The Next Avengers!
Sep. 9th, 2014 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skjam posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_dailyHi folks!
MC2 (Marvel Comics 2) was Tom DeFalco's baby, spun off from an issue of "What If?" where Peter and Mary Jane's daughter May "Mayday" Parker inherited some of her father's powers and became Spider-Girl. It was meant to appeal to younger readers (but not children as such) by featuring old-school superheroics with newer characters.
(The same idea of attracting newer readers later gave us the Ultimate universe.)
The story took place in the modern day, but with the then-current events in the main Marvel Universe having taken place fifteen years before. Most of the older superheroes had retired or gone missing, so it was up to a new generation to save the world.
Seven pages of twenty-three, plus one from the preview of J2.
We open in media res, as Tyrus the rock troll encourages his troops to fight their opponents. There's some nicely Stan Lee-like hyperbole--"Warning! Do not turn this page unless you're fully prepared to embark on the wildest thrill ride in the history of comics!"
Turning the page brings us to a spread of heroes fighting rock trolls and telling us their or each other's names.
Note that the tour guide is going to turn out to be American Dream.
Jarvis gives Kevin his father's enchanted mace, Thunderstrike. It's only a keepsake now, as the magic was tied directly to the deceased Eric Masterson. As Kevin is leaving, Jarvis notices some rather broad gentlemen converging on the boy.
As the barely disguised rock trolls grab Kevin, Jarvis activates the mansion defenses, and the attackers are entangled by metal tentacles. Kevin books for the exit, only to find more trolls waiting outside. A mysterious projection of evil-looking eyes orders Tyrus to give chase while it zaps the other trolls free.
Even though half the heroes don't know who the other half are, they know that rock trolls versus an art student isn't a fair fight, so they wade in. Kevin is astounded that total strangers would risk their lives for him.
The glowing eyes lose patience and zap all the combatants--when they come to, the heroes have been chained with power suppressors. The mystery villain is of course Loki, who introduces himself as the god of rapture and delight. Kevin points out that Loki's portfolio also includes mischief and evil. Loki doesn't want to get bogged down in argument, as he's going to use the mace to take over the universe.
While the mace's true potential could only be used by Eric, the energy is still tappable as a near infinite power source. He's going to strike at Thor from this secret base, and conquer Asgard, and so forth.
Mainframe reveals that the restraints don't actually hinder his powers (clue!) and if he can get a distraction, he should be able to free all the heroes. Kevin decides to be that distraction by reclaiming the mace, even though it's suspended in Loki's take over the universe spell.
We return to the battle at the beginning of the issue, where the heroes are being worn down by the sheer numbers of the rock trolls and Loki's magic. In desperation, Kevin sends a massive flare up into the sky. Loki realizes what that means, and the baddies skedaddle.
Sure enough, Thor (now Lord of Asgard) appears ready to do battle. He's delighted to see some of his old allies and especially Kevin. A feast we don't get to see later, the assembled heroes arrive back at Avengers Mansion. Mainframe is about to make a suggestion. Jubilee, Speedball and Jolt all bow out, though Jubilee will check up on J2 in his own book. J2, Stinger and Thunderstrike all agree to become the next Avengers, and the call goes out--
Cassie Lang would eventually become Stature in the main timeline, and Kevin became Thunderstrike, though with a significantly different personality.
And here's a page of the J2 preview, which is pretty self-explanatory.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
MC2 (Marvel Comics 2) was Tom DeFalco's baby, spun off from an issue of "What If?" where Peter and Mary Jane's daughter May "Mayday" Parker inherited some of her father's powers and became Spider-Girl. It was meant to appeal to younger readers (but not children as such) by featuring old-school superheroics with newer characters.
(The same idea of attracting newer readers later gave us the Ultimate universe.)
The story took place in the modern day, but with the then-current events in the main Marvel Universe having taken place fifteen years before. Most of the older superheroes had retired or gone missing, so it was up to a new generation to save the world.
Seven pages of twenty-three, plus one from the preview of J2.
We open in media res, as Tyrus the rock troll encourages his troops to fight their opponents. There's some nicely Stan Lee-like hyperbole--"Warning! Do not turn this page unless you're fully prepared to embark on the wildest thrill ride in the history of comics!"
Turning the page brings us to a spread of heroes fighting rock trolls and telling us their or each other's names.
Note that the tour guide is going to turn out to be American Dream.
Jarvis gives Kevin his father's enchanted mace, Thunderstrike. It's only a keepsake now, as the magic was tied directly to the deceased Eric Masterson. As Kevin is leaving, Jarvis notices some rather broad gentlemen converging on the boy.
As the barely disguised rock trolls grab Kevin, Jarvis activates the mansion defenses, and the attackers are entangled by metal tentacles. Kevin books for the exit, only to find more trolls waiting outside. A mysterious projection of evil-looking eyes orders Tyrus to give chase while it zaps the other trolls free.
Even though half the heroes don't know who the other half are, they know that rock trolls versus an art student isn't a fair fight, so they wade in. Kevin is astounded that total strangers would risk their lives for him.
The glowing eyes lose patience and zap all the combatants--when they come to, the heroes have been chained with power suppressors. The mystery villain is of course Loki, who introduces himself as the god of rapture and delight. Kevin points out that Loki's portfolio also includes mischief and evil. Loki doesn't want to get bogged down in argument, as he's going to use the mace to take over the universe.
While the mace's true potential could only be used by Eric, the energy is still tappable as a near infinite power source. He's going to strike at Thor from this secret base, and conquer Asgard, and so forth.
Mainframe reveals that the restraints don't actually hinder his powers (clue!) and if he can get a distraction, he should be able to free all the heroes. Kevin decides to be that distraction by reclaiming the mace, even though it's suspended in Loki's take over the universe spell.
We return to the battle at the beginning of the issue, where the heroes are being worn down by the sheer numbers of the rock trolls and Loki's magic. In desperation, Kevin sends a massive flare up into the sky. Loki realizes what that means, and the baddies skedaddle.
Sure enough, Thor (now Lord of Asgard) appears ready to do battle. He's delighted to see some of his old allies and especially Kevin. A feast we don't get to see later, the assembled heroes arrive back at Avengers Mansion. Mainframe is about to make a suggestion. Jubilee, Speedball and Jolt all bow out, though Jubilee will check up on J2 in his own book. J2, Stinger and Thunderstrike all agree to become the next Avengers, and the call goes out--
Cassie Lang would eventually become Stature in the main timeline, and Kevin became Thunderstrike, though with a significantly different personality.
And here's a page of the J2 preview, which is pretty self-explanatory.
Your thoughts and comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.skjam.com
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 12:44 am (UTC)The whole thing seemed really 90s, but not in a bad way.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 02:14 am (UTC)And you're not alone in finding it offputting.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 10:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 10:01 am (UTC)Plus the comic about Wolverine and Elektra's daughter was cool, but then it was one of my favorite writers behind that one.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 10:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 12:49 am (UTC)Picked up a digest collecting the first six issues of A-Next a few years ago, and I was disappointed that there wasn't a second volume released.
Maybe Tom DeFalco is not the best at writing realistic teenage dialogue, but I didn't care, still don't. They were fun stories. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 03:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 09:06 am (UTC)"Stay off the drugs, kid!"
They really are morons, all, aren't they?"
no subject
Date: 2014-09-10 01:37 pm (UTC)