Marvel Legacy is a 2017–18 relaunch of a line of

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

s 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 ...

. It is concurrent with

All-New, All-Different Marvel All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline " Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched w ...

and Marvel NOW! 2.0.What Fresh (Start) Hell? A Brief History of Marvel Reboots – Book Riot
/ref>

Publication history

On April 22, 2017,

announced Marvel Legacy at the

Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) is a Chicago fan convention dedicated to comics, pop culture, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The inaugural event was held April 16–18, 2010 at the McCo ...

. The goal of the Legacy initiative was to bring a greater focus to Marvel's core superheroes, unlike recent relaunches such as

Marvel NOW! Marvel Now! (stylized as Marvel NOW!) is a comic book branding for the relaunch of several ongoing comic books published by Marvel Comics, that debuted in October 2012 with new #1 issues. The relaunch also included some new titles, including ''Un ...

, which gave prominence to newer and younger heroes.

Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Enterprises) is an American show business, entertainment company (law), company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, New York (state), New York, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment ...

chief creative officer A chief creative officer (CCO) is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. Depending on the type of company, this position may be responsible for the overall look and feel of marketing, media, and branding associated with ...

Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...

stated that company was embracing their roots with the creation of this new comic book line. Marvel Comics'

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

Axel Alonso Axel Alonso () is an American comic book creator and former journalist, best known as the former editor in chief at Marvel Comics, a role which he held from January 2011 until November 2017.Marston, George (November 17, 2017)"AXEL ALONSO Out, CB C ...

noted that the relaunch was about reminding readers of the company's rich history by highlighting the connections between characters and reintroducing some iconic characters. The relaunch began in September 2017 following the conclusion of the '' Secret Empire'' and '' Generations'' storylines with the release of a 50-page one-shot titled ''Marvel Legacy #1''. Writer

Jason Aaron Jason Aaron (born January 28, 1973) is an American comic book writer, known for his creator-owned series '' Scalped'' and '' Southern Bastards'', as well as his work on Marvel series ''Ghost Rider'', ''Wolverine'', ''PunisherMAX'', ''Thor'', and ' ...

and artist

Esad Ribić Esad T. Ribić (born 10 November 1972) is a Croatian comic book artist and animator, known for his work on various titles for Marvel Comics, including '' Loki'', '' Silver Surfer: Requiem'', '' Sub-Mariner: The Depths'' and the 2015 ''Secret Wars ...

collaborated on the opening issue and laid the narrative groundwork for the line. The issue introduces the first super hero team of

Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

that were active in the year 1,000,000 BC. The story spans the history of the Marvel Universe and explores the connection between the prehistoric Avengers and their present-day counterparts. Quesada teased the cover artwork for the opening issue, hinting at the possible return of Bruce Banner as

Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...

and Tony Stark as

Iron Man 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 charact ...

Thor Odinson Thor Odinson is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the Thor, Norse mythological god of the same name, the Asgard (comics), Asgardian List of thunder god ...

reclaiming Mjolnir, and the appearance of other superheroes in their classic costumes. The series also sees the return of the original Wolverine after his initial death, with three Marvel Legacy titles: ''

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...

'', ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...

'' and ''

The Mighty Thor Thor Odinson is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is based on the Norse mythological god of the same name, the Asgardian god of thunder whose enchanted hammer Mjolnir enables him ...

'', each with a

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

-style post credits scenes; he also shows up alongside Captain Marvel and

Star-Lord Star-Lord (Peter Jason Quill) is a fictional character and superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by Steve Englehart and Steve Gan, first appeared in ''Marvel Preview'' #4 (January 1976) ...

as one of the holders of the

Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems (Mind, Pow ...

in a crossover event. In addition, the original

Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has been known under the aliases Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack K ...

returns in her own limited series titled ''Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey'' in December followed by ''X-Men Red'', which sees Jean Grey establish her own team of X-Men that consists of the new Wolverine, Nightcrawler,

Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc ...

, Gabby (the new Wolverine's clone), Trinary (a new character), and Gentle (a mutant from

Wakanda Wakanda () is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Wakanda has been depicted as being in East Africa. It is located in sub-Saharan Africa, and is home to the superhero Black Panther (comics), Black Pa ...

), and later by the Cajun mutant

Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe sim ...

. ''Marvel Legacy #1'' also brings

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

and

Valeria Richards Valeria Meghan Richards, originally von Doom, is a fictional character of Marvel Comics, the daughter of Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) and the Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards) and goddaughter of Doctor Victor von Doom. She is the young ...

back to the Marvel Universe. '' Marvel Two-in-One'' (a series featuring the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...

teaming up with other superheroes) was revived with Thing's best friend

Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan "Johnny" Storm) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and artist Jack Kirby's reinvention of ...

being the guest in the storyline "Fate of the Four", which focuses on both heroes trying to solve the mystery of

Reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * ...

and Sue's disappearances, hinting at a possible

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...

reunion. Following the release of ''Marvel Legacy #1'', many Marvel comic series reverted to their classic cumulative numbering system. For their relaunching series, Marvel created a new and consistent cover design that aimed to recapture their work from the 1980s and 1990s. Marvel released limited quantities of lenticular covers for their Marvel Legacy titles that pay homage to older covers. They also reintroduced elements such as the Marvel Value Stamp—a collectable clip-and-save program—and the self-published

fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...

FOOM ''FOOM'' was Marvel Comics' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s, following the canceled ''Marvelmania'' and preceding ''Marvel Age''. Running 22 quarterly issues (February 1973 – Fall 1978), it was initially designed and edited by comic ...

''. Marvel included three-page primer stories in select Legacy titles to provide background information on their characters for new readers. Written by Robbie Thompson and illustrated by

Mark Bagley Mark Bagley (; born August 7, 1957) is an American comics artist. He has worked for Marvel Comics on such titles as ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', '' Thunderbolts'', ''New Warriors'', ''Venom'' and ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' and for DC Comics on ''Justic ...

, the primer stories covered classic moments from Marvel's comics. The Legacy initiative was succeeded by Fresh Start, a line-wide relaunch by Marvel Comics in mid 2018.

Ongoing series

In June and July 2017, Marvel revealed the 54 series that make up the Marvel Legacy initiative.

Legacy one-shots

In addition to their ongoing series, Marvel planned reviving six cancelled comic book series along with their classic numbering as special one-shots that will be available in November and December 2017. However, ''Dazzler'' #43 which was planned, was not released with the other one-shots and was to be released in June 2018 as ''Dazzler: X Song''.

Limited series and one-shots

Reception

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Marvel Legacy #1 was the biggest selling comic book title of 2017.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web , url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/marvels-legacy-break-internet-axel-alonso/story?id=46936769 , title=Marvel's 'Legacy' will 'break the internet,' says Axel Alonso , work=

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

, first=Michael , last=Rothman , date=April 22, 2017 , access-date=April 30, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-2018-refresh-reboot/ , title=Marvel Comics Announces a Line-Wide Overhaul in 2018 , work=

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 ...

, first=Stephen , last=Gerding , date=February 20, 2018 , access-date=May 10, 2018 {{cite web , url=http://www.cbr.com/marvel-legacy-lenticular-variant-covers/ , title=Marvel to Release Lenticular Marvel Legacy Variant Covers , work=

, first=Jon , last=Arvedon , date=July 11, 2017 , access-date=July 16, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.cbr.com/marvel-legacy-mark-bagley-primer-pages/ , title=Marvel Legacy Shares 11 Pages of Mark Bagley 'Primer' Art , work=

, first=Kevin , last=Melrose , date=July 7, 2017 , access-date=July 8, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.cbr.com/sdcc-thanos-series-in-the-works-from-donny-cates-geoff-shaw/ , title=SDCC: Thanos Series in the Works from Donny Cates & Geoff Shaw , work=

, first=Anthony , last=Couto , date=July 20, 2017 , access-date=July 21, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/04/22/marvels-legacy-relaunch-brings-the-avengers-back-to-basics , title=Marvel's Legacy Relaunch Brings the Avengers Back to Basics , work=

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

, first=Jesse , last=Schedeen , date=April 22, 2017 , access-date=April 30, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/06/30/marvel-legacy-renumbering-first-big-storylines-revealed , title=Marvel Legacy Renumbering, First Big Storylines Revealed , work=

, first=Jesse , last=Schedeen , date=June 30, 2017 , access-date=July 1, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2017/07/22/comic-con-2017-spider-man-and-deadpool-will-feud-in-marvel-legacy , title=Comic-Con 2017: Spider-Man and Deadpool Will Feud in Marvel Legacy , work=

, first=Blair , last=Marnell , date=July 21, 2017 , access-date=July 22, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://nerdist.com/marvel-legacy-classic-heroes-original-numbering-fantastic-four-ironheart-america-chavez/ , title=Marvel Legacy Brings Back Classic Heroes, Original Numbering , work=

Nerdist Nerdist Industries, LLC is part of the digital division of Legendary Entertainment. Nerdist Industries was founded as a sole podcast (The Nerdist Podcast) created by Chris Hardwick but later spread to include a network of podcasts, a premium conte ...

, first=Eric , last=Diaz , date=April 22, 2017 , access-date=April 30, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35536-waid-samnee-take-over-captain-america-with-695.html , title=Updated W/ Art: Waid & Samnee Take Over Captain American With #695 , work=

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 N ...

, first=Chris , last=Arrant , date=July 21, 2017 , access-date=July 22, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35429-new-doctor-strange-creative-team-and-new-exclusive-creator.html , title=Marvel Legacy's New Doctor Strange Creative Team For #381 - And New Exclusive Creator Solicitations , work=

, first=Chris , last=Arrant , date=July 18, 2017 , access-date=July 20, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35583-iron-spider-and-sinister-six-return-for-legacy-s-spider-man-234.html , title=Iron Spider and Sinister Six Return For Legacy's Spider-Man #234 , work=

, first=Chris , last=Arrant , date=July 22, 2017 , access-date=July 24, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35633-marvel-revises-more-classic-numbering-in-six-marvel-legacy-specials.html , title=Marvel Revives More Classic Numbering in Six Marvel Legacy Specials , work=

, date=July 24, 2017 , access-date=July 24, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35192-marvel-legacy-solicitations.html , title=All of the October 2017 Marvel Legacy Solicitations , work=

, date=July 17, 2017 , access-date=July 21, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://www.newsarama.com/35929-marvel-november-2017-legacy-solicits-preview.html , title=14 Titles (& Counting) From MARVEL November 2017 LEGACY Solicits , work=

, date=August 14, 2017 , access-date=July 21, 2017 {{cite web , url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/marvel-comics-going-retro-legacy-relaunch-995700 , title=Marvel Comics Going Retro for 'Legacy' Relaunch , work=

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

, first=Graeme , last=McMillan , date=April 22, 2017 , access-date=April 30, 2017 {{cite web , url=https://news.marvel.com/comics/72971/not-brand-echh-brand-conscious/ , title=NOT BRAND ECHH: BRAND CONSCIOUS , work=

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

, first=Jim , last=Beard , date=August 25, 2017 , access-date=September 10, 2017 2017 in comics Marvel Comics storylines Superhero comics Comic book reboots