Marvel's newest event will see multiple versions of the comic company's core heroes unite for a new set of adventures in Generations. Legacy is one of the most common things in mainstream superhero comics. Since the early days of both Marvel and DC, new characters have taken up the mantle of older heroes and villains. Sometimes they do it without permission, other times they're handed the name and suit by their mentor.
In recent years, Marvel has made a concerted effort to focus on a new generation of heroes who are continuing the legacy of the titans who came before them. Though the move has been met with some backlash, it's also created some of the publisher's most unique and innovative stories, pulling in new readers and winning praise from non-comic circles. Despite the proliferation of these young heroes, however, their forbears are still a constant presence in the comics and much of Marvel's other media. Still, the announcement earlier this year that a new comic event would put the old and new together for a series of adventures has excited fans of both versions of these characters.
Marvel have now announced new details on their GENERATIONS event, along with a collection of covers and variants for a handful of the 10 new stories that will hit shelves this August. Taking place in the mysterious Vanishing Point, heroes old and new will join forces, seemingly outside of the confines of reality and canon. That said, the whole thing is said to have a massive impact on the Marvel Universe moving forward.
"The bridge into the future of the Marvel Universe begins this August!"
[vn_gallery name="Marvel GENERATIONS Comics Covers" id="992443"]
The main and variant covers show off Iron Man with Ironheart, the two Captain Americas teaming up, Peter Parker joining with Miles Morales, and Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel alongside Kamala Khan and as Captain Marvel with Mar-Vell. The last one is the most intriguing, as Carol will be getting a story as a mentor and as protege. Given how popular the new Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel are, however, it makes sense—especially when you factor in the comic history of the original Ms. Marvel and Mar-Vell.
Along with those five, we'll see Bruce Banner and Amadeus Cho as the Hulks, Clint Barton and Kate Bishops as Hawkeyes, Odinson and Jane Foster as Thors, Logan and Laura Kinney as Wolverines, and both versions of Jean Grey as the Phoenixes.
Interestingly, the initial announcement featured Richard Rider and Sam Alexander as the two Novas, but they're not included in this 10-story lineup. Either they were removed to keep the total even, or they'll be popping up in a later version of the event.
The press release also mentions that while these stories will exist in a sort of separate reality, they'll affect Marvel and the characters moving forward. It could be Marvel is gearing up some sort of legacy imprint that would feature new stories set in their classic reality. We've seen similar moves with the likes of Spidey, a book that provides a modern retelling of Peter's early years as Spider-Man. With GENERATIONS coming in August, we should know more soon.