''newuniversal'' is a
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series by writer
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
, artist
Salvador Larroca
Salvador Larroca () is a Spanish comic book artist, primarily known for his American work on various ''X-Men'' titles for Marvel Comics.
Career
After several years of working as a cartographer, he began working as a comic artist at Marvel UK, th ...
and colorist Jason Keith. The book series was published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The series is a
re-imagining of Marvel's
New Universe
The New Universe is an imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, ...
concepts, launched to coincide with the 20th
anniversary of the New Universe's creation in
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
**Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal enter ...
.
As with the original New Universe, ''newuniversal'' is set in a world where a number of people suddenly develop superhuman abilities. However, where the New Universe began with the 'real' world as its starting point, the world of ''newuniversal'' is already markedly different.
Publication history
''Newuniversal'' imagines concepts and characters that were introduced as part of Marvel's
New Universe
The New Universe is an imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, ...
series during the
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
. The New Universe was a set of eight linked titles launched in 1986 to celebrate Marvel's 25th anniversary, and championed by Marvel's editor-in-chief
Jim Shooter
James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor and publisher for various comic books. He started professionally in the medium at the age of 14, and he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comic ...
. The New Universe comics were not a long-term success, with four titles canceled after a year, and the entire line canceled by the end of
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
.
The original New Universe initially had no links to the
Marvel Universe shared setting and did not present traditional superheroes. Instead, it offered "the world outside your window", a world that was identical to the real world in every respect until it was suddenly changed by the mysterious
White Event
The New Universe is an imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, ...
, an incident which gifted some humans with inexplicable powers.
Ellis has stated that he doesn't "think the original creators and editors realized until it was too late—it was all a single story. It shouldn't have been eight books (or whatever) that were eventually consolidated into ensemble miniseries. It was a single story that should have spun new series and serials off of it".
Ellis has taken this approach to ''newuniversal'', with his first storyline intentionally revolving around the four lead books of the original New Universe - ''
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
'', ''
Nightmask
Nightmask is a name and identity used by several fictional characters who appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first character to bear the name, Keith Remsen, was created by writer Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in ''Nightma ...
'', ''
Star Brand
The Star Brand is the name of a number of similar objects of power in the world of the Marvel Comics. The name "Star Brand" is also often adopted by the wielders of these objects. Three of these Star Brands have been prominently featured in seri ...
'' and ''
Spitfire and the Troubleshooters''.
Among the many changes that ''newuniversal'' presents is that the four main characters all possess extra-dimensional glyphs that grant them their powers. Also, the character Spitfire (Professor Jenny Swensen, later known as Chrome), becomes
Cipher (Dr. Jennifer Swann).
Artist Salvador Larroca has stated that he "wasn't a big fan" of the original New Universe, while Ellis has mentioned that he "paid little or no attention" to the New Universe books when they were first published.
In December 2006, Marvel announced that ''newuniversal'' #1 had sold out through
Diamond Comic Distributors and that a second printing would be released, with a new variant cover by artist
Esad Ribic. Marvel later reported that ''newuniversal'' #2 had sold out and would also be reissued as a second printing—again, with a variant cover by Esad Ribic.
After issue #6, ''newuniversal'' went on
hiatus
Hiatus may refer to:
*Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure
* Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy
*''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes''
* Gl ...
and Salvador Larroca left the project.
In 2008, the story was continued with a
mini-series written by Ellis, ''newuniversal: shockfront'', which was illustrated by Steve Kurth (penciller) and Andrew Hennessy (inker). The ''shockfront'' series was accompanied by two
one-shot stories exploring the past of the ''newuniversal'' universe: ''newuniversal: conqueror''
and ''newuniversal: 1959''.
From the first issue of ''newuniversal: shockfront'' onwards, all ''newuniversal'' comics included a statement acknowledging that the series is based on original concepts by Jim Shooter,
Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown,
John Morelli,
Mark Gruenwald
Mark Eugene Gruenwald (; June 18, 1953 – August 12, 1996) was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler known for his long association with Marvel Comics.
Biography
Early career
Gruenwald got his start in comics fa ...
and
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco (born June 26, 1950) is an American comic book writer and editor well known for his association with Marvel Comics, with long runs on ''Amazing Spider-Man'', ''Thor'', and ''Fantastic Four''.
Career
While in college, DeFalco "wrote fo ...
, creators who worked on the original New Universe comics.
In 2009, Warren Ellis lost his story files in a computer accident; he subsequently announced that the project is "basically dead".
Setting
Writer Warren Ellis describes the setting of ''newuniversal'' as "an alternate world where America is somewhat isolationist, Soviet Russia fell apart early and China took the lead in spaceflight";
''newuniversal'' #1 mentions Chinese moonbases, as well as hundreds of flights by Chinese spaceplanes. There are also other, smaller changes to the world's history; for example,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
is dead and
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
is still alive. Chinese
manhua
() are Chinese-language comics produced in China and Taiwan. Whilst Chinese comics and narrated illustrations have existed in China in some shape or form throughout its imperial history, the term first appeared in 1904 in a comic titled ''Cu ...
comics have all the market penetration that
manga does in the real world. The
September 11, 2001 attacks never happened and the
World Trade Center
World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association.
World Trade Center may refer to:
Buildings
* List of World Trade Centers
* World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
towers are still standing in 2006, as seen in ''newuniversal'' #1.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
is
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
.
In ''Newuniversal: Shockfront #2'', Charlotte Yolanda Beck shows how history changed after
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
won the
1960 election.
Aspects of the wider universe also play a direct role in the setting. The sudden changes to the world are triggered by the Earth's contact with the "newuniversal structure", an artificial web of
strange matter
Strange matter (or strange quark matter) is quark matter containing strange quarks. In nature, strange matter is hypothesized to occur in the core of neutron stars, or, more speculatively, as isolated droplets that may vary in size from femtome ...
. Each strand of the web is several light years across. The structure, assembled by a long-gone race, is mechanical in nature and deliberately alters several sentient beings on each world entering its strands, modifying them to perform specific roles.
Ellis has confirmed that the alternate universe of ''newuniversal'' is also part of the larger
Marvel Multiverse, designated as Earth-555.
This is briefly touched upon in ''newuniversal'' #2, with a passing reference to the "Superflow for Universe 555".
The first few issues of ''newuniversal'' state specific dates and times for their events, something which is in keeping with the original New Universe concept—and quite different from the established Marvel Universe, where characters do not age in 'real time' and their histories are sometimes
updated.
Characters
The main characters of ''newuniversal'' are based on the main characters from the original New Universe imprint, although Ellis felt that the New Universe "featured an awful lot of people with similar names, which I found odd -- Swensen, Remsen, Tensen"
and some of the ''newuniversal'' characters have been renamed to avoid this.
Some of the ''newuniversal'' characters are alternate versions of existing Marvel Universe characters, such as
Tony Stark
Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charac ...
, who apparently was among the first to receive hyperscientific powers and built an armored suit to escape Vietnam.
Mostly, these are characters who appear as main or supporting characters in other Marvel titles, but fulfill relatively minor roles in the ''newuniversal'' plot.
White Event Glyph Quartet
Four powerful extra-dimensional glyphs (which manifest as tattoos) confer superhuman powers on different sentient beings (who often take on the names of these glyphs). Originally the Starbrand was the only extra-dimensional glyph, but Warren Ellis' re-imagining broadened the concept to allow others to exist: Justice, Cipher, and Nightmask. The purpose of glyphs is to aid in the transition of any given world through the inevitable paradigm shift caused when it comes into contact with the "newuniversal structure", which is a web of strange matter wherein normal physical laws operate differently. Whenever a world enters the web it can become unstable, taking thousands of years before it finishes traveling along one of its many strands, thus contact implies the danger that any given world could be destroyed if its transition period is not guided.
* Nightmask Glyph:
Izanami Randall is a sarcastic Japanese-American woman living in San Francisco. After the White Event, Randall obtains the Nightmask glyph and is contacted by an alien communications station within the superflow, and believed her encounter with it, being the first, to be a dream or drug-induced hallucination.
This station explains the nature of the White Event and informs her of the Nightmask's role in the changes that will follow for her world.
Her ability to enter and leave the superflow at will lets her travel vast distances, and it is hinted that the superflow's role in human
dream
A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
ing and
creativity
Creativity is a phenomenon whereby something new and valuable is formed. The created item may be intangible (such as an idea, a scientific theory, a musical composition, or a joke) or a physical object (such as an invention, a printed Literature ...
allow her power over that domain - periods of scientific and creative growth or stagnation are described as the results of "weather changes" in the universal system.
*Cipher Glyph:
Dr. Jennifer Swann is a scientist employed by
Project Spitfire, working on a powered exoskeleton battle suit that's intended to enable its wearer to combat superhumans. Prior to the White Event, the work is encountering difficulties and the suit is only partially functional. Swann herself is transformed into a superhuman by the White Event, and now possesses the ability to interface with some types of technology remotely
- something which she conceals from her employers. Once Project Spitfire becomes aware of the Starbrand, Dr. Swann is briefed and informed that superhumans have resurfaced, the H.E.X suit must be built and working, and the new superhumans must be hunted down and killed.
Her newfound superhuman abilities let her immediately fix the numerous problems with her H.E.X suit, enabling the creation of a machine designed to hunt superhumans like herself.
* Justice Glyph:
John Tensen is a
NYPD
The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
detective, a man with no family, who is described as "living for the police". The night before the White Event, Tensen is left hospitalized and comatose after a gunshot wound to the head. When the White Event occurs, he suddenly wakes, healed and marked with the lightning-bolt 'Justice' glyph. Tensen immediately realises that he possesses superhuman powers, including the ability to sense a person's guilt and "see" their sins superimposed over his vision. His first act is to execute the nurse who was about to euthanise him.
He then tracks down and kills the gang members who shot him,
before embarking on a crusade as a vigilante, going so far as to slaughter a crowd of outwardly innocent people after determining that their sins outweigh their lives, and showing no apparent remorse over this act.
He has demonstrated marked delusions, stating repeatedly that he believes he is in hell and that the people he kills are merely disguised demons.
* Starbrand Glyph:
Kenneth Connell wakes after the White Event to find that his right palm now bears the Starbrand glyph, and that his girlfriend, Maddie, who was with him at the time of the White Event, has been killed as a side-effect of his transformation.
Connell is arrested and Maddie's father, the town sheriff, then attempts to execute him, believing that he is responsible for Maddie's death. Connell's abilities activate and he kills the sheriff in self-defense. After escaping, razing the jail in the process, a shocked and half-awake Connell flies to a mountain. He then encounters two Starbrands from alternate universes and a future version of himself.
The three explain Connell's new role and Maddie's accidental death, then reveal that he can choose to leave his universe behind or can make a stand against the forces who intend to kill him, and those like him, in order to maintain the status quo.
Other characters
*
Philip L. Voight is the presiding officer of Project Spitfire, part of a government project tasked with monitoring and killing superhumans. He was originally a field operative and later the Director of the project. Before the
White Event
The New Universe is an imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, ...
the government had only encountered three superhumans, created by the "Fireworks" in the 50s. In 1959, Voight was responsible for the deaths of these three, and also killed a baby, the child of two superhumans, in case he had inherited his parents' abilities.
He believes that superhumans are inherently a different species, so different from normal humans that there is no hope of a dialogue, and that by their very nature, they will kill humanity and thus must be sterilized to the last.
* Dr Leonard Carson, Dr Hannah Ballad and Jim Braddock are archaeologists, first seen investigating unexplained ancient ruins in
Latvia. Later working at an archaeological dig discuss the white event and a landslide, which occurred at the same time, revealing a huge complex tomb.
Inside, they find the skeletal remains of the legendary warrior,
Starr the Slayer, and numerous artifacts from the technologically advanced Shining City, including a primitive electric
arc light.
*
Dr. Emmett Proudhawk is a Native American CIA consultant who, while on a
vision quest
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. It is usually only undertaken by young males entering adulthood.
Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English ...
, is contacted by the Superflow, just as Izanami Randall was.
*
Jack Magniconte is a quarterback for the New York Smashers Football team who strikes and kills an opposing player with a single blow during a charity exhibition game.
This display of superhuman strength brings him to the attention of
Project Spitfire and Philip L. Voight attempts to kill him by detonating a bomb left in a suitcase. It is not known if Magniconte survived the explosion, or if any civilians were harmed in the detonation.
[''Newuniversal: Shockfront'' #2]
Creators
*
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...
(writer, ''newuniversal'' #1–6, ''newuniversal: shockfront'' #1–2)
*
Salvador Larroca
Salvador Larroca () is a Spanish comic book artist, primarily known for his American work on various ''X-Men'' titles for Marvel Comics.
Career
After several years of working as a cartographer, he began working as a comic artist at Marvel UK, th ...
(artist, ''newuniversal'' #1–6)
* Steve Kurth (penciller, ''newuniversal: shockfront'' #1–2)
* Andrew Hennessy (inker, ''newuniversal: shockfront'' #1–2)
*
Kieron Gillen
Kieron Michael Gillen (; born 30 September 1975) is a British comic book writer and former video game and music journalist. In comics, Gillen is known for ''Phonogram'' and ''The Wicked + The Divine'', both co-created with artist Jamie McKelvie ...
(writer, ''newuniversal: 1959'' #1)
* Greg Scott (artist, ''newuniversal: 1959'' #1)
*
Kody Chamberlain (artist, ''newuniversal: 1959'' #1)
*
Simon Spurrier
Simon "Si" Spurrier (born 2 May 1981) is a British comics writer and novelist, who has previously worked as a cook, a bookseller, and an art director for the BBC.
Getting his start in comics with the British small press, he went on to write ...
(writer, ''newuniversal: conqueror'' #1)
* Eric Nguyen (artist, ''newuniversal: conqueror'' #1)
Collected editions
The initial ''newuniversal'' series has been collected into individual
volumes
Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The defi ...
:
* ''newuniversal: Everything Went White'' (collects ''newuniversal'' #1–6, premiere hardcover, August 15, 2007, , softcover April 9, 2008, )
References
External links
*
*
Marvel.com: newuniversal Trailernewuniversal #3 Preview Pages Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
...
Warren Ellis: newuniversal Update 3 Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
Warren Ellis: newuniversal Update 2 Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
...
Warren Ellis: newuniversal Update 1 Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
{{Marvel Multiverse
Marvel Comics dimensions
New Universe
Unfinished comics