Reboot the Marvel Universe
I know, I know: rebooting the Marvel universe is such a touchy subject. For the longest time now Marvel has been about it's past and it's history, embracing it and continuing to call it forward, however this has led to entering Marvel Comics for new readers being a bit of a problem. The books just aren't as [i]accessible[/i] as they should be, and certainly something can be said about them seeing better days, or at the very least having gone through waxing and waning eras of quality. So, the idea behind this thread is thus: the higher ups at Dismarvel have made the call to reboot the Marvel Universe, and the line of books entirely, and you have been called upon to be the architect of this so-called reboot... so, what do you do? How do you go about it? What does this new universe look like? What books are there?
From a plot perspective I would do something that throws all of this on it's head. A villain has put the Marvel universe on its head, and there is no way out anymore - either they succumb to the villain and the mass destruction that they have caused or that they will cause, or they start all over again. The few heroes that remain on Earth 616 have a [b]big[/b] decision on their hands, and in true heroic fashion, they still choose to attempt to stop the villain. The underdogs that they are, they are overpowered, overthrown, and for the most part fail in their job. The last hero standing flees the battle, and reaches out to some cosmic force - Order and Chaos, the One Above All, the Phoenix Force, or even the Infinity Stones - and asks for a second chance to start over. For a new beginning. For [i]mercy.[/i] And they are [i]granted[/i] it. Using this older universe as a base a new Earth 616 is forged, a fresher Earth 616. We join the stories a few years into their publication. Everyone relevant is established in some way or another. The universe is new, but recognizable. Almost like the New 52, except without the grim and dark feel that the majority of those books had.
This new universe would be a little bit more reflective of the modern world. While the new universe would obviously still be filled with the classic characters that people have come to know and love, the characters would be a bit more diversified, with classic characters filling minority roles where it makes sense. The books would be a mix of old and familiar, though set in the new universe. [b]No[/b] character would be featured in more than one team book, though some would have their own solo titles. The lineup would look a little bit like this:
[b]Marvel Comics[/b]
Telling the history of the new Marvel Universe! The Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Defenders... they're all here, and here is where you'll find out how they formed and the threats that caused them to become the heroes that they are today! Whether it's the Avengers' original battle with the trickster god Loki, the Fantastic Four's fateful flight, or the X-Men's first battle with the Brotherhood, all will be discovered her!
[b]The Avengers[/b]
The Earth's Mightiest heroes are back! Captain America, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Thor, the Wasp, the Hulk, Spectrum, and the Black Panther make up the current lineup of the Avengers, coming together with the express purpose of taking up arms against the largest threats to the Earth and making sure that their plans are thwarted.
[b]The Defenders[/b]
Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Elektra, Daredevil, Silk, and the White Tiger are the protectors of the streets of New York. As the villainous ninja organization known as the Hand makes their attempt on turning New York City into their own personal Shadowland, only these seven heroes (if they can be called that) can stop them!
[b]The Midnight Sons[/b]
When a young, burgeoning witch by the name of Jennifer Kale encounters a strange creature and begins to have visions of the end of days, she brings together those most intrinsically tied to the occult to help her prevent it! Doctor Strange, Jennifer Kale, Ghost Rider, Elsa Bloodstone, Werewolf By Night, Satana and Daimon Hellstrom make up the Midnight Sons!
[b]The Ultimates[/b]
Space. The final frontier. Or is it? A strange young woman by the name of America Chavez claims to have memories of other universes, including one that directly preceded this one. When she realizes that this new universe is missing one vital piece, she brings together Blue Marvel, Supernova, and the Silver Surfer to answer one question: what happened to Galactus, Devourer of Worlds?
[b]The Invaders[/b]
Led by the Black Widow, the Invaders are the seedy underbelly of the Avengers, sanctioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the planet! Do Black Widow, The Winter Soldier, Misty Knight, Ant-Man, Colleen Wing, the Falcon, and Songbird have what it takes to defeat Hydra or will they crack under the pressure? After all, when one head is removed, three grow in it's place...
[b]The Champions[/b]
It isn't easy being young. The Champions know this well. Relatively new to the hero scene means that they're often underappreciated and under-represented, but being overlooked is something that Ms Marvel, Spiderboy, Brawn, Viv Vision, Kid Nova, Bucky, and Ironheart are used to - and something they make work. After all, not being in the public eye makes it [i]that[/i] much easier to protect the little guy!
[b]New Avengers[/b]
It's been ten years since the old guard fell, and in their absence the younger heroes of have had to step up. The future belongs to the youth, and Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Lucy in the Sky, the Scarlet Warlock, the Hulk (Skaar), Wolverine (Laura Kinney), Victorious, Iron Woman (Riri Williams), Captain Marvel (Teddy Altman), and Captain America (Elijah Bradley) are the new Avengers - ready to protect and serve, and right the sins of their forefathers!
[b]The Fantastic Four[/b]
The First Family, and the first superheroes in this universe - and every universe! The Fantastic Four (Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Thing, and the Human Torch) are the pre-eminent science heroes in the universe. When they detect an anomaly deep in the heart of the Negative Zone, they react - and become stranded!
[b]The Future Foundation[/b]
While the F4 are away, the Future Foundation will play... so to speak! The Vision, She-Hulk, Spider-Man, and Shuri are the b-team for the Fantastic Four, taking up their protection of New York and the world proper... that is, if they can survive babysitting Franklin and Valeria.
[b]The New Fantastic Four[/b]
Ten years after the event, Valeria Richards is (one of) the smartest people in the world. When she discovers that spatial distortions have begun to tear the world apart, she recruits her own, new Fantastic Four in an attempt to stop it from worsening! Valeria, her brother Franklin, Moon Girl, and the Wizard (Bentley Wittman) must save the world from this strange, unnatural phenomenon!
[b]Uncanny X-Men[/b]
Cyclops, Jean Grey, Thunderbird, Storm, Mimic, Sunpyre, and Beast are the Uncanny X-Men! Protecting and serving a world that hates and fears them, but... is that enough? With tensions at an all time high and the introduction of the Mutant Registration Act, are the X-Men truly making a difference?
[b]X-Men[/b]
Nightcrawler, Polaris, Quicksilver, Rogue, Gambit, Psylocke, and Angel make up the second team of X-Men! When Mystique delivers Nightcrawler and Rogue the Will of Destiny, the X-Men are compelled to stop Destiny's prophecy from coming to fruition.
[b]X-Force[/b]
Tasked with protecting mutantkind from its seediest threats, X-Force was brought together by the mysterious soldier known as Cable. Now, as Mr Sinister gets closer to perfecting his ultimate mutant super soldier, it's up to Cable, Domino, Wolverine, Revanche, Shatterstar, Colossus, and Shadowcat to stop him.
[b]X-Factor[/b]
X-Factor is a government-sanctioned team of mutants that works directly with S.H.I.E.L.D. in an attempt to improve optics to the general populace. Banshee, Frenzy, Forge, Aurora, Northstar, Dazzler, and Havok have the figurative world on their shoulders... and can they really trust their handler, Cameron Hodge?
[b]New Mutants[/b]
When young mutants are cast from their home with no place to go or to turn to, the Vanisher is always there, ready and willing to give them a home! But when Iceman, Boom Boom, Cannonball, Moonstar, Sunspot, Magik, and X-23 realize that not everything is at seems with Vanisher's Fallen Angels, it becomes their job to stop him!
[b]Exiles[/b]
Marvel Girl, Bishop, Wiccan, Blink, Speed, Nocturne, and Morph! The children of dead universes, the Exiles are brought together with one specific task: to prevent the Multiverse from destroying itself! Hopping from one reality to the next, the Exiles' work is as necessary as it is unseen and unrecognized.
[b]New X-Men[/b]
Ten years following The Event, things have changed for mutantkind. Mutants are no longer a minority: now, they are slowly becoming the dominant species on planet Earth, and the X-Men are recognized as some of the world’s greatest heroes - but not everyone feels the same way, and the sudden advent of the Nimrod Sentinel proves that! It’s up to Phoenix (Quentin Quire), Avatar (Hope Summers), Genesis, Surge, Indra, Bling!, and Talon (Gabby Kinney) to stop these machines, and prove that they have earned their place in the world.
