Marvel

Preview art by Mat Broome

By Tim Stevens Being a hero often means doing the right thing no matter how much it might break your heart. This has never been truer than in the case of the mysterious hero the late 50's and early 60's known as Adam, the Blue Marvel. Wildly powerful and even more popular, the Marvel appeared poised to become the new standard bearer of heroics in the United States. Then, one day, Adam seemed to just vanish. Now, more than 40 years later, on November 5 in ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #1, writer Kevin Grevioux and artist Mat Broome return the hero to his rightful place of honor when a threat from the past re-emerges and the Blue Marvel may be the only one who can stop it. These days, Adam checks in close to 80 years old and has seen much over his near eight decades. Readers should not expect, however, that someone looking like their grandfather will be leaping into the fray. "He looks incredibly good for his age, more like a man in his forties," explains Grevioux. "Not quite as timeless as Namor. He has a touch of gray, but he's still just as powerful as he ever was.

Preview art by Mat Broome

"Adam is one of those individuals who loves America and the dream that is America. He has seen the hope he had in the past become realized. But at the same time, he doesn't like how things are politicized in our country or the world for that matter. How helping people has to be legislated. Or that the world is so complex nowadays, that the execution of true heroism has to be adjusted. He feels that the heroes today are not as clear cut as they were in the 40's, 50's and 60's. That's disturbing to him." For Grevioux, this project represents the culmination of an idea that he has kept with him since his childhood. Originally named Nebula, the character had always been intended to be a black hero capable of being every bit as powerful as the likes of Thor or Hulk and as inspirational as Captain America. However, the writer points out, "as the years when on, I incorporated the political and historical background to the character that he [the Blue Marvel] currently has." Grevioux describes seeing his childhood idea realized as, "one of the most incredible things I've ever experienced as a creator. If you've grown up a comic book fan, one of the things you've always done is create and draw your own characters. I was no different. So to actually have a chance to work for Marvel and on top of that actually be able to bring one of those characters to life at Marvel, is a little surreal. A dream come true, really."

Preview art by Mat Broome

In order to bring the Blue Marvel to life, however, Grevioux still needed a hook. He found it in his love of football. "I was reading about the problems a lot of black football players had during the 60's," he recalls. "They were heroes on the field and received a lot of accolades, but when the gun sounded and the game was over, they went back to being just another second-class Negro who couldn't eat a ham sandwich at a lunch counter or ride in the front of the bus. So I got to thinking, how would this era react if there were real super heroes in our world? And what if the most powerful one around was black only they didn't know it because his costume covered his whole body? Just like black athletes, he was cool as long as the uniform was on. But once he took it off, he'd be less than human. At that point, I knew I had a story." In tackling racism, Grevioux recognizes that he contributes to a long, proud tradition at Marvel. "Let's face facts, what I am doing with racism and THE BLUE MARVEL isn't new," he acknowledges. "If you look at the panoply of stories and situations in the Marvel Universe, there many that mirror what happens in the real world. Some of them are obvious, as depicted in the X-Men with the mutant problem, or the racial problems between the blue-skinned and the pink-skinned Kree. Other times, as with Namor's hatred towards surface dwellers, it's more subtle." In the end though, the writer has one mission: "I'm just trying to tell a story about super heroes within a historical context. That's all. So far, it's been a wild ride." This amazing tale begins on November 5 in ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #1. For more work by Kevin Grevioux, check out Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited. Check out the official Marvel Shop for your favorite Marvel Heroes!