A Hypothetical Marvel "Future State"

[Alkaeus]

Inspired by this ComicPop discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD_9G___rEg

For those who don't know, for January and February, the Distinguished Competition's new publishing initiative is "Future State," which will focus on a possible future of the current DC comics line populated by legacy characters like Jonathon Kent as the new Superman. I thought it would be a fun thought experiment to try to do the same for Marvel's current line. I've worked out some general stuff and what I would do with the Avengers and Spider lines, but I'd be interested to hear what other people have thought.

General developments:
- it's 5ish years in the future
- Krakoa is still around, but Xavier, Mags, Mystique, and Moira have been booted off the island. Krakoa in general is also much more integrationist with the rest of the world.
- Steve Rogers has gone to space as Earth's new cosmic diplomat. The Red Wolf character of 1872 and Occupy Avengers fame is operating as Captain America on Earth.
- Tony Stark has digitized his consciousness and copied it across an array of armors to form an “Iron Legion.”
- Thor is still All-Father and has largely retired from active super heroics; Angela instead has become the premier Asgardian super hero.

Avengers Family:
- Astonishing Avengers: A new team of Avengers meet to combat the new Masters of Evil. The more “Justice League”-ish book with a big story and starring mostly characters with their own solos. Roster: Kate Bishop (leader), Angela, Ironheart, Captain America (1872!Red Wolf), Nightcrawler, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Black Panther (Shuri); Masters of Evil: The Maker, Graviton, Mystique, Blackheart, Warbird.
- Sensational Avengers: Another team of Avengers have to track down a black market Extremis/Mutant Growth Hormone hybrid designer drug. More of a “classic Avengers” book, looking to be more character-oriented book with heroes who don’t necessarily have their own books. Roster: Cyclops (leader), Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Vision, Lightning (Miguel Dos Santos), Songbird.
- Champions: The Champions are mostly a humanitarian/rescue team, and they have to go Bagalia to help with a recent devastating earthquake while dealing with a supervillain government. Roster: Ahura Boltagon, Dylan Brock, Doyle Dormmamu, Gabby Kinney, Valeria Richards, Crescent and Io.

Spider-Family:
- Amazing Spider-Man: Peter is engaged to Mary Jane and is largely retired from Spider-Duties… until Flash Thompson is spotted alive, when he’s still been dead since Go Down Swinging. Now he and Mary Jane must track down Flash while dealing with the rise of Roderick Kingsley as New York’s new Kingpin after Wilson Fisk dies of a heart attack.
- Ultimate Spider-Man: Miles has recently graduated from ESU and has to consider either staying in New York with uncertain job prospects or pursuing a lucrative scientist position in Portland. Meanwhile, Asset Quantum has gained sentience and is going to blow up New York.

[kalai]

Well, DC's version wasn't all like One Million or Future Ends, set in a particular time,
some of them are at the end of time, some a few years later,
Marvel's version is possibly more like 2099 or MC2, or The End series.
I remember Marvel did The End series last year, at least Venom and Captain Marvel series both borrowed elements from those.

[Jabare]

ooff I'd have to pass on those books, but some of the ideas brought up in the video are interesting

[Ferro]

it be neat but honestly marvel isnt in such a catastrophic and messy state like dc, that they would need a 2 month break to just throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks.

Imo it be cute to see but yeah.

[Noek]

I do really like the concept.

[Digifiend]

Only five years in the future wouldn't be enough to have most of the current heroes retire! The Future State stories are set further in the future than that, except for Teen Titans and Shazam.

If Marvel did something similar, I think it would be around 20 years in the future, and pretty much be an update of MC2, but with newer heroes like the Young Avengers, Champions and Jean Grey school students (from New X-Men: Academy X, Wolverine and the X-Men, and similar books) added.

So for example, the Avengers would be people like Stinger, Captain Marvel (Kamala), Spider-Man (Miles), Ironheart, Hawkeye (Kate), American Dream, and Wolverine (Laura) - a mix of the Champions, Young Avengers and A-Next. The Champions brand would still exist, but would now be another new generation of teens, such as Gerry Drew (The Spider) and others from the bad future we're currently seeing in Carol's book, and maybe Shogo Lee as a new Iron Lad (Gerry and Shogo are currently babies) and Dani Cage. All of the current teens, of course, would've long since moved on. The main X-Men would be people from the aforementioned teen X-Men books.