Warning! Spoilers ahead for Heroes Reborn #1
It's just been revealed that Marvel's Justice League counterparts, the Squadron Supreme, have a brutal way of dealing with their enemies and any potential threats. Marvel Comics' Heroes Reborn has begun with its first issue, seeing the entire Marvel Universe getting remade. While there are several things that are different, the biggest change is that the Avengers never assembled to become Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Instead, Phil Coulson's Squadron Supreme of America became the world's premier team of heroes, and Coulson himself has become the president of the United States. However, it appears as though this new team has been sanctioned to handle their foes in a dark and brutal manner, trapping many of their opponents in none other than the Negative Zone.
In Marvel Comics, the Negative Zone is another dimension that was discovered by Reed Richards' Mr. Fantastic, comprised entirely of anti-matter. Being an aged universe, it's also in a state of contraction while our universe is still in expansion, meaning that it's nearing an eventual implosion. For years, Reed Richards had used the Negative Zone as a dimension where he could trap unbeatable foes, and he and Tony Stark even built a prison there for such a purpose during Marvel's first Civil War event.
However, it looks as though the Squadron Supreme of America has been using the Negative Zone to a much larger degree in this first issue from writer Jason Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness, trapping their enemies there as well as anyone they believe to be too dangerous. While villains such as Doctor Doom had been imprisoned in the Negative Zone, other characters who were meant to be Avengers are revealed to have been thrown into the dimension simply due to the risk they posed, such as the Incredible Hulk, the Ghost Rider's Spirit of Vengeance, and even the Starbrand.
It seems as though the Squadron Supreme has a lock on handling the country's threats, despite its brutal and devastating nature. The Negative Zone is a merciless and largely barren realm, and it's certainly a harsh fate to be banished there. Likewise, even if some villains like Doctor Doom (now Doctor Juggernaut) may find ways to escape as seen in this issue, it seems as though the Negative Zone is a pretty effective means of keeping most of their foes defeated for the long term, forever trapped outside of this new Marvel Universe.
This is all discovered and revealed to readers by Blade (the only Avenger who somehow remembers the world as it should be). As such, the vampire hunter is certainly concerned about this new world and how he might be able to restore it back to what it once was. While he's seen looking for backup in this first issue, the Negative Zone has ensured that he's probably not getting any help from the Starbrand, Robbie Reyes, or Jennifer Walters. While this still leaves characters such as Tony Stark, Thor, and Captain America, none of them are active heroes. As a result, Blade clearly has his work cut out for him if he's hoping to assemble the Avengers for the first time in this new world of Heroes Reborn. In any case, here's hoping Marvel's version of the Justice League, the Squadron Supreme, doesn't see Blade as a threat in future issues before he's ready for them, or else he's probably headed for the Negative Zone himself.