Shooter's Big Bang

[omega_override]

Been reading Marvel Comics: The Untold Story and it's gotten me interested yet again in Shooter's initial ideas for "New Universe" where a big bang would obliterate everyone and everything in the Marvel Universe into something entirely new and different. While Ultimate Marvel seems to be the closest possible example to "what could have been", do you think it could have worked in the 80's or was the concept just too bold for the time?

[StarBrand]

Omega_override,
Could you expand on what that book says Shooter's original ideas for the New Universe were? I'm a huge New Universe fan, but I'm not sure if I've heard what that book has to say on that topic.
I really appreciate any info.

[Burrito Boy]

Omega_override,
Could you expand on what that book says Shooter's original ideas for the New Universe were? I'm a huge New Universe fan, but I'm not sure if I've heard what that book has to say on that topic.
I really appreciate any info.

I second the motion. I'm also a huge New Universe fan and would love to hear more.

[StarBrand]

I'd also like to say that the new Nightmask and Star Brand book is cheese.

[omega_override]

Could you expand on what that book says Shooter's original ideas for the New Universe were? I'm a huge New Universe fan, but I'm not sure if I've heard what that book has to say on that topic.
I really appreciate any info.

Basic gist was that he started off by having people kill either popular characters or characters in books that weren't doing too well, this mostly had to do with how sales for X-men surged after Phoenix was killed off. He later came up with the idea of a singularity event where the established heroes would be obliterated and afterwards be replaced with "newer iterations". Monica Rambeau (Captain Marvel) was one character in "The Untold Story" that was explicitly mentioned, though it wouldn't be any stretch of the imagination that Eric Masterson (Thor) and John Walker (Captain America) were also factored in to be either pre-established before the big bang or just "test" characters to see how well the response would be. Unfortunately news of the "Big Bang" proposal leaked out to fanzines and the response was not positive in the slightest, which somewhat contradicts the idea that the Big Bang was initially pitched to board members and investors, only to be turned down due to how popular Marvel as a brand was at the time

[StarBrand]

Thanks for that explanation.

[depluto]

Stan Lee's big bang involved 75 percent of the Rockettes. He didn't like the way the other 25 percent danced.

[grendeljd]

I'd also like to say that the new Nightmask and Star Brand book is cheese.

Oh no... You didn't actually buy that book, did you? Much as I crave anything New Universe related, I could smell that cheese a mile away. I don't want to support that kind of garbage being published.

[StarBrand]

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

[grendeljd]

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

Agreed. Glad you didn't accidentally support that, too - the solicitation sounded absolutely brutal and ridiculous. I suppose it could sound appealing to a young new Marvel reader who knew nothing about the characters prior to this book coming out, but even that is a shame in terms of ruining the experience of having that be their first exposure. :/

[Cyberstrike]

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

Agreed. Glad you didn't accidentally support that, too - the solicitation sounded absolutely brutal and ridiculous. I suppose it could sound appealing to a young new Marvel reader who knew nothing about the characters prior to this book coming out, but even that is a shame in terms of ruining the experience of having that be their first exposure. :/

Maybe that is point. It's not for us old farts it's for the young ones who don't have any knowledge about the New Universe and it's characters.

[Ryan]

Been reading Marvel Comics: The Untold Story and it's gotten me interested yet again in Shooter's initial ideas for "New Universe" where a big bang would obliterate everyone and everything in the Marvel Universe into something entirely new and different. While Ultimate Marvel seems to be the closest possible example to "what could have been", do you think it could have worked in the 80's or was the concept just too bold for the time?

I read that too, now a number of years ago. Forgot about the Big Bang part. I think he realized the need for something to be shaken up. Too bad New Universe lost most of the funding at the last minute.

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

Agreed. Glad you didn't accidentally support that, too - the solicitation sounded absolutely brutal and ridiculous. I suppose it could sound appealing to a young new Marvel reader who knew nothing about the characters prior to this book coming out, but even that is a shame in terms of ruining the experience of having that be their first exposure. :/

Maybe that is point. It's not for us old farts it's for the young ones who don't have any knowledge about the New Universe and it's characters.

I missed the Starbrand from 2015, guess I'll have to look it up. Newuniversal was ok at first. I don't think rebooting works for this kind of stuff.

[Ryan]

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

Agreed. Glad you didn't accidentally support that, too - the solicitation sounded absolutely brutal and ridiculous. I suppose it could sound appealing to a young new Marvel reader who knew nothing about the characters prior to this book coming out, but even that is a shame in terms of ruining the experience of having that be their first exposure. :/

Maybe that is point. It's not for us old farts it's for the young ones who don't have any knowledge about the New Universe and it's characters.

Ouch. Just for once I'd like to see one of these universes continued with the originals fully respected and integrated.

[Cyberstrike]

No, I didn't buy it. Just looking at the solicitation was enough to see it for what it is. A total disgrace and a joke. At least from the perspective of someone who cares about those characters and the original universe.
I'd pay money for Marvel not to disgrace the New Universe in such a manner. It literally makes me want to throw up.

Agreed. Glad you didn't accidentally support that, too - the solicitation sounded absolutely brutal and ridiculous. I suppose it could sound appealing to a young new Marvel reader who knew nothing about the characters prior to this book coming out, but even that is a shame in terms of ruining the experience of having that be their first exposure. :/

Maybe that is point. It's not for us old farts it's for the young ones who don't have any knowledge about the New Universe and it's characters.

Ouch. Just for once I'd like to see one of these universes continued with the originals fully respected and integrated.

I don't see how the New Universe they could be integrated into the Marvel Universe the same with MC2, 2099, The Ultimate Universe, Crossgen, Ultraverse, Genesis, MAX Comics' Supreme Power Universes for that matter. The main Marvel Universe will always be the main focus anything else is there either alternate universes/futures or were bought from defunct companies to maintain copyrights and trademarks and too see if there is still a big enough market for Crossgen or the Ultraverse for any revival to make money.

[Ryan]

Ouch. Just for once I'd like to see one of these universes continued with the originals fully respected and integrated.

I don't see how the New Universe they could be integrated into the Marvel Universe the same with MC2, 2099, The Ultimate Universe, Crossgen, Ultraverse, Genesis, MAX Comics' Supreme Power Universes for that matter. The main Marvel Universe will always be the main focus anything else is there either alternate universes/futures or were bought from defunct companies to maintain copyrights and trademarks and too see if there is still a big enough market for Crossgen or the Ultraverse for any revival to make money.

Totally. I wasn't clear, I didn't mean integrated into the Marvel universe. I meant I wish they would fully integrate a new relaunch with the old comics. Instead of a reboot, respect and integrate the old continuity into the new stories. Just like what Shooter did with Magnus.

Build on the history that's already there. Even though Valiant Magnus continued the continuity of the Gold Key series, I never felt like I had to go back and read them. It just added a real depth and history to the world that would've been missing in a total reboot.