Marvel has announced its newest series, Fantastic Force will debut in April 2009.
In my world, it grew out of fan response.But in the world of [Fantastic Four writer] Mark Millar, he probably knew this was going to spin out all along. Millar is a conniving, wee bastard and he has his ways about these things. He’s leprechaun tricky. But the reaction to the characters in Fantastic Four was very strong, and the writer, Joe Ahearne, is hitting it out of the park.
In his latest MyCup o’ Joe, Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Joe Quesada, explains the series and even offers up the script for the first few pages.
Fantastic Force Issue 1
“Shock of the Nuâ€
Script By Joe Ahearne
Revised 7th January 2008
Page One
1/ A devastated future Earth. Multiple rays of ultraviolet light with figures inside streak out into the sky and out of the panel.
CAPTION : They traveled 500 years from the future to escape a dying Earth.
2/ The rays land on the other side of the split panel in one of the recreated cities of Nu-World – contemporary Manhattan.
CAPTION : This is Nu-World. A facsimile of present Earth.
Designed for today’s elite.
3/ The ultraviolet light fades to reveal a crowd of people looking around at Times Square, awed at their new surroundings.
CAPTION : Now home to eight billion refugees.
And the last six heroes in history.
Page Two
1/ Six superheroes float over the duplicate Manhattan, held there by Psionics.
CAPTION : 500 years from now they were The New Defenders.
Each floating figure has a separate name caption.
CAPTION : The Hooded Man.
CAPTION : Banner Jr.
CAPTION : Lightwave.
CAPTION : Psionics.
CAPTION : Natalie X.
CAPTION : Alex Ultron.
2/ Close on Banner Jr. Tears in his eyes.
BANNER JR: : Oh Sue. I wish you could see this.
Page Three
1/ Behind the New Defenders we see Sue Richards with Ben and Reed at the dimensional portal to Earth.
SUE RICHARDS : She DID. It’s beautiful. Something to live for.Something worth
DYING for.Ben has his hand on Sue’s shoulder.
THE THING : Hey cut it OUT Suze.Just cause some FUTURE YOU died to
get em here doesn’t have to mean YOU’RE gonna die.It’s just another one of them crazy alternate parallel situations RIGHT
Reed?
Reed’s looking at Sue, not the spectacular vista. Very determined.
REED RICHARDS : Absolutely. Never going to happen.
2/ Ben in the background as Psionics and Johnny kiss.
THE THING : Gimme a BREAK Match head. She’s not CRYSTAL.Plus ya
already SAID goodbye at the FUNERAL.If you can call NECKING at your own sister’s GRAVESIDE which let me tell ya hits a new LOW even fer –
PSIONICS : Crystal? Sounds fragile.
JOHNNY STORM : Anything BUT. She’d go ten ROUNDS with YOU.First girl I
LOVED. We were split up by a DIMENSIONAL BARRIER.
PSIONICS : Aw.She break your heart?
3/ Psionics and Johnny part. He flames on.
PSIONICS : You’ll have those NUMBERS when I visit right? I want to check
out that SPIDER guy.
JOHNNY STORM : I’ll give em to your OLD MAN.
LIGHTWAVE : That would be APPRECIATED Johnny.
4/ Close on Sue as they disappear through the dimensional portal back to Earth. Tears in her eyes as she turns back for one last look.Johnny flaming away ahead of her in the background.
SUE RICHARDS : Hope you take care of YOUR planet better than WE did.
5/ The Hooded Man, Lightwave, Psionics, Banner Jr., Natalie X and Alex Ultron stand in front of the dimensional portal as the FF disappear in the energy surge.
BANNER JR. : Count on it.
Reed’s voice tiny and indistinct.
REED RICHARDS : If you need help just holler.
A figure runs towards them.
ALYSSA MOY : WAIT! Stop them! Don’t let them GO!
11 Comments
Fantastic Force? That’s one 90s title I never thought I’d see on a book again…
Wow. All I can think of is a throwaway joke from an old PAD Captain Marvel issue…
“I’d like to buy the entire run of Fantastic Force.”
“My God, WHY?!”
Obviously, Fantastic Force was a title back in the day, but I wonder if the current trend at Marvel to name their new series based on the names of successful series applies here. Meaning, the success of YOUNG Avengers begat YOUNG X-Men. I wonder if the recent success of X-Force played into the naming of this new book.
This is what happens when readers support garbage like Secret Invasion – the Retarded Executive Editor of Marvel comics thinks he craps gold and then we get crap like Fantastic Force.
The Universe was broken long before Bendis allegedly broke the Internet in half.
I guess Marvel/Quesada really know their audience
Isn’t the Hooded Man Wolverine? Dear Lord, do we really need Wolverine in another Marvel title?
Reader response? If they were really making titles based on a reader response, they’d have a title called Fantastic Delays & Overhype. Let’s all start a campaign and refuse to buy this book on a sheer principle.
You know, my judgement was based solely on the title. This book could actually be good. I just think it’s funny that they’re using the name Fantastic Force.
@Josh – I think that was the impetious for the naming of the original 90s Fantastic Force, and just kind of fits with they are trying to do with this particular book.
I probably won’t be picking this up just because it most likely will not be my cup of tea, but I don’t see any reason to campaign against it “on a sheer principle.” That seems utterly pointless to me. If you don’t like something, don’t buy it. Seems pretty simple to me.
My only problem is the dude with the claws. There better be a good reason why a Wolverine type character is on this team. Fantastic Force……good luck.
B*****ds! I had a much better Fantastic Force idea.
ah well, there’s always revamps/boots…
I bought it and i liked it! i’m getting the rest of the mini and got the fantastic four issues i missed with these characters in them.