In recent years, Marvel’s New Universe has built a strong following that includes fans who collected it when it was originally published as well as many new ones who weren’t yet active as the comics were issued. A well-informed Facebook group, including many New Universe contributors as well as collectors, has kept up and expanded the fanbase.
FIRST PUBLICATION:
Star Brand #1 (October 1986)
LAST PUBLICATION:
The War #4 (March 1990)
REVIVAL(S):
Untold Tales of the New Universe one-shots (2006), newuniversal mini-series and one-shots (2007), Starbrand and Nightmask mini-series (2016), and multiple appearances in the Marvel Universe.
THE BEGINNING
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marvel Comics, the company launched the New Universe. While behind the scenes budgets were being axed, what readers saw was a different approach. The New Universe was designed to be separate from the existing Marvel Universe and provide a setting in which superheroes were previously nonexistent and events moved much closer to real time than in standard comics.
Along with Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter, creators Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, Mark Gruenwald, John Morelli, Tom DeFalco, and Michael Higgins played significant roles in developing the line’s original eight titles. Shooter described the universe as “Simply deciding to use a universe hitherto unused in comics. Our own. No repulsors. No unstable molecules. In fact, no fantasy or fantastic elements at all except for the very few we introduce. Carefully. Does it make sense? You bet!”
It began with the “White Event,” which took place in Star Brand #1. Created by Shooter and illustrated by John Romita, Jr. and Al Williamson, the story set in motion events that led to the creation of humans with paranormal abilities. The Star Brand is a black, star-shaped tattoo-like mark that provides infinite, god-like powers to the person branded with the mark. In this case, Ken Connell of Pittsburgh. The original wielder of the Star Brand, known as the Old Man, transferred the power to Ken Connell. Although the title was demoted to bimonthly after Shooter left Marvel, it remained the key to the New Universe and is the concept most revisited in the years since.
BUILDING OUT THE NEW UNIVERSE
D.P. 7 (Displaced Paranormals) is tied for the New Universe’s longest running title and was the most stable in terms of its creative team. It ran a total of 32 regular issues and one annual. Writer Mark Gruenwald, penciler Paul Ryan, and colorist Paul Becton were on for the entire run, with inker Danny Bulanadi on board for #10-32. The title featured seven main characters that received paranormal abilities thanks to the White Event.
Psi-Force, which also ran 32 regular issues and one annual, was one of the more popular of the New Universe titles with favorable reviews making comparisons to the X-Men. The comic focused on a group of adolescents who had developed psionic powers following the White Event. Created by Archie Goodwin and Walter Simonson, creators who worked on the book included writer Fabian Nicieza (#9, 13, 16-32), artist Ron Lim (#16-22), and writer Danny Fingeroth (#3-15). Artists Mark Texeira and Bob Hall also contributed.
The balance of the original line-up included Kickers, Inc., Mark Hazzard: Merc, Justice, Nightmask, and Spitfire and the Troubleshooters. Perhaps the title most in search of an identity, Spitfire had three different titles during a 13-issue run. The initial title ran seven issues before changing to Spitfire, followed three issues later by Codename: Spitfire for its final four.
Kickers, Inc., Mark Hazzard: Merc, Nightmask, and Codename: Spitfire were canceled at the one-year mark or immediately thereafter. The May 1988 cover-dated issues of the remaining original series, Star Brand #13, D.P. 7 #19, PSI-Force #19, and Justice #19, increased cover prices from 75¢ to $1.25 and page counts from 22 to 28 editorial pages. They also became Direct Market only offerings at that point.
Continuing events from Star Brand #12 (trying to rid himself of the Star Brand, Ken Connell unleashed power, which became known as the Black Event), a series of graphic novels – The Pitt (March 1998), and The Draft (November 1988).
THE END OF THE NEW UNIVERSE
The Draft leads up to the reinstatement of the draft in the United States. This one-shot story deals primarily with the recruitment of paranormals into the military for special missions and the perceived coming war with the Soviet Union, which the government believed to be the cause of the Black Event.
Following that, The War was a four-issue series of graphic novels designed to wrap up the New Universe. With the world on the brink of total annihilation, all weapons are rendered inert by the Star Child, the offspring of Ken Connell and Madelyne Felix. The Star Child issued a warning to all humankind – to live in peace – or else!
That mini-series – The War #1 (October 1989), #2 (November 1989), and #3 (December 1989) – brought the original incarnation of the New Universe to a close in The War #4 (March 1990).
This, of course, makes it one of the few lost universes to get a firm conclusion, but that doesn’t mean that diehard fans ever lost interest.
There have been several revivals over the years.
In 2006, 20 years after the demise of the New Universe, Marvel decided to test the waters with a series of five, new one-shots and a series of three short stories rolled into Untold Tales of the New Universe. The short stories consisted of Kickers, Inc. appearing in New Avengers #16, Mark Hazzard: Merc in Amazing Fantasy #18, and Spitfire in Amazing Fantasy #19. Five one-shot titles were also published under the title Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand, Nightmask, Justice, D.P. 7, and Psi-Force. All the tales take place before the Black Event or destruction of Pittsburgh by the Star Brand. The reintroduction of a reimagined New Universe from writer Warren Ellis came in the form of Newuniversal (beginning February 2007). The series consisted of Newuniversal #1-6 by Ellis and Salvador Larroca, two issues of Newuniversal: Shockfront, and one-shots of Newuniversal: 1959 and Newuniversal: Conquerer.
And there have been many appearances in the Marvel universe, particularly in recent times.
AFTER THE END
In a response to a question raised in the letter column of D.P. 7’s final issue (#32), it was stated, “There are absolutely no plans to have the New Universe cross over into the Marvel Universe. We feel that such a move would only compromise the integrity of both universes.”
Times change and eventually the New Universe did indeed become part of the Marvel Universe. An alternate version of Spitfire was recruited by Quentin Quire as part of Quire’s version of The Exiles, in which the team helped the surviving heroes battle the Annihilation Wave.
In 1993, Peter David introduced a version of Justice in Spider-Man 2099 as the Net Prophet, the prophet of Thor.
In Quasar #31 (February 1992), Mark Gruenwald sent Quasar to the New Universe, allowing the D.P. 7 crew to appear in that issue. The Star Brand also appeared in 2013’s Avengers Infinity and is playing a pivotal role in recent Avengers series. There is an extensive checklist of Marvel Universe appearances of the New Universe in The Overstreet Comic Book PRice Guide To Lost Universes.
– Charles S. Novinskie
Our friend Charles S. Novinskie was a longtime collector, industry figure, and an Overstreet Advisor. Among his many contributions to documenting the history of our medium were his articles in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide To Lost Universes, in which he also wrote about Topps’ Kirbyverse comics.
