By Marc Strom
Writer Jeff Parker and artist Paul Pelletier get ready to rock the Green Goliath's world with the introduction of the Intelligencia in WORLD WAR HULKS: ALPHA #1, a special one-shot hitting stores this December!
While the story will help set up 2010's massive World War Hulks saga from writers Jeph Loeb and Greg Pak, it will largely focus on the aforementioned Intelligencia, a group that has remained behind the scenes in the Marvel Universe until now.
"It's a meeting of the minds-the ones that have made some of the most trouble in the Marvel Universe: the Leader, Doctor Doom, the Mad Thinker, Egghead, Red Ghost and M.O.D.O.K.," says Parker, revealing the Intelligencia's roster. "Just like your Hank Pyms, Reed Richardses and Bruce Banners sometimes confab, so the heavies at some point decided to give it a shot.
"Their main goal together is to reassemble banks of lost knowledge, especially that of the famously burned Library of Alexandria. It turns out that the bulk of the tomes still exist, spread around the world in places like Wakanda and the Eternals' stronghold. It also turns out that this group is very comfortable with the idea of stealing all of it!"
Though fans will first learn about the Intelligencia and all their machinations in WORLD WAR HULKS: ALPHA, Parker promises the revelation of the group's existence will impact the Marvel Universe's future more so than its past.
"You don't have to worry that we're retconning great moments in Marvel History, but we are strongly suggesting there was some insidious info-sharing going on behind the scenes," Parker assures readers. "A nice benefit is that these villains will be brought back as much more
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| World War Hulks art by David Finch |
Just what role the Intelligencia will play in the upcoming World War Hulks remains a mystery, but Parker hints that this story will have significant ramifications to come:
"[ALPHA is] mostly on the big brains, but pertains very directly to all things Hulk," he teases. "Some stuff sets up here that pays off way down the line."
In the grand scheme of things, Parker sees his role in setting up World War Hulks as relatively simple compared to the work his colleagues have in front of them.
"[Editor] Mark Paniccia invited me a few months back to 'Food Fight Armageddon'-which was the codename for the World War Hulks summit-to help spitball plot points and developments," the writer remembers. "It was enjoyably low pressure for me, because the massive weight of the thing rests on Loeb and Pak's shoulders. I got to kick back and say 'yeah' a lot."
For Paul Pelletier, who's spent close to the last two years bringing Marvel's more cosmic characters to life, this one-shot will herald his return to terra firma.
"It's been pretty cool," the artist remarks of the transition. "To me, super heroes are super heroes, no matter if they're in the cosmos or down the street. I guess the major difference will be the backgrounds I'll have to draw!"
As for just what he most looks forward to drawing, he reveals that he goes into each new project with the same viewpoint:
"I try to approach every project with the same attitude and enthusiasm. Sometimes when you put certain expectations on a project, you open yourself up for a letdown. I just try to take it as it comes and do the best I can to put down some decent visuals for what the writer gives me!"
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Sounds solid from what the Intelligencia's supposed to be, once we aren't to be getting too tired of Illuminati-like groups back dropping every event. I'm more worried about the overall production WWHs is going to be. I've every confidence in Pak, but I am still fairly nervous about Loeb, and I hope World War Hulks won't be suffering from his markedly unapologetic and truthfully annoying ...
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Sounds solid from what the Intelligencia's supposed to be, once we aren't to be getting too tired of Illuminati-like groups back dropping every event. I'm more worried about the overall production WWHs is going to be. I've every confidence in Pak, but I am still fairly nervous about Loeb, and I hope World War Hulks won't be suffering from his markedly unapologetic and truthfully annoying approach to some of his writing. I don't know if it is too early to say, but I'm noticing that the treatment of Red Hulk (maybe) got better since Pak got on Greenie (and maybe too because he got the need to show him as 'Oh so bad' out of his system)... seemingly now though, Banner is looking to be having little to do with the Hulk title though, but looks like he'll be at least pumping up again by the onset of WWHulks.
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cool :hulk: :razz: :cool: