Marvel Comics goes full horror for Avengers Forever #3. The variant cover by Ed McGuinness presents a terrifying vision of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Avengers Forever #3 ups the ante in this five-part story that takes Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, on a post-apocalypse-level quest for vengeance. This cover references many of cinema's greatest horror stories as a love-letter and scary visage of a Marvel multiverse in peril.

McGuinness, who is perhaps best known for his work on Superman/Batman, Hulk, and Deadpool, brings a host of undead Marvel superheroes to life for Avengers Forever #3's variant cover. The series is penned by Jason Aaron, the writer of Thor: God of Thunder and Star Wars: Vader Down. The winner of the Inkpot Award at Comic-Con 2016 adds a deadly look to these Marvel heroes. The variant cover features nightmare versions of Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America. The full title of Avengers Forever #3 is The Lords of Earthly Vengeance, Part Three: We Who Are About to Avenge. Invoking the poster of the 1930s movie We Who Are About to Die, the new art is in good company.

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League of ComicGeeks posted the imposing variant cover to Avengers Forever #3 that retails for $3.99. The characters on the cover are all facing different directions, creating a sense of massive attacks on all fronts. McGuinness' Zombie Captain America brings the feeling of Marvel's What If...? series on Disney+. Hulk is Frankenstein's monster creature composed of Gray Hulk and Red Hulk. A red-clad vampire version of the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange, looks upon his unwitting prey as the Eye of Agamotto shines crimson.

Avengers Forever #3 Variant Cover

This multiversal artwork begs the question of whether or not a Marvel horror universe could ever work. Titles from Marvel like Curse of the Mutants, Ghost Rider, Blade, and Punisher: Franken-Castle prove that horror works within the Marvel Universe. Marvel Zombies and characters like Morbius, whose movie from Sony Pictures is on the way, are proof of concept that general audiences are ready for a scarier take on these Marvel heroes. McGuinness' variant cover also brings the Marvel meta with a spiked Iron Man's glove raising from a grave with "Stark - Iron Monster" engraved on the tombstone.

The idea of a Marvel comic book run with a classic horror vibe is exciting. Look over to DC Comics for how to go full force into a crypto-genre. Daniel Warren Johnson and Juan Gedeon are working on The Jurassic League, a six-part take on a dinosaur Justice League, where the Flash is Flashraptor, and Batman becomes an allosaurus, Batsaur. The carnage is felt through fun colors, wild imaginations, and huge lizards flying off the panels. Also from DC and the minds of Kenny Porter and Baldemar Rivas, readers are getting a Neon Genesis Evangelion-inspired series, DC Mech. This series is all costumes, powers, gadgets, and mecha suits.

A Marvel series crossing the styles of classic horror with some of the brilliant creators already working on stories like Conan, Thor, Black Panther, and Avengers Forever could be a way to feature a new take on Hulk and for Dr. Strange, who is well acquainted with Dracula, to have to live like him. The limits are endless to what a horror story in the Marvel Universe could be. Avengers Forever #3 is on sale now and the final installment is coming on April 27, 2022.

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Source: League of ComicGeeks