Examples of Editorial Sabotage that happened in Marvel comics

[sabongero]

In all these times that you have been reading comic books, do you guys have any examples of Editorial Sabotage that has happened in the Marvel comics that you didn't like, or better yet, that really hit you in the gut?

[jazzflower92]

I know everyone can bring up One More Day.

[sabongero]

I know everyone can bring up One More Day.

Yeah that's such a polarizing story. It's such a divisive storyline/retcon. Amazing Spider-Man 2 has just hit the theaters, I wonder, if he was still married to Mary Jane and that One More Day didn't occur, if Gwen Stacy would even be in the leading role for two Spider-Man films. But it sure was a sad day to have to break up their marriage. If only he didn't unmask during Civil War, it was just all downhill from there. At least back then it was.

[Cowtools]

I know everyone can bring up One More Day.

What is this 'One More Day' that you speak of?
Was it contentious in some way? I hadn't heard...

[CJStriker]

I usually blame the writer for most things and the idea usually starts with them, BUT I have heard and read enough stories and articles about Editorial Mandates and Lead Editors like Tom B. making making sweeping changes even thought to get to the story the canon does not match. Also, any story that a writer makes has to get the ok by them, so they are the gatekeepers. For me it is:

Avengers Dissembles - 2004

Leading to:

House of M - 2005

[Hypestyle]

The ending of the Panther/Storm marriage. I'll leave it at that.

[Mr MajestiK]

This thread may not end well but I'd say that OMD, AvX and the current GOTG are all worthy candidates for consideration.

[dahllaz]

Claremont's storylines kept being changed and Harras giving more and more control to Lee until he finally quit the book.

House of M to get rid of the amount of mutants in the 616.

Wasn't it editorial that kept dragging out the Spider-Man clone story? Think I read that in the Untold Stories of Marvel books\.

Also think that book talked about how Marvel wanted the Image guys to come back and do stories which led to them deciding to remove many of the heroes from the 616 and launch the Heroes Reborn books.

[Bucky Barnes]

This thread may not end well but I'd say that OMD, AvX and the current GOTG are all worthy candidates for consideration.

Can you elaborate on the GoTG choice?

[THANOSRULES]

Anhilation era cosmic relaunch is the strongest example I can possibly think of.It was more like EiC level sabotage

a./ They put it against Civil War and Silent War..it had tons of tie ins as well.
b./ WHen it was mildly successful considering the above gave the book almost no public praise or the creators much public recognition ( despite approval by most critics), basically got rid of Keith Giffen and Andy Schmidt..and spammed similiar events that watered down the product and all these events almost always (competed) went against "mainline" marvel universe books. (and all these cosmic events had tons of tie ins and spin off books, it was so hard to afford)

Not to mention almost all the stuff that happened in the cosmic Annhilation era stuff was almost instantly undone by "ROck star writers"

EI Rock Stars made the subject matter irrelevant

-Annhilus was almost instantly brought back in Fantastic Four
- There was basically no mention of ultron in space and his assault on Hala
-very little actual implication of cosmic heroes in main marvel events or books
-Most of war of Kings was undone fairly quickly, Black Bolt was brought back without even an explanation of how he survived his death.
-None of the ramifications of Thanos Imperitive have ever been explained, and it was a brilliant dang story.


I'd say this qualifys as some sort of editorial (IE EIC) self destruction...i can think of no more an unfair and mind baffling treatment ever in marvel history.

[Mr MajestiK]

Can you elaborate on the GoTG choice?

The Guardians of the Galaxy issue was debated pretty hard on CBR post reboot but suffice it to say that Brian Michael Bendis's run on GOTG han't been universally popular with readers interested in solid characterization and respect for continuity.

A lot of the changes as far as characters, characterization and the whole theme of the book seem to have been editorially mandated into dovetailing with the MCU iteration of the group to such a degree that none of the characters have the same depth and nuanced representation on page as was the case when DnA were at the creative helm.

[THANOSRULES]

Can you elaborate on the GoTG choice?

In the simplest sense I'll say this

It hasnt explained 3 year old questions and the implications of Thanos Imperitive which absolutly needed an explanation ( its actually too late now) . It has not been great with continuity and needs to jive better with the active continuity going on concurrently in other books/or events. It hasnt jived well with Hickman's Infinity or Duggan's Nova. The characters have not seemed like the same ones DnA or Keith GIffen wrote.

The book has had no flow and has put forth too many tie ins and crossovers. At times it seems like a calvalcade of characters rather than an actual book trying to tell a story. I'm still waiting for Batman and/or Sandy Duncan to cameo. It hasnt developed much in the way of a story or definitive arc...a good editor can get a handle on all these things...and I'd say all these issues are the responsibility of an editor to keep in check.

[THANOSRULES]

..another I forgot was classic Exiles...the Proteous/ Morph death business killed the book.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Editorial mandating that the Hulk be reduced to a mute monster is what lead to Peter David leaving the Hulk book...
Steve Englehart left the FF in the late `80's because they wanted Reed & Sue back on the team...

I had another one, but forgot all about it.

[jazzflower92]

Sins Past who thought it was a good idea that Gwen Stacy had a one night stand with Norman Osborn which resulted in her getting pregnant with twins.