their triumphant return to comics this spring, marking their first regular appearance in the medium since the original series concluded in 2018.

Oni Press has announced a fresh monthly series launching in April 2025. The initiative, developed in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products and Cartoon Network, promises to reignite the magic of The Land of Ooo with an impressive roster of contemporary creative talent, according to the official press release.

The series debuts with “Best of Buds,” a story arc crafted by acclaimed cartoonist Nick Winn (Bloody Mary), introducing an unexpected quest for the duo that features new challenges, creatures, and even a previously unseen princess. Subsequent issues will showcase work from an array of distinguished creators, including 2024 Eisner Award winner Caroline Cash (PeePee PooPoo), former Adventure Time writer/storyboard artist Derek Ballard (Cartoonshow), and other notable talents such as Asia Simone (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll), Jorge Monlongo (Over the Garden Wall: Hallow Town), and Brenda Hicke (My Little Pony).

[RELATED – Adventure Time Movie, Spinoffs Announced]

For Winn, the project represents both a creative challenge and a personal connection to the franchise.

“Adventure Time was such a huge part of me growing up,” he shared in the announcement. “Not only was it hilarious, but it had such an emotional intelligence that very few shows could pull off back then. Being able to revisit the land of Ooo through Oni Press has really been such a joy and a challenge to build something new while still keeping the energy and charm the show cast on me in middle school!”

While the main Adventure Time television series concluded in 2018, the franchise has maintained its presence through various projects. These include Adventure Time: Distant Lands, a series of four character-focused hour-long specials that began airing in 2020, and the 2023 spin-off Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, which explored the adventures of Finn and Jake’s gender-swapped counterparts alongside Simon Petrikov, the former Ice King.

Series editor Megan Brown expressed enthusiasm for the new venture, stating, “We’re thrilled to welcome readers back to distant lands with all new adventures featuring their favorite Adventure Time characters. The land of Ooo has long been home to some of the most radically unique comics, and we’re excited to add to their rich legacy with an incredible creative team crafting a story that is full of friendship, heart, and wild new challenges for Finn & Jake to overcome. Best of Buds is the perfect jumping-off point for new readers—and a return to form for old friends!”

This new series follows Oni Press’s recent partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products & Cartoon Network, which has already yielded the Adventure Time Compendium Vol 1. The ongoing series represents the next phase in bringing both classic and original Adventure Time content to comic readers.

Adventure Time #1 arrives in comic shops on April 9, kicking off an exciting new chapter for the popular franchise.

The post A New Adventure Time Series Is on the Way (and Sooner Than Fans Expect) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Marvel Universe has a new boss, and his name is Doctor Doom. The legendary Marvel villain orchestrated events to steal the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme away from Doctor Strange in the finale of Blood Hunt. But after claiming his prize, Doctor Doom has kept a low profile, biding his time until just the right moment to declare to the world his intentions. Well, that time is coming in “One World Under Doom,” a publishing event that will sweep across the Marvel Universe. The main story will be told in a One World Under Doom limited series by Fantastic Four writer Ryan North and artist R.B. Silva.

ComicBook got the chance to talk to Ryan North ahead of the release of February’s One World Under Doom #1, which we had the opportunity to read. We asked North about the storytelling choices made in the debut issue, Doom’s opening salvo and how Earth’s Mightiest Heroes choose to respond, what characters fans should keep their eyes on, the state of the Marvel Universe post-“One World Under Doom,” and much more. We can also show off lettered preview pages for One World Under Doom #1, which goes on sale February 12th.

[RELATED: Marvel’s Doomasaur Returns: Doctor Doom Dinosaur Roars Again in One World Under Doom]

ComicBook: What was the idea behind starting the first issue with a long speech by Doctor Doom? It really helped set the tone for the story.

Ryan North: That was actually the first thing I wrote years ago when I started on it. I wrote the first version of that speech because it’s a Doctor Doom story and I wanted to make sure we knew where Doctor Doom was coming from, why he’s doing this, what he hopes to accomplish. It felt like a cool way to start the issue, with Doom being like, “Hey, I’m taking over the world and here’s why and here’s what we’re going to do.”

On the surface it appears that Doom means well. He’s in favor of universal healthcare and things of that nature. But there’s always a catch with Doom, and we see that come into play with Baron Zemo and Hydra. How will this game of chess between Doom and our heroes escalate as the series continues?

That’s a great question. Doom is someone who is not just smart but knows he’s smart, and likes to outsmart people. In the first issue, he outmaneuvers the heroes from the moment go by just thinking ahead and being smarter. The story of “One World Under Doom,” for the most part, is seeing these heroes react to Doom being in charge and trying to figure out “How do we stop him? How do we fix this? How do we go against someone who is doing his best to try and get people to like him?”

He’s Doctor Doom, he dresses like a scary robot but he’s trying to get people to like him. If you’ve seen the first issue, that woman he saves at the end repeats his slogan back to him. She’s on board.

I’m always interested in the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of how these types of stories and events come together. Was “One World Under Doom” in the works when you began your run on Fantastic Four?

It wasn’t, but it was very shortly afterward we started talking about it. It was in the works for quite awhile. I wrote Issue #7 of Fantastic Four as a Doctor Doom story and I think we started talking about it after that. It’s something that’s been in my head for years and years.

Aside from Doctor Doom, what characters are going to get a bigger spotlight in later issues?

Oh gosh, there’s tons. Slight spoiler, but the next issue has Doctor Doom going to Valeria Richards, his goddaughter, and going, “Look, unlike most people on Earth I care what you think. And I’m going to try and justify this to you.”

The Doom/Valeria relationship is one of my favorite in comics. It’s something on paper shouldn’t work. Why would Doom accept the daughter of his most hated enemy as his goddaughter? But he does and it works. It’s dramatic and operatic, and so satisfying. So that is a relationship I’m pleased to get to explore a bit.

The solicit for the second issue also teases a meeting between Doom and the Fantastic Four? Can you talk about what it’s like to bring these iconic characters together like this, especially in a big event like this?

Part of me almost thinks you need a big event like this whenever you have Reed [Richards] and Doctor Doom in the same room because they are such opposites, but also so much like each other. And neither of them will ever admit it. It’s such a fun dynamic.

Of course, what happens in this “One World Under Doom” event affects the Marvel Universe for the next 10 months, the rest of the year. That obviously touches what goes on in Fantastic Four. There are a lot of one-shot stories and one-and-dones under this status quo of “Doom is in charge and what are we going to do about it?”

This is your first big Marvel event as the head writer, so what’s it been like collaborating with the different editorial teams, and writers and artists on all the tie-ins and one-shots?

It’s been really fun. I’ve never been in this position before. I’m usually the guy doing the tie-ins, which is also fun. One of the things I wanted to do was have the full event written well in advance so that when people do a tie-in it’s not me saying, “Oh, I think this is what’s going to be happening.” Instead it’s, “Here’s the script, here’s what’s going on this month, you can play with that.”

There’s stuff coming up in Avengers and Iron Man that I’m so excited and honestly impressed, like, “Man, I wish I came up with that. That’s a really cool thing [laughs].” I’m very excited for how this is going to go across. It should feel tied together and organic and really, really cool.

[RELATED: Benjamin Percy Sets the Stage for Red Hulk’s Showdown With Doctor Doom]

Looking at the bigger picture, how has it been to work on the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom when all eyeballs will be on them later in the year with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Doom joining the MCU?

It’s been fun and gratifiying. I feel like there are people that think of the Fantastic Four as your grandparents’ superheroes. Like they’re old, they’re not that interesting. But they’re great. They’re really great characters and there’s a reason they’ve stuck around for so long.

I think the fact we’re getting this movie with an exciting, relevant cast will help people realize these are some cool people, with a cool world and cool villains and everything. And bring more eyes to the comics, which is always great.

To wrap up, what will be the state of the Marvel Universe once “One World Under Doom” concludes?

How can I answer this one without spoiling? I guess I can say that where this story ends is not where it begins. There are things that come out of this story that are going to have to be dealt with by everyone else.

Everyone always says, “This story is going to have consequences.” There’s stuff beyond this story that I think, “Wow, I’m glad I don’t have to write the next event because this is a big thing to pick up on.”

The post One World Under Doom: Ryan North Reveals Doctor Doom’s Plans for the Marvel Universe appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s the sidekicks’ time to shine in the Marvel Universe. Marvel has quietly been sprinkling in new young heroes throughout several comics over the last year, all leading up to the launch of a New Champions series. While covers for New Champions have featured a hefty number of characters, the debut issue only starts with four characters officially on the team. Now, you certainly can have a superhero team with a small roster, but that doesn’t explain the cover art and promise of a wide range of sidekicks. The answer to this problem calls for a recruitment drive, except it comes in an unexpected fashion. WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for New Champions #1. Continue reading at your own risk!

New Champions #1 comes from the creative team of Steve Foxe, Ivan Fiorelli, IG Guara, Arthur Hesli, and VC’s Travis Lanham. It begins with the four New Champions — Moon Squire, Liberty, Cadet Marvel, and Hellrune — stopping The Brothers Grimm from stealing a vault. Afterward, they head back to their respective parents, but the only problem is that Hellrune lives with a foster family. All of their parents know they are superheroes, but Hellrune is the only one has gaps in her backstory.

[RELATED: Marvel Officially Reveals a New Team of Super Teens (And They’re Not the Young Avengers)]

She tries to solve the mystery of her past by sending ravens out to track down her real family. One raven returns with word of Hellrune’s aunt, so she teleports to an island off the coast of Norway. Meanwhile, Liberty reveals she’s put invisible hard-light tracers on everyone’s costumes so she can track their whereabouts, which is how she knows Hellrune is in Norway. The problem is Hellrune’s tracker went dead. Just as the New Champions start to discuss what their next move is going to be, Hellrune’s birds show up repeating, “Bring me the New Champions!” bringing the threesome to Hellrune’s location.

The New Champions recruit Spider-Boy, Hulkette, Amaranth and more

Just as the New Champions get their bearings, they’re attacked by a hoard of Norse zombies. Right before one of the zombies gets the drop on Liberty, Fantasma shows up to save her. Fantasma is a roller derby-winning Spirit of Vengeance who made her debut in Ghost Rider: Robbie Reyes Special #1. Think of Fantasma as a slightly less intimidating Ghost Rider that blazes a trail on rollerblades instead of a motorcycle or car.

Fantasma was brought to Norway by Hellrune’s birds, the same as the New Champions. Hellrune appears and reveals that she was tricked into walking into a ritual sigil used to resurrect the undead Vikings and trolls. She was able to escape and asked her mystical spear to bring her the New Champions. The spear did its job by teleporting her teammates to her location, but since her request was broad and not specific, it cast a wide net across the Marvel Universe.

Just then Spider-Boy comes crashing in riding atop a massive zombie. He’s followed by six more sidekicks, including characters we’ve already been introduced to like Amaranth (Scarlet Witch’s protege) and Hulkette. There’s also a magician named Monte, someone with cosmic-like powers, and a mini Juggernaut. Some of these young heroes will officially become New Champions, though Marvel teases that others may go down a darker path.

The post Marvel’s Next Generation of Heroes Just Went on a Major Recruiting Drive appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wednesday’s Amazing Spider-Man #65, from writer Joe Kelly and artist Carlos Alberto Fernández Urbano, is “one of the most emotional comics I’ve ever worked on,” editor Nick Lowe teased in December. The poignant issue, which is part 5 of the 10-part 8 Deaths of Spider-Man saga, sees Peter Parker suffer a fate worse than death: being powerless but to watch everyone he loves die.

Kelly’s run began with Doctor Doom, the new Sorcerer Supreme, choosing Spider-Man to be Earth’s champion against the Eight Scions of Cyttorak — the children of the dark god of destruction who empowers the unstoppable Juggernaut. To aid him in his fateful task, Doom equipped Spider-Man with an arcane armor to protect him and give him access to the mystic arts, and eight of the life-restoring Reeds of Raggadorr.

RELATED: Spider-Man’s 8 Deaths Continue in Crossover With the X-Men

Spider-Man spent the first of his eight extra lives when he was pulled apart on an atomic level by Cyntros (cause of death: spaghettification). The second was spent against the Scion Cyperion (cause of death: instantaneous dissolution of atoms through an infinitely recursive fold of space). The third was spent against the time-jumping Cyrios (cause of death: consciousness simultaneously split across past, present, and future).

When he was challenged by Callix and his sister Cyra, Spider-Man defeated Callix without suffering another excruciating death in the process. But then Cyra presented Spider-Man a different challenge: to win, he must hold Cyra’s crimson sphere until he can no longer bear it. The orb shows only “truth,” she says, and with it, another type of pain: “The inevitability of death.”

Over the next eight pages, Cyra’s sphere shows Spider-Man the deaths of everyone he’s ever loved. His once cancer-stricken Aunt May is hospitalized by the Essex Virus that kills over three million people in a month. The 79-year-old chooses to offer her bed to someone with a greater likelihood of survival, and so May Parker dies “wishing that she could have kissed her Peter, her son, one last time,” Cyra taunts.

Peter’s ex, Mary Jane Watson, dies in Spider-Man’s arms after she’s fatally wounded during a battle between the Hobgoblin and her superhero alter-ego Jackpot. J. Jonah Jameson, Peter’s former boss (and former family member by marriage), suffers a brain embolism at his desk. His girlfriend, Shay Marken, is struck and killed by a drunk driver. Randy Robertson, Peter’s activist friend and former roommate, is trampled to death at a rally addressing the housing crisis.

Felicia Hardy, Spider-Man’s former lover and partner, falls to her death while prowling the city as the Black Cat. Betty Brant, another friend and former coworker, dies in her bed surrounded by loved ones. The reformed Norman Osborn dies in a science experiment and is forgotten by history. Young Bailey Briggs (Spider-Boy), Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider), and Miles Morales (Spider-Man) die in the Cataclysm.

Spider-Man knows these deaths aren’t inevitable. These are potential fates in a future that has yet to be written. And yet Peter bears witness to these deaths, feeling them, all of his loved ones shepherded from life by Phil Coulson, the embodiment of Death. “Everything that lives, dies,” Coulson tells the anguished Spider-Man as he dutifully escorts countless lives into the arms of Death. And Spider-Man is powerless to save any of them.

“It’s not the pain of dying. You have felt it before,” Cyra tells Spider-Man. “You’ve died yourself. It’s not the fear, though that can be terrible at times… but you understand fear. It’s not the loss itself, great as it may be… sorrowful as it is… uncelebrated, unnoticed, or even heralded. What you understand now with crystal clarity each time you see a fellow human die… is the utter lack of impact they had on the world. With a long enough view to the horizon of the cosmos, no single life matters.”

Cyra continues, “A foundational element of your worldview is crumbling more with every death to which you bear witness. Everyone dies. Everyone is forgotten. Every legacy ends. Every great work is lost. You came from nothing… you return to nothing. Life is nothing. This is why you fight… in defense of ephemeral whispers who were dead the instant they were born… trapped in meaningless lives with inevitable ends whose echoes fade and leave only… silence.”

RELATED: 8 Deaths of Spider-Man Explained: Where to Start Reading the New Era of The Amazing Spider-Man

Spider-Man, feeling the weight of each vanishing life, collapses in Coulson’s arms. As Callix takes the opportunity to beat the champion to death, Spider-Man never lets go of the sphere. He endures. Coulson tells Spider-Man that he held on through Cyra’s trial, and now only three Scions remain — all of them worse than the five he’s faced so far.

Back at his apartment, Peter is reminded by Doctor Strange’s astral form what’s at stake should the covenant be broken: the world falls. And though Spider-Man lives, Cyra’s trial killed — extinguished — something within Peter Parker, who regretfully declares: “I quit.”

The Amazing Spider-Man #65 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.

The post Marvel Has Spider-Man’s Loved Ones Die in the Most Tragic Way Possible appeared first on ComicBook.com.

DC vs. Vampires: World War V, by Matt Rosenberg and Otto Schmidt, continues the story of a world smashed by a vampire plague. There are shades of DCeased here, but DC vs. Vampires has always been able to hold its own because of Rosenberg and Schmidt’s vision, something that becomes apparent in the latest issue. World War V has seen the uneasy truce between humans and the ascendant vampires, end. Each side is looking for the child of Mister Miracle and Big Barda and issue six sees the results of that search, which spells doom for Aquaman when the real threat behind the little girl shows up.

Aquaman Makes a Terrible Mistake

The issue kicks off with the heroes and the vampires getting to Mister Miracle’s family at about the same time. Vampire-Aquaman has already taken Scott Free and his daughter, while the heroes have found Big Barda. Aquaman, sent by Grodd to retrieve the child alive, decides instead to drown her and Mister Miracle. Jayna, the only remaining Wonder Twin, tries to stop him, but Mera shows up and uses her hydrokinesis to stop Jayna’s water construct, allowing Aquaman to drown Mister Miracle and the little girl.

The heroes go home, with Green Arrow and Lois Lane arguing over his recent attack on Gotham City and the breaking of the truce with the vampires, with the vampire Damian Wayne revealing that Alfred may have survived the Gotham attack. A mysterious stranger asks about Scott Free’s daughter and learns that she’s dead, just as the vampire army, led by Queen Gordon, Grodd, and Aquaman, march on the human stronghold. The stranger is revealed to be Metron (the first indication of what’s coming), and the vampire army arrives to break up the humans’ pow-wow. The two sides face off, with Supergirl trying at first to get the vampires to respect the truce despite both sides’ actions, and then drawing a line in the snow, leading to a massive battle.

Related: DC Reveals New Look at DC vs. Vampires Sequel

The human forces are outnumbered and Aquaman asks Queen Gordon if she wants him to send in the rest of the army. She says she likes to see them fight while they still have hope when a familiar villain shows up: the God of Evil known as Darkseid. He reveals that he sent Granny Goodness, whom none of the vampires recognized, to get the vampires to retrieve the daughter of Barda and Scott Free because Darkseid wanted his granddaughter by his side.

Aquaman sasses Darkseid, telling him that the vampires don’t care about his commands and that he should leave now so they can destroy the humans. The underwater monarch then reveals that he killed the young girl, robbing Darkseid of his prize. Darkseid takes that as well as expected, grabs Aquaman, and crushes him, with the Atlantean vampire dying in an explosion of blood, bone, and viscera. Darkseid then commands his Boom Tubes to open, sending in legions of Parademons to destroy both sides.

Darkseid’s Arrival Completely Changes the Conflict of DC vs. Vampires

DC vs Vampires has stayed pretty Earthbound, but it was only a matter of time before Darkseid got involved in the whole conflict. The loss of his granddaughter has caused him to decide that the Earth is surplus, which completely changes World War V‘s story. Darkseid has a nearly inexhaustible supply of Parademons to throw at both sides of the war, and doesn’t care about the survival of the humans or the vampires. There’s really only one way for both sides to survive – to team up against the God of Evil and his forces – and even that’s not going to guarantee Earth will weather this conflict.

The death of Aquaman is something of a shock. The vampire Atlantean definitely deserves Darkseid’s judgment – he drowned a little girl – but DC’s pushing Aquaman pretty hard elsewhere, so seeing him die in such an anti-climactic manner feels weird. However, it’s quite satisfying as far as it goes and definitely hurts the vampire forces. Aquaman was one of their leaders and losing him is going to weaken them in the conflict to come.

This series is about to completely change and that’s a good thing. These types of stories often come down to the much-reduced humans somehow triumphing over the more numerous and powerful monsters, but injecting the forces of Apokolips into things sets World War V apart from stories like DCeased. It’ll be interesting to see how Rosenberg and Schmidt develop this new facet of the conflict.

DC vs. Vampires: World War V #6 is on sale now.

The post DC’s Aquaman Just Suffered an Extremely Gruesome Death appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The romance between Rogue and Magneto that heated up X-Men ’97 is about to be explored in a whole new manner. Longtime X-Men fans remember Rogue and the Master of Magnetism’s love affair in the Savage Land, but for viewers of the X-Men animated series on Disney+, it was all-new ground. Rogue gets the spotlight in an X-Men five-issue limited series that goes back to that era for a never-before-seen adventure that promises to reveal new details and insight into Rogue and Magneto‘s relationship. X-Men ’97 viewers and any X-Men fans will want to see what happened when Rogue lost her powers and got stranded in the Savage Land.

ComicBook has the exclusive preview of Rogue: The Savage Land #1 by Tim Seeley, Zulema Lavina, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Ariana Maher. It starts with Rogue recapping her transformation after going through the Siege Perilous, a magical crystal portal to the multiverse that leaves a person changed dramatically. For Rogue that means losing the powers she stole from Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers). After a detour to Australia — where she was hunted by a mind-controlled Ms. Marvel — Rogue teleported to the Savage Land.

[RELATED: X-Men Reveals Why Magneto Is in a Wheelchair, and It Ties Back to the Krakoan Era]

We now find Rogue in a Tarzan-like outfit crafted with whatever clothes she had on her back. She’s made a fishing rod by attaching a pointy rock to a staff to poke at the fish through the water. The Savage Land is a prehistoric land forgotten in time, full of dinosaurs and other large creatures. We see two of these behemoths collide in an example of “survival of the fittest.” Rogue lays out five rules for surviving in the Savage Land, with Number 5 being that it’s not a place for the bashful. The preview ends with a splash page of Rogue in an even skimpier outfit than what she had on earlier.

“In these five issues, I get to utilize my love for 80s X-Men, Jim Lee, Chris Claremont, Zabu, scantily clad heroines (and heroes!), and probably most importantly: DINOSAURS,” Seeley told Polygon, where the series’ announcement first appeared. “Alongside my collaborator Zulema Lavina, we’re going to deliver something fresh, while honoring the impossibly sexy and epic classic tale of a young Rogue, and two of the weirdest allies a girl from Mississippi could ask for: Magneto and Ka-Zar.”

“JOURNEY INTO THE LOST WORLD WITH ROGUE, MAGNETO, KA-ZAR AND MORE!” a description of Rogue: The Savage Land #1 reads. “The X-Man called Rogue has always been a survivor, but without her mutant powers, she’ll need to prove it like never before! As the Savage Land turns toward war, Rogue will need all her skills to survive dinosaurs, mutates and the Master of Magnetism himself! Writer Tim Seeley (LOCAL MAN) and new artist sensation Zulema Scotto Lavina tell a lost story of a lost world!”

Rogue: The Savage Land #1 goes on sale Wednesday, January 15th.

The post Marvel Revisits the Origin of Rogue and Magneto’s X-Men ’97 Romance appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Star Wars: The Acolyte contained visions of a future that would never come to pass. The eight-episode Disney+ series introduced twin sisters Osha and Mae Aniseya (Amandla Stenberg) — one a former Padawan of the Jedi Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae), and the other a Sith apprentice of the masked Stranger (Manny Jacinto) — the result of a vergence in the Force capable of creating life. The daughters of the Force-wielding witch Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), killed by Sol 16 years earlier on Brendok, converged on their home planet in “The Acolyte” episode, which ended with the sisters switching places as Osha accepted a role as the Stranger’s acolyte.

Master Vernestra (Rebecca Henderson) covered up the truth with a lie told to the Senate tribunal, then went to the mind-wiped Mae to help her track down her pupil who turned to the dark side. Osha took her sister’s place at the Stranger’s side, suggesting the story was to continue in another chapter of the High Republic era.

But in August 2024, just a month after that season 2-teasing finale, Disney canceled The Acolyte after one season. Nevertheless, the show’s characters continue to appear in the ever-expanding Star Wars galaxy: fan-favorite Jedi Knight Yord and Padawan learner Jecki are starring in a new YA prequel novel after Marvel Comics featured the Wookiee Jedi Kelnacca in a one-shot comic book last summer.

And now Osha, Mae, and Mother Aniseya will feature on a series of Marvel Black History Month variant covers in February (see them below). The covers — which will adorn issues of Marvel’s Star Wars: The Legacy of Vader and Star Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi — will also spotlight Vail from the Star Wars: Outlaws video game and original Star Wars trilogy and sequel trilogy hero Lando Calrissian.

The artists are Mateus Manhanini (Marvel’s Storm), Karen S. Darboe (Bloodline: Daughter of Blade), Ernanda Souza (Black Panther), and Ken Lashley (Venom War: Wolverine).

“We were happy with our performance, but it wasn’t where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season 2,” Disney Entertainment Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman later explained of the decision not to renew The Acolyte. “So that’s the reason why we didn’t do that.”

The series proved divisive among fans: on Rotten Tomatoes, The Acolyte‘s audience rating is just 19 percent compared to critics’ 72 percent.

“Of course I’m very sad about the show being canceled, and I’m sad about us not being able to give people invested in it more,” Stenberg shared on social media, “[but] I still just feel a lot of levity and joy around the fact that I got to experience it and that people loved it and that people were so responsive.”

STAR WARS: THE LEGACY OF VADER #1 Black History Month Variant Cover by Karen S. Darboe

On sale: Feb. 5

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC – FEAR OF THE JEDI #1 Black History Month Variant Cover by Mateus Manhanini

On sale: Feb. 19

STAR WARS: AHSOKA #8 Black History Month Variant Cover by Ernanda Souza

On sale: Feb. 19

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER ADAPTATION #1 Black History Month Variant Cover by Ken Lashley

On sale: Feb. 26

The post Star Wars Spotlights The Acolyte Characters After Disney+ Series Cancellation appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The mystery of who the new, gold-wearing Venom in Marvel’s comics remains one of the biggest questions in the industry today. Writer Al Ewing and artist Carlos Gomez have thrown out some interesting picks for the superhero bonded to the symbiote this time around as Luke Cage, Rick Jones, Madame Masque, and Robbie Robertson all might fit the bill. While Venom can sometimes be as serious as a heart attack, it’s clear that the creative team is having fun with the “new” character and have given the hero some wild villains to tackle. If you ever had “Venom fights an Evil Gritty” on your bingo card, today might be your lucky day.

All-New Venom #2 continues to keep its protagonist’s identity under wraps, though it does offer more clues as to who took the symbiote from its predecessors, Eddie and Dylan Brock. While this new symbiote crime fighter appears to have his heroic duties on lock, Eddie Brock’s son wants nothing more than to get his symbiote back. The “Venom War” changed the game to a wild degree, with the Brocks losing their living costume and Eddie actually becoming the new Carnage in a crazy twist. In an issue with plenty of twists and turns, the “Evil Gritty” and his cohorts might take the cake for eye-popping moments.

[RELATED: Meet Marvel’s New Venom and Its Four Possible Hosts]

Chuck Stuff: The Evil Gritty

The “Death Throws” are a new villainous organization that appears to be made up of super-villain jugglers. Touted as “New York’s oldest surviving organized theme-criminal collective,” both Ewing and Gomez are clearly having fun with this new concept. The collective includes characters like Tenpin, Heave-Ho, Fair Shake, Tosser, and more. Of course, Chuck Stuff is the most striking of the group, clearly tailored to appear and act like a villainous version of the Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot Gritty.

In some hilarious scenes, “Chuck Stuff” expresses his Philadelphian accent and hurls Philly cheesesteaks at the new Venom, truly living up to his name and aesthetic. While the evil Gritty might have been defeated by Venom, the antagonist has such a hilarious concept that we’re hoping to see him return in the future.

The All-New Gritty

While Gritty remains a part of the Philadelphia Flyers’ line-up, he has made appearances in various television shows since his introduction. Making cameos in episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Abbott Elementary, Family Guy, Saturday Night Live, and more, it’s impossible to debate that Gritty is one of the most popular mascots in sports’ history. It will be interesting to see if “Chuck Stuff” makes an appearance in future Marvel comics based on their initial appearance here.

The new Venom’s identity has yet to be revealed though a surprising final page might rule out Luke Cage according to Dylan Brock. However, the long-tongued hero is, it’s sure to come as a surprise whenever their true face is shown.

Want to stay updated on the future adventures of Chuck Stuff? Follow us here at ComicBook.com for all the latest Marvel updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post All-New Venom Fights An Evil Gritty In One Of Comics’ Strangest Battles appeared first on ComicBook.com.

There was a time when X-Men fans almost got to see Charles Xavier’s original students don all-new costumes and superhero identities. Joe Casey had a heralded run as writer of Uncanny X-Men and other X-adjacent titles, such as the underrated X-Men: Children of the Atom limited series that retold the origins of the first class of X-Men — Cyclops, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), Iceman, Angel, and Beast. Casey returns to the franchise for Weapon X-Men, and in the lead-up to the launch he’s revisiting some old pitches from the past that never got approved. One of those involves the original X-Men “graduating” with updated costumes and codenames.

“So here’s something that might be marginally interesting… at least from some sort of vague, historical perspective. Let’s talk about another project that did not achieve liftoff,” Joe Casey wrote in his Substack newsletter. He then revealed he’d been talking with X-Force artist Mike Allred about collaborating on a future project. One idea was to make it a sequel to X-Men: Children of the Atom. The comic would have been titled X-Men: Amazing Adventures, with “Amazing Adventures” being a callback to the title that Marvel would occasionally use on books such as the reprints of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Amazing Adventures of the Original X-Men.

[RELATED: Christos Gage on Assembling an All-Wolverine Team in Weapon X-Men (Exclusive)

“Basically, the hook of X-MEN: AA would be the following… NEVER BEFORE REVEALED! THE FINAL EXAM! That’s the way to sell it… that this previously untold tale examines the original X-Men’s most ‘amazing adventure’, playing hooky from Xavier’s school in all-new superhero identities,” Casey revealed. “It starts off innocently enough, but soon escalates into a much bigger roller coaster ride for the kids, who quickly realize they’ve gotten in over their heads.”

The X-Men would gradually go from fighting street crime against the likes of Kingpin to battling a new Masters of Evil. This would catch the eye of S.H.I.E.L.D., who recruit the heroes to take down a Hydra sect. Their final mission would be to travel to Latveria to defeat Doctor Doom.

“So, I know what I just described sounds like a pinball machine out of control, but there’s a coherent thruline to all this stuff,” Casey wrote. “One villain leads to another.  And the idea is that, with each escalation, the kids are shitting themselves… as in, ‘This is getting much bigger than we thought it would!’ Now, in the end, we’ll reveal that Prof. X knew about their extracurricular activities the entire time, and was even quietly pulling a few strings behind the scenes.  It was all part of their final exam as X-Men.”

Original X-Men’s new superhero identities revealed

One of the big calling cards for X-Men: Amazing Adventures would have been the new costumes and codenames the original X-Men adopted. Mike and Laura Allred already did a fantastic job coming up with the visual look for X-Force/X-Statix, so Joe Casey was hoping he could do the same for his X-Men pitch. Below is his breakdown of the original X-Men and their new superhero names.

MASTER BLASTER (Cyclops) – I was thinking, since Cyclops might be the most hesitant to go along with this scheme, he would wear a full-face mask (like Spider-Man or the Black Panther) with cool-looking sunglasses built into the mask. Within each “lens” of the sunglasses are mini-visors (slits cut horizontally across the center of each lens… so when he uses his optic beams, he fires TWO beams simultaneously). Other than that, it’s wide open for your design genius.

AVENGING ANGEL (Angel) – Angel will be the one who instigates this entire thing, harkening back to his pre-X-Men days as the costumed superhero, the Avenging Angel.  My only idea for this is to go back to the Steve Rude design from the first issue of the CHILDREN OF THE ATOM mini-series (or a slight variation on it).  The idea being that Angel just pulled out his “original” costume and used it here.

JACK FROST (Iceman) – Taking his new name from a Golden Age hero, Iceman is the character that I think needs the most radical design.  After all, he’s simply an “ice man” when he’s a student.  As Jack Frost, he definitely needs some kind of uniform to cover the majority of his “ice” form.  Also, I think it’s worth it go with the more “crystallized” version of Iceman, as opposed to the early Kirby, “soft serve” version that had no facial expression whatsoever.  Maybe, as Jack Frost, this was the first time that Bobby Drake realized he could have a more solid form, and more of a face with that form.  As far as his uniform, I always thought that blue/black leather gear would look good against his ice skin.  Maybe a jacket (kinda like what you’ve put on Madman every so often) over some simple kind of costume…

MAGPIE or REDWING (Marvel Girl) – I’m torn on which name is better for Jean Grey.  Any suggestions, Mike…?  In any case, I think the only thoughts I have on her are that RED should be the primary color of her costume, and that it should utilize some sort of “bird” motif (if, for no other reason, to telegraph the fact that one day Jean will become the Phoenix… and readers might dig it if we somehow gave a nod to it here).

STOMP (Beast) – Okay, for the Beast, I figure he wants to disguise the features that he normally displays as an X-Man, primarily his bare feet and bare hands.  I thought it might be cool if he sported these insanely big Doc Martin-style boots (but more stylized, more colorful, more “superhero-y”) that had these intense, treaded soles.  Hence, the name, “Stomp”.  Yes, as Stomp, he’s still an insane acrobat, but his primary offensive attack is using his boots to kick the shit out of people.  Kinda’ like Gorgon from the Inhumans. 

Weapon X-Men #1 by Joe Casey and Chris Cross goes on sale February 19th.

The post Marvel Almost Rebooted the Original X-Men With New Names, Costumes (and It Could Have Worked) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Batman is possibly the most popular superhero ever. One of the most formidable superheroes, The Dark Knight has a reputation not only as being The World’s Greatest Detective, but when it comes to more formidable foes, that with prep time, he can defeat pretty much anyone. Over the years, he has taken down plenty of extremely skilled and powerful villains leaving little doubt Batman is the best of the best, and often times it’s hard to imagine him beaten.

But Batman isn’t infallible. Over the years, several DC villains have been able to take down Gotham’s greatest hero, trouncing Batman in variety of ways. These are 7 DC villains that have earned some rather epic wins over the Dark Knight, showing that he isn’t invincible, no matter how formidable he is.

The Joker

The Joker is one of Batman’s most well-known villains, and is the among most popular supervillains ever. The Joker and the Batman’s war has taken both of them to some rather dark places, with Batman constantly having to hold himself back from killing the Clown Prince of Crime. While Batman almost always triumphs over the Joker, there have been some times when the Joker has been able to defeat his archfoe, one of the most notable times coming in the 2014 story known as Batman: Endgame.

Written by Scott Snyder, in Endgame, Joker was able to use Joker toxin to get the Justice League to attack Batman and constantly nipped at the Dark Knight’s heels. Eventually, he was able to get into the Batcave and the two foes had an epic battle. They tore each to pieces, and technically this battle was a draw. However, both of them ended up dead afterwards – resurrected by a Lazarus Pit-like liquid that ran under the Batcave – so this counts as one of Joker’s most brutal victories over Batman.

The Riddler

The Riddler and Batman have clashed for years and while The Riddler isn’t a physical threat to Batman – although recent years have seen creators make him much more physically imposing – his genius has been enough to challenge Batman. The Riddler is constantly trying to outsmart Batman and has been able to do it several times. The Riddler’s biggest victory over Batman isn’t one where he beat the Dark Knight physically, but one where he was able to move Batman around like a chess piece.

The Riddler was the mastermind of the classic Batman story Hush. Written by Jeph Loeb, in Hush The Riddler met Tommy Elliott and used his connections with Gotham’s villain community to help Hush in his attacks on Bruce Wayne. The Riddler learned Batman’s secret identity and was able to keep him guessing until the very end of the Hush affair. While Batman was able to eventually to figure out that Riddler was the true mastermind, the fact that Riddler was able to stay in the shadows for so long and learn Batman’s secret identity is one of the greatest losses that Batman has ever suffered. The Riddler sustained a brain injury and forgot Batman’s identity, but for a time he had a weapon that most other Batman villains wish they had.

Bane

Bane has jumped over many other villains to become one of Batman’s greatest foes. He did this by defeating Batman in the classic story Batman: Knightfall. In 1993’s Knightfall, Bane attacked Gotham, breaking open Arkham Asylum, and forcing Batman to race all over the city in order to apprehend all of the released villains. Bane ran the Dark Knight ragged and then attacked him, breaking the back of the Batman, leaving him paralyzed. This forced Azrael to become Batman, with Bruce Wayne leaving Gotham in order to find a way to heal his broken body.

While many consider this Bane’s greatest victory, Bane also has a second big time victory over Batman that is more impressive to some. In Tom King’s Batman run, specifically the “City of Bane” arc, Bane decided to attack Batman and went into overdrive to show his tactical genius. Bane created a plan that involved many of Batman’s greatest villains, and Batman never realized that everything he went through was a part of a plan that Bane created to defeat him and throw him out of Gotham City. Bane even ended up killing Alfred. Bane’s defeats of Batman make a great argument for him being Batman’s most dangerous – and greatest – foe.

Darkseid

Darkseid is sometimes considered the greatest villain in the DC Multiverse and for good reason. Darkseid is the God of Evil, a multiversal force whose only goal is the complete and total enslavement of the entire multiverse. He’s out of Batman’s league in a lot of ways, but Batman’s place in the Justice League means that he’s faced off against Darkseid several times. For example, in an alternate future where Darkseid took over the world, Batman was able to fool Darkseid into thinking he was DeSaad, Darkseid’s chief torturer, and allowed the surviving Leaguers to attack Darkseid. However, Darkseid killed him in that alternate timeline.

[Related: DC Reveals the Tragic Origin & Meaning of Batman’s Wild New Absolute Costume]

In the main universe, Darkseid was eventually able to get the Anti-Life Equation, and attacked the Earth. He made sure to capture Batman, wanting to use clones of him as shocktroopers to use in his armies. Batman was able to escape and confronted the God of Evil, preparing to shoot him with a Radium, a god-killing element, bullet that Batman had found in the body of Darkseid’s son Orion. Darkseid used the Omega Effect before Batman shot him, throwing the hero back in time, causing everyone to think he was dead. However, it was all part of Darkseid’s revenge plan. Batman was pursued through time by a demon created by Darkseid, building up Omega energy as he moved forward. The plan was that when Batman reached the present, he would explode and destroy the multiverse, avenging Darkseid’s loss. However, Batman and Tim Drake were able to stop this eventuality.

The Orghams

The Ogrham family is an ancient one, having dealing with Ra’s al Ghul in the distant past. The family gained a measure of immortality – with son Arzen and matriarch Dariah surviving into the present day – and became fabulously wealthy, mastering magic and using the reality altering Thelemus Engine to manipulate the world around them. Their money made them one of Gotham’s founding families, and their servants had violent dealings with one of Batman’s ancestors in Gotham City’s early days. Eventually, they decided to return to the city, wanting to take back what they saw as their property.

Batman stood in their way, but they were able to out think at every turn. Using their wealth, they were able to hire Gotham’s villains to attack Batman and used their servants – the lycanthrope Gael Tenclaw, the priestess of serpents Shavhod Erhad, and the fleshcrafter Neang Modhram – to keep Batman on his toes. With the help of the Thelemus Engine, they were able to turn Gotham against Batman, eventually arresting him and staging a public execution, all while Batman battled a demon placed in his mind by them. Catwoman and a group of allies were able to rescue and spirit him out of the city to Talia al Ghul, during which the Orghams took complete control of the city. While Batman was able to come back and depose them, the Orghams were one of the few villains to actually take Gotham from Batman.

Ra’s al Ghul

Ra’s al Ghul has been operating for centuries, moving in the shadows of the world. He’s amassed more power than many countries, leading the League of Assassins, and has played a silent role in world history. Using the Lazarus Pits to stay alive, al Ghul is one of Batman’s most cunning foes. He’s a master strategist and combatant, and has challenged Batman in a number of ways. He’s also defeated Batman.

Ra’s al Ghul has killed Batman. The two had a sword fight and al Ghul was able to use his centuries of experience with a blade to kill the Dark Knight. Batman was resurrected by al Ghul’s daughter Talia, using one of the Lazarus Pits to bring back the man she fell in love with. This was the first time that Batman had faced off against Ra’sl al Ghul and after this, the Dark Knight never took the Demon’s Head lightly, knowing exactly what the villain was capable of.

Failsafe

First appearing in Chip Zdarsky’s 2022 Batman run, Failsafe is a creation of Batman which makes this villain one of the hero’s own design. Batman is always known for making plans for everything, and made plans to deal with the Justice League should things go sideways with those heroes. He also made plans to deal with himself in case his mind was ever taken taken over and that was the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, an alternate personality that would allow him to break free of any mental attack. Zur-En-Arrh then created Failsafe, a robot that combined all of Batman’s anti-metahuman technology with his database on how to defeat anyone he’s went up against. Failsafe was basically unstoppable and would only be activated if Batman killed someone.

When Batman was blamed for a death, Failsafe came online and went after him. The robot tore through all of Batman’s allies, whether they be part of the Bat-Family or his Justice League friends, forcing Batman to go on the run. Every time they fought, Failsafe nearly killed Batman and eventually the two had a climactic battle that saw Failsafe throw Batman into the multiverse. Batman would eventually return and defeat the robot, which would lead to Zur-En-Arrh to take over the body and team up with Amanda Waller, but Failsafe still did something that few have done – defeated the Batman in nearly every way and earning a place as one of his biggest foes in the process.

The post 7 DC Villains That Defeated Batman (And How Bad They Beat Him) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Red Hulk finds himself caught up in Doctor Doom’s power grab in “One World Under Doom.” But Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross doesn’t take too kindly to being a pawn in someone else’s games. The Marvel publishing event kicks off in February and features Doctor Doom, the new Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe, declaring himself Emperor Doom and ruler of the planet. Doom knows there will be opposition from every corner, which is why he’s already taken Red Hulk off the board. But if there’s one thing fans have learned, it’s that a Hulk isn’t so easily defeated, and the same goes for Red Hulk.

ComicBook spoke to writer Benjamin Percy via email about his upcoming Red Hulk series, a tie-in to the larger “One World Under Doom” event. The comic begins with Red Hulk being captured by Doctor Doom and locked up in Latveria as part of Doom’s Think Tank collective. Doom is gathering some of the greatest military, criminal, and political minds to serve his goal of world domination. Red Hulk will have to “Hulk Out” and escape Doctor Doom’s clutches with the goal of bringing his reign of terror to an end.

[RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World Reveals Red Hulk Fight Footage and an Unexpected Collaboration]

Percy talks about helming a Red Hulk comic at the same time Harrison Ford brings Red Hulk to live on the big screen in Captain America: Brave New World. There’s also a discussion about Red Hulk’s thoughts on Doctor Doom, other characters that show up in Doom’s Think Tank, and the inevitable faceoff between Red Hulk and Doctor Doom. ComicBook can also exclusively reveal the first look at pages from Red Hulk #1 by artist Geoff Shaw, along with the cover and solicitation for April’s Red Hulk #3.

RED HULK #3

• Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
• Art and Cover by GEOFF SHAW
• HUNTED BY DOOM!
• THUNDERBOLT ROSS has escaped DOCTOR DOOM’S dungeon, but the wounded general is too weak to turn into the RED HULK. In the hostile, snowbound LATVERIAN mountains, Ross, MACHINE MAN and DEATHLOK are relentlessly chased by an army of DOOMBOTS! Will these heroes survive this issue’s EXPLOSIVE ending?!

ComicBook: I imagine it’s an exciting time to be penning a Red Hulk series. How did you approach connecting Red Hulk to Doctor Doom for this “One World Under Doom” tie-in?

Benjamin Percy: It would always be a fun time to write a Red Hulk series, but yeah, this moment feels particularly exciting—both with the film releasing (which will get a wider audience jazzed and curious about the character) and with the “One World Under Doom” event underway in the comics (which provides a really interesting shake-up to the 616).

What does Red Hulk think about Doom’s power play? Is he worried Doom will be successful, or is it more, “Here’s another threat I have to take out. Another day at the office.”?

This is not another day at the office. This is a threat that personally affronts and targets Red Hulk. Thunderbolt Ross is the ultimate nationalist. He bleeds red, white, and blue (but especially RED). So imagine his response to the US acknowledging a treaty that acknowledges Doom as a global emperor. He would fight back against that under any circumstances—but our story is even more heated because Doom has already anticipated such a response from him.

[RELATED: Marvel Is Putting Red Hulk on a Collision Course With the MCU’s Next Big Villain]

So before any of these “One World Under Doom” plans became evident to the rest of the 616, Victor Von Doom had already kidnapped Thunderbolt and forced him into a prison that doubles as a think tank. He’s both containing the threat of Red Hulk and mining the mind of one of the world’s great soldiers and military strategists, playing war games in the lead-up to his big play.

Red Hulk is part of a Think Tank that Doom is putting together, and we’ve seen that Machine Man and Deathlok are also a part of it. What other characters, or corners of the Marvel Universe, can fans expect to see you pull from to round out this Think Tank?

Stay tuned – because you’ll recognize more than these names, but know that we’re also building some new, cool characters to populate the think tank (which includes professors, scientists, cartel leaders, artists, etc.). Doom casts a wide net.

Can you tease what fans can look forward to when Red Hulk and Doom inevitably come face-to-face?

This is a war book. That’s how I’ve been talking about this with Editor Mark Paniccia from the beginning. That’s why Geoff Shaw is such a brilliant partner, since he draws such brutal, kinetic, gritty action. Wars don’t consist of a single battle. They’re long-lasting and complicated and require much more than brute force to win. The first few issues will feel like The Great Escape. The next few issues will feel like First Blood. And after that? Things get even wilder and thornier.

The post Benjamin Percy Sets the Stage for Red Hulk’s Showdown With Doctor Doom appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Aquaman is back in his own series and things are about to get absolutely dangerous for the underwater monarch. Aquaman has had a rough couple of years since the end of his last book. They tried to expand the Aqua mythos by making the new Aqualad into another Aquaman and put Arthur back in the Justice League, but never actually gave him a solo book. However, DC’s All-In initiative has given many classic DC characters a new lease on life and Aquaman #1 kicks off a brilliant new era for the King of Atlantis.

Absolute Power ended with a huge twist, with some heroes losing their old powers and gaining new ones. Aquaman is one of those, gaining his wife Mera’s hydrokinesis. This first issue of his new series sees him learning the ropes with these new powers, but during the battle with a mysterious water monster, Aquaman is called back to Atlantis. Racing home, he finds his kingdom gone, with the only left behind a pearl found earlier in the issue by Jackson Hyde.

The Pearl Is the Key to Another World

The pearl seems to be the key to the disappearance of Atlantis. Earlier in the issue, an asterisk relates that the pearl should be familiar to readers of Flashpoint Beyond #1, The Flash #785, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18, all stories that have some sort of multiversal connotations. Aquaman brings the pearl to the Justice League Watchtower, where Zatanna uses her magic powers to plumb the mysteries of the pearl.

Zatanna reveals that it is an object of great power. She feels like she should know what it is, but something has hidden it from the tapestries of the magic, perhaps before the beginning of time. However, she senses something related to it, and Aquaman, Batman, and Wonder Woman go on a trip under the sea to a mysterious gate. Aquaman releases the pearl and it flies into the gate, which Aquaman goes through. After he’s gone, the gate transforms into an omega from the Greek alphabet, the symbol of Darkseid. This could only mean one thing – that Atlantis, and now Aquaman, have been pulled into the Absolute Universe.

Related: Absolute Superman Reveals Shocking Fate of Key DC Character

What Is DC’s Absolute Universe?

The Absolute Universe is DC’s most popular creation in a long time. Its origin comes from the end of the Absolute Power event series and the one-shot DC All-In #1, an issue that sees Darkseid attain greater power than ever by stealing the powers of the Spectre and “die” in a battle with the Justice League. However, that death was revealed to be a red herring, as Darkseid instead was sent to an Earth that he could reshape in his own image. This led to the formation of the Absolute Universe, and the bestselling titles Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman. This universe is based on Darkseid’s evil, making it a very different Earth than any other in the DC Multiverse.

Aquaman‘s pearl seems to be some kind of bridge between DC’s main continuity and the Absolute Universe – like similar orbs that DC’s heroes have encountered before. Zatanna saying that it was modified at the beginning of time to be outside of the tapestry of magic could point to it being created by Darkseid. Darkseid went to the blank slate Earth and had to mold it; this could mean that he started at the beginning of time, retroactively traveling back, and created the pearl to steal parts of other universes to bring to his. Darkseid is not exactly known for his creative ability, so this could be an explanation for how he created much of his Earth. It also means that Aquaman and Atlantis could be anywhere on the Absolute Universe’s timeline.

Aquaman Is In for the Fight of His Life

Aquaman #1 kicks off by saying that this isn’t the story of Aquaman the king, but that of Aquaman the god-killer. This makes his journey to the Absolute Universe a tantalizing one. While Aquaman is definitely not going to kill Darkseid in this series, Aquaman traveling to the Absolute Universe to save Atlantis is almost certainly going to pit him against some very powerful foes. In the past, readers have seen Aquaman battle Poseidon and Triton, and this new series may see him battling whatever evil god that Darkseid has put in charge of the oceans. Aquaman’s sojourn into the Absolute Universe is going to challenge him like never before.

Aquaman #1 is on sale now.

The post A Justice League Hero Just Crossed Over to DC’s Absolute Universe appeared first on ComicBook.com.

DC’s “Absolute” line of comics has offered bold new re-invention of core characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman (with more on the way). Each of the books debuted by re-introducing us to the character within a world that was already fully formed (or “en media res”). After that intro, they’ve each looked backward at how Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince became these darker versions of their heroic alter-egos, as well as doing more world-building with supporting character connections, and lore history. With Absolute Batman #4, writer Scott Snyder pulls out a masterful piece of origin story to explain why this version of Bruce Wayne/Batman has such a gnarly costume and the abilities that come with it.

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW

From the first issue it was established that in DC’s Absolute Universe continuity, Bruce Wayne’s father Thomas became a teacher instead of a wealthy surgeon – a teacher who heroically sacrificed his life protecting Bruce and his other students from a mass shooting event perpetrated by a violent and disgruntled gunman named Joe Chill. However, in “The Zoo: Part Four” we learn the heartbreaking truth about the events that led to that doomed school trip to the Gotham Zoo, and how it relates to the Batman suit Bruce eventually designs.

Absolute Batman’s Costume Was Born From Bruce’s Tragic Past

It turns out that Bruce won the trip to the Gotham Zoo for his class, after winning the Young Engineers Competition that year. The challenge for the competition was building an animal-themed bridge that could service one of the “Distressed Areas” that the zoo’s animals were rescued from. Bruce (shockingly) chose a bat for its intimidating nature; when his dad questioned whether intimidation is what a distressed population of people needs, Bruce revised his approach. He built a bridge that used an adjustable framework of girders and sturdy lightweight fabrics that allowed the bridge to transform into whatever the people needed – and could even be folded into a bat shape so that it could drop from planes and glide into remote areas to reach people in need. Based on his father’s guidance, Bruce thinks he’s tapped into the core aspect of a bat: its environmental versatility; the ability to map and learn an environment and create the optimal conditions for thriving and surviving there.

After the Zoo shooting m and his father’s death, an older Bruce Wayne eventually revisits the idea he started with his school project. After some failed first attempts at a vampire-bat costume (with paralysis fangs!), Bruce embraces his inner engineer and develops the “Bat-thumb,” a device that gives him Spider-Man-style thumb command of those same Bat-bridge functions he developed as a kid. The final version of Bruce’s design is the one-man-army cape and cowl Absolute Batman wears, allowing him limitless ways to fight, defend, or even go aerial. The first issue of the series was a detailed demo reel of the suit’s capabilities and functions during that epic battle scene. Now that we are tied into the deeper meaning of the suit, hopefully there’s another great action scene coming in Chapter 5.

[RELATED: What Is Absolute Batman’s New “Bat-Thumb” Device???]

With this deeply emotional chapter, Snyder provides a powerful explanation for what initially seemed like Absolute Batman having a symbiote costume. From the fabric wrapped around his forearms to the hand poses he does in battle, this new Batman suit’s look and function flow beautifully into the character’s backstory and motivations. Before the costume’s meaning was drawn from Bruce simply encountering a bat and thinking it a scary symbol; now, Batman’s costume and his entire methodology (Bruce working as a city engineer, mapping out Gotham, setting up safehouses and supply caches, planning to not only clean up crime but improve infrastructure) all reflect this metaphor of the bat as a brilliantly adaptable and methodical animal that conquers and commands its territory.

Absolute Batman already has a clearer mission and more attainable set of goals than main universe Batman – and thematic consistency carried right down to the fabric of his cape.

Absolute Batman is on sale at DC.

The post DC Reveals the Tragic Origin & Meaning of Batman’s Wild New Absolute Costume appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When the Weapon X program laced Logan’s skeleton and claws with near-indestructible adamantium, it turned the Wolverine into an unbreakable killing machine. But someone — or something — has been trying to break the metal-clawed mutant in Marvel’s ongoing Wolverine comic run by writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Martin Coccolo. As the X-Men’s Krakoan Age came to an end, Wolverine was living among wolves in the frozen Canadian wilderness until his old enemy, Cyber, killed his pack while looking to settle an old score. But then an elemental force sought out the “false metal” in his bones: adamantium.

Recent issues of Wolverine saw this unknown force overtake Cyber’s adamantium arms, Lady Deathstrike’s adamantium talons, and the Constrictor’s adamantium-laced coils. By purging and purifying Wolverine’s enemies of the “false metal,” it has grown stronger, and it will soon be strong enough to rid the Earth of all adamantium.

“You are deafened by the screeching of the false metal within you,” the possessed Lady Deathstrike told Wolverine. “You have not yet heard the call of the Adamantine.” She then exposed him to a primal presence that Wolverine could feel in his bones.

In Wednesday’s Wolverine #5, the gold Adamantine that spread like a virus from Cyber to Lady Deathstrike to Constrictor nearly possessed Wolverine, who realized the primal voice calling out to the metal that coats his bones wanes with distance. The X-Man Nightcrawler arrived in the Blackbird to help Wolverine escape, only for the golden-armed Cyber to lure Wolverine to a factory where he picks up a scent he recognizes: one of the chemical resins used to synthesize adamantium.

Wolverine finds Cyber and a message scrawled in blood: NO MORE ADAMANTIUM. The possessed Cyber repeats the words of Lady Deathstrike, telling him:

“You are deafened by the screeching of the false metal within you. You have not yet heard the call of the Adamantine.”

When Wolverine hears the call of the ancient metal twisting within his adamantium skeleton, the primal presence says he’s not as easily seized as the other screeching wielders of the first metal. He is stronger, purer, and can serve a purpose in purging the Earth of adamantium. But first he must be broken.

The False Metal: Adamantium vs. Adamantine

Adamantium gets its name from Adamantine of Greek mythology. In the Marvel Universe, Adamantine is the “Metal of the Gods” and comprises the Golden Mace of Hercules that is able to withstand mighty blows from Thor’s enchanted hammer, Mjolnir.

2011’s Astonishing X-Men #45 introduced a version of Wolverine who was a member of the cross-dimensional X-Men, Captain James Howlett, whose Adamantine-laced claws and skeleton made him impervious to psychic attacks and practically indestructible.

December’s Timeslide #1 revealed that The False Metal is one of the most consequential stories that will unfold throughout the Marvel Universe in 2025. Marvel has also teased that March’s Wolverine #7 — legacy number #399 — contains a shocking return and a key appearance ahead of the milestone Wolverine #400 in April.

Wolverine: No More Adamantium?

During the “Fatal Attractions” storyline in 1993’s X-Men #25, Magneto, mutant master of magnetism, nearly killed Wolverine when he ripped the adamantium from his bones on the molecular level, pushing his mutant healing factor to its limit. Wolverine survived, and his bone claws re-emerged (in 1993’s Wolverine #75). With his healing factor weakened and now without his adamantium-laced skeleton, Wolverine left the X-Men that same issue.

Shortly afterward, the bone-clawed Wolverine battled Lady Deathstrike (in Wolverine #77-78) and Cyber (Wolverine #79). After the villain Genesis attempted to re-bond the adamantium to Wolverine’s skeleton and turn him into Death — one of the Horsemen of Apocalypse — Wolverine was left in a feral, animalistic state (Wolverine #100).

The savage Wolverine spent some time in this more primal state until 1999’s Wolverine #145, when Apocalypse stripped Sabretooth of his adamantium and subjected Wolverine to the re-bonding process. “You are good, perhaps,” Apocalypse told Sabretooth, “but Wolverine… he is the best there is at what he does.”

Wolverine #5 is on sale now from Marvel Comics. Next:

Wolverine #6

HEAVY METAL CLASH! Two WOLVERINEs and a NIGHTCRAWER versus CONSTRICTOR, CYBER and DEATHSTRIKE in a clash of the adamantium titans! United by a mysterious power, if LOGAN can’t beat them…will he join them? Come for the battle – stay for the jaw-dropping surprise!

On sale: Feb. 5

Wolverine #7

GO FOR THE GOLD METAL! The ADAMANTINE saga reaches new heights, with a shock twist and surprising return you’ll have to read to believe! The GOLDEN metal means death for WOLVERINE…but is it also the world’s salvation? Collectors’ note: A key appearance is contained in this issue.

On sale: March 5

The post No More Adamantium: Is Marvel Teasing the Return of Feral Wolverine? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While Batman is known for a number of things — everything from his origin story, his personal rule against using guns, and his deep roster of foes just to name a few — there is another aspect of The Dark Knight that is iconic. That would be his gadgets. Across just about every version of Batman, the vigilante has his gadgets and tools that help him fight Gotham’s crime and Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman is now different. While this version of the iconic DC hero has some sweeping differences, his gadgets it turns out is a constant — and this week’s Absolute Batman #4 just gave Batman what might be the most unusual tool in his utility belt yet: the Bat-Thumb.

Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Batman #4 from Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, and Gabriel Hernandez Walta beyond this point.

Absolute Batman #4 takes place over two points in Bruce Wayne’s overall timeline — his childhood and the present day. In the past, we’re taken into how Bruce was impacted by his father’s murder at the city zoo by Joe Chill with young Bruce giving a victim’s impact statement, something that will come back around by the end of the issue in the present day. The other bit from Bruce’s childhood is that we see him developing his bat bridge and the thought process and innovation that went into — as well as the conversations with his father. Bruce’s development of his invention is key to the more present-day timeline as we see him working out early versions of his Batman persona but, perhaps most interestingly, we also see him testing a new tool: the Bat-Thumb.

So, what the heck is the Bat-Thumb? The best way to describe the Bat-Thumb is that it’s a sort of grappling hook, but not one that you have to wind up and throw. In the issue, we see Bruce testing a device worn strapped to his wrist that, when he bends his hand, extends and curls it so that it attaches to whatever surface the user intends to anchor himself to. Bruce is shown using two of the Bat-Thumb devices to climb in a window, giving him a seemingly more practical way to enter place that would otherwise potentially be inaccessible to him.

[RELATED: Batman’s New Batmobile Makes The Dark Knight’s Tumbler Look Like a Hot Wheel]

By having his grappling hook type devices quite literally strapped to his wrist, this new gadget could give Batman a little bit of a unique advantage as compared to having to use a genuine grappling hook or grappling gun. It appears to be lighter weight and having it literally in hand would certainly be more convenient. Of course, the Bat-Thumb isn’t the only interesting gadget we get a look at in the issue. Absolute Batman #4 also introduces the tinies Batmobile ever, but this little set of wheels isn’t something that Batman is cruising around in himself. The tiny Batmobile is actually a remote-controlled device tricked out with some extras that Batman is able to use to disable a tractor trailer load of weapons before beating down the criminals hauling said weapons into Gotham.

Absolute Batman #4 is on sale now.

The post Batman Just Got His Strangest New Gadget (But It Makes So Much Sense) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Happy new comic book day, and happy new year! It’s another big week in the world of comics, and the ComicBook staff have come together to break down and review as many of the new releases from this week as possible. Now obviously this isn’t every single comic on stands, but we’re breaking down new releases from Marvel, DC, Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, Oni Press, IDW, Mad Cave Studios, DSTLRY, and more!

We’ve also carved out some additional space for two of this week’s biggest books in Aquaman #1 and The Lucky Devils #1, so if our smaller reviews here pique your interest, make sure to check out the full reviews for a much more comprehensive analysis of those issues. As for ratings, we keep things simple with a whole or half number out of five, and you can check out some of our previous reviews right here. With all that said, let’s get to this week’s new comics!

DC

Absolute Batman #4
Absolute Batman #4 takes us into the earliest iterations of Batman as Bruce works out exactly how he wants to approach his crusade against crime in Gotham all while juxtaposing it against his past. While this is by no means new for the title, using the past to inform the present is particularly interesting here in that we get a stronger glimpse of just how Bruce’s father’s murder changed him while also seeing how Bruce’s innovations started young. It also expands the overall “lore” by giving readers more of what this take on Bruce Wayne’s family looks like all while further reinforcing that this Bruce Wayne is much more all-consumed by his trauma than perhaps we’ve seen before. The art in this issue feels a little less clean, but there is a lot of hard emotion in each panel, making it all work together just so well. It’s a very solid issue. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Aquaman #1
Aquaman has a number of Titles to his name, whether that be Father, Husband, superhero, or King. More often than not only one of those aspects are the focus at any one time those elements and more are all on display for Aquaman’s DC All In debut. The team of Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe look to encompass elements from each and every part of Arthur’s world, and while ambitious, Aquaman #1 effortlessly soars and delivers a grand adventure that no fan should miss. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 5 out of 5 (Read the full review here)

Batman and Robin #17
Batman and Robin #17 is easily the best of the Memento arc so far. The issue sees Batman go perhaps too far in his pursuit of Memento to near-catastrophic result for himself personally while for Robin, we see him get some important insight and perspective about his own role in things and ends up being something of a voice of wisdom and reason while cementing that he really is his father’s son. The issue also gives us a solid answer about little Emma’s fate all while bringing an unexpected ally into things. There are a lot of twists and turns to this issue and it’s a thrill of a read all while deepening the mystery of Memento in a meaningful way. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 5 out of 5

Batman: Dark Patterns #2
Batman: Dark Patterns continues to be a must read as series writer Dan Watters is delivering what is poised to be a classic Batman story. There’s a timeless quality to the narrative being told, one that feels like could have arrived in any era of the character’s history, which not only makes it approachable and new reader friendly, but fresh for longtime fans too. Once again series artist Hayden Sherman and color artist Triona Farrell are doing stellar work, making Gotham feel alive and the character designs unique. The pacing of the story’s visuals is also a highmark, and one that’s setting a standard that other Bat-books on the shelves cannot follow. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 5 out of 5

DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #6
DC Vs. Vampires lives up to its World War V title as the fragile alliances and hopeful moments of the past have now come to an end. Now two desperate armies clash for survival in what is a beautifully bloody battle from the talented team of artist Otto Schmidt, colorist Pierluigi Casolino, and letterer Tom Napolitano. Then when you feel you’ve settled into some sort of comfort with how things are going, writer Matthew Rosenberg sends you reeling with a reveal that changes the whole landscape of this conflict. Supergirl vs Wonder Woman? Check. Justice Leaguers getting crushed? Check. Major twist? Triple Check, and you want to miss any of it. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 4 out of 5

MARVEL

All-New Venom #2
All-New Venom #2 is a straightforward, solid superhero story with stellar art, crisp and clean. There are some fun flourishes in there, too, including the new Venom taking on a gang of criminal jugglers and new tryouts, one a clear Gritty knockoff, and another an overcommitted pirate cosplayer. While it could have been a throwaway scene, this opening fight goes a long way toward distinguishing this new Venom’s tone from the previous hosts, giving them a slightly slapstick flare as they eat a bomb to save civilians and their head expands like a cartoon character’s from the explosion. There are also some new wrinkles in the mystery of the new Venom host that make this sophomore outing a clear improvement over the debut issue. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1
Elektra acting as the second Daredevil of Hell’s Kitchen is a tricky tight-rope to walk. The former Hand assassin and love of Matt Murdock’s life is attempting to turn over a new leaf, fighting against crime and corruption in New York City while maintaining a rule of not taking any lives. For this latest series, the “Red Band” banner does live up to its name as Elektra is seemingly about to be dragged into a hellish fight against a deceased Daredevil villain, Muse. The issue is one that ventures slightly into Elektra’s headspace while painting a gruesome picture for Muse to boot. Unleash Hell doesn’t feel on the same level as the main Daredevil book but it sticks its initial landing, justifying its existence. – Evan Valentine
Rating 3.5 out of 5

Magik #1
There have been many attempts to spin X-Men characters into ongoing solo books without many long-running successes outside of Wolverine. The X-Men aren’t the Avengers or the Justice League; it’s not a group formed out of preexisting characters meant to stand on their lonesome, but original characters created to be one aspect of a larger whole, more like the Fantastic Four. Once one of those characters Is standing on their own, it becomes clear that they lack a foundational premise needed to generate new and exciting adventures in the long run. For its part, Magik #1 does a stellar job of building that foundation for Illyana Rasputin. Now an adult, Magik suffered a traumatic childhood in Limbo and a traumatic adolescence as a New Mutant. She finally let her guard down and her friends in while enjoying the safety of Krakoa, only to have that security ripped away from her during the Fall of X, re-traumatizing her into adulthood. Magik #1 sees her wrestling with metaphorical demons to match the real demons that have long been a part of her life, a notion that the dark and dreary artwork drives home. With Magik now unwillingly made the mentor toward a young boy in a situation not altogether dissimilar from her origin, Magik is shaping up to be a stronger tale than what your average X-Men solo series has to offer. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

New Champions #1
New Champions might cause a bit of confusion regarding its name, but if you give it a chance you are likely to find an endearing new group of heroes that might just capture your heart, and it’s bound to only get better from here. That’s because the book starts with the core four but then shows how quickly that group is set to expand, and the possibilities with hat wild lineup are endless. Writer Steve Foxe picks up the story from the recent Spider-Woman series that first introduced these characters into the Marvel Universe, so if you’ve read that you’ll be able to pretty much hit the ground running. Those who haven’t might be a bit fuzzy on some details, but the book quickly expands from that initial premise and starts to roll in its own direction, so things should clear up relatively quickly. Foxe does a wonderful job of establishing who each member of the team is and their unique skillset and personality, building around the mystery of Hellrune’s origin and powers to provide the key spark. It works pretty well, and so far Moon Squire, Liberty, Cadet Marvel, and Hellrune make for a compelling central quartet. That said, things really hit second gear when they find themselves colliding with a host of other young heroes, with the team of artists Ivan Fiorelli, Ig Guara, colorist Arthur Hesli, and letterer Travis Lanham showing what they can do when the toybox is loaded with so many variables. New Champions delivers an entertaining debut, but if those final few pages are anything to go by, this is nothing compared to what the series will be down the line. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

NYX #7
NYX has been sort of doing its own thing since the fall of Krakoa, and there’s been a lot to love about this ever-evolving team. Unfortunately most of what I’ve loved about the series doesn’t come into view much throughout NY #7, which focuses mostly on a rushed confrontation between Prodigy and Synch as opposed to the contrasting personalities between the team. The ongoing discussion through their battle feels incredibly condensed, and while I was intrigued to see what would come of their clash, it just ends rather abruptly and without the moment that would justify that ending. On the other hand, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly do keep the confrontation between Ms. Marvel and the Truthseekers moving in an intriguing direction, and the artwork from the team of Enid Balam, Raul Angulo, and Joe Sabino during that battle specifically is stellar. NYX #7 is one of the weaker issues of the series so far, but there’s still some memorable moments along the way. – Matthew Aguilar
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Amazing Spider-Man #65
The Amazing Spider-Man #65 sees Spidey facing the inevitability of death, the latest challenge from one of Cyttorak’s scions playing out like an existential crisis as he gets the long view of human existence, which always ends the same way. This issue’s art team of penciler Cafu and colorist Frank D’Armata create pages with a statuesque quality to them, scenes of frustration and, ultimately, futility as even Spider-Man can’t hold back the reaper (here played by Phil Coulson, which is a bit distracting). Ultimately, it leads to a dramatic turn. While we’ve seen Peter Parker try to abandon his duties before, the bone-deep weariness and sense of nihilism underpinning everything is a different flavor than Pete’s usual melodramatics. This issue feels like the real turning point in the “8 Deaths of Spider-Man” saga, and the creative team does a stellar job of driving the weight of everything home to the reader. – Jamie Lovett
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Uncanny X-Men #8
The Raid on Graymalkin comes to an end with a shaky landing as it feels like the meeting of the two premiere X-Teams post-Krakoa didn’t ultimately warrant a four-issue long crossover. Simone has a few twists and turns in the conclusion of Scott and Rogue’s teams butting heads but it hardly feels much like a satisfactory one. The true identity of “Inmate X” remains a mystery and Xavier simply tells his students “better luck next time” in the final moments. Simone and Garron are still at the top of their game here in both characterization and art direction but the overall story is one that simply feels a bit like a letdown in terms of what we’ve seen from Uncanny so far. Raid of Graymalkin feels like a missed opportunity for a crossover that could have been so much greater than what we saw when it wrapped. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 3 out of 5

Ultimate Black Panther #12
I have quietly been begging Ultimate Black Panther scribe Bryan Hill to dive head first into something different, to really make this series feel like something readers couldn’t get in the main Marvel universe. The pieces have been there, but they’ve often been put in alongside familiar elements. With Ultimate Black Panther #12 though, the dive has finally started and we’re seeing something we can’t see elsewhere. Hill’s Vodu-Khan, almost like a Wakandan version of Dune’s Bene Gesserit, are integral to the issue which not only gives this one a unique DNA but also delivers us a characterization of T’Challa himself that feels fresh. Series artist Stefano Caselli is back with color artist David Curiel and the pair continue to deliver tremendous work. There’s a dramatic buildup in the final pages of this issue that are built on the way Caselli chooses to frame his shots but also their pace, resulting in a moment that genuinely took me by surprise. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 5 out of 5

Wolverine #5
Unfortunately, the same problems I’ve had with the first four issues of the Canucklehead’s post-Krakoa storyline remain in issue five. Ahmed’s approach to characterization is one that works for Matt Murdock in Hell’s Kitchen but that same approach fumbles for Logan. The Adamantine are an interesting enough concept but the villainous entity is still a bit too wrapped up in mystery to make it truly compelling. Wolverine was a series that was marketed as diving into Logan’s wild side, running through the wilderness and struggling with his Berserker side, though those ideas have mostly fallen to the wayside. There are some clever moments in this latest issue but not enough to buck the trend for Wolverine’s latest series. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 2.5 out of 5

IMAGE COMICS

Geiger #10
Junkyard Joe is back! Geiger #10 sees the return of the fan-favorite character, but also sees Geiger with a major problem: something is very wrong with him. Geiger being unwell — as well as the revelation of Junkyard Joe being a help rather than a hindrance — is the bulk focus of the issue, as well as a glimpse into Geiger’s life from before. It’s all interesting and gets us to Lewiston and perhaps the next big challenge. In the larger scheme of the overall story, it’s a solid issue and it’s clear that there are a lot of details being laid down. However, it does feel a little like a bridge to something else. Not exactly filler, but not exactly not filler at the same time. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Moon Man #6
The latest issue of Moon Man is certainly one of its most satisfying narratively as writers Scott Mescudi, Kyle Higgins, and Joe Clark weave in and out of time to fill in the gaps of the backstory. What ends up becoming especially true for the issue though is that series artist Federico Bertoni is showing off exactly what he can do not only with unique panel layouts but massive splash pages. Moon Man has spun its wheels at times, but what Bertoni along with colorist Igor Monti and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou pull off in Moon Man #6 is remarkable stuff to behold. The plot remains somewhat elusive, both simple in its design but dense in execution, so this is a good one to just stare at in awe. – Spencer Perry
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Snotgirl #17
Lottie accidentally stumbles on something she shouldn’t when it comes to Caroline (and Virgil’s) family trauma. Virgil stumbles upon a mysterious sisterhood that might be up to something, and Lottie’s own family drama is about to get even wilder when a meet the family dinner shifts to a getaway — and her sister is along for the trip. Snotgirl #17 proves that the story hasn’t lost any momentum since its return and the complicated connections and deeper mysteries are just as interesting. This time around, however, we’re getting a little bit deeper into Lottie as a person and seeing a bit more about the factors that make her, well, Lottie. It’s fun, even if it is a slightly challenging read. – Nicole Drum
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Lucky Devils #1

Lucky Devils is a comic that hits the ground floor running, presenting a fiendishly clever premise via four main appealing characters. The new Image Comic has a big act to follow after Eight Billion Genies and this opening salvo does just that. Collar and Rake might just be the top demons of 2025 and I look forward to seeing what Soul and Browne have in store for the rest of the series. – Evan Valentine. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (Read the full review here)

Transformers #16
Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona continue depicting one of the most brutal battles featuring the Autobots and Decepticons to this day. The fact that classic Cybertronians like Optimus Prime and Starscream are requiring to forge new body parts from various sources makes the war that much more hard-hitting, adding an unsettling layer to the affair. In my past reviews, I’ve spoken highly of the Energon Universe as a whole and this latest Transformers series is one that continues to act as the torchbearer for the new crossover universe. The comic remains a larger-than-life, hard-hitting thrill ride that remains one of the best takes on the Transformers in any medium and is well worth your time, whether you have followed Cybertron in the past or not. – Evan Valentine
Rating: 5 out of 5

What were your favorite new comics of the week? You can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 1/8/2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Terminator franchise has entertained audiences since the first film exploded into cinemas in 1984. The series blends hard-hitting action, groundbreaking special effects, and ruminations on such concepts as man vs. machine and fate vs. free will. While fans generally regard the first two installments as classics in the sci-fi and action genres, there’s a reason why studios continue to make sequels, prequels, spinoffs, and reboots – like the T-800, the series just won’t stop. Just ask franchise creator James Cameron, who teased fans last year about a secret Terminator project. And considering the enduring popularity of the unstoppable series, there’s no doubt that it will continue long after Cameron is long gone.

However, while most fans of the Terminator are aware of the movies, TV shows, and video games, they may have overlooked multiple instances in which the infamous T-800 stomped into other unrelated comic book franchises. While some of these crossovers are pretty obvious, others are quite surprising, all of which feature their own unique tones and themes. Some of them worked better than others, but all of them are packed with imagination and ingenuity. Let’s take a look at three Terminator crossovers you completely forgot about.

Superman versus The Terminator: Death to the Future

In the then-present year 1999, Sarah Connor and her son John have been on the run from T-800s sent from the future by Skynet to assassinate the young boy. While on their travels, the mother and son end up in Metropolis, where an attacking T-800 catches the attention of a nearby Superman, who handily destroys the machine. However, when Skynet tries to retrieve the damaged Terminator, they accidentally suck Superman into a time portal into the dystopian future of 2032, wherein Superman teams up with an aged John and Steel in their resistance movement.

Written by Alan Grant of Judge Dredd-fame (who knows a thing or two about writing post-apocalyptic futures), this miniseries did a fairly nice job fleshing out the relationships between Superman and the Terminator characters. However, it struggled a bit when balancing the optimistic tone of Superman and the bleak atmosphere of the Terminator franchise.

[RELATED: New Terminator Game Leaks Ahead of Reveal]

RoboCop vs. The Terminator

In the future, Skynet’s Terminators have largely wiped out humanity. However, a survivor named Florence “Flo” Langer is determined to give her people one last chance and soon discovers that the cybernetic technology that was used to create RoboCop in the past is what allowed Synet’s machines to gain sentience and ultimately take over the world. Flo travels back in time to Detroit on a mission to destroy RoboCop and prevent his tech from leading to the creation of Skynet’s Terminators. However, when the RoboCop of the past discovers how his own technology will be used in the future, he takes a stand against Skynet.

This four-issue miniseries published by Dark Horse featured an amazing team consisting of writer Frank Miller and artist Walter Simonson. While the series may have been a bit short on character work, Miller deftly blends the cinematic worlds of Terminator and RoboCop, capably exploring the deeper theme of man vs. machine. 

Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator

Call and a human/alien clone of Ellen Ripley (both characters from Alien: Resurrection) discover that Skynet has been secretly developing a means to combine the biology of xenomorphs with the technology of their Terminators as part of a plan to create an unstoppable army. Luckily, the Predators are on the hunt for this new breed of cybernetic xenomorphs, and form an alliance of sorts with Ripley and Call to eliminate them.

This series boasts an amazing premise that nimbly combines the three beloved sci-fi/horror/action franchises, and features plenty of gripping showdowns between its principal players. But the series struggles with an overstuffed plot and too many characters, which dilutes the impact of the story overall. Still, it’s worth a read for hardcore fans of these films, offering plenty of references to the cinematic source material.

The post 3 Terminator Crossovers You Completely Forgot About appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Eight Billion Genies was a comic with such a premise and a strong story backing it up that when the creative team announces a new series, it’s going to get some people interested. Writer Charles Soule and artist Ryan Browne are bringing their talents to a brand new limited series that trades in genies for demons. Lucky Devils introduces two “average joes” who are running into some life-shattering problems that might have a supernatural origin. In its premiere issue, the new Image Comics offering is one that has big shoes to fill but it might just create a story that does exactly that.

Lucky Devils begins its nine-issue run by introducing readers to Cam and Starr, a Philosophy 101 professor and a nurse residing in Chicago. While Cam appears to be dealing with a number of inconveniences that are ruining his love life and financial status, Starr is dealing with a lack of opportunities to move up in her career. Things appear to change for both of these down-on-their-luck characters when they are introduced to Collar and Rake, their own personal demons. The underworld duo has been responsible for much of the misfortune that have befallen their human targets throughout their lives but the demons have a unique proposition for the teacher and nurse. As is the case with Eight Billion Genies, not everything is at it seems and some characters are holding their cards close to their chests.

Both Starr and Cam are interesting enough characters here to lead the story, as the parallel lives of both have enough differences to make them both appealing to follow despite their similarities in the demon department. On the flip side, Collar and Rake, who happen to be romantically intertwined, are hilarious and colorful foils to their downtrodden counterparts. This premiere issue is one that has plenty of ground to cover with just as much exposition, but luckily, the demonic couple work well in conveying the information in an entertaining manner.

Of course, what would a good story be without a better twist and boy does Lucky Devils have a good one. It’s not hard to determine that Collar and Rake aren’t exactly being straight forward with Cam and Starr, but their lies are such that not many readers will utlimately be able to see through them until they’re shown in the issue’s final pages. The series is one that takes a U-turn in its final pages, demanding that the reader stay on board its train for the foreseeable future and said approach is definitely a strong one.

As mentioned earlier, exposition can be a tough, but sometimes necessary, storytelling element but luckily, Browne is the perfect foil for Soule’s script here. Ryan makes complete use of all the space given to him on each page, with Rake and Collar routinely blending into the panels themselves and intertwining their “explanations” with one another in different locations. The real testament to Browne’s skill is when we are finally given the opportunity to see what the demons’ underworld abode looks like.

Browne creates a hellish environment that is quite like our own for Collar and Rake, albeit with some truly demonic twists on the streets. It’s an ugly, congested locale that also feels lived in while not diving off the deep end in its absurdity. The artist also does an exceptional job of capturing the feelings of these ugly monstrosities in our hellish lovers, showing how they care for one another in the quiet moments before the hammer falls on their masterplan reveal.

Lucky Devils is a comic that hits the ground floor running, presenting a fiendishly clever premise via four main appealing characters. The new Image Comic has a big act to follow after Eight Billion Genies and this opening salvo does just that. Collar and Rake might just be the top demons of 2025 and I look forward to seeing what Soul and Browne have in store for the rest of the series.

Published by: Image Comics

On: January 8th, 2025

Written By: Charles Soule

Art by: Ryan Browne

Colors by: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letters by: Christopher Crank

The post The Lucky Devils #1 Review: A Hell of A Good Time appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Aquaman has a number of titles to his name, whether that be father, husband, superhero, or king. More often than not only one of those aspects are the focus at any one time those elements and more are all on display for Aquaman’s DC All In debut. The team of Jeremy Adams, John Timms, Rex Lokus, and Dave Sharpe look to encompass elements from each and every part of Arthur’s world, and while ambitious, Aquaman #1 effortlessly soars and delivers a grand adventure that no fan should miss.

Arthur’s sphere of influence is incredibly daunting, but Adams manages to boil each slice of Arthur’s life down to its core importance and then seeks to explore the attention that each of those slices demands from him. Adams has worked wonders with Hal Jordan in Green Lantern with a similar approach, and while they are very different characters, the air of relatability and humanization that has benefited Hal is already having an effect on Arthur.

Now, while the attention is exploring the many sides of Arthur Curry, that doesn’t mean the book lacks in the superhero action department, providing fans with epic clashes that showcase Aquaman’s new and improved skillset. Whether that’s against a god-like creature in the future or against a Kaiju-size water beast in the here and now, Timms, Lokus, and Sharpe bring an aura of elegance, style, and power to the King of the Seas that deserves immense praise. Speaking of powers, without going into major spoilers, Adams finds a way to imbue Arthur with new abilities while also creating more complexities within his inner circle, which creates new opportunities for character development as opposed to just being a flashy new power that will be forgotten about in six issues.

[RELATED: Absolute Superman Reveals Shocking Fate of Key DC Character]

A genuinely intriguing mystery is also key to making this feel unique amongst past Aquaman stories, and just like Arthur’s new powers, this mystery ties directly into the people and the things that Arthur holds dear. What does his life look like without those people, and what lengths will go to in the effort to bring them back? Well, we’ll get our answer soon, but as those final pages tease, the stakes are absurdly high, and we can’t wait to see how it all plays out from here.

Aquaman #1 is a stellar debut, moving in fresh directions and setting the stage for even bigger things to come. Issue #2 can’t get here soon enough.

Published By: DC Comics

On: January 8, 2025

Written By: Jeremy Adams

Art By: John Timms

Colors By: Rex Lokus

Letters By: Dave Sharpe

What did you think of Aquaman #1? You can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post Aquaman #1 Review: A Grand Beginning to a Bold New Era appeared first on ComicBook.com.

There are a number of factors that determine the value of a comic book. Some of the most obvious are its condition – which accounts for things like color vibrancy and wear & tear – if it was signed by a famous writer or artist, and if it features the first appearance of a popular character. One of the more surprising factors that determine the value of a particular comic book is if it’s related to a movie or TV series showcasing its characters. Because of this factor, a comic can fluctuate in value depending on how relevant it is in pop culture during a given time.

Because the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most dominant forces in media at the moment, many Marvel Comics featuring beloved MCU characters have seen an uptick in value, greatly increasing their demand and, as a consequence, their rarity. Here, we take a look at the seven rarest Marvel comic books and how much they’re worth.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man #14 (1964)

Hitting newsstands in 1964, this story sees the Green Goblin trap Spider-Man in a plot that involves Hollywood movie producer B.J. Cosmos casting the wall-crawler in his latest project. The plan is to shoot this film in the desert, where the Green Goblin plans to ambush him with his team, the Enforcers. In the ensuing fight, the contenders accidentally disturb the peace of the Hulk. While Spider-Man defeats the Green Goblin and the Enforcers, he’s more than a little shocked when he learns the producer has abandoned his Spider-Man-starring movie to make one about the Hulk instead.

Corny plot aside, this pivotal comic introduces the Green Goblin, who’s not only considered Spider-Man’s greatest nemesis but is widely regarded as one of the greatest villains ever. It’s such a landmark comic that a CGC 9.8 copy sold for an impressive $210,000.

6. The Avengers #1 (1963)

Before becoming the basis for numerous multi-billion dollar global blockbusters, the Avengers first assembled in the early 1960s in a little comic book that would soon become legendary. As the brainchild of Stan Lee, who was inspired by DC’s decision to bring together some of their most famous superheroes in the form of the Justice League, this iteration of the team featured Ant-Man (Hank Pym), Wasp, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor to take down Loki and end his mischievous scheme.

While all of the main characters in this inaugural issue had already appeared in other comic book series, this was the first time that they all appeared together as a team, launching countless spinoffs over the course of decades and serving as the template for the modern movie juggernaut, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is it any wonder that a CGC-graded NM+ 9.6 issue of the comic fetched $369,000 in September 2021?

5. The X-Men #1 (1963)

This landmark comic sees a group of teenagers born with extraordinary powers – Jean Grey / Marvel Girl, Scott Summers / Cyclops, Bobby Drake / Iceman, Hank McCoy / Beast, and Warren Worthington III / Angel – as they’re taught by the enigmatic Professor Charles Xavier at his school for Gifted Youngsters. His goal is to teach the teens to harness their amazing abilities for the betterment of mankind. But not all mutants are so noble as the group soon discovers, as Magneto has just taken command of deadly missiles at Cape Canaveral with his powers of magnetism.

Stan Lee may have come up with the concept of mutants because he ran out of ideas for how to give regular people superpowers, but the X-Men have proved to be one of Marvel Comics’ most enduring groups of characters. A CGC 9.6 copy of this important comic sold for $807,300 in 2021.

4. Fantastic Four #1 (1961)

Scientist Reed Richards, pilot Ben Grimm, and siblings Sue and Johnny Storm have just embarked on a mission to space, which is interrupted by a storm of cosmic radiation. But instead of killing the quartet, they are imbued with superhuman powers. Upon returning to Earth, they decide to use their newfound abilities for good, and meet their first adversary in the Mole Man, who’s attacking New York City with his massive subterranean creatures.

This is it, folks. The comic that launched the Marvel Comics universe as we know it. Written by Stan Lee and drawn by iconic artist Jack Kirby, the success of this landmark comic proved to Marvel that superheroes were what the masses really wanted (up until, they mostly published humor, romance, and Western comics). So what does a CGC 9.6 copy of this important comic sell for? $2,040,000.

[RELATED: Fantastic Four: Vanessa Kirby Praises Pedro Pascal & Co-Stars]

3. Marvel Comics #1 (1939)

A little bit of clarification is in order – before Marvel Comics was Marvel Comics, the publisher began as Timely Comics, then rebranded as Atlas Comics, and finally Marvel Comics in 1961. This particular comic was an anthology consisting of several stories that featured the debuts of Namor the Sub-Mariner and the android version of the Human Torch. The comic also featured various other stories in the crime, Western, and adventure genres (as well as a story including an early iteration of Ka-Zar).

Besides having the namesake of the comic book publisher that would become one of the most recognizable in the world, along with featuring the debuts of two major Marvel characters, Marvel Comics #1 also has the distinction of being the very first comic ever released by the iconic publisher. A CGC 9.2 copy sold for $2,427,777, and rightfully so.

2. Captain America Comics #1 (1941)

Captain America made his patriotic debut in the inaugural issue of his own series just before the U.S. got involved in WWII. Featuring the famous cover of the Star-Spangled Avenger punching Hitler in the face, this immortal comic book sees a frail Steve Rogers undergo an experiment that drastically increases his strength and agility, and it isn’t long before he and his pal Bucky Barnes take on Nazi spies and the villainous Red Skull.

The storyline is so beloved that it inspired the plot for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. The comic not only introduced the world to multiple characters who continue to appear in comics and on the big screen today but features the artwork of Jack Kirby, who’d go on to co-create countless other famous characters. Captain America Comics #1 CGC 9.4 sold for a hefty $3,120,000.

1. Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)

Originally titled Amazing Adventures, and then Amazing Adult Fantasy, Amazing Fantasy was an anthology series that largely consisted of short fantastical stories, many of which had twist endings. However, it was the final issue of the series that introduced Peter Parker / Spider-Man to the world. The issue was so popular that within a year, the character was given his own dedicated series, and the rest is superhero history.

Little did writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko realize that their throwaway story about an awkward teenager who suddenly attains the abilities of a spider would one day become a landmark character in popular culture. And that’s why this comic book is so valuable, with a CGC 9.6 copy selling for an amazing $3,600,000, not only topping this list but holding the record for the most expensive comic book of all time.

The post The 7 Rarest Marvel Comic Books (& How Much They’re Worth Now) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of Spider-Man’s most unique and fun spin-off series has finally ended. Spider-Man: Octo-Girl was a manga starring Doctor Octopus, who gets trapped in the body of a middle school girl. The manga is a homage to the Superior Spider-Man comics when Doc Ock took over the body of Spider-Man and aimed to become a better, superior superhero. Octo-Girl twists that premise to have the notorious villain stuck in a school setting, forcing him to deal with school drama and teen girls. The series was written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court, the same duo behind My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.

Fans became fond of Octo-Girl for its silly premise, which offered Spider-Man fans a new perspective on the Spidey mythos. The series also continued the ongoing redemption of Doctor Octopus, who has become more heroic since the Superior Spider-Man comics. Readers discovered the series released its final chapter today. Chapter 32 serves as the manga’s finale, with Doc Ock waking up in his own body again. Fans can read the Japanese version of the manga on the Japanese Shonen Jump+ website, but the English version will become available for people at a later date. Viz Media has distributed the English version of Octo-Girl in volumes, with volume 1 out for people to buy.

[RELATED: Marvel Manga Covers With Spider-Man and the X-Men Revealed]

Octo-Girl: The Superior Doctor Octopus

Spider-Man: Octo-Girl finds Otto Octavius suddenly reincarnated into the body of Otoha Okutamiya. While the manga began publication in 2023, the story takes plenty of inspiration from a particular era of Spider-Man comics. Specifically, Octo-Girl covers the Worldwide era of Spider-Man comics, which began when Spider-Man became a rich entrepreneur. During the latter half of Worldwide, Doctor Octopus gained a new body that was a mixture of his original body and Peter Parker’s. He then made a new suit and became the Superior Octopus.

Otto, in his Superior Octopus costume, makes several appearances in the Octo-Girl manga. Peter Parker is shown wearing his high-tech Spider-Man suit in several parts of the manga, suggesting the events of the manga take place in that specific period. However, because of Otto being in a coma and the overall dream logic of the premise, the continuity of the manga is somewhat vague. While the manga makes clear references to that particular era of comics, the series doesn’t require prior knowledge of Spidey lore to be enjoyed. It’s meant to be a standalone series for anime and manga fans.

Marvel’s Push in the Manga Market

Comic sales, even in the United States, are often overshadowed by manga. To capitalize on the large manga market, Marvel has collaborated with Japanese creators to invent their own officially licensed manga starring Marvel heroes. Besides Spider-Man: Octo-Girl, Marvel has also licensed Spider-Man: Fake Red, Deadpool: Samurai, and Marvel’s Secret Reverse. Viz Media has been translating and distributing volumes for the Marvel manga. Viz also recently republished the manga adaptation of the 90s X-Men animated series.

Marvel had previously attempted to break into the manga and anime market in the early 2000s to take advantage of the Toonami boom. The company created the Marvel Mangaverse, a stylized version of Marvel characters. The superhero team, the Runaways, was created specifically to invoke manga and anime and captivate its audiences. DC Comics has also created officially licensed manga series based on its characters. DC has licensed One Operation Joker and Superman vs. Meshi.

H/T: @WSJ_manga on X

The post One of Spider-Man’s Best New Series Just Ended Its Run appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Two members of the X-Men disagree on the best path forward after the Fall of Krakoa, and they’re going to settle their disagreement in a fight to the death. X-Men: From the Ashes has shown how mutants are moving forward post-Krakoa, with different teams being formed to carry out those missions. While the focus is on the two teams led by Cyclops and Rogue fighting over their old home in “Raid on Graymalkin,” the younger generation of X-Men are carving out their own lane in NYX. Ms. Marvel, Wolverine (Laura Kinney), and more are building a mutant community in New York City, but some X-Men are still holding onto the old ways of Krakoa… for good and bad.

Marvel released a preview of NYX #7 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Enid Balam, Raul Angulo, and VC’s Joe Sabino. It features the return of Synch (Everett Thomas), who wound up leading Krakoa’s official X-Men team after Cyclops and Jean Grey stepped away. Ms. Marvel shows Synch around the mutant community they’ve created in New York, which is seemingly being led by Prodigy. After some of their fellow X-Men’s terrorist attacks, Prodigy got fired from his job teaching mutant studies on the Empire State University campus. Prodigy now delivers his curriculum offsite, which is something Synch takes offense to.

[RELATED: Marvel Just Revealed the Perfect MCU Version of an X-Villain]

Synch believes Prodigy is selling a dream to his mutant followers, and that will eventually invite Sentinels. So what Synch is basically saying is this outward display of mutants gathering as a community will only cause more grief for their species, because humans only know how to respond one way, and that’s through violence. However, Synch’s answer to all of this is violence as well. He challenges Prodigy to battle through the Circle Perilous for ownership of Prodigy’s “throne.”

An X-Man channels Krakoa’s bloodies form of combat

The Circle Perilous is where the mutants of Arakko could challenge for a seat at the Great Ring, which was the leadership council of Arakko that mirrored Krakoa’s Quiet Council. While Krakoa had the Quarry/Arena, Arakko had the Circle Perilous. These were gladiator-style fights with only three outcomes: win, die, or yield.

Storm got her titles as the Regent of Arakko and Voice of Sol, and a seat at the Great Ring by defeating Nameless in the Circle Perilous. Krakoa took a different route by having mutants challenge Apocalypse in the Quarry. They mostly wanted a quick death so they could be resurrected by The Five.

It’s pretty jarring to see Synch reappear and immediately find an issue with what Prodigy is doing. Some of this is understandable since Synch benefitted greatly from the X-Men’s move to the sovereign nation, where he appeared in a monthly title and had a prominent storyline going with Laura Kinney’s Wolverine. It appears Synch hasn’t totally given up on Krakoa and its way of doing things, since he doesn’t hesitate to call for the Circle Perilous to decide his disagreement with Prodigy.

The preview of NYX #7 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, January 8th.

The post Two X-Men Are Having a Fight to the Death (And It All Ties Back to Krakoa) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

He’s the best there is at what he does — and what he does is kill. The Ultimate Wolverine prologue from writer Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and artist Alessandro Cappuccio (Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu) in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1 introduced the Ultimate Winter Soldier: the man called Logan. In a world where Reed Richards, the diabolical genius known as the Maker, used a time machine to create his ideal Earth by systematically preventing anyone from becoming a superhero, the Winter Soldier is the Maker’s Ultimate Weapon.

It’s a world where the Secret Society X-Men are a group of high schoolers — Hisako Ichiki (Armor), Mei Igarashi (Maystorm), and Nico Minoru — in the Eastern territory of Hi No Kuni (“Land of the Sun”), the domain of Emperor Sunfire. On the Maker-made Earth-6160, the neighboring Eurasian Republic (formerly Russia) was designed to be a centralized home to Homo superior: mutants.

RELATED: Marvel Unleashes Ultimate Wolverine Trailer

The Eurasian Republic’s leaders — mutants Piotr Rasputin (Colossus), Illyana Rasputina (Magik), and Arkady Rossovich (Omega Red) — created Directorate X to turn their mutant subjects into weapons and protect their Republic against incursions and insurrections. Dr. Alonya Prostovich, director of science and technology for the Eurasian Republic, oversaw the answer to the Opposition: a coalition of humans and mutants that have been branded “terrorists” for their attacks on Eurasian forces.

Upcoming issues of Ultimate Wolverine will introduce members of the Opposition: a group that includes the mutants Nightcrawler, Mystique, Gambit, and Shadowcat.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be tackling one of the absolute greatest comic book characters of all time in a totally new and unique way with a powerhouse artist like Alessandro Cappuccio, a dynamite colorist like Bryan Valenza, and a showstopping letterer like Cory Petit,” Condon said. “Each issue we have planned pushes the ideas that we all have about Wolverine to their limits — which is everything that an ‘ultimate’ Wolverine should be.”

Condon and Cappuccio’s Ultimate Wolverine — the fifth ongoing title in Marvel’s new Ultimate line, which includes Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Black Panther, The Ultimates, and Ultimate X-Men — unleashes the Winter Soldier on the Opposition when the book goes on sale Jan. 15. Get a peek at the first three issues below, including the first look at Ultimate Gambit and Ultimate Shadowcat.

Ultimate Wolverine #1

THE MAKER’S ULTIMATE WEAPON! From rising star Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and MOON KNIGHT powerhouse artist Alessandro Cappuccio comes the story of the ULTIMATE WOLVERINE! In order to maintain control of their corner of the Maker’s world, three members of his council – Magik, Colossus and Omega Red – deploy their most lethal asset: The Winter Soldier! But WHO is the weapon behind the mask?

On sale: Jan. 15

Ultimate Wolverine #2

THE MAKER’S COUNCIL AND THEIR ULTIMATE WEAPON! Colossus, Omega Red and Magik put the Ultimate Wolverine to the test by seeing how well he handles the OPPOSITION, a group fighting for mutant liberation!

On sale: Feb. 19

Ultimate Wolverine #3

WOLVERINE VS. GAMBIT & KITTY PRYDE! The Winter Soldier leads a strike against two members of the Opposition: Kitty Pryde and Gambit! But do the duo recognize the man behind the mask?

On sale: March 26

The post X-Men: Marvel Teases Ultimate Gambit and More Mutants in Ultimate Wolverine appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The war between Black Panther and Moon Knight comes to an end this week, but there may be some controversy as to the events that take place. One of the titles to launch in Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe is Ultimate Black Panther, reintroducing the World of Wakanda and all of the themes that come with it. Ultimate Black Panther made changes to T’Challa and his supporting cast, but Moon Knight also underwent a dramatic change as an adversary to Black Panther and Wakanda. Their feud continued to play out over the first year of Ultimate Black Panther, but a one-on-one confrontation looks to crown a decisive winner.

Marvel released a preview of Ultimate Black Panther #12 by Bryan Hill, Stefano Caselli, David Curiel, and VC’s Cory Petit. It picks up the action with Black Panther firmly in the driver’s seat, punching and slashing away at Moon Knight as both their followers watch in silence. As Black Panther stands above a defeated Moon Knight he declares, “You are no God.” You would think that’s the end of their duel, but Black Panther isn’t satisfied with a simple victory. Oh no, the King of Wakanda is out for blood, and he wants to see Moon Knight’s blood flow over the Wakanda soil.

[RELATED: Marvel Reveals New Sorcerer Supreme (And Their Powers Are Different From Doctor Strange)]

Okoye, who is Black Panther’s Queen, pleads for her King not to shed any more bloodshed. Moon Knight even gives up and asks for mercy, with Ultimate Black Panther zooming in and showing a closeup of Moon Knight’s broken mask and bruised face underneath. Black Panther says he feels a soul inside him demanding Moon Knight’s flesh and blood, alluding to the recent developments and his connection with Vibranium. We can see the fear in Shuri’s eyes as Black Panther lets out a feral yell. The preview ends with Black Panther driving his right arm down and a bone-crushing “SRAAAAK” sound effect.

Is Black Panther going to kill Moon Knight?

While the preview of Ultimate Black Panther #12 makes it seem that Black Panther is going to kill Moon Knight, Marvel has fooled us before with its previews. It was only two issues ago that we thought Moon Knight delivered a killing blow to Khonshu, but that only happened in one of T’Challa’s dreams. This could be another instance of our eyes deceiving us and this whole trial being fabricated. Or, this fight between the Marvel characters is truly happening, but Black Panther winds up showing mercy at the very end. We’ll have to wait for the official release date to find out.

“MOON KNIGHT VS. BLACK PANTHER! Moon Knight challenges Black Panther to a one-on-one duel to end the war!” a description of Ultimate Black Panther #12 reads. “But with his army of zealots behind him, would Moon Knight’s followers even accept defeat? And the Maker’s Council can’t be stopped so easily… The epic climax of the first year of ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER!”

The preview of Ultimate Black Panther #12 is below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, January 8th.

The post Marvel Teases a Controversial End to the Black Panther and Moon Knight War appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Steve Rogers’ journey from a scrawny kid in Brooklyn to Marvel’s moral compass spans over 80 years of comic book history. While initially conceived as a straightforward propaganda tool during World War II, Captain America evolved into a complex hero who represents not blind patriotism but the challenging ideals America strives to embody. As such, his best comic book stories often wrestle with what it means to be a patriot when your country’s actions conflict with its stated values. In addition, Steve has remained one of the quintessential Marvel characters only because he’s no longer a soldier following orders but a hero willing to do the right thing, even against the law and his teammates. 

Captain America’s transformation is particularly relevant today, as the MCU has chosen to draw from some of the best comic books to turn Chris Evan’s Steve Rogers into a beacon of hope beyond frontiers. The impact of Evan’s character was so significant that the MCU continues to explore Steve Rogers’ legacy through Sam Wilson’s  (Anthony Mackie) Captain America. As we look back at the comic book history that shaped both these heroes, here are the five most significant Captain America story arcs, ranked from great to absolutely essential.

5. Man Without a Country (Captain America #451-453)

Mark Waid’s thought-provoking storyline strips Steve Rogers of his most fundamental identity – his American citizenship. When the U.S. government declares Cap a man without a country, he faces a crisis that cuts to the core of his being: can you embody American ideals while being rejected by America itself?

The arc forces Rogers to confront what patriotism truly means when separated from nationalism. Without official backing, he continues fighting for justice and freedom, proving that his commitment to American values transcends any government decree. This exploration of principled resistance versus blind loyalty remains startlingly relevant today, especially as the MCU continues to explore similar themes, from Captain America: Civil War to John Walker (Wyatt Russell) in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

4. Captain America: Reborn (Captain America #605-610)

Ed Brubaker’s “Reborn” storyline tackles the impossible task of bringing Steve Rogers back from the dead without diminishing the impact of his sacrifice. After being seemingly killed by a time-displaced bullet, Rogers finds himself unstuck in time, reliving pivotal moments in American history. This creative approach allows the narrative to explore the weight of Rogers’ legacy while avoiding the typical superhero death-and-return tropes.

Furthermore, the story masterfully examines how the Marvel Universe changed during Cap’s absence, mainly through Bucky Barnes’ tenure as Captain America. The MCU hasn’t directly adapted this storyline. Yet, its themes of legacy and succession echo throughout The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, particularly in how Sam Wilson must grapple with the responsibility of the shield.

3. Nomad Arc (Captain America #180-184)

In one of Marvel’s boldest moves, Steve Rogers abandons his Captain America identity after discovering that high-ranking government officials were part of a terrorist organization called the Secret Empire. The arc shows Rogers creating the Nomad persona — “the man without a country” — allowing him to fight for justice while processing his disillusionment with American leadership.

This storyline’s influence ripples through modern Marvel storytelling, most notably in how Captain America quits the Avengers at the end of Captain America: Civil War, forging his own group of ragtag heroes to defend those in need without the constraints of government surveillance. The Nomad arc proves that true patriotism sometimes means standing against corrupt institutions rather than blindly supporting them, an important political lesson that would be key to reinventing Captain America for modern audiences.

2. Secret Empire (Captain America #169-175)

This 1974 storyline boldly parallels the Watergate scandal, presenting a story where Captain America uncovers corruption at the highest levels of government. The narrative culminates in a confrontation at the White House itself, forcing Rogers to face the gap between American ideals and American reality. Steve Englehart’s writing makes the political commentary impossible to ignore, establishing Captain America as a character willing to speak truth to power.

While other Captain America stories had political undertones, “Secret Empire” was the first to tackle contemporary political scandals directly. The storyline proved so controversial that Marvel initially tried to distance itself from the obvious Watergate parallels. However, time has vindicated Englehart’s creative choices, with the MCU partly adapting this storyline in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where Steve discovers HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. The film captures the same spirit of institutional betrayal, leading Rogers to destroy the very organization he once served.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Captain America Vol. 5 #1-9, 11-14)

Ed Brubaker’s masterpiece didn’t just resurrect Bucky Barnes. It transformed Captain America’s entire mythology. The revelation that Bucky survived his apparent death, only to be warped into a Soviet assassin, forces Steve to confront both personal guilt and Cold War legacy. Because of that, the storyline brilliantly weaves espionage thriller elements with emotional depth, creating a perfect modern Captain America story.

This arc’s influence on the MCU cannot be overstated. Captain America: The Winter Soldier adapts its core elements into one of Marvel Studios’ most acclaimed films, establishing the grounded, political thriller tone defining Captain America‘s franchise. Plus, the comic’s exploration of friendship, loyalty, and redemption provides the emotional foundation for Bucky’s (Sebastian Stan) arc throughout the MCU, culminating in his journey to find peace in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The post Captain America’s 5 Best Comic Storylines, Ranked appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Deadpool & Wolverine have become Marvel’s team supreme. Their movie was a massive success and the publisher decided to give the two their own ongoing team-up series. Deadpool/Wolverine reunites the two heroes with the creative team of Benjamin Percy and Joshua Casssara, who worked with the duo during the Krakoa Era of X-Men comics in X-Force. The first issue of the new series arrived this week (earning a 4 out of 5 rating in ComicBook’s review) and it is a doozy, an action-packed banger featuring the two characters coming together after a mysterious villain returns to the Marvel Universe – Stryfe, the evil clone of Cable.

Cable is familiar to Deadpool fans, both those who only love the movies and those who watch the movies and read the comics. The character has been had a banner year following his turn in X-Men ’97, which reminded fans of his pedigree – the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor sent to the future and returned to the present as the supreme mutant soldier. Stryfe plays an important role in Cable’s history, and Deadpool/Wolverine #1 hints that he may have something to do with Deadpool and Wolverine’s past, including Wolverine’s days as a member of the CIA’s Team X, when he teamed with Sabretooth and Maverick, the latter appearing in the issue.

Stryfe Is the Evil Clone of Cable

Fans of X-Men ’97 got a primer on Cable and while there are some differences in the comics, the broad strokes are the same. Nathan Summers was born to Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor, eventually infected with a techno-organic virus, and sent to the future to learn to deal with it. While in the future, he joined the war against Apocalypse. Apocalypse, knowing that Cable could be a weapon against him, was able to get his hands on his genetic structure and created Stryfe, a clone of Cable without the techno-organic virus, which gave him access to the full mental powers of Cable, which were usually tied up in holding back the virus.

Much like Cable, Stryfe was sent into the past in order to pave the way for Apocalypse’s eventual triumph and destroy Cable. Stryfe battled Cable and X-Force before turning his sights on the X-Men in the ’90s classic “The X-Cutioner’s Song,” where he pretended to be Cable and shot Professor Xavier. This piece of continuity plays into Deadpool/Wolverine #1, specifically the word “X-Cutioner.”

Related: Deadpool & Wolverine Almost Didn’t Happen Before Hugh Jackman’s Return

Stryfe is found in the beginning of the first issue imprisoned in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, naturally leading to his escape. This escape awakened something in Deadpool, who was on a mission of his own, initiating him as a “X-Cutioner” and causing him to find Wolverine. The mind-controlled Deadpool took Wolverine to a graveyard in Deadwood, South Dakota, where a bunker under the graves of James Howlett and Wade Wilson hosued suits of armor (which match the armor that Wolverine, Maverick, and Sabretooth used to wear as Team X). Maverick shows up, as he was hired to deal with Stryfe’s earlier escape, and Deadpool attacks, eventually escaping and finding his way to Stryfe.

Stryfe’s Return Brings a Major Danger Back to the Marvel Universe

Stryfe and Deadpool have crossed paths many times in the past. Stryfe hired Deadpool as muscle in the early days of his war with Cable. Deadpool has also battled Stryfe, having been responsible for one of the mutant villain’s deaths. At one point in Deadpool/Wolverine #1, Wolverine speculates that Deadpool is under the control of nanites, which Stryfe could have implanted into the Merc with a Mouth at some point in the past. However, the most interesting thing about the issue is the use of “X-Cutioner” and how that relates to Team X.

Team X was one of several mutant strike teams under the employ of the West during the Cold War and beyond. Cable’s Wild/Six Pack was another, and Stryfe was working for the Soviets at that time, in opposition to Cable. Wade Wilson was also in this black ops game at the time, bringing them all together in a bloody cat’s cradle. Stryfe having access to Deadpool isn’t surprising, but him having created some nanite based failsafe that led to Team X armor is. Stryfe is a dangerous villain, and the secrets Deadpool/Wolverine reveals about him could have major repercussions for the Marvel Universe.

Deadpool/Wolverine #1 is on sale now.

The post Marvel Brings Back One of the X-Men’s Deadliest Villains in Deadpool & Wolverine appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel has revolutionized the superhero crossover over the decades. The first major Marvel crossover came in 1939’s Marvel Mystery Comics #8, as Namor and the Golden Age Human Torch clashed for the first time. Crossovers were an excellent way to get fans of one character to like others, and became an important part of Marvel’s publishing strategy. In the 1980s, Marvel took the crossover to the next level by creating the event miniseries, allowing them to have crossovers that went beyond simply just having a character appear in another character’s book and could include the entire Marvel Universe.

There are some Marvel crossovers that everyone remembers, classics like Infinity Gauntlet and Civil War, which have been immortalized on the big screen. However, there are also loads of Marvel crossovers that even the biggest Marvel fans have forgotten. These forgotten Marvel crossovers vary wildly in quality, with some being great and some being trash, but many of them could be recycled into something special.

Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions

Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions, by Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, Bill Mantlo, and John Romita Jr., holds the distinction of being the first event miniseries ever. The 1982 story is quite simple — the superheroes of Earth are kidnapped for a game between the Grandmaster and Death. If Grandmaster wins, his brother the Collector is resurrected. If Death wins, Grandmaster dies.

Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions pit hero versus hero in a variety of contests, and also tried to introduce all new heroes to the Marvel Universe, ones from around the world. Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions was something of a success, and it wouldn’t be the last time Marvel heroes would be pitted against each other at the behest of powerful cosmic beings. In fact, the monumental JLA/Avengers crossover copied its structure — heroes pitted against each other by two more powerful beings — down to including the Grandmaster. However, the book itself never became as popular as the next major Marvel event — Secret Wars — and most Marvel fans, even diehard comic readers, haven’t thought of it in ages.

Infinity Crusade

Infinity Gauntlet has gone down in Marvel history as one of its best crossovers ever. It brought Thanos back to prominence and served as the basis for the first three phases of the MCU. It’s a major part of Marvel history, but what most people don’t know about it is that it’s the beginning of a trilogy. Writer Jim Starlin and artist Ron Lim would work on two sequels, the last of which would be completely overshadowed by what came before.

Infinity Crusade pits the heroes of the Marvel Universe against the Goddess, a being created by Adam Warlock, the hero of the Infinity trilogy, when he gained the Infinity Gauntlet. The Goddess represented everything good inside him, which he jettisoned along with everything evil to make himself a better God, and was able to make many heroes her disciples. The only problem was that her implacable nature made her a danger to the universe, forcing the other heroes to battle her. Infinity Crusade, all things considered, is pretty mediocre, which is why it’s not remembered. It doesn’t have the bombast of Infinity Gauntlet and can’t match the quality of its immediate predecessor.

Infinity War

Infinity Gauntlet ended with Adam Warlock gaining the Infinity Gauntlet and becoming God. This led to Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch, an ongoing series that saw the hero split the Infinity Gems among a group of friends, including familiar MCU characters Gamora and Drax. However, the mistakes of Warlock’s short time as God would come back to roost in Infinity Gauntlet‘s sequel Infinity War.

The book sees Thanos, who has decided to stop trying to be a universe-shattering monster, finding that the Magus has returned. The Magus was an evil Adam Warlock from another future, returned thanks to Warlock’s jettisoning of his dark side, and Thanos goes immediately to warn Warlock. Meanwhile, on Earth, twisted doppelgangers begin attacking the heroes, with some succeeding in taking the place of those they attack. Infinity War goes on from there, and it’s amazing. Starlin and Lim give readers a multi-faceted crossover, full of actions and big revelations. The story can get a little complicated, but that’s part of its charm. There are some who like it more than Infinity Gauntlet, but that didn’t keep it from being forgotten. However, it did become the namesake of the greatest Avengers movie, which isn’t too shabby. However, most don’t even know it exists.

Maximum Security

The ’90s aren’t remembered as the best time for Marvel. The company started the decade with a bang, with best-selling books like Spider-Man, X-Force, and X-Men breaking records, but Marvel would be forced into bankruptcy in the middle years of the decade. 1998 and 1999 would be better creatively, with the Heroes Return story bringing the Avengers and their related heroes back to prominence. Threads from Avengers and Avengers Forever would be brought together in 2000’s Maximum Security, by Kurt Busiek and Jerry Ordway.

The gist of the story is that multiple alien civilizations, including the familiar-to-MCU-fans Skrulls and Kree, attacked the Earth, tired of its heroes always interfering in their affairs. They designate the planet a prison, forcing the heroes to free the Earth. Maximum Security is a perfectly serviceable story, but it came right before Marvel would go through a major reorganization. It didn’t really do anything important to the overall Marvel Universe, and would be quickly overshadowed by the beginning of Joe Quesada’s regime as editor-in-chief.

Secret War (2004)

Secret Wars is a venerable name in Marvel history, with several events and the upcoming film Avengers: Secret Wars all using it. However, 2004’s Secret War doesn’t have the same cache of some of the projects that shared its name. Written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Gabriele Dell’Otto, the story serves as a prequel of sorts to the events books of the mid to late ’00s.

At some point in the past, Nick Fury recruited a group of heroes — Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Daredevil, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Daisy Johnson — to deal with Latveria’s Prime Minister Lucia von Bardas. After they defeat her, Fury mindwipes the heroes, which leads to problems when von Bardas recruits an army of tech-based B-list heroes and attacks the heroes. It weaved many strands that would be important down the road for Marvel, but the book was plagued with delays, which played a factor in it being forgotten — back then, fans got tired of waiting for it and by the time it finished, much of what it was the prequel to had already started.

Fear Itself

From 2005 to 2010, Marvel’s event books were the hottest tickets in town. House of M, Civil War, Secret Invasion, and Siege all built off one another, charting the course of the Marvel Universe. The end of Siege led to the Heroic Age publishing initiative, which healed the fractures the earlier events had caused across Marvel and the first major event of that period would be Fear Itself, by Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen. However, the story faded away quickly.

Fear Itself revolved around the return of the Norse God of Fear, the Serpent. The Serpent used magic hammers to create the Chosen — Hulk, the Thing, Juggernaut, Titania, Attuma, Grey Gargoyle, and the Absorbing Man — attacking the planet. There are some cool action sequences and ideas — including Iron Man using Asgardian uru metal to create weapons for a group of heroes — but it didn’t make any impact. It “killed” off Bucky while he was Cap, but it was revealed that only a S.H.I.E.L.D. Life Model Decoy died. Thor is killed at the end, but that was also quickly undone in his book. Fear Itself felt like it was meant to be a big fun crossover — all empty calories — and that led to it being completely forgotten.

[RELATED: 5 MCU Characters That Deserve Spinoffs]

Dark Avengers/X-Men: Utopia

The Dark Reign publishing initiative spun out Secret Invasion. After the Skrulls were defeated, then-Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Iron Man was blamed for the aliens getting so far and Norman Osborn, former Green Goblin and head of the Thunderbolts, is given control of the superhero national security apparatus. He creates his own team of Avengers, with heroes Ares and Sentry joined by Bullseye, Moonstone, Venom, and Daken, the four of them wearing the mantles of Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man, and Wolverine respectively, with Osborn repurposing Iron Man armor and becoming the Iron Patriot. Dark Reign saw him tighten his grip on the superhero community and led to Dark Avengers/X-Men: Utopia, by Matt Fraction, Luke Ross, Terry Dodson, and Mike Deodato.

The story pits the Avengers against the X-Men in San Francisco after the Friends of Humanity march against the mutants. It all leads to a face-off between the two on Utopia, an island created from the fragments of Magneto’s Asteroid M. The X-Men win and they declare their new island a mutant nation, while Osborn claims victory in the press. This story was extremely important from 2009 to 2012, but as the X-Men moved on from Utopia and Dark Reign was further in the rear view, it’s been lost to the mists of time.

X-Men vs. Avengers

While the Avengers and the X-Men are Marvel’s two most popular teams, when most fans think of their crossovers, they think of a particular one: 2012’s Avengers vs. X-Men. However, back in 1987, Marvel made a miniseries that pit the two teams against each other as well: X-Men vs. Avengers, by Roger Stern and Marc Silvestri. Since the X-Men were much more popular than the Avengers at the time, they got top billing in the four-issue series.

The book sees the two teams collide over Magneto, who the Soviet Super Soldiers are trying to take into custody for his sinking of a Soviet sub while he was a villain. It’s a pretty simple story, with the heroes fighting each other, then teaming up against a common enemy before going their separate ways. It’s the basic superhero crossover plot formula, which is why this story has been forgotten. It wasn’t some massive universe-shaking epic, so it faded into the background.

Atlantis Attacks

For years, Marvel and DC published annual issues, usually oversized comics that told a one-and-done story. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Marvel decided to use its annuals to tell crossover stories and 1989 would see the publication of Atlantis Attacks. The story dealt with Ghaur, a member of the Deviant race, returning to Earth and attempting to summon the serpent god Set, enlisting the help Llyra of Lemuria. They search out the Serpent Crown, an object of great power, and make an alliance with Attuma, who was king of Atlantis at the time. They begin transforming humans into serpents using a secret formula and kidnapping female superheroes to act as brides of Set.

This caused the heroes to spring into action. Atlantis Attacks ran through 14 annuals. These annual events never really felt very important, which plays a factor in it being forgotten. The other is the focus of it. While Namor is one of Marvel’s first heroes, Atlantis was never extremely important to the Marvel Universe, nor were the Deviants or Lemuria. On top of that, it shared something in common with other entries in this list — it had no impact on the Marvel Universe. Nothing major changed from Atlantis Attacks and while a new Atlantis Attacks was published in 2020, all it shared with this story was its name.

The Evolutionary War

The Evolutionary War was the first annual event, being published in 1988. The story ran through 11 different annuals, and concentrated on the High Evolutionary. The High Evolutionary returned after an apparent suicide attempt, deciding to redouble his efforts to make humanity the perfect species. The story sees him trying to artificially accelerate the evolution of humanity, all while eliminating what he perceives as genetic dead ends. The heroes spring into action against him.

The Evolutionary War was a perfectly fine story, but there’s nothing in it to make it memorable. There aren’t really any huge moments and its impact on Marvel is nil. The High Evolutionary is always a cool villain when he shows up, as MCU fans learned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but his stories all blend together after a while. The Evolutionary War doesn’t stand out in Marvel history at all, leading it to be dropped down the memory hole by fans.

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Creature Commandos is an early success for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. Gunn’s superhero projects don’t miss, and the way he combined pathos, humor, and high action made Creature Commandos a series for the ages. One of the more important aspects of the show’s success is its use of rather obscure DC characters. Gunn took a group of DC‘s C- and D-listers and showed that with the right attention, any character can shine like Batman or Superman. DC has legions of characters like this, all ready for their close-up.

The DCU is putting a lot of spotlight on lesser-known DC characters, and that’s the right way to go. Not every superhero has to be about a superstar, but every hero should have the potential for it. DC Studios can scour DC’s back catalog, and find numerous characters that would translate to amazing adventures on the big and small screen.

Below you’ll find some of the more compelling DC characters who all deserve to get the Creature Commandos treatment.

Kamandi

Jack Kirby helped codify the language of superheroes in the Silver Age, working with Stan Lee to create the greatest run of superhero comics of all time at Marvel. Kirby’s working relationship with Lee and Marvel eventually imploded and he went to DC. While there, Kirby created legions of amazing characters, from the New Gods of New Genesis and Apokolips to the rhyming son of Hell the Demon to the futuristic O.M.A.C., running the gamut of sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero concepts. Kirby did what he always did — created legends that would inspire fans for generations.

One of the best pieces of Kirby’s work from this period is Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth. Kamandi’s story is set in the far future, with the titular character being one of the last humans on Earth after the Great Disaster. Kamandi was trapped in a world of ruined and sentient animals, fighting to survive a world that hated him, and that’s rich storytelling soil. Kamandi would be perfect for the next big animated DCU project, giving fans post-apocalyptic thrills of the highest order.

Animal Man

Animal Man is DC’s most famous obscure character. Buddy Baker was introduced in the Silver Age as a character with a cool power set and a bland personality and life. However, all of that would change in the 1980s, as writer Grant Morrison and artist Chas Troug teamed up for Animal Man, a series that redefined the animal-powered hero for a new generation. He became a vegetarian and an eco-warrior, fighting for the rights of animals, and his family got fleshed out, making the Bakers one of the best families in comics. However, Morrison also decided to explore the interaction of fiction and the real world in the series, which is what has made that classic book so beloved.

To the vast majority of DC fans, Animal Man is just a character with a silly name who comic fans wax poetically about. Gunn is known for his love of Grant Morrison’s work, so if there’s any time for Animal Man to make his way into pop culture, it’s right now. An Animal Man DCU series can either adapt the classic comics or just give fans the adventures of Animal Man, his wife Ellen, and their kids Cliff and Maxine. It could be high-concept superhero art or a fun romp with a great character and supporting cast, and either way would be worth it.

Ambush Bug

The late, great Keith Giffen was a DC legend, creating stories and characters that showed off every facet of the DC Universe. Giffen has a raft of great titles under his belt — Legion of Superheroes, Justice League International, Blue Beetle, and Lobo. One of his most fun creations is Ambush Bug, a character who presaged the fourth-wall-breaking hijinks of Deadpool years before the Merc with a Mouth made his first appearance. Ambush Bug is the perfect comedy character and would be excellent in any capacity in the DCU.

Ambush Bug feels completely at home in a James Gunn project. His teleportation powers, dumb luck, and unerring ability to get into huge mischief would make him an entertaining addition to any show or movie. Humorous characters like Ambush Bug have an important place in the pantheon of DC and few funny DC characters fit into the new DCU like Ambush Bug.

Hourman

JSA was one of DC’s big 2024 announcements, a book built around the heroes of the Golden Age and their predecessors. The Justice Society of America is full of great characters, but Hourman’s legacy is one of the more interesting. Rex Tyler created the Miraclo pill, which gave him superhuman strength and durability for an hour at a time. The pills were also highly addictive, causing him to become addicted to his costumed lifestyle. Rex was able to create a non-addictive version of Miraclo, but still had to deal with the aftermath of his disease. The family bug also bit his son Rick, who became the second Hourman, working hard to live up to his father’s legacy and keep his sobriety. There is also a third Hourman, but he was a nanotech colony lifeform from the future, created from the DNA of the Tyler family.

Hourman’s struggles with addiction, both those of Rex and Rick, can be used to tell powerful stories in the DCU. Creature Commandos introduced DC WWII characters like Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, so establishing the Golden Age legacy of the Justice Society shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Hourman’s story makes him the perfect Justice Society member to spotlight, with the themes inherent in the character taking superheroes to a new place.

Metal Men

Creature Commandos itself set up the Metal Men. G.I. Robot was given to roboticist Will Magnus in the show in the past, who took a look at what made G.I. Robot tick. DC fans were ecstatic at this scene, because it meant that there was a chance for the Metal Men to appear. Magnus created the responsometer, which allowed him to create intelligent robots with complex personalities. He also used metals from the periodic table in his work, creating Gold, Iron, Platinum, Lead, Tin, and Mercury. Each of them had powers relating to their elements, making the Metal Men a formidable unit when they weren’t bickering among themselves.

Gunn basically telegraphed an upcoming Metal Men project at some point. A show about the Metal Men, taking place in the 1960s or ’70s, would be amazing. It would allow fans to see how the new DCU developed, as well as give them one of the more entertaining groups in DC history. The Metal Men represent an important technological link between G.I. Robot and the present day, and that link should be explored.

Detective Chimp

Detective Chimp is a character that is ready for superstardom. Detective Chimp was created to take advantage of the fact that comics with apes on their cover sold better, and over the years has become a respected member of the superhero community, working with Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark, as well as the magical team known as the Shadowpact. Detective Chimp is a simple character — a chimpanzee given the power to speak who decides to become a detective — and fits in well with the DCU established in The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos.

Detective Chimp is a smoking, drinking chimp with an acerbic wit, which are all points in his favor. His knowledge of the seedier side of the DC magical universe makes him a doorway character to the best magical characters in comics. Detective Chimp has appeared previously in Batman: The Brave and the Bold in a form more in line with his Silver Age portrayal, but an entry into the DCU could bring the modern version of the character to life in all his glory. Andy Serkis as Detective Chimp is worth any amount of money.

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