WW Philly '07: Spider-Man's Brand New Day

Interview: Marvel revamps the entire Spidey line, cancelling books and making one weekly

IGN Comics: So following the story of "One More Day" you guys have the concept or branding of "Brand New Day". What is that, what's the timing and how is it playing out?

Steve Wacker: Well I'll give you the entire plot so you don't have to buy the issues.

IGN Comics: Sweet!

Wacker: -laughs- So Joe and Joe's run is called "One More Day". It runs through around September and October or so - I'm not working on it so I don't know the exact timing. Then starting after that, the publishing initiative becomes publishing Amazing Spider-Man three times a month. Friendly and Sensational will go away, and the numbering just continues from Amazing #546, going forward three times a month. There's a new team of writers, new team of artists, all of which will be announced later. And it all becomes an ongoing story.

Amazing Spider-Man #544 Cover

One More Day Teaser Image

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #24 Cover

IGN Comics: Did Marvel pitch the concept to you when you were in discussions to come over to the company?

Wacker: Uh, no. I knew I was doing Spider-Man when I came over. It's funny Tom Brevoort and I were just discussing this the other day and I was trying to remember the timing. It certainly would have added another layer to the conversation had I known what they wanted to do. The idea for this apparently goes back a few years. I probably shouldn't be the source on this as I wasn't there, but as I understand it, it was a conversation between Joe Quesada and Mark Millar. I don't know who had the idea or who said it, but Joe walked away from it thinking it might be a good idea. Amazing is always the official book in peoples' heads. The other two are the first ones they drop when they have to, unless they're tying into some big thing like "The Other" or something.

So there was question of could you do it, what would the machine be, I think this was before 52 even happened. It kind of goes back to the way Mike Carlin used to run the Superman books. They had three or four separate titles, but they had that diamond numbering thing they did [Editor's Note: The numbering system for the Superman titles would indicate the reading order of the various titles for a reader to get a cohesive storyline while maintaining each title and its actual issue numbering].

So to answer your question, no I did not know they wanted to do this. Even when I started, it was still just an idea that was suggested. It wasn't really decided on until a good few weeks after I was here. They were talking about a bunch of different ways you could do it.

IGN Comics: So were you thinking, "Man. I just escaped a weekly book…"

Wacker: -laughs- Not really. That whole month was such a blur anyway. I was so anxious to be editing Spider-Man anyway. The bottom line was that I was going to be editing three Spider-Man titles. So the rest of it just became the mechanics of storytelling and the production. The way things are going to be, you can't have an issue be late. Now, if Friendly jumped a week, it wasn't the end of the world. It wasn't tying into the other books. But with this, you can't publish #548 before #547. So I have to stay a little bit on top of that.

So, and I don't know if I'm underselling this, but even working 52, there were days when it was crazy, but it was never a horrible, horrible grind. I should probably make it sound worse so it sounds like I was working harder… But I get to do Spider-Man stories. That's why you get into comics - to do Spider-Man stories.

Amazing Spider-Man #544 Interior Art

Amazing Spider-Man #544 Interior Art

IGN Comics: Why do this at all? What's the benefit to the Spider-Man property and the line of books in general?

Wacker: Well the benefit is, I guess, in terms of what the top floor muckity-mucks think, that Amazing sells the best, so let's have three of those a month. I think it's a shame in the past, especially when you think of books like Marvel Team-Up, Web of Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Spectacular… all of the books that they've had throughout history have had good stories. I think Peter [David] has been telling some great stories, same with Roberto in Sensational, but they don't get the attention because it's not Amazing. Amazing is the "official" one.

The plus now is that they are all "official". If your thing is that Amazing is where the story happens, you're talking about it all happening in that book. With the writers we've constructed three or four good spines to hang stuff on, things happening in the background. Within that people will be able to tell their own stories - new villains, classic villains, the supporting cast, all that stuff. So the plus is you get more eyeballs on the thing.

IGN Comics: Are you planning on telling larger, year-long stories or mostly smaller arcs?

Wacker: Yeah, there will be things happening in the background that will cycle from a "C Story" to an "A Story" and then it might go back a little bit. There will be these longer running threads, and then there will be these shorter two and three-part stories and a lot of one-part stories too. It's just about creating the setting, the environment, New York and a little bubble so it's the story of Peter Parker. That's what the best Spider-Man stories are about I think.

GN Comics: Why three times a month as opposed to four?

Wacker: Two reasons I would imagine. One is they aren't even sure they can do three. Again, to the top floor guys, there were already three Spider-Man books. I suspect if this works, and it's always a big if, I will be asked to add on another. But we already have plans to fill that week right now with some Spider-Man mini-series and one shots to explore the world even more with talent that's not attached right now to the regular book. So that gives us some room to do that.

IGN Comics: When assembling the writing and artistic teams, did you look to incorporate different writers with different skills so maybe you could tell different styles or genres of Spider-Man stories? Maybe one is more action-packed while another is more introspective or dramatic… that sort of thing?

Wacker: That's a great question. We didn't set out to do that, but a month or two ago it became obvious that that's what had happened. More specifically it was because we had four different writers who were reading Spidey in different eras. And that lends itself to particular things they loved and particular types of stories. So that's going to be interesting to see that play out. Watch a guy who never thought he'd use that villain because it was from 1992, and that's not when he liked the book, that's going to be interesting.

One More Day Interior Art

IGN Comics: Tell us as much as you can about your plans for villains? Are we looking at a heavy amount of classics?

Wacker: My problem with the classic guys is that - and I've gone back and read all the Spidey comics since '62, focusing on the last few years - it seems like every time they reappear, it's a reinvention of them. Some villains have had three reinventions in the last five years. Motivations change and they just become faceless chess pieces. So I think that's what's happening with characters. It's not that they're radioactive and you have to stay away from them. It's that you need to let them settle and get out of the public eye for a little bit so when they come back it's going to be important. I don't know that another issue of the Rhino getting beat up is important to anybody anymore. It doesn't feel special at all. "Oh! Look… it's the Rhino… again."

So for everyone, we made a decision that early on, for the first few months, that we're going to add some faces to this Rogues Gallery. We have a bunch of new villains coming. I really wanted to see some villains because it became obvious that's really lacking in Spider-Man's world. Of course the classics are going to come back. I don't feel like I'm ruining anything with that. But we don't have to worry about getting Sandman in there or anything now that the movie is gone, so we have a small window of opportunity here, with a spotlight on the book, and there's a chance some of them will be accepted because it's such a new day for the book.

IGN Comics: Speaking of new days, I know Peter David has been trying to bring back some of the old supporting characters. Are you guys planning on bringing a lot of that back in this new Amazing?

Wacker: Yup! The supporting cast is huge. There are some new faces there and we've put a lot of thought into who we can bring in. Plus there are some classic ones in there. Again, it's Peter Parker's soap opera, and the people coming in and out of his life are important.

- Artist Unknown!

Spider-Man's Brand New Day Teaser

IGN Comics: Will Mary Jane and Aunt May be there?

Wacker: -laughs- You'll have to keep reading on that one. You'll have to read "One More Day".

IGN Comics: Well, I had to ask otherwise my readers would start sending hate mail.

Wacker: -laughs- Well, I think there have been more than enough Aunt May and Mary Jane stories.

IGN Comics: Our last question then - referring to the teaser image you are showing off to promote these changes. Spidey is holding a gun! I'm sure you won't tell us exactly what it means, but can you give us a sense as to the implications of that image?

Wacker: Uhhhh… [pause] The implication of Spider-Man with a gun… uuhhh… Man, I wish I had more time to figure out something good for this… -laughs- I feel like I'm doing a book report… -laughs- All of his problems may not be solved after "One More Day".

IGN Comics: So he just picks up a gun and figures that a bullet will fix it? -laughs-

Wacker: Well, that would be the ****ty way doing it! -laughs- Or there might be some other pages in there that give some context to that. -laughs- He works with the Punisher a lot! -laughs- Maybe he learned a little something?

IGN Comics: Wait! Maybe it's Frank impersonating Spidey? He grew tired of masquerading as Cap, so he puts on a spider suit?

Wacker: Yeah, it's Frank impersonating Spider-Man. Aw ****, you got it! -laughs- Actually the Punisher would be smarter to do that probably… why run around in that other costume?

IGN Comics: One last question - who did the art for the teaser?

Wacker: Ah, I'm going to have to say "keep reading" on that one. There will be more stuff sprinkling out throughout the summer though.

IGN Comics: Sounds good! Thanks very much, Steve!

Wacker: No problem!

Countdown : THE DCU

Countdown Reader's Guide

Prepare yourself for DC's epic weekly series.

by Dan Phillips

May 8, 2007 - Here's a bit of advice from us to you: don't go into a year-long, weekly event without knowing what you're dealing with. DC has been promoting Countdown aggressively for the past few months. Perhaps you're new to comics and think this will be a good place to get started. Maybe you've always been a casual reader of the DCU and have an interest in investing more into that world. That's certainly fine, but there are definitely some concepts and characters you should be familiar with before you embark on this journey. Trust us, you'll be happier if you are. That's where we come in. We've run through many of the core ideas behind Countdown, basing our guide off of teasers that DC has leaked over the past several months. While this is by no means a comprehensive guide to everything you'll need to know, it will definitely help you get started. Be sure to write us (by clicking here) if you have more questions - a sequel is definitely possible.

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The Return of the King
Jack "The King" Kirby, that is...

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While there are literally dozens of reasons to be excited about DC's latest weekly mega-event, nothing got us at IGN Comics more amped for Countdown than when Dan DiDio first announced that Darkseid and the New Gods of Apokolips would be playing a considerable role in the series. We're not alone either; when DiDio first unveiled the various Countdown "teaser" images during the DC Nation Panel at this year's NYCC, it was the placard showing Darskeid and the tagline "Unto Man Shall Come a Great Disaster" that elicited one of the loudest roars from the capacity crowd.

Comics legend Jack Kirby created a mountain of fantastic characters and concepts throughout his brilliant and prolific career (Captain America, Hulk, Thor, and the X-Men, just to name a few), but none were as personal, sophisticated and wildly bizarre as those he gave birth to in his Fourth World magnum opus for DC. The King contributed an entire rich mythology to the greater DC Universe, one centered on the endless struggle between two opposing factions of Gods (or "New" Gods, in this case): the peaceful, philosophic gods of New Genesis (led by the ever-wise High Father), and their evil counterparts -- the warlike, corrupt gods of Apokolips (led by the tyrannical Darkseid.)

Not familiar with Darkseid, the New Gods or the Fourth World in general? For those with a bit of time and money on their hands (and anyone looking to read one of the single greatest comic book works of all time), your first move should be to pick up the soon-to-be released Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Volume 1. In the meantime, we'll be happy to breakdown some of the vital characters and concepts of the Fourth World, as well as the role they've played in recent DC stories.

Darkseid and Apokolips: Jack Kirby based each of the characters in his Fourth World epic on primordial archetypes, and there is no purer, more archetypical personification of evil than Darkseid, leader of Apokolips. Hitler, Darth Vader, and Satan all rolled into one near-omniscient being, Darkseid is one of the simplest and richest villains in all of comics. Darkseid quickly sprung from the pages of Kirby's opus to play a huge role in the DCU as its most formidable villain, and some of DC's greatest stories of all time feature the Scourge of Apokolips as the main antagonist (Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen's Great Darkness Saga, starring the Legion of Superheroes, is the figurative "first track" on Darkseid's greatest hits).

Ever since appearing in Jeph Loeb's run on Superman/Batman attempting to turn the new Supergirl evil, Darkseid and his endless horde of minions have been strangely quiet, which is never a good sign for the DCU. You can bet your rear-end that this evil tyrant didn't spend his time out of the spotlight picking daisies; on the contrary, it's more than likely that the DCU's most powerful villain spent the past few years devising a plan to achieve his ultimate goals - the discovery of the Anti-Life Equation and the breaching of the Source Wall (more on this in a second).

The Anti-Life Equation: Only a brilliant and visionary mind like Jack Kirby's could imagine an equation that effectively eliminated the universe of all freewill, but it's this precise high-concept that Kirby set as the stakes for his Apokolips vs. New Genesis struggle. Because this Anti-Life Equation would ensure Darkseid's rule over all of existence, he has pursued it over the years using all of his resources and cunning. Unfortunately for Earth (or should I say Earths?), Darkseid sees the human consciousness as the essence of and key to freewill, and has thus constantly attempted to use the destruction of humanity as the first step towards understanding the Anti-Life Equation. If Darkseid has indeed spent the last few years devising a plan, acquiring this all-powerful equation is undoubtedly the ultimate goal. A victory for Apokolips would surely bring about a "Great Disaster" for mankind.

The Great Disaster: It was in the pages of one of his other DC titles, one completely separate from the Fourth World opus, that Jack Kirby first mentioned the concept of a "Great Disaster." In his Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth series, about a post-apocalyptic world where intelligent animals rule over the last surviving humans (think Planet of the Apes, only more intelligent, creative and exciting - with all the animals evolved instead of just the apes), Kirby first suggested that a "Great Disaster" eventually wiped out all civilized life on Earth. Although Kirby never actually tied the world of Kamandi into his Fourth World, could DC and the writers of Countdown be suggesting that Darkseid is the ultimate cause of this catastrophic event? It is quite interesting to note that in their Battle for Bludhaven and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters miniseries, writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti introduced an underground bunker named "Command D." Did we mention that Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are one of the writing teams on Countdown?

The Source Wall: Past Earth, New Genesis, Apokolips and the rest of the known DC Universe stands the Source Wall, the border between all of existence and its "Source." While some fans and creators have taken this in a religious sense and others have taken it in a metatextual sense, the important reality of the "Source Wall" is that it separates the characters of the DCU from the highest power possible. A very select few have seen the other side of the wall and returned to tell about it, as the huge majority of those who try are usually imprisoned in the actual foundation of this great, mythical structure. On more than one occasion Darkseid has found himself bound to the Source Wall. Now free and back to his quest for omnipotence, expect his plans in Countdown to also include his desire/urge to penetrate this important border.

So there you have it: a quick breakdown of the important Fourth World characters and concepts that are most likely to have a role in Countdown. If any of you Fourth World newcomers out there are still incredibly confused, rest assured: as we mentioned before, Kirby's New God characters are based on the most primitive and basic human archetypes, which is why they're so brilliant and efficient. For all those familiar with Kirby's DC brainchild, you should sleep well knowing that, of all the many creators to tackle the Fourth World characters and mythology in Kirby's wake, none have captured the King's manic brilliance while adding their own personal voice as well as Paul Dini (and Bruce Timm) did in both the Superman and Justice League Animated Series

The Return of the Multiverse

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It's baaaaaaaaack……

That's right - whether you read the last issue of 52 or just happened to stumble upon the wonderful Al Gore invention known as the Internet, chances are you already know of DC's reinstatement of the Multiverse, the very concept they so famously did away with in their first mega-event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Because over two decades have passed since the Multiverse was part of DCU canon, and because the concept is relatively complicated and inherently confusing, we at IGN Comics thought it would be helpful to go over the important aspects of DC's past and present versions of their system of parallel realities.

The Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Multiverse: Before the original Crisis condensed the original DC Multiverse into one single universe and timeline, the DCU was made up of various alternate realities - some composed of high concept twists on the regular DCU (like Earth 3 - home to the evil Justice League, or Earth-X - where the Nazis won WWII), some made up of inspired explanations for Golden Age comics (Earth 2 - home to the original DC Characters like the JSA and the Golden Age Batman and Superman), and others comprised of comic universes DC had purchased over the years (Earth S - home of the Fawcett Comics Shazam characters). As you can imagine, the relationships between these various universes were somewhat hard to follow, which is why DC decided to put the kibosh on the whole "Multiple Earths" idea in the first place. Don't worry - there's very little continuity bogging down the latest incarnation of this concept.

The Current Multiverse: As Rip Hunter explained to Booster Gold in the final issue of #52, the events of Infinite Crisis somehow (long story short) split "New Earth", what we know as the main DCU Earth-1, into 52 identical parallel versions. When the newly all-powerful Mr. Mind sprung from his cocoon in Skeet's metal to devour all reality, he caused unique cosmic (metatextual) changes in each universe, reverting many parallel Earths' back to the stage of former Pre-Crisis Earths. But before you jump off of a bridge rather than read all those old Multiverse stories, keep this in mind: while the current parallel Earths resemble past versions, the current DCU has never interacted with any of these alternate versions. However, there is a force dedicated to make sure it never does.

The Monitor(s): In the Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU, one omnipotent force - known as The Monitor - watched over all the parallel universes until an anti-matter version of himself - appropriately known as the Anti-Monitor - attempted to swallow and destroy the entire Multiverse. The final battle between these two forces (the main plot of CoIE) resulted in the destruction of the Multiverse and - presumably - the Monitor and Anti-Monitor as well. This notion was debunked when, following the events of Infinite Crisis and in the pages of the Brave New World, multiple Monitors appeared "monitoring" the current DCU in a concerned manner. In the pages of Nightwing, Ion and a few other series starring characters impacted by Infinite Crisis, these Monitors began showing up with some regularity, each time pointing out how or why certain characters shouldn't exist. Surely the reemergence of the Multiverse and the presence of multiple Monitors can't be a coincidence?

If there's one completely unpredictable wild card aspect of Countdown and the current DCU, it's the return of the Multiverse. Before you try to predict how this will impact the series and the entire DC Universe, consider this: Dan DiDio let the proverbial "cat out of the bag" regarding the Multiverse almost halfway through 52, and still nobody expected the final issue of that series to play out like it did. We expect Countdown to define this new Multiverse in an efficient and entertaining manner, giving new meaning to the term "world building."

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The New Class of Obscure Heroes

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One of the many reasons 52 succeeded to such a huge extent was the use of lesser-known, D-list characters as protagonists. Because characters like Animal Man, Booster Gold, Renee Montoya, and Black Adam were all less iconic and renowned (but still complex), the 52 writers were free to put this cast through the proverbial wringer and truly change each hero's life in profound ways. In Countdown, Paul Dini and his writing team attempt to do the same with a group of D-list characters who don't have the same solid foundations as 52's cast. Can they do it? You tell us.

Jimmy Olsen: He might not be a superhero, but believe it or not, Jimmy Olsen is one of the most iconic and recognizable characters in the DC Universe. That said, although many writers have attempted to add new depth to the character, Olsen has never progressed past anything other than "Superman's Best Pal." Olsen has went from a sometimes-superhero in the Silver-Age, to a TV star in the 90's, to a hugely successful reporter in the last few years, but he always seems to revert back to the goofy and lovable photographer of the Daily Planet. With Countdown's tagline/vow of "Jimmy Olsen Must Die" and a rather haunting issue #2 cover image of the Joker holding Jimmy's press pass, it's safe to assume that Superman's buddy is in for a dark and stormy ride. Can Dini and his team of writers succeed in progressing the character? Do they intend to?

Mary Marvel: Since they acquired the publishing rights to Captain Marvel, his supporting cast of characters and the rest of the Fawcett Comics Universe, DC has struggled to make Marvel - a character that once rivaled Superman in popularity - the least bit relevant and/or appealing. You can imagine how much trouble they've had making Mary Marvel - Billy Batson/Capt. Marvel's long lost twin sister - an interesting and three-dimensional character. Besides retroactively playing a role in Keith Giffen's humorous version of the Justice League, Mary has had little chance to shine. The Countdown tagline "Seduction of the Innocent", a play on the infamous Frederic Wertham book about the dangerous impact comics have on our youth, suggests that big - and possibly naughty - things are in store for Mary.

Trickster & Pied Piper: Much of the appeal of the Flash's rogues gallery comes from the goofy, colorful and downright ridiculous nature of the villainous characters. Even if talented writers like Mark Waid and Geoff Johns have succeeded in making guys like Captain Cold and the Top seem formidable and scary, each and every one of Flash's arch enemies "work" as characters because their slapstick gimmicks match the Flash series' irreverent tone (regardless of who's behind the Scarlet costume). If you've missed out on the past half-decade of Flash comics, just know that the Trickster and Pied Piper are the biggest losers in the group of losers that make up the Flash's Rogues. Both have genuinely reconsidered their evil lifestyles at various points, even aiding Wally West against their fellow Rogues in recent stories. Because they normally have one foot in the villain door and the other in the hero door, these two are the perfect duo to explore the DCU's underworld of crime. Expect these "Villains Defiant" to have a hell of a ride through the street level villainy of the DCU.

Jason Todd: What can we say about Jason Todd that can't be said by looking at the character's long and tumultuous history? Debuting as a replacement for Dick Grayson's Robin, resounding fan hatred (and a 1-900 number poll) ultimately convinced DC to kill the character off. Almost two decades later, writer Judd Winnick brought the character back in one of the most ridiculously contrived resurrections in comic history (which is saying a lot). Now the DCU's resident anti-hero, Todd attempts to find his true purpose and calling in the pages of Countdown, and we can only hope Dini and company succeed in making this character less irritating and actually appealing.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #42

May 8, 2007 -
Ultimate Fantastic Four #42
32 full color pages Written by: Mike Carey Art by: Pasqual Ferry
Release Date: May 30, 2007
Price: $2.99

It's the moment you've all been waiting for since Warren Ellis' now classic Ultimate Gah-Lak-Tus trilogy and since you noticed the seeds planted in Mike Carey's acclaimed run on Ultimate Fantastic Four—the debut of Ultimate Silver Surfer! Comic book fans know that the Surfer only arrives in times of great danger and, well, hasn't Reed Richards—AKA Mr. Fantastic—been trying to build the Cosmic Cube? All he's done is pierce the barriers of one hundred universes…oh yeah, that whole "great danger" thing!

With the debut of another classic FF character re-imagined as only the Ultimate universe can, fans cannot afford to miss the "Silver Surfer" storyline in the pages of Ultimate Fantastic Four #42, written by the critically acclaimed Mike Carey and with pencils by Young Gun Pasqual Ferry. You've seen what happened the first time the Surfer met the Four over 40 years ago—but you've never seen what happens when the two forces collide in the Ultimate Universe!

- Marvel

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Silver Surfer: Requiem #1 Preview

May 9, 2007 - Silver Surfer: Requiem #1
32 full color pages Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Art by: Esad Ribic Release Date: May 30, 2007
Price: $3.99

The herald of Galactus is dying.Since his debut in the pages of Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer has been one of the most enigmatic and fascinating characters in Marvel Comics lore, but is this the end of the road for the former herald of Galactus? In Silver Surfer: Requiem #1 (of 4), the sentinel of the spaceways journeys to Earth to consult some old friends—the Fantastic Four—about something that just may mean the end of his galaxy spanning journey. This heartfelt tale of a lone man's quest to complete his final voyage is written by the celebrated sci-fi and superhero scribe J. Michael Straczynski (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, Babylon 5), featuring gorgeous painted art by Esad Ribic (LOKI).

These two creators will take you on a journey throughout the stars and within one man's soul, as the Silver Surfer must come to term with the idea that he may soon be no more. Others come and go, but the Silver Surfer is eternal…or is he?

And don't miss out on the Surfer's earliest solo adventures in the upcoming Silver Surfer Omnibus Vol.1 HC ($74.99, On Sale May 9, 2007) and Essential Silver Surfer Vol.2 TPB ($16.99, On Sale June 6, 2007) — with creators like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, how can you go wrong?

- Marvel

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Captain America # The living symbol of freedom

1 Early Years and World War II 2 Discovery and the Avengers 3 Civil War 4 The Death of Captain America

Early Years and World War II

Steve Rogers was a scrawny fine arts student specializing in industrialization in the 1940's before America entered World War II. He attempted to enlist in the army only to be turned away due to his poor constitution. A U.S. officer offered Rogers an alternative way to serve his country by being a test subject in project, Operation: Rebirth, a top secret defense research project designed to create physically superior soldiers. Rogers accepted and after a rigorous physical and combat training and selection process was selected as the first test subject. He was given injections and oral ingestion of the formula dubbed the "Super Soldier Serum" developed by the scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine. Rogers was then exposed to a controlled burst of "Vita-Rays" that activated and stabilized the chemicals in his system. The process successfully altered his physiology from its frail state to the maximum of human efficiency, including greatly enhanced musculature and reflexes.

After the assassination of Dr. Erskine. Roger was re-imagined as a superhero who served both as a counter-intelligence agent and a propaganda symbol to counter Nazi Germany's head of terrorist operations, the Red Skull. Rogers was given a costume modeled after the American flag, a bulletproof shield, a personal sidearm and the codename Captain America. He was also given a cover identity as a clumsy infantry private at Camp LeHigh in Virginia. Barely out of his teens himself, Rogers made friends with the teenage camp mascot, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. Barnes accidentally learned of Rogers' dual identity and offered to keep the secret if he could become Captain America's sidekick. Rogers agreed, and trained Barnes. Roger met President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who presented him with a new shield made from a chance mixture of iron, Vibranium and an unknown catalyst. Throughout World War II, Captain America and Bucky fought the Nazi menace both on their own and as members of the superhero team the Invaders, which after the war evolved into the All-Winners Squad.

In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo from destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launched the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reached the plane just before it took off, but when Bucky tried to defuse the bomb, it exploded in mid-air. The young man was believed killed, and Rogers was hurled into the freezing waters of either the North Atlantic. Neither his body or Bucky's were found, and both were presumed dead.

Discovery and the Avengers

The Avengers discovered Rogers' body in the North Atlantic, his costume under his soldier's uniform and still carrying his shield. Rogers had been preserved in a block of ice since 1945, which melted after the block was thrown back into the ocean by an enraged Sub-Mariner. When Rogers revived, he related his last, failed mission in the closing days of the war. Rogers accepted membership in the Avengers, and although he soon adjusted to modern times well enough to eventually assume leadership of the team, he was plagued by guilt for not being able to prevent Bucky's death. He also undertook missions for the national security agency S.H.I.E.L.D., which was commanded by his old war comrade Nick Fury. Rogers established a residence in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York and has discovered that Bucky had been held in suspended animation throughout the Cold War performing assassinations as the Winter Soldier.

Civil War

Recent events have been tumultuous for Captain America. As the passage of the the Superhuman Registration Act drew near, Maria Hill (the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.) propositioned Rogers and the Avengers to join S.H.I.E.L.D. in enforcing the act. When he refused, Hill had her trained "Superhuman Response Unit" attack him. During the scuffle Rogers avoided being tranquilized and managed to escape by lodging his shield in an aircraft and forcing the pilot to fly him to safety. Soon after, at the Baxter Building the Watcher told the heroes who had gathered there about the Captain's escape. Captain America soon became the de facto leader of the Secret Avengers, heroes fighting against the registration act, much to the consternation of his erstwhile friend Iron Man. While the two made sporadic attempts to reconcile during the Civil War, the clashes between their respective teams became more and more heated, ultimately leading to a pitched battle in the middle of New York City. At the end of the battle, as Cap was about to deliver a finishing blow to Iron Man, he was tackled by several emergency workers. Realizing the damage the war was doing to the city and its civilian population, Captain America unmasked and surrendered as Steve Rogers.

The Death of Captain America

On his way to an arraignment at the Federal Courthouse in New York City, Captain America was shot in the right shoulder by a sniper's bullet. Several subsequent shots were fired point blank at Rogers by Sharon Carter, brainwashed by Dr. Faustus who was allied with the Red Skull. Sharon, unaware of her actions and concealed by the crowd during the shooting, escorted Rogers to the hospital while the Falcon and the Winter Soldier subdued the sniper, Crossbones (Brock Rumlow).

Captain America was pronounced dead on arrival at Mercy Hospital. Sharon's memory was restored by a keyword spoken by the Red Skull's daughter, Sin (Sinthia Shmidt).

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #540

Amazing Spider-Man #540: Blackened

Peter Parker, now known to the world as Spider-Man after the events of "Civil War," has often relied on the fact that he was in control. His Uncle Ben taught him that "with great power comes great responsibility." Never forgetting his uncle's words, Spider-Man has always been able to curb his anger and rage, and never cross the line when it came to dealing with supervillains. In the heat of battle, and despite the deaths of friends and lovers due to his actions, he has always pulled his punches to ensure that he wouldn't make a murderous mistake. Until now. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #540 may show us that even Spider-Man has a breaking point.


"Civil War" left Peter with a mess on his hands. Along with his wife Mary Jane and his Aunt May, Peter was run out of his home in Stark Tower after turning on Iron Man and the Superhuman Registration Act. Marked as a traitor and with nowhere to go, Peter moved his family into a cheap motel while he joined Captain America's Secret Avengers. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Peter, the Kingpin, still imprisoned yet as powerful as ever, hired a hitman to take out the Parkers. After Cap's surrender and defeat of the Anit-Reg heroes, Peter returned home still a fugitive and marked for death.

With the whole world seemingly against him, Peter arrived back at the motel to the relieved open arms of his wife and aunt. As the sniper took aim, Peter's Spider-Sense went off. Pushing his wife out of the line of fire, he realized that he had not been quick enough to protect his Aunt May as well. May dropped to the floor and Peter cried out in terror. Incapacitating the sniper by literally throwing a Jeep at him, Peter web-slinged May to the hospital and instructed Mary Jane to stay with her.

Wild with rage and no longer caring about the consequences of his actions, Peter--sans Spider-Man costume--goes on a rampage across New York to find clues on who shot his aunt. After savagely beating some gun runners and brutally interrogating one of them, Peter donned a long stashed-away black Spider-Man costume.

With his back already against the wall, his aunt's deteriorating health may finally put Spider-Man over the edge. Through the years Peter was able to keep his innocence in tact despite his horrific tragedies. Even after such devastating events as the deaths of Gwen Stacy and Uncle Ben, Peter was able to restrain himself from taking a life. Through all of the terrible heartbreaks, Uncle Ben's words have resonated within Peter making him a hero, not a killer. However, Aunt May's attack on top of the devastation of "Civil War" might be too much for Peter to bear, and he may not be able to control himself any longer. Has Peter finally had enough? Will he still be the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, or will he switch out "friendly" with "murderous"?



Back in the black costume with a black heart to match, April's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #540 continues the darkest chapter in the life of Peter Parker yet. For this one, there is NO going back. Get onboard Peter's wild ride with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #540, on sale April 25.

CIVIL WAR # Storylines

During a televised raid of a house containing select villains that had recently escaped from the super villain facility at Ryker's Island prison during a massive breakout, the escaped villain Nitro let off a massive explosion that killed the majority of the New Warriors, as well as the children at a nearby elementary school. In the wake of the tragedy, the U.S. Government proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, intending to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards.

This event triggered negative public opinion against the super-heroes, resulting in the assault of Human Torch (Johnny Storm) by a mob and the request by S.H.I.E.L.D. for Captain America to become part of the enforcement of super heroes to register. When Cap refused, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill ordered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Anti-Superhuman Response Unit to tranquilize him, but Rogers escaped and went underground.

When the super-heroes met to discuss the best course of action, Uatu the Watcher appeared. As Watchers only appear to monitor key events throughout history, it was noted that his presence did not bode well for the heroes.

In a secret meeting with the President, Iron Man suggested that the President proceed and push the registration act while he, Mr. Fantastic, and Yellowjacket vowed to bring Captain America to the ground.

The Superhero Registration Act became law. Some of the first unregistered heroes to be captured were the Young Avengers. Captain America and the Falcon were undercover, and with the help of Wiccan were able to rescue the Young Avengers and rendezvous to their base. The Young Avengers were recruited into the Resistance.

At a press conference in Washington D.C., Iron Man gave a speech introducing Spider-Man to the podium. Spider-Man then talked about how over the past years, he had kept his identity a secret, then talked about the registration act and how it gives superheroes a choice: to continue the trend Captain America advocates and have people with powers completely unchecked, or that superheroes can go legitimate and earn back a little public interest. To demonstrate his support of the Act, Spider-Man unmasked himself and revealed to the world that he was Peter Parker.

Iron Man traveled to the X-Men Mansion, asking Emma Frost if the X-Men would sign the registration act and join his side. Miss Frost explained to Stark that the X-Men would not sign the registration act because they viewed hunting down other heroes would violate everything they stood for explaining that they know what it's like to fight the good fight while being persecuted. Frost said that as long as the pro-registration side left the X-Men alone, they would not join Captain America's resistance. While Stark left the mansion, he was approached by Bishop, who asked for a word with Iron Man.

As Captain America, Hercules, Daredevil, and Goliath were discussing their new secret identities, they received news of a petrochemical plant fire with three or four hundred workers trapped inside. Uniting the Secret Avengers, they headed to the plant only for to discover that it was a trap set by Iron Man. Iron Man gave Captain America one last chance to register, offering a chance to explain things. Captain America answered by striking the first blow and disabling Iron Man's armor. A battle ensued, ending with Iron Man savagely beating Captain America, and the apparent return of the long-absent thunder god Thor lashing out against Captain America's Secret Avengers. As the Secret Avengers attempt to escape, Thor used his hammer to subdue them, blasting a hole through Goliath’s chest when he was attacked. Thor continued his assault until the Invisible Women uses her powers to protect the Secret Avengers and allow them to escape. The Thor that had just killed Goliath was revealed to be a clone, who had been engineered to serve the government. His hammer was a mechanical weapon. His violent murder of Goliath was an unforeseen error in his programming.

The death of Goliath opened the eyes of many and put things in a different perspective, causing several members to leave both sides for the other. The Pro-Registration side ended up losing more members than anticipated, causing operations to be put in action faster than planned. Iron Man assembled a new group of Thunderbolts in order to hunt down the Secret Avengers, consisting of several very brutal villains.

Eventually, the resistance mounted an attack against the pro-registration's holding facility in the Negative Zone, releasing the prisoners. The fighting between many of Earth's heroes led to the middle of Times Square. At the climax of the battle, as Cap was about to deliver a finishing blow to Iron Man, he was tackled by several emergency workers. Realizing the damage the war was doing to the city and its civilian population, Captain America unmasked and surrendered. Before his arraignment, Cap was shot multiple times on the steps of a Federal Courthouse and killed.

Civil War #1

The following is quoted from the recap page of Civil War #2:

Hoping to boost their ratings, four New Warriors - young super heroes and reality television stars - attempt to apprehend a quartet of villains holed up in Stamford, Connecticut. When confronted, the explosive Nitro employs his self-detonation ability, blowing the heroes and a large chunk of Stamford into oblivion. This entire incident is caught on tape.

Casualties number in the hundreds.

In response to this tragedy, public sentiment is turning against super heroes. Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, is attacked outside a nightclub and is beaten into a coma. Advocate Miriam Sharpe, who lost her son in the Stamford Disaster, calls for reform in the way super heroes conduct their affairs. On Capitol Hill, a Superhuman Registration Act is debated which would require all those possessing paranormal abilities to register with the government, divulging their true identities to the authorities and submitting to training and sanctioning in the manner of federal agents.

Some heroes, such as Iron Man, see this as a natural evolution of the role of superhumans in society, and a reasonable request. Others, embodied by Captain America, take umbrage at this assault on their civil liberties.

When Captain America is called upon to hunt down his fellow heroes who are in defiance of the Registration Act, he chooses to go AWOL, becoming a public enemy in the process.

In a closed-door meeting with the President and his Cabinet, Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Yellowjacket vow to bring Cap to the ground.

Civil War: Front Line #1

Being a supplement to the main series, we won't go into too much detail, but the first issue of Front Line did reveal one very important thing: Speedball did not die. Originally assumed to be a victim of his own reckless behavior, Speedball is instead powerless and in the custody of the authorities. He is arrested on charges related to the Stamford incident.

Civil War #2

The second issue of Civil War shifts scenes rapidly. We see that Captain America and his growing ranks are apprehending mass numbers of villains - fifteen inside of seventy-two hours. Meanwhile, public sentiment is slowly shifting in favor of the heroes who choose to publicly commit to the recently passed Superhuman Registration Act.

The mood of the series shifts as the new law takes effect. Reed Richards is tasked with a project known as "42" which is a codename for a massive prison to hold those (both hero and villain) in violation of the Registration Act. Patriot, of the Young Avengers, is one of the first heroes to be hunted by federal agents. In pursuit of this teenager, the government also apprehends the entire roster of the Young Avengers.

The scene shifts to Daredevil and Luke Cage, opponents of the Act, who are monitoring the situation. Back at the transport, Captain America and the Falcon spring their trap, freeing their young counterparts and escaping capture. They lead their comrades to an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. bunker, on permanent load from the underground Nick Fury. This sequence also shows Cable, Cloak and Dagger (and perhaps Hercules) on the side of the resistance. Dagger alerts the assembled heroes that Tony Stark's press conference is about to start (which has been highlighted in Amazing Spider-Man and Front Line).

Though not directly shown in this issue, Stark does confirm his identity as Iron Man to the public in this conference. Spider-Man then arrives on stage in his traditional costume. With the words, "I'm not wearing my old mask because I'm ashamed of what I do. I'm proud of who I am, and I'm here right now to prove it," Spider-Man takes his mask off in front of dozens and dozens of cameras.

He reveals his identity by saying, "My name is Peter Parker, and I've been Spider-Man since I was fifteen years old. Any questions?" J. Jonah Jameson passes out on the floor.

Civil War #3 through #5

So here's the thing... as much as we want to slave away over detailed issue summaries, we (and Marvel) want you to read this story. There is a reason that it's the biggest selling title in many years and there's a reason it's getting accolades from a large number of fans. We'll give you the basic information for each issue but... read the series. Starting with issue #3, we're going to be leaving out some big details.

Issue #3 saw the first major conflict in the series. Captain America (Steve Rogers), responding to an emergency call, leads his team to a chemical plant. The call turns out to be an ambush as Iron Man (Tony Stark) attempts to shut down Cap's rebellion. When Tony Stark gives Rogers the chance to surrender, Rogers responds with a device that disables the Iron Man armor. A massive battle erupts. Stark gets his suit back online and begins to savagely beat Captain America. The entire hero vs. hero conflict is interrupted as lightning crashes through the scene. Thor has returned.

The return of Thor seems to turn the tides of battle, but what was supposed to be a quick victory turned deadly. As Iron Man attempted to disable the rebellion with a sonic weapon, Thor kills a hero in battle. Both sides are stunned. Captain America's side escapes with the help of Sue Richards and Cloak.

Thor is seemingly on a rampage until he collapses when Reed Richards utters a phrase. Sue Richards and Johnny Storm leave Reed's side, looking for Captain America, while Ben Grimm leaves the nation. Spider-Man begins to doubt his allegiance while several heroes leave Captain America's ranks believing the fight just isn't worth it. Rogers' ranks gain more heroes than they lose. Tony Stark and Reed Richards, worried that the balance of power will shift (despite having Thor, or something resembling him) turn to their next solution: The Thunderbolts.

The team has been revised and revamped with the help of the former team. Its roster now includes villains such as Bullseye, Venom and more. The Civil War series is just beginning to ramp up.

Civil War #5 saw a couple major events including the Thunderbolts springing into action and the Punisher's role in the battle. Spider-Man finally decides whose side he's on and his choice could prove to be a fatal one. This issue was more of a deterioration of the stand-off between the two sides rather than one filled with surprises. The next issue should be a big one as the Michael Turner cover features Namor.