This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more!
As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
To conclude, we take a look at Atlas, the former Power Man who set aside his villainous ways and took a deliberate but thorough path to heroism as part of the T-Bolts. While he has parted ways with the current team, adventuring on his own and recently clashing with the Avengers anew, Erik Josten remains a looming figure in Thunderbolts history.
“Another character I loved from the early issues and another costume I really wanted to draw. Really interesting design by [original THUNDERBOLTS artist Mark] Bagley; I can't think of any super hero costume quite like it. The battle that Atlas will have with a present-day T-Bolt was one of the most surprisingly entertaining ones to draw.” –Declan Shalvey
Episode #14 of the This Week in Marvel (TWiM) podcast is here and it's jam-packed with Mighty Marvel goodness! Join Ryan and Ben as they talk about all the excitement surrounding "Marvel's The Avengers," including this week's Global Fan Chat and the 10-second teaser trailer. Hear all about Ryan's trip to L.A. to meet Joss Whedon and members of the cast! We've also got you covered with the latest comics releases in print and digital, including AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #679, AVENGERS: X-SANCTION #3, VENOM #13, WINTER SOLDIER #1, X-CLUB #3 and more! Plus your questions! Who's Marvel's first super hero? Where does the term "616" come from? Find out now!
This Week in Marvel will focus on delivering all the Marvel info on news and new releases--from comics to video games to toys to TV to film and beyond! New episodes will be released every Thursday (or so) and TWiM is co-hosted by Marvel.com Editorial Director Ryan "Agent M" Penagos and Marvel.com Associate Editor Ben Morse.
We also want your feedback, as well as questions for us to answer on future episodes! Tweet your questions, comments and thoughts about TWiM to @Agent_M, @BenJMorse or @Marvel with the hashtag #ThisWeekinMarvel! And if your message is longer than 140 characters, send it through fans.marvel.com!
This Sunday, February 5, fans can download the first issue of MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS PRELUDE: FURY’S BIG WEEK for free on the Marvel Comics app and set out on the road that will lead to the Avengers film this summer.
Focusing on the activities of Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents during the events of the previous Marvel Studios films such as “Iron Man 2” or “Thor,” writers Eric Pearson and Chris Yost provide a larger look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe than ever before in FURY’S BIG WEEK.
Yost, familiar to comics fans from his work on SCARLET SPIDER, X-FORCE, BATTLE SCARS, and more, helps plot the series with Pearson, the man responsible for the scripts themselves. Though this marks Pearson’s first comic script, his work is already known to Marvel fans as he penned the “Marvel One-Shot” films starring Agent Coulson that appeared on the “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” Blu-ray editions.
In preparation for the series’ launch this Sunday, Pearson and Yost sat down EXCLUSIVELY with Marvel.com to talk about FURY’S BIG WEEK and what fans can expect from the series.
Marvel.com: How did both of you get involved in this?
Chris Yost: Eric and I worked in Marvel’s Writers Program with the Studio, and were working on the development of feature films for Marvel, like other properties that aren’t in production right now. We both worked on "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger," and when they came up with the project, they realized they had two writers in house that knew the cinematic universe better than anybody and cast us for the assignment.
Marvel.com: And the idea of focusing on S.H.I.E.L.D., was that there from the very beginning, or was it something that happened as you started talking about what this could be?
Chris Yost: You’ll find out that the S.H.I.E.L.D. is not only the throughline of the book, but in some ways, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury have been the eyes and ears on all of this stuff as it happened. Some of the fun is seeing how S.H.I.E.L.D. has dealt with this stuff. A lot of people don’t really realize what the timeline of the Marvel Universe is, like with the Hulk movie. Where does that take place in relation to “Thor,” or “Iron Man” 1 and 2? This series really kind of lays it out.
Eric Pearson: All comic book fans and readers understand S.H.I.E.L.D. and its presence in the comic book world, but we realized that your average movie fan doesn’t know the full extent of S.H.I.E.L.D. We wanted to give it some substance and define it a little in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel.com: How did you go about creating these connections between all the films and characters in this series? Were some of them ones that you had always just thought or were these things that had already been established?
Eric Pearson: Once we saw the timeline, we just tried to approach it from a very logical standpoint—who’s going to be where and what makes the most sense and what’s the most fun for the fans.
Chris Yost: Yeah, and we had a lot of ideas about it, but a part of the fun is just going through the movies and seeing all the little things you can add into the background story.
Marvel.com: In the scripts, both of you are credited with story, and then Eric is credited with the script itself, so what was the process that you two had for working on the individual issues and the overall story?
Eric Pearson: We just kind of whittled it down, and once Chris really helped me understand the comic book format of writing the script, I just kind of went until I didn’t know what to do and then ask for help.
We wanted to make sure Captain America had some presence, so we started off with him. Even his absence became his presence, because Nick Fury was really interested in finding him, and was kind of battling the bureaucracy and red tape against that.
Chris Yost: All these characters come together through S.H.I.E.L.D., so you’re going to see Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow and villains from the movies. If you’re a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re going to get some spades here.
We’re calling it Fury’s Big Week. There are seven days where S.H.I.E.L.D. had the worst week of their lives, so Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. are trying to contain all this, and that is what the prelude comic is about. You’re seeing S.H.I.E.L.D.’s history and how it all leads right into “Marvel’s The Avengers,” so we start in 1943 with Captain America and go all the way through all of the Marvel movies that you’ve seen to date, literally going right up to the doorstep of Avengers. You’re seeing how everything that is going to unfold in Avengers came to be.
Marvel.com: Going back to your script-writing, Eric, this is your first comic script. How was learning that sort of process?
Eric Pearson: It was fun. It was different at first but very easy to get the hang of, and Chris really taught me the glory of the splash page.
Chris Yost: Yeah, and it’s something comics do so well. This medium is not just throwing words, it’s art too, and we’ve been lucky to have some great artists working with us. When I first got into comics, what I loved about it was, it’s so immediate. You write it and a couple days later, you get to see it. Whereas normally, we’ve got to wait months, where they got to shoot or animate something, and you’ve just got to wait.
Eric Pearson: I didn’t even know how included I would be. I’ve been able to see the pencil layouts, the pencil details, the inks, colors, and lettering. It’s such a treat to get to see it put together like that.
Marvel.com: Chris, you might be able to speak to this more given that you’ve written so many monthly comics over the years, but did the format of this effect the way in which you plotted it out as compared to the typical monthly series?
Chris Yost: Definitely. I’ve worked on a lot of anthology books and a lot of eight or 11-pagers. You have to be mindful of the page breaks so that every chapter, theoretically, should make you want to pick up the next one. As Eric and I went through the story, we just had to find the best places to break it, and the best pacing to lead up to that.
Eric Pearson: The most difficult thing would be arranging dialogue in a way that you don’t want it to bulk up too much, with a long speech completely clouding over a nicely-drawn panel. That was probably the hardest thing. I have so many words here, I need to have a bubble break, or I need to move this line onto the next panel…but it’s fun, I like that kind of stuff.
Marvel.com: To wrap things up, what do you guys think will most surprise readers about this story once they get to read it, or what are you most excited for readers to be able to see?
Eric Pearson: Well I think that, hopefully, they’ll see the respect that the studio has for the cohesive universe. It’s a comic book tying all of the events of several different features, and you really get to see how they’re all in the same world.
Chris Yost: Individually, all the movies Marvel put out have been great movies, but it’s fun to see it all come together and realize they’re just telling one big story. I mean, that’s what I love most about the Marvel Universe that started in the comic books, that it’s all connected.
I think that the comic starts to hint at how there’s something a lot bigger happening. You’ve seen “Iron Man,” you’ve seen “The Incredible Hulk,” but there’s something going on behind the scenes that people aren’t aware of, and starting with this comic, you’re going to become very aware of it.
Eric Pearson: It tells us a little bit about the relationships between some of the Avengers, too, such as Agent Coulson and Black Widow and Fury and Hawkeye. You get to see them interact with each other, which is setting up for all the great interactions that we have once you throw Iron Man and Thor and Cap and Bruce Banner into the mix. It’s just fun to see how these people with these high stress occupations handle themselves with humor and wit.
I just hope the things we do are just seeds for the many flowers of the world that will bloom in all the different ways the story is going to go, because I feel that anything that you do, if it takes place in this world, it’s going to have to be considered later. They really respect every footstep, every move taken in this world.
Chris Yost: It’s totally true. This has got the seal of approval from Kevin Feige and Jeremy Latcham, you know, the guys behind Avengers, and all the executives here at Marvel, so this is the real deal.
Marvel.com: Anything else you guys would like to add?
Chris Yost: I would add in there just how much fun it is. This has the same kind of feel that “Iron Man” and all the Marvel movies have had. There’s a sense of excitement, and the script is actually pretty funny, I think.
Eric Pearson: Hey, thanks. And it’s just the urgency of it that’s great, since it is one, condensed week. Once we figured out the timeline, it was pretty easy to write, because what happens next was already taken care of. In fact, what happens next was already happening, and Nick Fury could barely hang up the phone on one complaint before, you know, there happens to be an extraterrestrial object falling in New Mexico, and, okay, now there’s a green guy who lives in New York. The momentum of it snowballs so fast.
Download MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS PRELUDE: FURY'S BIG WEEK #1 for FREE this Sunday, February 5, on the Marvel Comics app!
This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more!
As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
Today, it’s time to look back at MACH-1. Today, Abner Jenkins serves on the supervisory staff of the T-Bolts—though not as a member of the active team traveling through time—in his most up-to-date armor as MACH-V. When the group first formed, the one-time Beetle had not even explored the idea of redemption, which would come later on the heels of a romance with his teammate, Songbird.
“I really wanted to draw this version of his flight-suit, so I was really glad I got the opportunity to do so in this story. Took me a while to get my head around the design, but now that I have, I think I prefer drawing this version than the MACH-V version. Story idea: Abe takes place in an epic battle where he's forced to use all his MACH-suits. Write it up [Jeff] Parker!” –Declan Shalvey
Stay tuned all this week for more glimpses into Declan Shalvey’s Thunderbolts Sketchbook, and get psyched for THUNDERBOLTS #172, coming April 4!
Every week we'll pick a handful of awesome comics from the thousands available through Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited. From creator spotlights to editor's picks and more, this'll be your spot to find something new and cool.
This week, we’re spotlighting the one and only Norman Osborn, whose villainous subterfuge can currently be seen in both AVENGERS and NEW AVENGERS. Watch as he murders Spider-Man’s girlfriend, lays waste to the super hero community, and threatens the very foundation of society with his insanity. All in a day’s work for the original Green Goblin!
Peter Parker sits trapped, chained by nigh unbreakable steel alloy coils, as Norman Osborn assails the awesome arachnid’s ears with a long-winded villainous monologue, the origin of the Green Goblin made strikingly clear. But can Spidey keep Osborn talking long enough to hatch an escape plan? And if the webslinger does break his bonds, what chance does he stand against the technological might of his impish flying foe? Bear witness to the beginning and possibly the end of the no good Green Goblin!
Spider-Man holds the limp body of his dearly departed love Gwen Stacy in his arms as the maniacal Green Goblin soars overhead like some freakish carrion fowl. Osborn just killed the woman of Peter’s dreams and now he must pay. There’s nowhere he can hide, nowhere he can run or fly, Spider-Man will find him. Their final battle, a true clash of titans, needs to be seen to be believed, and only one of these men will walk out alive.
As time passes some things change but some things stay the same, and in this brave new post-Civil War world, Norman Osborn remains evil incarnate, a lunatic dressed up in a fancy suit. Yet despite being just one psychotic break away from transforming into his deranged emerald alter ego he gets handed the leashes of the worst villains the world has to offer. That’s right: Norman Osborn, the former Green Goblin, now leads the Thunderbolts. What’s this world coming to?
Something weird lurks in the flyspeck town of Dinosaur, Colorado. People keep disappearing and when a political bigwig’s daughter turns up missing, the Dark Avengers assemble. Little do they know that Owen Reese, the mad Molecule Man, one of the most powerful villains the world has ever known, hides in the shadows. What nasty tricks does he have planned, and with Osborn already gazing into this abyss of his own insanity, will Molecule Man push him over the edge?
Where do you put a man that started a war with the Norse pantheon? What sort of punishment could you mete out that would ever equal the pain and anguish caused by Norman Osborn? The man who committed treason on national television sits in his cell and waits for the cogs of government to decide his fate. The government wants to transfer him to someplace off the radar, but dark and evil things plot the Goblin’s escape. After all he’s done, can the United States really afford to let Osborn live?
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at FF #15, from the team of Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. Doctor Doom’s self-sacrifice has bought the universe a second chance! Now, it is up to the Future Foundation and special guest stars, Power Pack, to battle the mad Celestials as the standoff for the future begins! Can the Future Foundation ensure the Marvel Universe’s safety? Will Doctor Doom’s sacrifice be in vain? Find out in FF #15, hitting comic shops everywhere and the Marvel Comics app, this February! With a variant cover by seminal Power Pack artist June Brigman, no fan can miss this!
FF #15 (DEC110653) FF #15 BRIGMAN VARIANT (DEC110654) Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Penciled by NICK DRAGOTTA Variant Cover by JUNE BRIGMAN Cover by MIKE CHOI Rated T …$2.99 FOC – 2/6/12, ON SALE – 2/29/12
The upcoming Omega Effect event spreads over three Marvel titles—AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6, DAREDEVIL #11 and THE PUNISHER #10—this April and involves two writers at the top of their game: Mark Waid and Greg Rucka. In the tale, Spider-Man, Daredevil and The Punisher must scramble to stop the Marvel Universe’s leading crime organizations from securing the Omega Drive. What’s the Drive contain? Only enough information on each criminal cartel to blow the lid off of everything—and we do mean everything.
It’s a big story, one in which its three stars must find a way to work together or get out of each other’s way. We checked in with both writers to find out exactly what it’s like to coordinate the actions of Spider-Man, Daredevil, The Punisher and the biggest crime syndicates of the Marvel Universe, all in one massive event. First up: Mark Waid!
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6 inked preview art by Marco Checchetto
Marvel.com: Mark, aside from you writing the DAREDEVILissue of Omega Effect and Greg tackling THE PUNISHER, the two of you are going to be co-writing the AVENGING SPIDER-MAN kick-off issue?
Mark Waid: Exactly. We’ve basically, you know, along with editor Steve Wacker, sort of game plotted the three issues; and then the two of us, Greg and I together, sat down and outlined the thing, back and forth sort of outlining all three issues. And then when it came to the first issue of the cross-over in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN, we just thought it’d be fair and fun to split the workload where it was “you take this scene, I’ll take that scene.” We’ll throw it back and forth and we’ll work together to just bring it all together.
I can have some insight on Daredevil’s voice and certainly nobody knows Punisher the way Greg knows him. He certainly knows the character much better than I do; so you know there’s that trade off, back and forth.
Marvel.com:What does Greg do, in your opinion that no one else does as a writer? What’s the joy of working with a guy like him?
Mark Waid: There’s a real subtlety to what he does—which, in comics, a visual medium full of bomb blasts and explosions, is a very difficult thing to pull off well; because subtlety in comics generally closes out of town as they used to say. But, Greg has a way, a very economical way, of getting thoughts across with brief snippets of dialogue with a look of a character. He’s great communicating with his artists and he’s just a thinking man; he plots like nobody’s business. He asks questions about the story, trying to break it from the inside before he’s willing to put one letter down, one word down on the page. He wants to get in there and sort of try to exercise it and feel it out and, like I said, sort of break it from the inside to make sure it’s a plot, whereas I tend to be more seat of my pants, which is always a good denomination.
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6 inked preview art by Marco Checchetto
Marvel.com:Do you think, with Greg, that it comes from him being a novelist?
Mark Waid: Yeah. He and I were talking about it recently. The idea that I have the luxury of writing things in 20-page installments and kind of hoping it will all come together in the long run. But, when he writes a novel, he’s got to know how it ends; he’s got to havea pretty decent outline before he even begins. I think he brings that same disciplineto his comic works and I think it’s great.
Marvel.com: Some people tend to think of Spider-Man, Daredevil and Punisher as three faces of the same thing or maybe even “id, ego, and super ego.” Do you think of them like that?
Mark Waid: Yes, and I’ve said that before. There he is, Daredevil, and certainly as I’m writing him these days, he’s all about the hedonistic; his act first-think later, ask questions later attitude. And Punisher of course all that scheming and planning and thinking twelve steps ahead. Spider-Man is somewhere in the middle. Spider-Man is all about responsibility.
Marvel.com: On the surface, Peter, Matt and Frank don’t tend to get along. What do you think is going to be their common ground in Omega Effect?
Mark Waid: They really don’t get along, especially these days. Because Spider-Man in his own book [AMAZING SPIDER-MAN], which really is so well-written by Dan Slott, has made a very important vow that when he’s around, nobody dies. And that’s really hard to pull off with a character like Punisher around. And then Daredevil’s whole new “I’m going to smile when I do this, when I punch your lights out” attitude is sort of chafing Frank Castle the wrong way. So what brings them together is the Omega Drive. It’s that artifact that Daredevil has captured that has key information on it on all of the mega-crime families in the Marvel Universe and they’re all after it.
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6 inked preview art by Marco Checchetto
So basically, at this point of the story, by the time we get to the crossover, the crime families are tired of trying to strike some sort of a treaty between themselves and they just decide that, you know what? It’s every man for himself. We’re all going to come after it and we don’t care that it’s going to create this gang war and that’s going to tear the world in half. We just won’t care. And Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Punisher, they all want it for a different reason. Daredevil will want to hang onto it because it’s his insurance, because as long as he’s got it, they can’t do anything to him, and they can’t do anything to his friends and co-workers. Spider-Man wants it because it’s just the right thing to do. You’ve got that information you should use it. And Punisher wants it for that same reason too, which is that he wants to use it, but he wants to use it in a much more “blood in the streets” way then Spider-Man would ever be happy with.
Marvel.com: How does Frank Castle even know about the Omega Drive? How does he come into the Omega Effect story?
Mark Waid: Without giving anything away, by the time we hit that point in the story, one of the crime families has been taken down by Matt and as a final parting shot, if you will, they make sure that if they go down, the rest of the criminals in the Marvel Universe know why. So basically, it’s like, okay, yeah, you took us down, but guess what? We just blew you into The Hand, we just blew you into everybody from the Zodiac to the [Circus of Crime]; we’ve blown you into everybody. So it’s a free-for-all across the Marvel Universe, as anybody who considers themselves a villain wants this thing.
Marvel.com: Speaking of these criminal groups, in the Marvel Universe how does an organization like the Secret Empire, for example rate against, say, Hydra?
AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #6 cover by Steve McNiven
Mark Waid: Everybody has their specialty. I mean, Hydra’s specialty is strength in numbers and infiltration. A.I.M.’s big specialty is they make stuff that makes Reed Richards go “Wow, that’s pretty cool.” Black Spectre is a lot more of the shadows, as we’re going to see in the next few issues. And then the Secret Empire, they’ve got their hands on a lot of stuff that even Hydra doesn’t know about. Those are organizations that tend to work a little bit more under the radar. And then the fifth organization, Agencé Byzantine, the French organization, which is new to the book; their M.O. is going to be a big part of the next chapter of the story as well.
Marvel.com: Mark, overall, is there any aspect of Omega Effect that you’re really excited about and you’ve maybe been hoping someone will bring it up?
Mark Waid: How do I put this without giving anything away?
Marvel.com:Carefully?
Mark Waid: Yeah. It’s really exciting for me to see how the emotional heart of the story is something above and beyond all the things we’ve already spoken about. The emotional heart of the story has nothing to do with the Omega Drive. It has nothing to do with the villains; it has everything to do with Daredevil’s reaction to Frank Castle’s new accomplice/partner/what-have-you. Her name is Cole. And Daredevil’s attitude towards her is, well, I can’t save Frank Castle anymore, but maybe there’s hope for her.
Omega Effect teaser by Marco Checchetto
Marvel.com: We will definitely talk to Greg about that character, then. So, to wrap this up: the team-up in comic books used hold a higher place among fans and it was something that they looked forward to. In your opinion, what’s the status of team-ups in modern comics and with modern readers?
Mark Waid: It’s funny that you mention that. I agree. It is a little less super-special than it used to be, because I think we’ve seen so many of these characters in combination and it’s so easy to make crossovers now. There are so many heroes and villains it’s almost like they’re tripping over each other. That said, you know we have to work harder now to make sure that things like Omega Effect feel special. One of the ways we do it in this crossover is that we have the same artist, Marco Checchetto, drawing all three parts so it feels like one big story. It doesn’t feel like three separate chapters. It feels like an epic with a beginning. It feels like a big budget movie with Marco. He’s doing all three parts and they are phenomenal.
Come back next week as we speak with Greg Rucka in part two of this Omega Effect Q&A!
This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more!
Meteorite sketch by Declan Shalvey
As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
Today, we’ve got a double shot with Meteorite and Citizen V. Current T-Bolt Moonstone donned the Meteorite guise in hopes of manipulating her way into power, and while the subsequent years have never fully gotten her out of the bad girl habit, certainly she’s grown as a person somewhat. Citizen V represents the disguised Baron Zemo, mastermind of the original Thunderbolts scam and frequent thorn in the side of Captain America to this day.
“Ah, Karla. [Meteorite was] definitely the most complicated costume to draw out of all the original costumes. I studied the early issues, and found it hard to get a solid character model based on all the [original THUNDERBOLTS artist Mark] Bagley drawings so I had to draw up a model of my own to reference. I grew to really like drawing that headpiece though; kinda wish her current Moonstone costume had it.”
Citizen V sketch by Declan Shalvey
“This was the one character I wanted to draw the most. I loved the design by Mark Bagley. His face was particularly tricky to draw with that mask. I've seen some artists over-render the face to portray emotion, but I tried to make it as blank as possible; showing as little features as possible. Much more creepy. It might not be apparent, but when I designed Boomerang's T-Bolts costume last year, I had this Citizen V costume in mind. There's a little scene between both characters in this arc that was really entertaining to draw because of it. Though one look inspired the other, the two characters couldn't be more different.” –Declan Shalvey
Stay tuned all this week for more glimpses into Declan Shalvey’s Thunderbolts Sketchbook, and get psyched for THUNDERBOLTS #172, coming April 4!
While he might not be ready for it yet, it appears that Kaine’s time in the spotlight has arrived.
Under the guidance of writer Chris Yost and artist Ryan Stegman, the villain-turned anti-hero now heads the commercially and critically well received SCARLET SPIDER ongoing. With issue #2 due February 8, the duo has heard the good reviews and draw inspiration from them.
SCARLET SPIDER #2 cover by Ryan Stegman
“Everyone has been really enthusiastic about the book, and we couldn't be happier with the response,” Yost confirms. “Fans have things they’re excited about and bring up potential settings or characters we weren't necessarily thinking about, and it just helps inform us.”
The writer lays much credit for the book’s success out of the gate and potential for continued triumph at the feet of his collaborator.
“Ryan's the real deal,” Yost says. “He takes my scripts and makes them better. Do I resent it? Yes I do. But his pages are so pretty I can't stay mad. Ryan's got big ideas for the book, he's designing new characters every day, [and] it's been incredible. We're so excited for people to see everything that's coming up.”
A bit part of what will be happening in the book in the months to come places the attention squarely on the development of Kaine as a character, balancing the combat and explosions with his continued evolution.
“Kaine has never really had a life,” Yost explains, “Now for the first time, he has to figure out who he is. So on top of the action, you're going to be seeing a lot of him just figuring out what it is to be a real person. His personality will change in the sense that he's going to get one.”
However, readers should not expect that just because Kaine has a personality coming he will become a likeable guy.
“He's against [connecting with people],” Yost notes. “Kaine's met people, he's fallen in 'love,' and it's not ended well. But at the same time, he's eager to have a life. He's torn. But it's hard to stop those human connections, especially love.”
The Scarlet Spider’s hesitance, Yost stresses, does not come without good reason.
SCARLET SPIDER #3 cover by Ryan Stegman
“Kaine's supporting cast, and the entire city of Houston for that matter, are real people, living their lives,” he points out. “When Kaine rolls in to town, everything changes. Kaine will have a big impact on each and every person he encounters, and not always for the better.”
Evidence of this has already been seen in SCARLET SPIDER #1 when Kaine chooses to act a hero rather than ignore or run from the injustice he sees. And, as they must, consequences will come to The Scarlet Spider for making this connection very quickly.
“Kaine saved a young girl's life, Aracely,” Yost reminds. “Xiuhcoatl, or The Salamander, is intent on killing her. Kaine takes exception to that, and sparks will fly.”
Villains like The Salamander will be another piece of Kaine’s development by forcing The Scarlet Spider to consider his past.
“A good Kaine villain makes Kaine take a hard look at himself because he used to be a super villain,” Yost asserts. “These are villains who are killing on orders, or killing for money, killing as a way of life, or even for sport. And Kaine was that guy.”
Kaine will not be exploring these new experiences alone, as a variety of familiar faces will be swinging by—eventually.
“We've been talking about guest stars, and in time they'll doubtlessly pop up,” Yost says. “But for the first six issues or so, we really want to establish Kaine on his own in Houston. The Marvel Universe will definitely come a calling for Kaine soon enough.
“[SCARLET SPIDER] #3 and #4 introduce the Assassins Guild, an organization of contract killers that work out of New Orleans that the X-Men have had a few run-ins with. In issue #5, we've got an intimate little drama about a nuclear bomb. And in #6, we drop our first big hint about the year's big bad.”
Want more comics in the Marvel Comics App for iOS and Android? Your search is over! Check out these comics that just hit the Marvel Comics App and keep coming back every week for new additions to the growing library! That's right, we add new books every week to feed your need for super-heroic entertainment!
Here's your official list of comic books hitting the Marvel Comics app today!
Digital Comics On-Sale This Week:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #679 ASTONISHING THOR (2010) #1 ASTONISHING THOR (2010) #2 ASTONISHING THOR (2010) #3 ASTONISHING THOR (2010) #4 ASTONISHING THOR (2010) #5 AVENGERS: THE X-SANCTION (2011) #3 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #1 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #2 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #3 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #4 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #5 DEADPOOL CORPS (2010) #6 DEFENDERS (2011) #3 FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS (2011) #8 SECRET WARRIORS (2009) #17 SECRET WARRIORS (2009) #18 SECRET WARRIORS (2009) #19 THOR: THE DEVIANTS SAGA (2011) #1 THOR: THE DEVIANTS SAGA (2011) #2 THOR: THE DEVIANTS SAGA (2011) #3 THOR: THE DEVIANTS SAGA (2011) #4 THE TWELVE (2008) #1 THE TWELVE (2008) #2 THE TWELVE (2008) #3 THE TWELVE (2008) #4 THE TWELVE (2008) #5 THE TWELVE (2008) #6 THE TWELVE (2008) #7 THE TWELVE (2008) #8 THE TWELVE (2008) #9 UNCANNY X-FORCE (2010) #21 UNCANNY X-MEN (2011) #6 VENOM (2011) #13 VILLAINS FOR HIRE (2011) #3 WINTER SOLDIER (2012) #1 X-CLUB (2011) #3 X-FACTOR (2005) #231 X-MEN: LEGACY (2008) #238 X-MEN: LEGACY (2008) #239 X-MEN: LEGACY (2008) #240 X-MEN: LEGACY (2008) #241
Digital Collections On-Sale This Week: HULK VOL.4: HULK VS. X-FORCE MARVELS PROJECT SIEGE: BATTLEFIELD SPIDER-MAN: KRAVEN'S FIRST HUNT ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL.4: HELLFIRE & BRIMSTONE WOLVERINE: ORIGIN The Marvel Comics App for iPad and Android (as well as the iPhone, iPod Touch and all Android devices) is available for free from the iTunes or Andriod App Store. Individual comics are priced at just $1.99 each with new content arriving every week.
This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more!
As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
Today, we take a look at The Fixer from back when he went by the moniker Techno. Paul Norbert Ebersol bought in to Baron Zemo’s original plan as much as any, reaping the benefits of being considered a hero. Today, he has walked a shaky path to redemption, but how will he react when confronted with his indulgent past self?
“This arc of [THUNDERBOLTS] really is at its core, all about Norbert Ebersol. He has felt out of place on the current team for quite a while, resulting in the team's 'Great Escape' through time. All his frustrations are building to a head and will have huge ramifications for the team. I like how the current Fixer costume is strongly influenced by this original Techno design, yet is much more stylized. Also, it doesn't have that bandanna anymore!” –Declan Shalvey
Stay tuned all this week for more glimpses into Declan Shalvey’s Thunderbolts Sketchbook, and get psyched for THUNDERBOLTS #172, coming April 4!
In his young Marvel career, Cullen Bunn has already written Asgardian warrior women, demigods fallen from grace and even Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but he’ll face a figure like none even he has ever encountered when he assumes the reins of WOLVERINE alongside artist Paul Pelletier with issue #305 on April 25.
WOLVERINE #305 cover by Jim Cheung
“Of all the Marvel characters I’ve worked with, Wolverine’s definitely the most ‘down and dirty,’” shares Bunn. “His physical confrontations are up close, personal, and bloody. He’s more visceral. I think Wolverine’s a character most of us want to be like. His ‘code’ is pretty appealing. He stands up for what he believes in. He owns up to his mistakes and he tries to make amends. His friends can count on him when the chips are down.
“He doesn’t start trouble unless there’s no other choice. He doesn’t flinch—and he doesn’t take crap from anyone.”
Bunn will follow Jason Aaron as the writer of WOLVERINE, when the latter concludes his three-plus year tenure as the character’s primary shepherd in March with issue #304. The newcomer will take both inspiration and some existing plot points from his predecessor.
“Picking up right after Jason’s amazing run is a little intimidating,” admits Bunn. “Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. I’ve already started working on my beard, but it’s not going too well, so I’m going to have to rely on storytelling.
“As daunting as following Jason might be, it also challenges me to up my game and do my hell-bent for leather best to tell the most entertaining Wolverine stories I can. Luckily, Jason did leave a ton of great characters and storylines to work with.”
Right off the bat, Bunn will pick up a seed planted by Aaron and run with it into his own unique take on the world’s most dangerous mutant.
“In my first arc, a particularly nasty villain from Jason’s run resurfaces to plague Wolverine,” he previews. “This puts Logan in a situation that, despite all his friends and teammates, he must deal with on his own. Along the way, he runs headlong into a gang of really fiendish ne’er-do-wells, each of whom is a pretty close match for [him] in the ferocity department. Both Wolverine’s healing factor and mental wellbeing will be stretched to the absolute limits over the course of the first arc.
Wolverine vs. Crossbones by Art Adams
“For the first story, I wanted something that pretty clearly summarized who Wolverine is, where he’s been, what he’s been up to and what kind of stories I plan on telling in his world. I wanted to write something that honored and built upon the stuff Jason Aaron has been doing. At the same time, I wanted to make my mark, so to speak, and tell a story that was unique to my take on the character.”
Moving through and even past his initial foray into Logan’s life, Bunn looks forward to exploring every aspect of his complex psyche, and hopefully unearthing some undiscovered ones in the process.
“Coming into my first issue, it’s an interesting time for Wolverine,” he notes. “He’s an X-Man and an Avenger. He leads X-Force and he’s the headmaster of the Jean Grey School. He’s a dyed in the wool killer, but he’s trying his damnedest to protect a group of kids [and] teach them to be something different than what he became. He’s a walking, talking exercise in dichotomy. That duality makes Wolverine pretty interesting.
“There are so many facets of Wolverine’s background that haven’t been explored at all. The potential for stories is limitless. I have some things planned for my second arc that will start scratching the surface of some of the less-familiar aspects of [his] personality and his past.”
Greeting Bunn as he steps into his role as WOLVERINE writer will be a familiar face in artist Paul Pelletier, one of his collaborators from the soon-concluding 12-issue FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled that [Paul is] tackling WOLVERINE with me,” the writer shares. “Paul is a great visual storyteller. He handles action scenes and the ‘quieter moments’ with equal zeal. And after the stuff we put him through on THE FEARLESS, I know he won’t shy away from the crazier, more intense elements of the story—and there are gonna be a lot of those.”
FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS #7 interior page by Mark Bagley
Have we got you psyched enough that April 25 seems much too far away? Well, for a preview of Cullen’s take on Wolverine and how he handles himself in a fight, look no further than FEAR ITSELF: THE FEARLESS #7, currently on sale, featuring a frenzied face-off between Logan and the villainous Crossbones.
“I liked the idea of putting two of the meanest, toughest hombres in the Marvel Universe in a no-holds-barred rumble,” says Bunn. “That fight only lasted a few pages, but writing Wolverine was 100% as much fun as I had hoped it would be. So I’m really excited to have the opportunity to write some longer Wolverine stories.
“Obviously I didn’t have much real estate in THE FEARLESS to explore Wolverine as a character, but I think those scenes are a good example of how I see [him] in a brawl: fast, mean, feral, and brutal.”
Check out the final installment of a special four-part Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?! adventure, as The Incredible Drive, starring The Hulk and featuring the 2012 Toyota Yaris, concludes!
Our band of heroes have finally reached their destination of Cleveland, but will it live up to the hype? What perils and pleasures await within Mephisto's Rock n' Roll Hall of Flame? What's Doctor Strange's dreadful secret? And after all this, can Bruce Banner keep his cool?
Enjoy this special installment of Marvel Super Heroes: What The--?!, and for more of the 2012 Toyota Yaris visit their official web site!
Last week, we spoke with GENERATION HOPE writer James Asmus about the upcoming explosive finale to the series, and today we've got your very first look at more art by Takeshi Miyazawa from the penultimate issue, #16. Be sure to pick it up on February 15!
GENERATION HOPE #16 Writer: James Asmus Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa Price: $2.99 The Story: Zero finally shows his true colors as a battle rages on Utopia! On Sale February 15
This April, a clash over a decade in the making will rock the very history of the Marvel Universe when the Thunderbolts face none other than—the Thunderbolts!
The time-tossed current T-Bolts will touch down on the very day their predecessors formed the team in a three-part storyline by writer Jeff Parker and artist Declan Shalvey that kicks off April 4 in the pages of THUNDERBOLTS #172. The Fixer and Moonstone must confront their former teammates and past selves while the likes of Mister Hyde, Satana and Centurius find themselves face-to-face with Citizen V, Songbird, Atlas and more!
As we prepare for this titanic showdown, artist extraordinaire and longtime Thunderbolts fanatic Declan Shalvey has opened up his sketchbook so we can see his takes on the group founders and shared insight into his creative process.
First off: Songbird! While she has proven herself a hero many times over by now, this incarnation of the former Screaming Mimi still grapples with serious self-confidence issues and questions of whether or not she’s got what it takes to stand among the Marvel Universe’s a-list.
“The heart of the team. In this upcoming arc she is far more spirited and reckless than the hero she has since become. The long, long hair was a change for me, after drawing the shorter hair she's sported in the book recently, which I quite like. Really enjoying drawing the old costume, those shoulder-gauntlets are tricky though...” –Declan Shalvey
Stay tuned all this week for more glimpses into Declan Shalvey’s Thunderbolts Sketchbook, and get psyched for THUNDERBOLTS #172, coming April 4!
Welcome to FREE Mondays! Each week we focus on all of the newly digitized books you can read for FREE inside the greatest collection of Marvel comics available online: Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited! Plus, we'll let you know what's coming up next week for FREE, too! With each book, not only are you getting a free peek inside Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, but each free Digital Comic either gives you a look at a book featured in a recent collection or a comic that's in stores now.
How would you like to have two free digital comics to help get you through the school and work week? Here you go!
Find out what next week's free digital comics will be below!* AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #667 DOCTOR STRANGE: FROM THE MARVEL VAULT (2011) #1 AGE OF X: UNIVERSE (2011) #1 THOR (2007) #618 FF (2011) #2
The biggest war in super hero history begins this March when Avengers Vs. X-Men kicks off!
AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0, on sale March 28, sees the focus turn to The Scarlet Witch and Hope, as these two key players in the AvX saga prepare for events that will change their lives forever. We have your exclusive first look at the return of Wanda Maximoff as she faces off against the malevolent M.O.D.O.K. in these pages by artist Frank Cho!
Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!
Its official: everyone can’t stop talking about Miles Morales, the all-new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and USA Today’s best new character of 2011! From the creative team of Brian Michael Bendis, Sara Pichelli and Justin Ponsor, ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN was met with overwhelming critical acclaim and this February you can experience Miles Morales’ break-out story in the ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS VOL. 1 Premiere Hardcover!
“I love Miles. I just adore him. But the real gift is that every day somebody gets a hold of me to tell me how much they love him too,” explained Bendis. “The good news is we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet because Miles is about to discover so many things including some very hard lessons. Everyone can look forward to some very powerful moments that will define him as a human being…and as a super hero.”
Once you’re all caught up, jump on board the next great arc of ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN as artist Chris Samnee joins Brian Michael Bendis ans Justin Ponsor in ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #6, available now in stores and on the Marvel Comics app! Then the team introduces Miles to a world of hurt as an all-new Scorpion makes his debut in the pages of ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #7 and we have your first look at the issue!
Love the all-new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man? Join the conversation on Twitter with #MilesMorales.
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS VOL. 1 PREMIERE HC (DEC110727) Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS Pencils by SARA PICHELLI Colors by JUSTIN PONSOR Cover by KAARE ANDREWS ON SALE – 2/15/12
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #6 (NOV110515) Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS Pencils by CHRIS SAMNEE Colors by JUSTIN PONSOR Cover by KAARE ANDREWS ON SALE NOW!
ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #7 (DEC110626) Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS Pencils by CHRIS SAMNEE Colors by JUSTIN PONSOR Cover by KAARE ANDREWS FOC – 1/30/12, ON SALE – 2/22/12
Daniel Bryan may not be the largest competitor in WWE, but the heart of a super hero has carried him all the way to the World championship.
On Sunday, January 29 at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, “The American Dragon” faces a seemingly impossible task when he puts his title on the line in a steel cage match against the over seven foot tall Big Show as well as “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry (both Fightin’ Fanboys themselves). Before he heads into that Herculean challenge, we caught up with Daniel to learn about his Marvel comics roots, his connection to artist Jill Thompson, who in the Marvel Universe he could—and couldn’t—get to tap out and more.
Marvel.com: Everyone has a “breaking into comics” story. Whether it was someone they knew read comics or they picked up copies from a drug store, everyone always had first comic. Do you remember yours?
Daniel Bryan: As a kid I would grab any comics I could right from the newsstand. I couldn’t tell you which was my first, but they were definitely Marvel books. Being able to immerse myself into that world was the most fun aspect to me of comics. I had no concept of storylines or arcs other than they were full of plain ol’ super hero fun.
Marvel.com: In wrestling, you’ve got good guys, and bad guys and both have support from their fans. As a comic fan, did you root for the heroes or the villains more?
Daniel Bryan: Have to root for the heroes, man. Be it the Avengers or the X-Men, I always rooted for the heroes because as a kid, you always wanted the good guys to win.
Marvel.com: So diving into the Marvel Universe a bit here, you say you can make anybody tap out—who in the Marvel Universe would you make tap?
Daniel Bryan: Captain America most likely. You know, submissions are all about bringing someone to the point of making a bone in the body break and making them give up before it snaps. With everyone wearing armor or having special abilities, I think I’d be able to take out Captain America. I mean, it wouldn’t be easy, but if you put me in a ring with Cap, I think I’d have the best chance against him.
Marvel.com: Are there any Marvel characters you think you couldn't get to tap?
Daniel Bryan: Well, if the aim of the game was to break a bone, I wouldn’t be able to make Mister Fantastic or Wolverine tap. I mean between the rubbery-ness of Mr. Fantastic and the Adamantium laced bones of Wolverine, it would take a lot to get them to tap.
Marvel.com: Now you’ve got a connection to comics today with artist Jill Thompson. How did you meet her and how did it come about to have her design your ring gear?
Daniel Bryan: Through Twitter and my ex-girlfriend oddly enough! My ex-girlfriend had a blog called “Hot Nerds Reading Comics” and she posted a picture of me reading Beasts of Burden. Through the power of Twitter, and the fact that she was a huge wrestling fan, this caught the eye of Jill Thompson. So she reached out to me on Twitter and the rest was magic. [She is] from Chicago and friends with [WWE Champion] CM Punk, [so] it was just a great coincidence that worked out for everyone! She’s been doing my stuff ever since.
Marvel.com: You’re one of the smallest guys in WWE and yet you're the World champion. What does that mean to you?
Daniel Bryan: It’s a great feeling. You know, when you’re one of the smaller guys on the roster, you have to do more to stand out. When you’re a bit bigger, people expect you to have power and you can use that to your advantage. It’s a really awesome feeling that fans have latched on to me as an entertainer and want me to still be champion. I’ve got my own style and people really seem to like that. Plus, I’m not the only one my size who has held the title; I have to give a shout out to Rey Mysterio.
Marvel.com: What do you feel has been your best match in WWE?
Daniel Bryan: Actually, if you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I’d have a different answer for you. I actually wrestled William Regal on an episode of WWE Superstars, and it is without a doubt one of my best matches that I’ve ever wrestled. He was a huge mentor for me during my career, and to be able to have a match with him and have it go over so well was really rewarding.
Marvel.com: If you could defend your World title this year at WrestleMania against anybody, who would it be?
Daniel Bryan: It would have to be Mr. WrestleMania himself, Shawn Michaels. The guy has not had a bad WrestleMania yet and I think we’d have a really entertaining match that fans could get behind. I also spent a lot of time under his wing, training and again, like with Regal, I think we’d put on a great match.
Marvel.com: Now that you're the World champion, what's next for Daniel Bryan?
Daniel Bryan: [Laughs] Keeping the title.
Check out Daniel Bryan every week on Raw Supershow and SmackDown, and watch him defend his title on Sunday, January 29 at the Royal Rumble. For more information, visit WWE.com.
“And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand!”
Each Friday Marvel.com will present a different column focusing on the one and only Avengers. From line-ups to costumes to villains to classic stories and beyond, we’ve got you covered on the history of Marvel’s most prolific team of heroes!
So let the call go out: Avengers Assemble!
As writer of the five issue limited series AVENGERS SOLO, Jen Van Meter knows her Earth's Mightiest Heroes. SOLO puts the spotlight on Hawkeye as he tries to clear the Avengers of an increasingly complex murder rap involving the villainous Trapster, but he's not Van Meter's only fave.
Like any longtime Avengers fan, Van Meter jumped at the chance to talk about her five favorite team members, but did mention one caveat: “I can give you five, but I can't rank them, I just can't. Please don't ask me to.”
So, in no particular order, feast your eyes on a list that includes an archer, a spy and the former Sorcerer Supreme.
Hawkeye
“Clint is marvelous; he's like Steve McQueen playing some kind of cowboy Robin Hood. I love his criminal history, his nerve and his dedication to the Avengers who are in so many ways, the family he picked for himself.”
The Wasp
“I love Janet. I always thought she was so vibrant and had a nice, clever dynamic with the rest of the group. Her death really bummed me out, but that's the nice thing about being able to read older issues and collections, right?”
Captain America
“I am a big fan of earnestness and sincerity. I can enjoy gritty stories as well as the next person, but I don't think that means the characters in them all have to be mercenary or smirking pessimists; Steve Rogers is a great example of a character who can be compassionate and principled without being taken for naive, and I like seeing that held up as a good combination in a leader-figure.”
Black Widow
“I love spies, and I just think Natasha's great; super smart, daring and sly. She embodies a really nice combination of personal struggle and professional competence, and is a great voice for a more cynical, calculating perspective.”
Doctor Strange
“I know, he [is] a New Avenger, but as far as I'm concerned that totally counts. I have to put him here because he'd be in my top five of all Marvel characters, without a doubt. I love his elegance and dignified intensity, and it's delightful to watch him interact with the other heroes, who are really playing on a completely different field than the one he sees.”
Samuel Wilson is an adult male who presents as being in above average physical condition. He is currently in the employ of S.H.I.E.L.D., specifically as assigned to the Ultimates where he serves under the call sign “Falcon.” Although the client’s focus and interests lie in the area of scientific research and applications, he has extensive military training and is adept at the use of a “wing harness” that grants him the ability of personal flight.
Wilson was sent to this writer by Director Nick Fury for his yearly analysis, a requirement of all Ultimates operatives. Fury indicated that he has shown no signs of any mental disorders, including trauma related ones, and has found the client’s performance in both the field and as a valuable scientific mind to be beyond reproach. This writer has been cleared to share this information in this session note.
In the session, Wilson presented as thoughtful and cooperative, but only to a point. He admitted little interest in therapy and typically responded only to the questions asked, making no effort to elaborate unless asked and at no time introducing his own thoughts, concerns, and so on into the milieu. When asked if there was anything he would like to discuss or thought would be relevant to his mental health, he claimed that this writer had been thorough and he had nothing to add.
While individuals like this—low emotion, high responsibility—are often difficult to read entirely accurately, inspection of his file and observation of his body language, micro expressions, and statements would seem to indicate he is being forthright. This writer, in agreement with Fury, sees no signs of trauma or other mental illness.
Disposition wise, the client is not without concerns, however. As noted above, his personality type is historically difficult to read and therefore future signs of problems may be easy to miss. If Wilson does develop any difficulties in the field or in general, the problem may be extensive before anyone is able to notice.
The client also appears to have high levels of empathy. For instance, the field journal of the incidents involving the alien android labeled “Vision” indicate that Wilson reached out to the creature and offered “her” a place to stay when she lost her ability to return to space. For the population at large, empathy is an excellent quality. For a man in super powered combat situations, it could prove distracting and/or deadly.
Overall, at this time, the writer sees no reason why the client should not be allowed to continue to serves as Falcon with the Ultimates and for S.H.I.E.L.D. at large. As noted there may be some things to watch out for, but they do not provoke a high concern level in this therapist.
Samuel Wilson will receive a second evaluation from Doctors Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic on January 25 and February 29 in keeping with S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol. Their conclusions will be available on those days in file ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #6 and ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #7, respectively.
Psy D. Candidate Tim Stevens, MA is a Practicum Trainee at a community mental health facility and a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Consultant who has experience working with individuals who have survived war and war-like trauma.
SPIDER-MAN MONDAY JANUARY 30 IRON MAN: RAPTURE (2010) #3 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #668 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #669 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #670 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #667 IRON MAN TUESDAY JANUARY 31 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS VS NEW ULTIMATES (2010) #3 CAPTAIN AMERICA: MAN OUT OF TIME (2010) #3 CAPTAIN AMERICA: MAN OUT OF TIME (2010) #4 CAPTAIN AMERICA: MAN OUT OF TIME (2010) #5 DOCTOR STRANGE: FROM THE MARVEL VAULT (2011) #1 X-MEN WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1 WOLVERINE (2010) #9 WOLVERINE (2010) #10 WOLVERINE: THE BEST THERE IS (2010) #6 X-MEN (2010) #13 AGE OF X: UNIVERSE (2011) #1
THOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2 THOR (2007) #619 EMMA (2011) #1 THUNDERBOLTS (2006) #163.1 ONSLAUGHT UNLEASHED (2010) #2 THOR (2007) #618 FANTASTIC FOUR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3 SILVER SURFER (2011) #3 SILVER SURFER (2011) #4 HEROES FOR HIRE (2010) #4 OZ PRIMER (2011) FF (2011) #2 * Schedule subject to change
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