Heroes Reborn
Encyclopedia
"Heroes Reborn" was a 1996
-1997
crossover
story arc among comic-book series published by the American
company Marvel Comics
. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former employees Jim Lee
and Rob Liefeld
.
, the Fantastic Four
, and Dr. Doom
battling Onslaught
in Onslaught: Marvel Universe, they were "reborn" and certain aspects of their earlier stories were expanded with the intent of telling their adventures anew for modern generations. This was explained, in-story, as their having been transported into a pocket universe
by Franklin Richards
, the near-omnipotent, psychic son of Mr. Fantastic
and the Invisible Woman
, to save them, where they lived in the so-called "Franklin-verse", oblivious to what had happened to them. The characters' origins and histories were revised and updated circa mid-nineties for modern audiences. For instance, Ben Grimm fought as a pilot in the Gulf War
instead of World War II
, and Susan and Johnny Storm were explained to have been financial backers for Reed Richards' rocket, hence their presence on the mission. In addition, while Richards' goal of becoming the first man to get to Mars
remained, it was revealed that he secretly aimed to explore the interstellar anomalies of that area.
For this reworking, Marvel "farmed out" the properties to some of their former employees who had left the company to form Image Comics
. Jim Lee
's Wildstorm Productions studios handled Fantastic Four and Iron Man
, and Rob Liefeld
's Extreme Studios took the reins of The Avengers and Captain America
. However, after six issues, Marvel attempted to renegotiate Liefeld and Lee's contracts, offering them less money for the projects. Liefeld rejected the revised contract, while Lee accepted the new terms and took over Liefeld's titles. While Avengers had performed poorly with fans for Liefeld's issues, Walt Simonson
took over the book when it moved to WildStorm and produced a well-regarded conclusion. Although the four titles in "Heroes Reborn" were slated for a 12-issue run, James Robinson wrote a 13th and final issue for each book. The storyline, entitled "World War III", was a crossover between the Marvel and WildStorm characters.
The changes to the characters were controversial, provoking debates amongst fans. However, all of the titles experienced a large upsurge in sales.
At the end of the storyline, the Fantastic Four and Avengers were returned to the mainstream Marvel Universe
, again through the intervention of Franklin Richards, in the miniseries Heroes Reborn: The Return (She-Hulk
and several members of the Inhuman Royal Family
were incorrectly depicted as returning heroes, even though they were not among the missing heroes from Onslaught: Marvel Universe). The ensuing storyline, dubbed "Heroes Return" was once again created in-house at Marvel Comics.
With 2006 marking the 10th anniversary of the "Heroes Reborn" crossover, Marvel marked the occasion by having the reality-traversing Exiles
team visit the "Heroes Reborn" Earth, in Exiles #81-82. The company also announced it was reprinting original "Heroes Reborn" series and produced trade paperbacks collecting issues 1-12 (excluding the series finale cross-over "World War III") of the four titles. Also, Marvel announced that Jeph Loeb
and Rob Liefeld
would reunite in November 2006 for Onslaught Reborn, a five-part weekly limited series
that would feature both Onslaught
and a world similar to the "Heroes Reborn" universe. This was planned to tie in with the memorial scholarship fund established in honor of Loeb's son Sam
.
1996 in comics
-Year overall:* Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.* Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92-January:* January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.* January 28:...
-1997
1997 in comics
-January:*Avengers #3 - Marvel Comics*Captain America #3 - Marvel Comics*Fantastic Four #3 - Marvel Comics*Iron Man #3 - Marvel Comics-February:...
crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
story arc among comic-book series published by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former employees Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
and Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
.
Publication history
Following the apparent deaths of the AvengersAvengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, and Dr. Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
battling Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
in Onslaught: Marvel Universe, they were "reborn" and certain aspects of their earlier stories were expanded with the intent of telling their adventures anew for modern generations. This was explained, in-story, as their having been transported into a pocket universe
Pocket universe
-In science:A pocket universe is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth. It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many inflationary zones.-In fiction:...
by Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards
Franklin Richards is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually as a supporting character in Fantastic Four.Franklin is an Omega-Level mutant with vast psionic and reality-manipulating powers...
, the near-omnipotent, psychic son of Mr. Fantastic
Mister Fantastic
Mr. Fantastic is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the Fantastic Four. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 ....
and the Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, to save them, where they lived in the so-called "Franklin-verse", oblivious to what had happened to them. The characters' origins and histories were revised and updated circa mid-nineties for modern audiences. For instance, Ben Grimm fought as a pilot in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
instead of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and Susan and Johnny Storm were explained to have been financial backers for Reed Richards' rocket, hence their presence on the mission. In addition, while Richards' goal of becoming the first man to get to Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
remained, it was revealed that he secretly aimed to explore the interstellar anomalies of that area.
For this reworking, Marvel "farmed out" the properties to some of their former employees who had left the company to form Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
's Wildstorm Productions studios handled Fantastic Four and Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
, and Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
's Extreme Studios took the reins of The Avengers and Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
. However, after six issues, Marvel attempted to renegotiate Liefeld and Lee's contracts, offering them less money for the projects. Liefeld rejected the revised contract, while Lee accepted the new terms and took over Liefeld's titles. While Avengers had performed poorly with fans for Liefeld's issues, Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
took over the book when it moved to WildStorm and produced a well-regarded conclusion. Although the four titles in "Heroes Reborn" were slated for a 12-issue run, James Robinson wrote a 13th and final issue for each book. The storyline, entitled "World War III", was a crossover between the Marvel and WildStorm characters.
The changes to the characters were controversial, provoking debates amongst fans. However, all of the titles experienced a large upsurge in sales.
At the end of the storyline, the Fantastic Four and Avengers were returned to the mainstream Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, again through the intervention of Franklin Richards, in the miniseries Heroes Reborn: The Return (She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
and several members of the Inhuman Royal Family
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
were incorrectly depicted as returning heroes, even though they were not among the missing heroes from Onslaught: Marvel Universe). The ensuing storyline, dubbed "Heroes Return" was once again created in-house at Marvel Comics.
"Heroes Reborn" revisited
In July 2000, Marvel collected issues Fantastic Four vol. 2 ,#1-6 in the trade paperback Fantastic Four: Heroes Reborn, but no other "Heroes Reborn" reprints followed for some time.With 2006 marking the 10th anniversary of the "Heroes Reborn" crossover, Marvel marked the occasion by having the reality-traversing Exiles
Exiles (Marvel Comics)
The Exiles are a group of fictional characters that feature in three Marvel Comics series, Exiles, New Exiles, and Exiles vol. 2. The Exiles consists of characters from different dimensions, or realities, which have been removed from time and space in order to correct problems in various alternate...
team visit the "Heroes Reborn" Earth, in Exiles #81-82. The company also announced it was reprinting original "Heroes Reborn" series and produced trade paperbacks collecting issues 1-12 (excluding the series finale cross-over "World War III") of the four titles. Also, Marvel announced that Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
would reunite in November 2006 for Onslaught Reborn, a five-part weekly limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
that would feature both Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
and a world similar to the "Heroes Reborn" universe. This was planned to tie in with the memorial scholarship fund established in honor of Loeb's son Sam
Sam Loeb
Sam Loeb, born Joseph Loeb IV, was the son of comic book writer Jeph Loeb.His first and only completely written work was Tales of the Vampires: Some Like it Hot for Dark Horse Comics which was drawn by Tim Sale....
.
Collected editions
- Fantastic Four: Heroes Reborn TPB (Trade Paperback) - collects Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
vol. 2 #1-6 (2000, ISBN 0-7851-0744-4) - Heroes Reborn: Avengers TPB - collects AvengersAvengers (comics)The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
vol. 2 #1-12 (2006, ISBN 0-7851-2337-7) - Heroes Reborn: Captain America TPB - collects Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
vol. 2 #1-12 (2006, ISBN 0-7851-2339-3) - Heroes Reborn: Fantastic Four TPB - collects Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
vol. 2 #1-12 (2006, ISBN 0-7851-2336-9) - Heroes Reborn: Iron Man TPB - collects Iron ManIron ManIron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
vol. 2 #1-12 (2006, ISBN 0-7851-2338-5) - Exiles: World Tour, Book Two TPB - collects Exiles #75-83 (2006, ISBN 0-7851-1855-1)
- Onslaught Reborn TPB - collects OnslaughtOnslaught (comics)Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
Reborn #1-5 (2008, ISBN 0-7851-2191-9)