''Kickers, Inc.'' is a twelve-issue

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

series published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

from

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 en ...

1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...

as part of the

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, ...

imprint. Created by

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 (comic book), Thor'', ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...

and

Ron Frenz Ronald Wade "Ron" Frenz (born February 1, 1960) is an American comics artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well known for his 1980s work on ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', particularly introducing the hero's Venom (character), black cos ...

, the series featured a group of former professional

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

players for the fictional New York Smashers team who became a group of heroes for hire, calling themselves "Kickers Inc." They were led by Jack Magniconte, a Smashers player who gained super-human strength and endurance from a combination of exposure to radiation from 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, ...

" and an experimental muscle-enhancing device.

Publication history

and

created the series, then titled "Mr. Magnificent and his Team Supreme", for the New Universe line before the concept of the New Universe itself had been fleshed out. Frenz explained: DeFalco and Frenz modified the series according to the New Universe premise, but ''Kickers, Inc.'' still did not fit well within the New Universe's stated editorial goal of being more grounded in realism than the regular Marvel Comics Universe, its stories, characters and concepts being recognizably based on standard

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

tropes. The series also suffered from creative instability to an even greater extent than the rest of the 1986-87 New Universe lineup, with nearly every issue being produced by a different creative team. DeFalco himself lost interest early on; half of issue #3 and all of issues #4 and 5 were scripted by guest writers over DeFalco's plots, and by issue #6 neither he nor Frenz were involved with ''Kickers, Inc.'' at all. It was canceled with issue #12, along with other New Universe comics such as ''

Nightmask Nightmask is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Archie Goodwin, and first appeared in ''Nightmask'' #1 (November 1986), a series which was published under Marvel's New Uni ...

'' and ''Merc'', though Jack Magniconte continued to make occasional appearances in the remaining New Universe titles. Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz had previously teamed up on ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...

'' and would later work together on ''

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

'' as well as DeFalco's MC2 titles.

Writers

- ''Kickers, Inc.'' #1-5 (November 1986-March 1987) * Mary Jo Duffy - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #3 (January 1987) * Ron Altaville - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #4, 6-8, 12 (February 1987, April 1987-June 1987, October 1987) * Terry Kavanagh - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #4, 6-8, 12 (February 1987, April 1987-June 1987, October 1987) *

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. Career Early career Gruenwald got his start in comics f ...

- ''Kickers, Inc.'' #5 (March 1987) * Dwight Zimmerman - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #9, 11 (July 1987, September 1987) * Adam Blaustein - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #10 (August 1987) * Howard Mackie - "Choices" in ''D.P. 7'' #21 (May 1988) ack Magniconte back-up story

Art

- ''Kickers, Inc.'' #1-3 (November 1986-January 1987); "Choices" in ''D.P. 7'' #21 (May 1988) ack Magniconte back-up story* Howard Bender - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #4 (February 1987) *

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member of the ...

- ''Kickers, Inc.'' #5 (March 1987) * Rod Whigham - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #6-7, 10, 12 (April 1987-May 1987, August 1987, October 1987) * Larry Alexander - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #8, 11 (June 1987, September 1987) * Alan Kupperberg - ''Kickers, Inc.'' #9 (July 1987)

References

{{Reflist

External links

Comic Book BD page
1986 comics debuts 1987 comics endings American football comics Defunct American comics Fictional players of American football Marvel Comics titles New Universe

Publication history

Writers

Art

See also

References

External links