So, there’s no way to cushion this blow – Marvel’s decided to destroy all of its comic universes in May. Here’s what we know so far – the Secret Wars will kick it all off and the Avengers will fail to save the universe (multiverse technically) from some as of yet unexplained threat. Then, Marvel plans on mashing together all of their universes, heroes and villains alike, in an all new Secret Wars. From there, a reboot will start moving forward.
This isn’t exactly news for people who keep up with the comic world. The feelings surrounding this decision so far are generally negative, but allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment. This reboot doesn’t sound like a “start from scratch” kind of thing and it could finally fix what I thought to be a downward spiral ever since Civil War.
One Marvel teaser last year showed Peter Parker and Mary Jane together again with a baby. People who hated the lack of a Spider-marriage should be overjoyed. We might even get alternate universe characters in primary continuity. I, for one, would love to see Age of Apocalypse Blink in my X-Men comics. This new universe can finally stop the slow gradual slide into being congruent with the the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Alright, now that I’m done playing devil’s advocate, I’m going to let my fears fly for a second. I’m terrified of what’ll happen to certain characters. Not because someone might die thanks to story, but thanks to being owned by other studios. My local comic shop’s abuzz with worry that mutants will be no more. Maybe they’ll all be Inhumans. The Fantastic Four might not even be a part of the new universe. The crappy thing to do would be to say “the heroes just failed and lost.” That seems like a really bad way to reboot, if you ask me. The good guys are supposed to win, right? Marvel might very well tell readers that editorial mandates and movie rights have no bearing on what stories are told. I don’t believe it for a second.
When DC did this, I wasn’t an avid reader of their comics. Their reboot didn’t upset me at all, this time it struck close to home. I wound up reading more titles. Maybe that’ll happen for Marvel. I honestly think I’ll personally read less. I knew this was coming ever since DC did it. Nothing however, can prepare you for all the continuity you know and love being put in danger and nothing can prepare you for losing a favorite character as you know them. I’ll wait for the new reboot with bated breath, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.