A More Detailed Analysis of the All-New, All-Different Avengers

…So yeah, once again, we’re talking about the new Avengers team. And btw, if you’re looking at the cover for the Free Comic Book Day issue and NOT hearing the Avengers theme from the movie, you’re doing it wrong. lol But yeah, with the team scaled down to seven, it seems the members are selected both for being legacy heroes and for having a wide array of varying powers and abilities. And honestly, I think that’s a good move. So, let’s take a look at what each member brings to the table, and how they might relate to one another, starting with someone the team wouldn’t be complete without…

Sam Wilson, AKA Captain America

While the original Captain America, Steve Rogers, wasn’t one of the original five founding members of the team, the legacy of Captain America is such that it wouldn’t be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes without him. And let’s face it, folks, regardless of if this is permanent or not, regardless of if Steve will ever regain the supersoldier serum and his youth or not, Samuel Thomas Wilson has proven himself as worthy stand-in for the role. As such, him being in this team is a must. However, despite currently acting as a leader for the Mighty Avengers, he hasn’t really done so for very long, which could prove an issue when it comes to being a possible contender for leader of the All-New, All-Different Avengers.

In any case, Samuel is a master acrobat and aerialist, which he makes perfect use of with the wings carried over from his old Falcon persona. Also assisting him in the sky is his pet bird, Redwing, with whom he had a telepathic link to (though Redwing MAY have been killed in a recent issue of All-New Captain America). He’s also been trained by Steve Rogers in a number of different martial arts styles when action needs to be taken to the ground. His body has been taken to the peak human range, able to press about 480 pounds. And, as is a must for anyone carrying the name of the iconic hero, Sam also wields Captain America’s shield, which is made out of Vibranium and thus able to absorb immense kinetic energy, making it near-indestructible. After one of the few occasions where that near-indestructibility was tested a bit too much, though, the shield was rebuilt using the mystical metal, Uru, making it stronger than ever. If that metal sounds familiar…well, the next Avenger on this list wields a weapon made from the same stuff.

Thor, the Goddess of Thunder

“Whomsoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor”. That WAS the inscription on Mjolnir, the mighty hammer wielded by the God of Thunder, Thor. However, recent events have led to the inscription reading “if SHE be worthy”. Personally, I would’ve gone with the less gender specific inscription of “if THEY be worthy”, especially since this isn’t the first time a woman’s held the hammer, but regardless, the point stands: The new Thor is a woman. We don’t know WHO yet, but whoever she is, she’s proven so talented with Mjolnir that even Thor Odinson has given her his blessing and his name. The only real problem she has going into joining the Avengers is that she appears a bit inexperienced as a team player. Despite this, she does appear heroic-minded, and is most certainly one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

As I said before, Thor wields Mjolnir, a weapon made by the dwarven blacksmiths Eitri, Brok, and Buri, who used the core of a star as the mold. The star later went supernova, almost destroying Earth, and may have been the resulting force for what killed the dinosaurs. In addition to being a weapon composed of Uru and possessing immeasurable strength and durability, it also comes complete with a number of abilities. Thus far, the female Thor has demonstrated that she’s gained superhuman strength and can lift 100 tons for sport, can channel electricity with or without the hammer in her grip, can survive the vacuum of space, possesses chronokinesis, is near-invulnerable, and possesses immunity to all Earthly diseases and infections. And, as the chosen wielder of Mjolnir, she is the only one who can lift it, can summon the hammer to her hand from anywhere, and by tossing it and holding onto the leather thong, she can use it to fly at the speed of sound. Also, this Thor apparently possesses finer control over the hammer while it’s in flight than Odinson, even from a long distance. This is likely due to her apparently higher levels of self-restraint, able to keep a tighter focus than the former God of Thunder in battle. She may literally take every aspect of the former Thor and improve upon them all. However, she also has the same weakness as the enchantments involving Don Blake and Eric Masterson: Prolonged separation from the hammer will cause her powers to slowly fade. In order to maintain her maximum potential, she has to remain in direct contact with Mjolnir. But, considering her mastery over the hammer in such a short amount of time, this is a relatively small weakness to have, as she may prove to be the single most powerful of the new Avengers team.

The Invincible Iron Man

Here’s where there’s kind of a big question mark present. Granted, it wouldn’t be the only one on this team, but I’ll get to that. As readers of the current Marvel product know, Tony Stark was inverted in the event AXIS. Basically, he’s more or less a villain now, although how you could tell considering some of his behaviour over the past few years (starting Civil War, mind-wiping Captain America, etc.) is a bit in question. However, the Iron Man suit on the cover is clearly in the old school hot rod red and gold, as opposed to the chrome Superior Iron Man. So, either he’s been reverted to normal, which could lead to more than a bit of discomfort and mistrust on the team for various reasons, or Secret Wars has brought back an earlier Tony Stark, one who didn’t do any of the crap his more recent incarnation has been responsible for, which could lead to Superior Iron Man being the old school evil twin scenario…which could be interesting, honestly. Of course, one other possibility is that it’s not really Tony in the suit, which would fit the trend of the others being newer characters stepping into old shoes. Personally, I’m kinda hoping for Pepper, since then the gender ratio of the team would be a bit more even.

Regardless of who is in the suit, anyone who has read the comics or watched the movies has a decent idea of what to expect. Repulsor blasts, flight capability, enhanced strength, is airtight so he can survive underwater and in space, and will likely have a vast number of hidden weapons and equipment installed. And, assuming it IS Tony under the suit…well…

Vision

This is where the other question mark on the team is. Vision’s personality and overall sense of self can differ, depending on current programming on his brain patterns. And since I’m not reading Uncanny Avengers, I don’t really know much about his current persona. However, if it’s kept unique from past versions, it would help to contribute to the theme of this team: Recognizable names and costumes, new personalities/characters. Regardless, Vision has nonetheless proven time and again to be a key component to any Avengers team, and can work his way into any gathering of heroes easily enough.

Vision’s abilities have generally been pretty consistent, so we can expect him to have his hyper-intelligent brain, capable of analyzing and processing information at the speed of the world’s greatest super computer and possess superhuman reflexes, can absorb solar energy and release them as energy beams, and has the ability to alter his own density to fly, turn intangible, become hard as diamond, or lift anywhere from 50 to 90 tons. Also, he can adjust and alter his vocal processor, optical scanners, and audio tuners, and can even use holograms to make himself appear human. Despite this, he’s not invincible, as there are those in the Marvel Universe with superior strength and speed to his. And while his brain is extremely fast-working, he HAS been shown to be capable of being distracted, which can be a problem. Also, despite not being human, he was once shown to be knocked out by a drug………Yeah, not sure how that worked. o.O

Sam Alexander, AKA Nova

Probably the member I’m least familiar with. I don’t really know much of anything about the Nova Corps, other than them being intergalactic police officers, keepers of the peace and upholders of justice. I do know that Samuel Alexander is a teenager, one of three on the new Avengers team, and has been an official member of the Avengers since December, though he’s on probation for going after Kluh (basically, think the Hulk, only even more powerful and rampaging……YEAH, seriously) alone. So yeah, he can be a bit headstrong, over-confident, and still has a bit to learn about being part of a team, but he’s got a good heart, and the potential to be a great Avenger. Also, apparently he was named after Jeph Loeb’s son, who died of bone cancer when he was only 17.

By putting on his helmet, Sam gains access to the Nova Force, a near-limitless source of energy. Different members of the Nova Corps can harness different levels of power from it, depending on their rank. As a centurion,  Sam can lift up to 20 tons, possesses limited amounts of telekinesis, can fire concussive energy blasts in beam and sphere format, possesses a sort of cosmic awareness, can fly at seemingly physically impossible speeds, and can instantly translate any language to English, though he also knows some Spanish and Morse Code on his own. However, his strength and speed do have limitations, as proven in his fight with Kluh, who very nearly killed him, and has apparently left him suffering from a memory disorder, so that could be a problem for him.

Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel

The superheroine that I will not shut the fuck up about. XD So, I’ll make this quick: Kamala might be the newest and most inexperienced member of the team, which could lead to more than a bit of a problem, as is her HIGHLY over-protective family, but she’s a quick learner on the job, and has already proven herself time and again as a hero. And, because of a previous team-up she was a part of, I’m sure her and the last member on this team should work well together. Also, as an Inhuman, she can work well as an ambassador between the two groups, and I’m sure could likely call in support from a certain giant teleporting dog with superstrength that’s come to her aid more than once.

As one of two members of the team who can’t fly, Ms. Marvel nonetheless has no problem getting around. Given that she can alter her body to any size and shape that she wants, she could literally walk across whole city blocks in less than a minute. Of course, being able to shrink and grow to any size also makes her a nice stand-in for other size-changing Avengers like Ant-Man and Wasp, and being able to stretch out any body part means they won’t need to call in Mr. Fantastic anytime soon (thank goodness). She can even change her appearance to look like other people, meaning she could be a covert infiltrator if she wanted. Lastly, she has an accelerated healing factor, having once recovered relatively quickly from being shot. That said, this ability comes with a handicap, as she can’t use her other powers while healing, and the more she uses it, the less malleable her cells will be for a while, hindering her polymorphic powers, so she still needs to be careful on the job.

Miles Morales, AKA the Ultimate Spider-Man

The last member of the All-New, All-Different Avengers, Miles is a member of the Ultimates. However, considering the rather bleak future of his world with Secret Wars rapidly approaching, it seems the Ultimate Spider-Man has managed to make it into the new Marvel Universe as a member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Despite being one of the youngest Marvel heroes of all time, Miles has nonetheless proven himself as the replacement of his world’s Peter Parker, instilled with the same sense of responsibility and possessing a lot of the former Spidey’s creative and calculating mind.

Anyone who knows Spider-Man has a general idea of what to expect when it comes to Miles’ main abilities: He has superstrength, agility, durability, and reflexes. He can stick to and walk across walls by reversing his own electron attraction, and can swing from structure to structure using the web shooters worn on his wrists passed down to him from Peter. And, of course, he possesses the Spider Sense, which grants him omnipresent detection of his surroundings, and seems to have greater potential than even Peter’s due to the genetic enhancements done to the spider that bit him. However, despite this, he’s not as good at being able to recognize and respond to threats detected by the Spider Sense just yet, and while he’s picked up quite a bit of fighting skill just from watching tapes of his predecessor, he’s otherwise had no formal martial arts training. To counter-balance this, he has two abilities unique to himself: He can blend himself and his clothes into his surroundings as a form of invisibility, and he can use the Venom Blast, a paralyzing touch with varying levels of effectiveness on different opponents (apparently works best on opponents with genetic alterations to their body). As such, anyone who only has knowledge of the more well-known Spider-Man abilities can be caught off-guard in a fight with him, which is how he even managed to defeat the mainstream Peter Parker in a fight after their first encounter led to a bit of a misunderstanding.

Anyway, that’s the magnificent seven members of the All-New, All-Different Avengers. Got any thoughts or opinions on this team, or other heroes you’d maybe like to see join later on? Lemme know in the comments below, and let’s see how everything turns out on Free Comic Book Day. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 10?! – 10 Characters That NEED To Survive Marvel’s Secret Wars

I’ve recently posed the same scenario to a few people, just out of curiosity: Let’s say Marvel came up to you and asked who you felt 10 must-have characters are that need to survive Secret Wars and exist in the new Marvel Universe. Who would be on your list and why? The reason I ask this is because…well, let’s face it, after Secret Wars is over, and the Marvel Universe is rebooted, things will be VERY different, and it’s entirely possible that not everyone in the Marvel Universe that we know and love now will make it into the new one. And frankly, it’s not just who gets in, but which version of what characters get in. For example, let’s say Tony Stark makes it through to the post-Secret Wars universe, which he probably will. It could be any version of Tony throughout history and across the Multiverse, or a brand new take on the character. Hell, it could be a complete cut and paste of Robert Downey Jr.’s take on the character…which I’d actually be perfectly okay with, by the way. But yeah, point is, there’s no way to know, and a lot of people could potentially be losing some of their favourite characters with this reboot. As such, I’ve decided to list the 10 characters I feel need to survive Secret Wars, though I should note that I won’t be including any that are currently part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as I would imagine their positions are secure. So yeah, thankfully, I don’t see Carol Danvers going anywhere anytime soon. ^_^ So, let’s start off with the one that you all probably know I couldn’t stand to have the Marvel Universe be without…

#1 – Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel

…Yeah, I have a confession to make: For many years, Stephanie Brown has been my favourite superhero. While I wouldn’t say that she’s been usurped, if there was ever a hero in a position to possibly do so, it’s Kamala. She’s simultaneously able to reach out to a minority group, AND be extremely relatable to lots of people: She’s a geek, she writes fanfiction, she has trouble relating to her family, standard teen issues, non-standard teen issues (see aforementioned family), a good sense of humour, a love of superheroes, and a desire to be like them. Plus, while she isn’t always the most successful heroine at her job, she nonetheless keeps trying, learning new ways to use her powers and getting better at being a superhero, thus earning the praise of Wolverine and Spider-Man. She’s a very inspiring hero as a result. It’s really no wonder the trade paperback for issues 1 through 5 did as well as it did, ranking #2 on the New York Times Best Seller list. And frankly, we know that Marvel is always looking for ways to make money, so keeping Kamala around as Ms. Marvel is a must. Failing a solo book, however, she should at least be on a team, possibly a new version of the Young Avengers, or even a sort of Young Inhumans book.

#2 – Miles Morales, AKA The Ultimate Spider-Man

Honestly, I attribute the Ultimate Universe surviving for as long as it did to its Spider-Man books, and to be perfectly frank, I loved how they handled the death of Ultimate Peter Parker (or DID he?), and the rise of Miles Morales as his successor. Much like another entrant on this list, Miles takes a lot of what works about Peter’s character and goes in a somewhat different direction with it, but nonetheless in a way that works. He’s actually younger and more awkward than his predecessor was when he first got started, and his powers are just different enough that he’s a very unique Spider-Man. Plus, hey, we gotta keep SOMETHING from the Ultimate Universe around…although it’s a pity that it seems we’ll probably never get resolution on whether the Peter that he teamed with recently was the real thing or a clone. As for what to do with him…well, there’s a few options. One is that he could replace mainstream Peter as Spider-Man for the most part, with Peter acting as a mentor/occasional partner in action. Two, they could both operate as Spider-Man, working both as partners and with Miles working with my aforementioned Young Avengers idea. Or three, there IS seemingly an opening for the role of Scarlet Spider, with Kaine’s apparent death (still not 100% sure about that, but whatever), that Miles could fill in. But speaking of Multiverse Spiders…

#3 – Gwen Stacy, AKA The Insert-Cool-Sounding-Adjective Spider-Woman

Like with Miles, Spider-Gwen is able to take elements of what makes mainstream Peter’s character work and pull it in a new direction. In this case, it’s taking those elements and applying them to a character we sort of already know, but isn’t EXACTLY the same. As such, she’s a wonderful blend of the familiar and the fresh. However, here’s where there could be a problem. You see, as far as I can tell, all the worlds left in the Multiverse are getting merged together into Battleworld for Secret Wars, and that, following the event, Battleworld will be transformed into the new Earth of the new Marvel Universe. I’m not 100% sure where that leaves Gwen and her radically different world, where characters we know and love have a lot about them that are different (Daredevil actually WORKS for Kingpin). And true, I could say the same for the Ultimate Universe, but this one is far more fresh and new to the reader, with a lot of possibilities left undiscovered and unrealized. It’d be a shame to toss it all aside. That’s why I’m hoping that this world at least remains part of its own universe, and that we don’t see the COMPLETE collapse of the Multiverse. Plus, say she was made part of the main Marvel Universe. What would we call her? I know her book is called Spider-Gwen, as is she by fans, but I think calling herself that in canon would kinda compromise the whole secret identity thing. lol

#4 – James ‘Logan’ Howlett, AKA Wolverine

Of all the people that aren’t in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is probably the one that’s the biggest no-brainer in terms of who will be making it into the new universe. And let’s be honest, you and I both know Logan’s coming back. As I’ve mentioned before, though, I hope we aren’t put in the same position we were in with the character prior to his losing his healing factor. I mean, he can have it, that’s fine, but there needs to be a limitation to it. He can’t be INVINCIBLE. Otherwise, you eventually lose interest in reading about him, because he can shrug off anything villains throw at him. Sure, just because he’s able to recover from anything doesn’t mean he’ll always win, but it certainly increases his overall success rate. And it’s not like he shouldn’t be able to win, it’s that we should have some tangible threat/concern-level so that it’s not a given that he’ll come out on top. That way, we can feel all the better for him when he does.

#5 – Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm

Another member of the X-Men, and like Wolverine, I just can’t see the new Marvel Universe without Storm. She’s just been too important a character for too long for her to just completely vanish. She’s also one of the most powerful Marvel Superheroes, to the point where I’ve often wondered why she only spent a VERY short tenure with the Avengers. Granted, I think that she’s currently best served as the leader of the all-female Adjectiveless X-Men, but there’s nothing saying she can’t pull double duty. Hopefully, A-Force does in fact stick around post-Secret Wars, and Storm can be one of the primary members.

#6 – Anna Marie, AKA Rogue

…Yeah, as I’ve made clear on a number of occasions, I’m a big fan of the Southern Belle known as Rogue. As both a high-profile X-Man and a founding member of the Uncanny Avengers, she has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, no matter who she’s fighting. One touch is literally all she needs to turn the tide of battle. Her touch can even be lethal, though…let’s face it, with most of us, it’s worth the risk. Honestly, though, I kinda wish they hadn’t undone her getting past that by merging her with Wonder Man, and I hope this can be fixed later. And frankly, while we’re on the subject of wishes, I wish that Rogue could appear in the MCU in her more badass self, because if Fox ain’t gonna do it, I know Marvel Studios would be more than happy to. ^_^

#7 – Norman Osborn, AKA The Green Goblin

I felt compelled to put in at least one villain. Granted, with the next new Spider-Man reboot on the way, I would imagine Green Goblin will eventually play a role, but it’s not set in stone just yet. And because Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin persona is one of the most scheming, conniving, and morally bankrupt villains in all of Marvel, who has not only had a number of memorable encounters with his arch-nemesis Spider-Man but with the Avengers as a whole, I feel that he’s a must among villains to make it into the new Marvel Universe.

#8 – Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman

Admittedly, this is one that could very easily turn out to be in the MCU, as rumours are afloat that she may appear in AKA Jessica Jones, but since nothing’s finalized yet, and it wouldn’t be a huge role, I feel justified placing Spider-Woman here. She’s an integral part of the Marvel Universe, having worked for the Avengers, the Secret Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., the Spider Army, the Lady Liberators, and even HYDRA for a time. In short, she’s had long-term interactions and relationships with multiple characters across the Marvel Universe, to the point where it would feel odd to see her not present in the new one, like it were incomplete. Besides, she just recently decided to pursue a whole new solo career in a new Batgirl of Burnside-esque costume. I’m sure plenty of people would love to see where that takes her.

#9 – Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m left wondering why the hell this character ISN’T part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I digress. To be completely honest, I actually like She-Hulk a lot more than the Hulk. And no, it’s not because she’s a woman…though that helps. lol I guess I just find the relation between the Jennifer and She-Hulk personas more interesting, her civilian job allows her a unique perspective of the Marvel Universe and the people in it, and…well, Bruce Banner in the comics has become kind of a dick lately. It’s actually weird seeing him behave like that in the comics, and then in the movies, he’s potentially shacking up with Black Widow. And yeah, I will admit that She-Hulk being a super strong, super sexy woman helps, but what helps a lot more, and I really mean this, is that she’s super strong, super sexy, AND super smart, meaning she has the complete package.

#10 – Flash Thompson, AKA Agent Venom

Again, this is someone who could very easily turn out to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he isn’t yet, so no guarantees about his status post-Secret Wars. I think what I like most about Flash Thompson being Agent Venom is that here is a guy who used to be a colossal dickhole to Peter, who enlisted in the military, lost his legs in a heroic fashion, and has evolved into someone you could easily see becoming a competent anti-hero who has even joined the ranks of the Secret Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy (which, btw, I hope to see happen someday in the movies). And again, it’s familiar powers and a familiar character, but done in a different way. Love it.

Anyway, that’s it for now. Next time, I’ll talk about what superhero teams I’d like to see in the post-Secret Wars Marvel Universe, and who I’d like to see on each one. Ja né!

10 Post-Secret Wars Wishes & Expectations

So, Secret Wars is quickly approaching, and with it, the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it, as it will be merged with the Ultimate Universe in a sort of pseudo-reboot. However, it seems that other worlds in the Multiverse are also involved, as are various points in time throughout the mainstream Marvel Earth (Earth 616). It’s pretty clear that the HUGE Multiverse in Marvel Comics is being shrunken down with this. Most people are saying it’ll disappear altogether, but let’s keep this in mind: The Marvel Cinematic Universe is considered part of the Multiverse, and they aren’t ending anytime soon. Same goes with the other movie and television franchises featuring Marvel characters. On top of that, Spider-Gwen is only JUST starting next week, though she has been part of the Spider-Verse event all along, so I doubt it’ll only last as long as it takes to get to the end of Secret Wars. And frankly, doing away with the Multiverse altogether seems like a waste, as it takes away a lot of potential story-telling possibilities.

Either way, though, we can expect the Marvel Universe to be vastly different post-Secret Wars, with Earth 616 and Earth 1610 (the Ultimate Universe) merging together and their histories becoming blended, and with probably a few things being rebooted back to square one and others being retconned out of existence. Now, this prospect is more than a little frightening, especially because we’ve seen something like this done a few times before (mostly by DC). However, one advantage there is that Marvel can look at everything that did and didn’t work with DC’s various reboots and learn from those instances. Plus, this is a good chance for them to bring back old ideas and give them a new twist. So, with that said, here’s a few things I wouldn’t mind seeing post-Secret Wars, as well as some that I expect will happen whether they sound good or not. Let’s start with probably the most obvious thing people expect to happen…

#1 – Wolverine Brought Back

Face it, bub, you KNEW Wolverine wasn’t going to stay dead forever. It was just a matter of the right scenario to come along and justify his re-existence. Well, Secret Wars could prove to be just that. My one concern going into this, though, is that this puts us right back in the same position we had with the character prior to his losing his healing factor, and that’s that, after a while of being shown he’s all but invincible and immortal, it’s hard to get invested in his stories. As such, I’m hoping that some sort of limitation is put on his healing factor so that he’s at least given SOME kind of vulnerability. Also, I wouldn’t try to demote X-23 with his return in any way, and have the two continue to act as equally important characters, but I’ll get back to her in a bit…

#2 – Tony Stark Becomes Good Again

Okay, really, this isn’t even just a matter of me not liking Superior Iron Man. This is a matter of me not liking a LOT of what’s been done with the character for years now, starting with Civil War. If you haven’t noticed, I’m more than a bit concerned about the fact that Captain America 3 is going to be a loose adaptation of that story, and ultimately, it comes down to one point: Tony Stark should not be a villain. Now, they could maybe do something neat where we get good Tony back and Superior Iron Man becomes his own evil character spun off from him, but there HAS to be a good Tony we can root for that isn’t held down by crap like the Superhero Registration Act or having Captain America’s mind wiped. I want THAT Tony Stark back.

#3 – Ms. Marvel Sticks Around

Yeah, if you haven’t noticed, I’m a big Ms. Marvel fan. Kamala was easily the best newcomer of last year, and I would HATE to lose her. Now granted, I’ve been told by writer G. Willow Wilson that there’s “nothing to fear”, but at the same time, I’m seeing advertisements for her tie-in to Secret Wars being about how “Kamala has to grapple with the end of everything she knows, and discover what it means to be a hero when your whole world is on the line.” So I guess we’ll just see, but either way, I’m hoping she sticks around, and we have our inevitable Ms. Marvel/Captain Marvel crossover, along with something else I’d like to suggest…

#4 – A New Young Avengers-like Team Book

Let’s face it, folks, there are still plenty of younger heroes out there that could form a new team of heroes. Ms. Marvel, X-23, Miles Morales, Kate Bishop, and who knows how many more? Is Marvel REALLY going to wipe them ALL away post-Secret Wars? And frankly, I don’t care what they call themselves. Young Avengers, Avengers Academy, the Ultimates, whatever works for them. I would just love to see this team. And speaking of one of them in particular…

#5 – Miles Morales Stays

I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it for as long as it’s the God’s honest truth: The best thing going for the Ultimate Universe (and the only thing nowadays, in fact) is Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man. The question is immediately brought up, then: What do you do with the character after Secret Wars? Tossed aside? Probably not. Do you have him continue to act as Spider-Man, and just have two of them, having him operate in a team with Peter? Tricky, but doable. Do you perhaps make use of the fact that Kaine recently died in Spider-Verse and make him the Scarlet Spider? Sure, I could see Miles fitting into that role just fine. However, there’s one other avenue they could take…

#6 – One More Day Reversed

Recent info dumps have revealed the existence of a version of Peter Parker on Battleworld that hasn’t made the deal with Mephisto yet. This could be where we finally undo all that nonsense, and have Peter and MJ be brought back together, possibly having Mayday, and hell, Pete could even pass the role of Spider-Man down to Miles, though he’d likely be able to come out of retirement from time to time to help him out. If nothing else, though, Marvel, please, hear my cry, in the name of all Spider-Man fans that know him to be better than the one who made that almost 100% literal deal with the devil, undo this terrible act. And if you need any more incentive to do so, Linkara has gone on record in saying that, if the deal with Mephisto is ever reversed, not even necessarily that Peter and Mary Jane get married again, but that the deal itself is nullified, he will buy every Spider-Man story that’s come out since. That’s 8 years worth of comics he’d be purchasing from you guys. May not seem like a lot of money, but from one person, could you ask for much more?

#7 – A Simpler History

Yyyeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhh, one problem Marvel has with its LONG history is just how complicated some stories can get. Probably the most notorious of all is Jean Grey’s entire history, as well as that of the Phoenix. In fact, most of the more complex and overly complicated and difficult to follow stories can be traced back to the X-Men. So, if there’s a chance to simplify some of those stories without changing too much or taking too much away, I’d suggest Marvel takes this opportunity to do so now.

#8 – Old Heroes Retaking Their Mantles

For better or worse, I think we all see this coming. Granted, I don’t see Carol Danvers giving up the role of Captain Marvel, since she’s got a movie coming up, but Steve Rogers is probably going to be Captain America again, and Mjolnir will likely find its way back to Thor Odinson. Hopefully, though, their recent replacements aren’t tossed aside, and are instead given whole new leases on life now that they’ve been established as characters deserving of being among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, particularly the new female Thor (‘cuz somehow I doubt I have to worry too much about Falcon).

#9 – The A-Force

When I first heard about A-Force, I immediately adored the idea, so much so that I’m hoping it sticks around long past Secret Wars. Just the idea of seeing all these kickass Marvel women teaming up, without even really needing a set roster and just being about them all coming together to fight injustice, I just LOVE the idea SO FRAKKING MUCH (seriously, you can’t see me, but I’m fanboying out SO BAD right now, lol).

#10 – Character Histories Merged

Lastly, one thing I kinda expect to happen is that characters that exist on both Earth 616 and Earth 1610 will have their histories and elements of their personalities merged together. Somehow, I suspect that, when the dust settles, there’ll only be one Nick Fury, and he’ll be the one that physically resembles Samuel L. Jackson (‘cuz let’s face it, the movies DO still dictate a lot of what happens in the comics, for better or for worse), unless they plan on revealing him to be Nick Fury, Jr. in said movies. Also, I’m personally kinda hoping that the mainstream Aunt May gets downsized in favour of her more awesome counterpart. Seriously, words cannot describe how much I prefer Ultimate Aunt May to her counterpart.

Anyway, that’s all I can think of for right now. Got any I haven’t thought of? Perhaps even a few concerns? Leave in the comments below, and we’ll see what happens when Secret Wars hits. Ja né!