Marvel Comics is proud to announce The Heroic Age, the dawn of an exciting new era of heroism in the Marvel Universe! Beginning in May 2010 with the release of AVENGERS #1, The Heroic Age ushers in a brighter Marvel Universe and a bold new era for the world's greatest super heroes as they emerge from darkness with a renewed sense of hope and optimism, leading to the formation of all new teams with new members...and brand new characters! Titles branded with the Heroic Age banner offer a perfect jumping on point for readers new and old alike, as the top comic book creators in the world deliver a Marvel Universe like you've never seen before!
Over the past few years, the Marvel Universe and its citizens have found themselves living in a dark age of despair. Beginning with the disbanding of the Avengers, the heroes of the Marvel Universe have been caught in a demoralizing downward spiral that has included the genocide of the mutant population, a divisive civil war between heroes, the assassination of Captain America, a worldwide subversive alien infiltration and invasion, and the media-fueled and publicly-supported ascension of the Green Goblin's civilian identity, Norman Osborn, to power and control of the United States. Now, the heroes have united once again, stronger than ever and are prepared to face the dangers that lie ahead.
"Our heroes have experienced some of their greatest trials and tribulations recently, but now there's going to be a renewed hope among their ranks," said Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief Marvel Entertainment LLC. "As our heroes emerge from the darkness, the Marvel Universe is going to be a more optimistic place than we've seen in a quite awhile. But that doesn't mean we're making things easy for our characters!"
From the tone of the storylines, to the stunning new artistic look, The Heroic Age ushers in a dramatic new vision of the Marvel Universe. Marvel's most elite characters will be at the center of The Heroic Age, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and more!
David Gabriel, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation, Marvel Entertainment LLC. added "We've been working out the details of THE HEROIC AGE for about a year now. The plan is to give old and new fans alike the perfect place to jump into the Marvel Universe without feeling like they've missed out on anything that's come before. If there's a Heroic Age banner on one of the books, we're serious when we say 'the Marvel Universe Starts Here!"
A new Age of Heroes dawns this May as THE HEROIC AGE begins and changes the face of comics as you know them! Join Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita Jr, and more of the industry's hottest creators as they bring a bold new era for the world's greatest super heroes, with a stunning new look for the Marvel Universe!
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Glad to see them going back to basics, Dark Avengers wasn't working time to get some old school writers back into the game
:2ddfae7096="ebellavita77"]To all you idiots out there who think Bucky Barnes will be Hawkeye need to read Captain America #602, that will put this lame discussion over his arm to rest.[/quote:2ddfae7096]
So it was just internet rumors?
Here is the word from Marvel as of the day this was announced:
USA Today
Marvel superheroes are leaving the dark side.
After seven years of grim and grimmer story lines, including a superhero "civil war" that pitted Iron Man against Spider-Man and the death of Captain America, Marvel Comics will usher in a more optimistic "Heroic Age" approach in May.
"Heroes will be heroes again," says Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada. "They've gone through hell and they're back to being good guys — a throwback to the early days of the Marvel Universe, with more of a swashbuckling feel."
[b:aaec92efaa]
All this would be of interest only to comic fans except it comes just months after Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion. Quesada says that Marvel's return to "good guys" was in the works for two years, was finalized eight months ago and that the Disney takeover had no role.[/b:aaec92efaa]
"There is no sanitizing of the Marvel books at all," he says, promising stories will remain "edgy" and contemporary. "Our philosophy here is to just keep telling good stories."
by David Colton
Does anyone else think it's not a coincidence that right after Disney officially buys Marvel, they announce this new upbeat, sunny direction. I'm not complaining I'm just saying.
marvel is so awesome
Yeah, but that would make all Cap spin-offs effectively heroes, and somebody's gotta be the evil doppelganger, non? To me that's just one too many Caps if they bring him onto the 'side of angels.'
Don't forget about the 1950's Captain America, he may play a role in things to come. I would honestly like to see this character used and developed, it could be a very good redemption story.
:1e2e4cb60d="CaptainFuryAgent"]...Don't kill off the USAgent in SIEGE. He's already been "killed" once....he has survived this long, let the antihero remain. It would be an interesting scenario to see him interact with Bucky...[/quote:1e2e4cb60d]
Funny you mentioned him being killed in Seige, 'cause some time back I mentioned this three squad idea, with a Cap-like character on each. It accounted for Bucky not wanting to be known as the Winter Soldier if he was to relinquish the Cap title by becoming USAgent - and it hinged on USAgent dying; HOWEVER, it also outlined that he should be raised up as a spirit like character by Thor afterward, to serve on an Avengers squad that would be more tasked with protection from the mystical, mythic, etc. The major flaws with that (besides it sounding fanficish and me not having a Marvel planning session 'in', obviously) are that a) another company has a ghostlike character draped in a flag, referred to as the American Spirit, b) there's been too little interaction with Thor and Walker to honestly say he's have reason to honor him (it would homage the MC2 story where Cap fell and Thor lit him up as star afterward, though) unless he was doing it wholesale for a slew of fallen heroes due to SIEGE, and c) Bucky and Walker have had no interaction to say he'd be becoming USAgent to honor him, as he did Steve. It'd almost be a step down, but such an identity as USAgent sure would fit his gun-totting character like a glove.
Additional fits for that roster would be a returned Wasp (as a mini Valkyrie, maybe), Bill Foster (what Thor-clone Ragnarok has done, let Thor undo, plus it would fit for him to be a frost-giant to be set apart from other - and often Pym particle specific - giant characters, like Atlas is/was) and Doctor Voodoo (who I think should've gotten the chance to be known in his new role better before being rushed into a series, and now tainted to not get one back). The rosters would spread the Cap (Steve, John, Bucky) characters across each squad, as well as a mystic (Strange, Drumm, Wanda), a brain (Pym, Foster, Stark) and even gods (Herc, Thor, Ares).
Wanda might do better with Thor though, if with USAgent there, Quicksilver has been alongside him in Mighty comfortably enough. He'd want to be finally at her side and they'd both get a shot at Loki in such a capacity. Not to mention, a speedster would fit as a messenger of some pantheon, which Thor's squad would be akin to. A bigger event with Chthon might serve as a comeback for Wanda, and for a big bad out there all this time, he sure gets little presence. The Mighty A arc touching on him should spin into something more, serve to take some blame off Wanda, and fit as her official reintroduction.
First of all, as a Captain America fan/collector since 1988, I am DEEPLY distressed to see this potential replacement. We only need one, and it has got to be Steve Rogers! Bucky is good but a much more dark character. Why not give him his own identity? He olny assumed the shield as a way to honor Steve Rogers. He doesn't want the mantle. Even if Rogers is running SHIELD, he is the only fit here!!
Don't kill off the USAgent in SIEGE. He's already been "killed" once....he has survived this long, let the antihero remain. It would be an interesting scenario to see him interact with Bucky. He's gotta be jealous.
The other thing is, Bucky is not nearly the fighter that Steve is. There are some alternate theories I have, some not new:
[b:297a8c20b1]1)Like people are saying, that is Cap.[/b:297a8c20b1] Previous iterations of the heroic age promo have the oldskool Cap look.
[b:297a8c20b1]2)Bucky will run it for awhile, but Cap will have to take over. [/b:297a8c20b1] Could this be because of the catastrophic foreshadow in Cap:Reborn #6?!?!
[b:297a8c20b1]3)Bucky serves here while Cap runs SHIELD.[/b:297a8c20b1] I still think, though, that Bucky should have his own I.D.--what about "American Soldier"?!?! With a similar costume but not as Cap-like?!
I am 100% for STEVE ROGERS remaining as the unique Captain America. NO ONE is more heroic than him.
:cap:
Well said, but I think we are meandering between young 'uns who don't fully understand that the pic was never supposed to be an Avengers specific pic, and others who are just riling others up and/or poking fun at how this became such a huge discussion off of a collage of a few key and recognizable MU titles, and a metal sheath in Hawkeye's outfit design.
Either way, I like one point made here about what the Avengers should be coming out of DR. The canceling of the titles is mostly a technicality as the new age could be marked with new numbering (whether a milestone 600, 700, what have you, or new number 1s with different adjectives) so expect more than one title. If there is going to be cohesion maintained between the multiple titles coming out of this, it would do well to release each one week after the other. Now I had my own thoughts on where Marvel have a chance to go with the reuniting of the Big Three, but it amounts to the same that the huge roster that can be called on doesn't have to be done away with.
One Avengers team, overall technically, but at least 3 different units for whatever different situations or locations. The Initiative made a good point in that not only NY needs protection. My thoughts were that Thor, Iron Man and Cap should each lead a unit, but with speculation being that it's Steve's turn to lead SHIELD or something like it [particularly instead of just reverting everything back, and just reinstating Fury], either his unit gets a distinction as a main unit under him, the director, with a field leader separate from him, possibly Bucky, but more deservedly in the current MU atmosphere probably Pym, or he's over everything and others are each field commanders reporting to him.
More about Pym is that Bucky's been making a good Cap, and I wouldn't feel slighted if he remained Cap with Steve stepping up to head a protectorate, but he's a newbie to the present day hero role and everyone assumes that him being Cap also automatically qualifies him to lead the Avengers. Yes, he could, but I say let him bask in just being 'the new Cap' for a while longer and let Pym retain leadership of a group. If they all answer to Steve on top of that, then we have three of the founders leading the Avengers squads: Thor, Stark and Pym. I also think it's about time Thor reveals that Wasp/Janet isn't actually dead but shunted somewhere and we get her back. Hawkeye/Barton should hop on over with Songbird [Mach and Fixer too] and reclaim the Thunderbolts name, and keep the structure reporting to the director of the security force SHIELD and HAMMER structured, i.e. they would report to Steve (all this depending on Steve answering the call to head the force) with Nick being his adviser but continuing to have his main focus be spy games. [Heck we could solve the myriad Cap knock-offs problem by making it a positional requirement... Bucky and Walker functioning as Steve's right and left 'arms' if it is that he has a position of office]
I wonder how many people actually get to follow the entirety of the MU.... actually having read each series produced, regardless of how enjoyable it was at the time. There are just too many factors to make any kind of reasonable guess on what this picture means other than their continued existence in the MU. With various X books (+solos) & arcs, Fall of- &World War Hulks, dark/mighty/new/young avengers & initiative, black panther, secret warriors, realm of kings (+cosmic solos), etc.
There is no way these past five years will be completely scrapped, but more of a title of books that are apart of the MU but not tied down to the same restrictions and needless reference of the unending crossovers we've had.
Besides, it is very easy to find upcoming titles that give a lot more to run with then a FIRST LOOK aka TEASER of the UNIVERSE, and not specific to any title in general