Marvel Comics 2

Marvel Comics 2
For the physics equation E = mc², see MC2 France.

MC2 (Marvel Comics 2) is an Marvel Comics whose comic books depict an alternative future timeline for the Marvel Universe. The imprint was created out of the events of Spider-Girl, Spider-Man's daughter from an alternative future.

Contents

Publication history

The MC2 Universe was conceived by writer/editor Ultimate Marvel imprint.

Three MC2 titles were launched in October 1998 as twelve issue maxiseries:[1]

  • A-Next, featuring a new team of Avengers who come together after the original Avengers disbanded.
  • J2, starring the Juggernaut's son, a heroic teenager.

A-Next and J2 ended after twelve issues and were replaced by:

Spider-Girl meanwhile continued publication. However, with the collapse of a deal to sell the comics in Target both Fantastic Five and Wild Thing were cancelled after five issues, leaving Spider-Girl as the only title in the MC2 Universe still published.[1][2] A few spin-off limited series were launched during the time Spider-Girl was published, such as [1], to help drum up support for the book and prevent it from being canceled. In an effort to boost sales on the title, Marvel reprinted Spider-Girl in small "Digest-sized" Last Hero Standing was printed, with the aim to reprint it in trade paperback form as soon as possible and reprint other titles in the MC2 line as trade paperbacks as well.[citation needed] In 2006, Marvel released another limited series set in the MC2 Universe titled Last Planet Standing. The series was intended to wrap up all the loose ends in the MC2 Universe and destroy it at the series' conclusion. As a result, Spider-Girl was slated to be cancelled at issue 100, where the character would die.[3] Due to backlash from DeFalco and fans, Marvel quashed the move and announced the relaunching of Spider-Girl under the title of Amazing Spider-Girl.[4]

A prequel strip, "Mr. and Mrs. Spider-Man" launched in the pages of Spider-Man Family. DeFalco confirmed on the official Spider-Girl boards that this strip would serve as the definitive continuity of the MC2 Spider-Man timeline.

American Dream has appeared in both her own 2008 limited series and the 2011 five-issue limited series Captain America Corps, marking the first time an MC2 character has met or teamed up with characters from the mainstream Marvel universe.

MC2's version of Thunderbolts

While the majority of the Thunderbolts have yet to appear in the MC2 Universe, Jolt appeared as an Avenger before the current team assembled in A-Next #1.

Big Man (son of Wasp). Former member of the Revengers.

  • Normie Osborn (grandson of the Green Goblin). Host of the Venom symbiote.
  • Quickwire
  • Raptor (daughter of the second Kaine, and Earthshaker.

    New Warriors (MC2)

    In the alternate time line known as MC2, [5] and fights with them. However, when Spider-Girl makes a truce with supervillains Funny Face and Angel Face, the team shuns her.

    The new roster includes the Buzz, Raptor, Golden Goblin and the twin crime fighters sharing the identity of Ladyhawk. The team receives support from Normie Osborn, including unlisted cell phones.

    List of known major differences between Earth-982 and Earth-616

    Several events that occurred in the mainstream Marvel Universe are known to have still occurred in the MC2 Universe. This portion of the article is dedicated to listing the known major differences between both universes.

    • Jessica Drew never regained her powers, she is not queen of the Skrulls and Secret Invasion never happened. However, it is hinted within the pages of A-Next #2 that Mainframe mentioned there was a Skrull invasion in this universe's past.
    • May Parker was returned to Peter Parker and Spider-Girl.
    • During the Gathering of Five Storyline, Green Goblin died in his final battle with Spider-Man and Spider-Man lost a leg. For a while he attempted to continue his crime fighting career with a prosthetic but gave it up shortly thereafter. This means most of Spider-Man's career post Gathering of Five never happened.#
    • Brand New Day storyline. As a result, Normie Osborn grows up without his father, gradually growing insane and resenting Peter Parker.
    • The death of Ant-Man after a period of retirement.
    • The Avengers disbanded after a battle with their evil counterparts on an alternate Earth, resulting in the deaths of several Avengers, (including Avengers Disassembled never occurred as a result.
      • Additionally, the events of all subsequent Earth-616 crossovers never occurred. This applies to any and all future crossovers unless stated otherwise.
    • The death of Aunt May as shown in The Amazing Spider-Man #400 remains valid in MC2 continuity, whereas her Earth-616 counterpart was revealed to be alive in The Spectacular Spider-Man #263, with a genetic clone dying in her place. This was confirmed in the letters page of Spider-Girl #48. Therefore, since Aunt May had already died, and since the Superhuman Registration Act never existed on Earth-982, Spider-Man never publicly revealed his identity, the events of One More Day never occurred and therefore contribute to Spider-Girl's existence.
    • Thor never destroyed Asgard and is ruling the realm much as his father Odin did in the past, although Asgard was eventually restored in the 616 universe.
    • Force Works #1 remains valid in MC2 continuity.[6] Constructs of him battled the current Avengers in A-Next #8 while protecting the Captain America was killed in battle by Crossbones and Sharon Carter, his life energies are converted into a star. Where as Captain America was eventually discovered to have been displaced in time and space by the bullet which "killed him" in the 616 continuity, Captain America remains dead within the MC2 universe
    • Speedball did not become Penance.
    • The events of the Civil War have not come to pass in general, mainly due the disbanding of the original Avengers, as well as Iron Man's retirement and Captain America remaining in an alternate reality.
    • Hulk was never sent to Sakaar and the events of Planet Hulk or World War Hulk never happened making Skaar non-existent. However, it is shown within A-Next #3 that the Hulk did gain a son named David by an unknown spouse.
    • Reed and Sue Richards daughter is not conceived in this continuity, leaving Franklyn to grow up as an only child
    • Mattie Franklin became Comments on style

      DeFalco explained in an interview his views on the MC2 imprint:[7]

      THE PULSE: "A lot of people characterize the MC2 universe as having an "old school" feel. Why do you think "modern" comic readers want to read something that feels like the best of the Silver Age?"

      DEFALCO: "We are “old school” because A) our heroes act like heroes…B) we don’t believe in decompression…C) we tell single issue stories with subplots that build from issue to issue… and D) there’s a lot of action and angst in every issue."

      Bibliography

      Single issues