Old enemies return and feuds reignite. The U-Foes, whose first appearance dates back to Incredible Hulk #254 in 1980, return in Al Ewing’s latest Immortal Hulk issue. Before joining up with Henry Gyrich and Alpha Flight, The U-Foes’ last appearance came four years ago during Captain America’s “Secret Empire” storyline. The Kingpin enlists his own crew of villains in King In Black: Thunderbolts to protect New York City from Knull’s invasion. Taskmaster leads the band of baddies – including Baltroc the Leaper, Mister Fear and Star – into the symbiote-infested streets and an issue review score of 40, written by Matthew Rosenberg and drawn by Juan Ferreyra.
Book the Week – Chris Claremont Anniversary Special #1 (Review score: 55 points). The legendary X-scribe returns for another tale which revisits some of his biggest moments from his time as Marvel’s main X-Men architect. Claremont takes Mirage, the New Mutant leader, on a trip through time to battle with the Shadow King and embrace her role as an Asgardian Valkyrie and defender of life. She thwarts the Shadow King’s machinations with members of the Fantastic Four, Captain Marvel in her space-faring Binary days, and a young Storm’s early interactions with Gambit.
Hero of the Week – Storm (Review score: 14 points). Outside of her appearance in the Claremont special, the mutants’ elemental mistress faces off with another former foe in Gerry Duggan and Stefano Caselli’s Marauders #17. Callisto seeks another battle with Storm, this time in Krakoa’s Crucible in order to restore her powers. Storm makes short work of the challenge and begrudgingly grants Callisto her wish by delivering a precise, lightning shock to the Morlock’s heart.
Antagonist of the Week – Shadow King (Review score: 9 points). The Shadow King displays his telepathic prowess in a battle that hints at a larger war being staged with Hela – and Mirage is in caught in the middle. He uses some of Marvel’s heaviest hitters as his own pawn pieces in a trip through time. The Shadow King influences Namor and members of the Fantastic Four, impersonates Rogue in a deeply personal battle with Carol Danvers, and takes control of Gambit.
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Key: TU – Team-Up; LT – Lead Team; SC – Save Civilian; CD – Character Development; DA – Defeat Antagonist.
| Amazing Spider-Man #57 (23) |
| Ghost-Spider – Webs Madame Web Silk – Webs Spider-Girl – Webs Spider-Man (MM) – Webs Spider-Man (PP) – Crawl, Melee, Rage, Strength, Webs, CD (Turns his back on the Osborns) Spider-Woman – Flight Antagonist(s) Green Goblin Kindred – Creature, Deception Kingpin |
| Chris Claremont Anniversary Special #1 (55) |
| Captain Marvel – Durability, Energy Offensive, Melee, Morph, Strength, DA (Shadow King) Ch’od Corsair Gambit – Energy, Projectile Hepzibah Human Torch – Flames Offensive, Flight Invisible Woman – Telekinesis, Telekinesis Defensive, Telekinesis Offensive Mirage – Blade, Creature, Deception, Projectile, Sense, Weapon, TU (Storm), CD (Accepts her role as a Valkyrie, Champion of Life), DA (Shadow King) Mr. Fantastic – Ensnare, Morph, Stretch Raza Storm – Lightning, Water, TU (Mirage), LT, DA (Shadow King) Thing – Melee Antagonist(s) Hela – Reality, Telepathy Shadow King – Absorb, Deception, Flight, Influence, Melee, Possession, Strength, Telepathy |
| Immortal Hulk #42 (20) |
| Doc Samson – Claws, CD (Leaves Alpha Flight) Hulk (BB) Puck – CD (Leaves Alpha Flight) Antagonist(s) Ironclad – CD (Joins Alpha Flight) Leader – Personality, CD (Merges with the One Below All) Titania – CD (Leaves Alpha Flight) Vapor – Flight, CD (Joins Alpha Flight) Vector – CD (Joins Alpha Flight) X-Ray – CD (Joins Alpha Flight) |
| King in Black: Gwenom vs. Carnage #1 (14) |
| Ghost-Spider – Agility, Crawl, Ensnare, Strength, Teleport, Weapon, Webs, SC Antagonist(s) Jackal – Creature Knull – Possession, Sense |
| King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #1 (18) |
| Man-Wolf – Claws Offensive, Sense Misty Knight – Bionics, Melee Scream – Appendage Offensive, Creature, Ensnare, Flames, Flames Offensive, Sense, Strength, SC, DA (Hybrid Symbiote) Antagonist(s) Knull – Creature |
| King in Black: Thunderbolts #1 (40) |
| Iron Fist – Energy, Melee Jessica Jones – Agility, Melee Luke Cage – Melee, Strength Antagonist(s) Batroc the Leaper – Agility, Melee, Strength, Tech, CD (Joins the Thunderbolts) Green Goblin Kingpin – Assassin, Business, LT, CD (Forms the new Thunderbolts team) Mister Fear – Assassin, Blade, Thief, Toxin, CD (Joins the Thunderbolts) Rhino – CD (Joins and quits the Thunderbolts) Star – Energy, Energy Offensive, Flight, CD (Joins the Thunderbolts), DA (Symbiote Dragon) Taskmaster – Blade, LT, CD (Joins the Thunderbolts), DA (Ampere) |
| Marauders #17 (34) |
| Bishop Callisto – Blade, Sense, Weapon, CD (Dies and is resurrected with her powers) Cannonball Emma Frost – Business, Influence, Telepathy, LT Kate Pryde – Blade, Business, Intangibility, Intangibility Defensive, Intangibility Offensive, SC Masque Storm – Elements, Flight, Lightning, Melee, Precision, Water, DA (Callisto) Antagonist(s) Fenris Sebastian Shaw Selene Shinobi Shaw Silver Samurai – CD (Becomes of Head of the Crucible) |
| S.W.O.R.D. #2 (40) |
| Abigail Brand – LT Banshee – Flight, Sonics Offensive Cable (Young) – CD (Bonds with a symbiote) Egg Elixir Emma Frost – Telepathy Frenzy Hope Magneto – Flight, Magnetics Offensive Manifold – Suit Random – Morph Sunfire – Flames, Flames Offensive, Flight, Strength, DA (Symbiote dragon) Tempus Wiz-Kid – Computer, Intellect, Weapon, DA (Symbiote dragon) Antagonist(s) Fabian Cortez – Energy, Heal Mentallo – Telepathy, Vehicle Paibok Proteus |
| Union #2 (24) |
| Britannia – Melee Choir – Sonics Offensive, Strength, CD (Bonds with a symbiote) Kelpie – Claws, Flight, Water, Water Offensive, CD (Leaves Union) Snakes – Melee, Strength, CD (Leaves Union) Union Jack – Energy, Melee, Weapon, LT, SC, CD (Becomes the new leader of Union), DA (Choir) |
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