In this current mighty Marvel age, formerly obscure characters from days gone by ranging from
Nova to Iron Fist have stepped out of the shadows and back into the spotlight thanks to the dedication of fans and creators alike. But with an entire Universe of similarly overlooked stars begging to be revitalized, who warrants the next shot at the big time?
We asked Marvel editors and creators who they'd like to see given a chance to shine in 2009.
It's Friday, so kick back, relax and enjoy.
MIKE OEMING (artist of POWERS): I would say
Cloak and
Dagger, but I know they are making a comeback so that's good. They are unique to the Marvel Universe and should be much more part of it.
I also think
Power Pack—I'm not kidding. But they not as cute kids like they are often portrayed as, they should be real kids. I have a kid, and I see other young kids around me all the time; I'd love to see Power Pack reflect that. That could be some powerful stuff. I also miss
Sunspot and Illyana from the
New Mutants.
PAUL CORNELL (writer of CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI13): I think the
Valkyrie has been absent from the Marvel Universe for far too long. She's got a great back story, and could really rock in the modern world. I'd favor, though, something like her redesigned silver costume, which Keith Giffen always did so well with; the black original version always looked plain to me. And she should be reconnected to Barbara Norris. And then we could have Jack Norris back too. I'll just nip off and write this, shall I?
JORDAN WHITE (Marvel assistant editor): It's interesting, because right now, we have so many comics, most of the characters I love are either appearing or are scheduled to appear. We have books nowadays that specialize in showcasing really obscure characters, too, like
AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE, for example, so almost everyone is out there! But that being said, I think it's been way too long since the classic
Excalibur team has been united. Yes, all of them—Kitty,
Nightcrawler,
Captain Britain,
Meggan, and
Rachel Summers—have appeared in the last year, but I want them back together, as a team! On the solo front, I don't know where Wonder Man has gotten off to. I always liked his solo adventures, myself. Let's see him go back to Hollywood!
JIM MCCANN (writer of NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION): Well, if you'd asked me this last year, I would have said
Mockingbird, but now that she's back, I'd really like to see the
Beyonder or the
Grandmaster—one of those cosmic entities that would, whenever the mood struck, just snatch up a bunch of random heroes and villains and pit them against each other. I make no secret my love of SECRET WARS, but I also
loved the
Avengers/West Coast Avengers crossover where Hawkeye cheated to beat Grandmaster. I could definitely go for something like that again.
MARC SUMERAK (writer of WEAPON X: FIRST CLASS): It's been a few years since we've seen my favorite herald of
Galactus—Firelord! Sure, our pal Pyreus Kril may not be the best-known character in
Marvel's vast Universe, but every time he pops up you know that something cool is about to go down. If you ask me, it's about time to light both ends of his staff on fire again!
TOM DEFALCO (writer of AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL): I really miss
Ka-Zar, Zabu and the Savage Land. It's been way too long since Marveldom Assembled has witnessed a good battle with a bad dinosaur!
BILL ROSEMANN (Marvel editor): Can you imagine a down-and-dirty crime book starring the Shroud? The man in the shadows who, while blind, sees the evil that lurks in the hearts of men? The mystery man that goes undercover in a bet-it-all, trust-no-one gamble to bring down the underworld? Yeah, that would be pretty sweet, wouldn't it?
REGINALD HUDLIN (writer of BLACK PANTHER): I always loved Jim Starlin's WARLOCK. I think it may be a magic that is impossible to recreate, but damn I miss it.
MARK WAID (writer of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN): Dragon Man. I haven't seen enough Dragon Man lately. A giant being with the intelligence of a beagle but who can breathe fire and fly on wings that are only marginally larger than
Namor's. Hey, Wacker, how do you think
Spider-Man would fare in a battle with Dragon Man?
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