| Marvel Legacy | |
|---|---|
 Cover ofMarvel Legacy #1 (September 2017) featuringCaptain America,Iron Man,Spider-Man,Captain Marvel,Ant-Man,Wasp,Hulk,Thor,Scarlet Witch,Black Widow,Black Panther,Doctor Strange,Lockjaw,Daredevil, andStorm. Art byJoe Quesada. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | September 2017 – June 2018 |
| Main character | Marvel Universe |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Various |
| Artist | Various |
Marvel Legacy is a 2017–18 relaunch of aline ofAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. It is concurrent withAll-New, All-Different Marvel andMarvel NOW! 2.0.[1]
On April 22, 2017,Marvel Comics announced Marvel Legacy at theChicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. The goal of the Legacy initiative was to bring a greater focus to Marvel's core superheroes, unlike recent relaunches such asMarvel NOW!, which gave prominence to newer and younger heroes.[2]Marvel Entertainment'schief creative officerJoe Quesada stated that company was embracing their roots with the creation of this new comic book line.[2] Marvel Comics'editor-in-chiefAxel Alonso noted that the relaunch was about reminding readers of the company's rich history by highlighting the connections between characters and reintroducing some iconic characters.[3]
The relaunch began in September 2017 following the conclusion of theSecret Empire andGenerations storylines with the release of a 50-pageone-shot titledMarvel Legacy #1.[2][4] WriterJason Aaron and artistEsad Ribić collaborated on the opening issue and laid the narrative groundwork for the line.[2] The issue introduces the first super hero team ofAvengers that were active in the year 1,000,000BC. The story spans the history of the Marvel Universe and explores the connection between the prehistoric Avengers and their present-day counterparts.[4] Quesada teased the cover artwork for the opening issue,[5] hinting at the possible return of Bruce Banner asHulk and Tony Stark asIron Man,Thor Odinson reclaimingMjolnir, and the appearance of other superheroes in their classic costumes.[2]
The series also sees the return of theoriginal Wolverine afterhis initial death, with three Marvel Legacy titles:Captain America,The Amazing Spider-Man andThe Mighty Thor, each with aMarvel Cinematic Universe-stylepost-credit scene; he also shows up alongsideCaptain Marvel andStar-Lord as one of the holders of theInfinity Gems in a crossover event. In addition, the originalJean Grey returns in her own limited series titledPhoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey in December. This was followed byX-Men Red, which sees Jean establish her own team of X-Men that consists ofthe new Wolverine,Nightcrawler,Namor the Sub-Mariner,Gabby Kinney (the new Wolverine's clone),Trinary (a new character), andGentle (a mutant fromWakanda), and later by the Cajun mutantGambit.Marvel Legacy #1 also bringsFranklin andValeria Richards back to the Marvel Universe.Marvel Two-in-One (a series featuring theThing teaming up with other superheroes) was revived with Thing's best friendHuman Torch being the guest in the storyline "Fate of the Four", which focuses on both heroes trying to solve the mystery ofReed andSue's disappearances, hinting at a possibleFantastic Four reunion.
Following the release ofMarvel Legacy #1, many Marvel comic series reverted to their classic cumulative numbering system.[2][6] For their relaunching series, Marvel created a new and consistent cover design that aimed to recapture their work from the 1980s and 1990s.[6] Marvel released limited quantities oflenticular covers for their Marvel Legacy titles that pay homage to older covers.[7] They also reintroduced elements such as the Marvel Value Stamp—a collectable clip-and-save program—and the self-publishedfanzineFOOM.[5][6] Marvel included three-page primer stories in select Legacy titles to provide background information on their characters for new readers. Written by Robbie Thompson and illustrated byMark Bagley, the primer stories covered classic moments from Marvel's comics.[8]
The Legacy initiative was succeeded byFresh Start, a line-wide relaunch by Marvel Comics in mid 2018.[9]
In June and July 2017, Marvel revealed the 54 series that make up the Marvel Legacy initiative.[4]
| Title | Legacy Starting # | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Storyline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-New Wolverine | #25–35 | Tom Taylor | Juann Cabal | Orphans of X #25–30 Old Woman Laura #33-35 | [10] |
| Amazing Spider-Man | #789–801 Annual 42 | Dan Slott | Stuart Immonen | Fall of Parker #789–791,Venom Inc. #792–793,Threat Level: Red #794–796,Go Down Swinging #797–800 | [10] |
| Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows | #13-23 | Jody Houser | Nick Roche | 8 Years Later #13–15,Fast Times At Midtown High #16–18 Parker Summer Vacation #19 Weird Science #20-23 | |
| America | #8–12 | Gabby Rivera | Joe Quinones | Exterminatrix 8–10 | [10] |
| Astonishing X-Men | #7-17 Annual #1 | Charles Soule | Phil Noto | A Man Called X 7-12 Until Our Hearts Stop 13-14 | |
| Avengers | #672–690 | Mark Waid | Jesús Saiz | Worlds Collide 672–674 Avengers No Surrender 675-690 | [10] |
| Ben Reilly: Scarlet Spider | #10-25 | Peter David | Will Sliney | The Slingers Return 10–13,Bad To The Bone 14,Damnation 15–17 | [11] |
| Black Bolt | #8–12 | Saladin Ahmed | Christian Ward | The Midnight King Returns to Earth 8–11 | |
| Black Panther | #166–172 Annual 1 | Ta-Nehisi Coates | Leonard Kirk | Klaw Stands Supreme166–172 | [10] |
| Cable | #150-159 | Ed Brisson | Jon Malin | The Newer Mutants 150–154 Past Fears 155-159 | [10] |
| Captain America | #695–704 | Mark Waid | Chris Samnee | Home of the Brave 695–697 Out of Time 698-700 Promised Land 701-704 | [12] |
| Captain Marvel | #125–129 | Margaret Stohl | Michele Bandini | Dark Origin 125–129 | [10] |
| Champions | #13-27 Annual #1 | Mark Waid | Humberto Ramos | Worlds Collide 13–15,Champion for a day 16–18 Northern Lights 19-21 | [10] |
| Daredevil | #595-612 Annual #1 | Charles Soule | Stefano Landini | Mayor Fisk 595–600 Mayor Murdock 601-605 | [11] |
| Defenders | #6–10 | Brian Michael Bendis | David Marquez | KIngpins of New York 6–10 | [10] |
| Despicable Deadpool | #287–300 | Gerry Duggan | Scott Koblish | Deadpool Kills Cable 287–291 Bucket List 292-296 The Marvel Universe Kills Deadpool 297-300 | [10] |
| Doctor Strange | #381–390 | Donny Cates | Steve Ditko | Loki: Sorcerer Supreme 381–385Damnation 386-389 | [13] |
| Falcon | #1-8 | Rodney Barnes | Joshua Cassara | Take Flight 1–5 Vampires in Brooklyn 6-8 | [10] |
| Generation X | #85–87 | Christina Strain | Amilcar Pinna | Survival of the Fittest 85–87 | |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | #146–150 | Gerry Duggan | Marcus To | Infinity Quest 146–150 | [11] |
| Hawkeye | #13–16 | Kelly Thompson | Leonardo Romero | Family Reunion 13–16 | |
| Iceman | #6–11 | Sina Grace | Robert Gill | Champions Reassembled 6–7 Iceman vs. Iceman 8 Apocalypse Seed 9-10 | [10] |
| Incredible Hulk | #709–717 | Greg Pak | Greg Land | Return to Planet Hulk 709–713 World War Hulk 714-717 | [10] |
| Invincible Iron Man | #593–600 | Brian Michael Bendis | Stefano Caselli | The Search for Tony Stark 593–600 | [10] |
| Iron Fist | #73-80 | Ed Brisson | Mike Perkins | Sabretooth: Round Two 73–77 Damnation 78-80 | [10] |
| Jean Grey | #8–11 | Dennis Hopeless | Victor Ibanez | Pysch War 8–11 | [10] |
| Jessica Jones | #13-18 | Brian Michael Bendis | Michael Gaydos | Return of the Purple Man 13–17 The Big Goodbye 18 | [10] |
| Luke Cage | #166–170 | David F. Walker | Nelson Blake | Caged! 166–170 | [10] |
| Marvel 2-in-One | #1-12 Annual 1 | Chip Zdarsky | Jim Cheung | The Fate of the Four 1–6 Next of kin 7-10 | |
| Mighty Thor | #700–706 | Jason Aaron | Russell Dauterman | The Death of Mighty Thor 700–706 | [10] |
| Monsters Unleashed | #7-12 | Cullen Bunn | Andrea Broccardo | And Lo There Came... A Poison! 7–8 Learning curve 9-12 | [10] |
| Moon Girl andDevil Dinosaur | #25-47 | Brandon Montclare | Natacha Bustos | Fantastic Three 25–30 Save Our School 32-36 | [11] |
| Moon Knight | #188-200 | Max Bemis | Jacen Burrows | Crazy Runs in the Family 188–193 | [11] |
| Ms. Marvel | #25-38 | G. Willow Wilson | Nico Leon | Teenage Wasteland 25–28 Something New 29-30 Ratio 32-34 | |
| Old Man Logan | #31-50 | Ed Brisson | Mike Deodato | The Scarlet Samurai 31–33 Moon Over Madripoor 34-35 Moving Target 36-38 Glob Loves, Man Kills 39-40 Logan the Hunted 41-42 Bullseye Returns 43-45 | [11] |
| Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man | #297-313 | Chip Zdarsky | Adam Kubert | Most Wanted 297–299,Amazing Fantasy 301–303 No More 304-305 Coming Home 306-307 Spider-Geddon 311-313 | [11] |
| The Punisher | #218-228 | Matthew Rosenberg | Guiu Vilanova | Frank Castle: War Machine 218–223 Punisher War Criminal 224-228 | |
| Royals | #9–12 | Al Ewing | Javier Rodríguez | Fire From Heaven 9–12 | [10] |
| Secret Warriors | #8–12 | Matthew Rosenberg | Javier Garrón and Will Robson | Vs Mister Sinister 8–12 | [11] |
| She-Hulk | #159–163 | Mariko Tamaki | Jahnoy Lindsay | Jen Walters Must Die 159–163 | [11] |
| Spider-Gwen | #25-34 | Jason Latour | Robbi Rodriguez | Gwenom 25–31 The Life of Gwen Stacy 30-33 | [10] |
| Spider-Man | #234–#240 Annual 1 | Brian Michael Bendis | Oscar Bazaldua | Sinister Six Reborn 234–239 | [14] |
| Spider-Man/Deadpool (becomesSpider-Man vs. Deadpool) | #23-50 | Robbie Thompson | Chris Bachalo | Arms Race 23-31,Oldies 26, 29, 32Area 14 27-28, 30 | [15] |
| Tales of Suspense | #100-104 | Matthew Rosenberg | Travel Foreman | Red Ledger 100-104 | |
| Thanos | #13–18 Annual 1 | Donny Cates | Geoff Shaw | Thanos Wins 13–18 | [16] |
| The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl | #27-50 | Ryan North | Erica Henderson | The Forbidden Pla-Nut 27–30 | |
| The Unbelievable Gwenpool | #21–25 | Christopher Hastings | Irene Strychalski | Doom Sees You 21–23 Lost in the Plot 24-25 | [10] |
| U.S.Avengers | #11–12 | Al Ewing | Paco Medina | Cannonball Run 11–12 | [10] |
| Uncanny Avengers | #28–30 | Jim Zub | Sean Izaakse | Stars and Garters 28–30 | [10] |
| Venom | #155–165 | Mike Costa | Mark Bagley | Lethal Protector 155–158 Venom Inc. 159-160 Tangled Webs 161 Poison X 162-163 The Nativity 164-165 | [10] |
| Weapon X | #12-27 | Greg Pak | Yildiray Cinar | Nuke-Clear War 12–14 Happy Birthday, Old Man Logan 15-16 Sabretooth's in Charge 17-19 If He Dies, He Dies 20-21 Weapon X-Force 22-23 | |
| X-Men: Blue | #13-36 Annual 1 | Cullen Bunn | Jorge Molina | Mojo Worldwide #13–15 Cross Time Capers #16–20 Poison X 21-22 Cry Havok 23-28 Search for Jimmy Hudson 29-30 Kings and Queens 31-32 Surviving the Experience 33-36 | [10] |
| X-Men: Gold | #13-36 Annual 2 | Marc Guggenheim | Mojo Worldwide #13–15 The Negative Zone War #16–20 Brotherhood 21-22 Cruel and Unusual 23-25 'Til Death Do Us part 26-30 Prestige Dark 31-32 Godwar 33-35 | [10] | |
| X-Men: Red | #1-11 Annual #1 | Tom Taylor | Mahmud Asrar | The Hate Machine 1-11 | [citation needed] |
In addition to their ongoing series, Marvel planned reviving six cancelled comic book series along with their classic numbering as special one-shots that will be available in November and December 2017.[17] However,Dazzler #43 which was planned, was not released with the other one-shots[18] and was to be released in June 2018 asDazzler: X Song.[19]
| Title | Issue | Writer(s) | Artist(s) | Storyline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darkhawk | #51 | Chad Bowers and Chris Sims | Kev Walker | The Return | [11] |
| Dazzler: X Song | #1 | Magdalene Visaggio | Laura Braga | [19] | |
| Master of Kung Fu | #126 | CM Punk | Dalibor Talajić | Shang Chi's Day Off | [11] |
| Not Brand Echh | #14 | Nick Spencer and | Jay Fosgitt | Forbush Man Returns! | [20] |
| Power Pack | #63 | Devin K. Grayson | Marika Cresta | Where is Power Pack? | [11] |
| Silver Sable and the Wild Pack | #36 | Christa Faust | Paulo Siqueira | Silver and Bold | [11] |
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Marvel Legacy #1 was the biggest selling comic book title of 2017.[21]