An underrated superhero universe is back, and it might be capable of taking downMarvel’sbiggest heroes. The forthcomingBattleworldminiseries is taking fans on an odyssey through Marvel’s multiverse, showcasing its diversity. In a first look atBattleworld#2,a long-lost superhero universe is making its grand return, but what does it mean for the Marvel Universe?
Marvel has released solicitations for their October-shipping titles, includingBattleworld#2. The book will be written by Christos Cage and drawn by Marcus To. Following up on the events of the first issue, a team of heroes from across Marvel’s vast multiverse come together to save all reality.
Variant Covers:
Nick Bradshaw, Paco Medina and Greg Land
• Universes COLLIDE as a fractured team of heroes must survive long enough to keep their worlds from destruction.
• But do these heroes have what it takes? And who’s really behind all of this?
• PLUS: Is that the CROSSGEN Universe?! You’ll need to see it to believe it!
The solicitation also mentions the “CrossGen Universe” is returning.
Marvel Attempted a CrossGen Revival, But It Failed to Connect
CrossGen Comics emerged in the early 2000s with grand designs for the industry as well as a seemingly endless budget. The publisher, based in Florida, attracted a bevy of top talent, including Mark Waid, Barbara Kesel and others. CrossGen started strong, creating a shared universe that brought to mind the “superhero explosion” of the early 1990s.
Yet like those companies, CrossGen was doomed to fail. By 2004, the company’s fortunes had declined and creators were going unpaid. Disney, who was five years away from purchasing Marvel, acquired CrossGen’s assets. Some books were canceled mid-story, leaving plot lines dangling. Disney planned a revival of the CrossGen Universe, but nothing of substance materialized.
Once Disney acquired Marvel, however, the CrossGen Universe was given another shot. Several CrossGen properties, such asRuse, SigilandMystic,were given new leases on life, this time published by Marvel Comics. While CrossGen fans were happy to see old favorites back again, the line failed to land with a larger audience, dashing hopes for a full revival.
Marvel Is Leaning Into Its Multiverse, Which is Good News for CrossGen
The CrossGen Characters Can Now Meet Wolverine or Spider-Man
Multiverses are currently a hot topic in pop culture, and Marvel has been leaning into them heavily for over a decade.Events such asSpider-VerseandSecret Warsshowed the rich potential in the various worlds of Marvel’s multiverse, so much that the MCU is borrowing elements from those two books.
Battleworld, which is set in the multiverse, is seemingly bringing back the CrossGen Universe.
Battleworld, which is set in the multiverse, is seemingly bringing back the CrossGen Universe. How the CrossGen characters will impactBattleworldis not clear, but it can be inferred they are now another Earth in Marvel’s multiverse. This means the CrossGen characters can now interact with Spider-Man, the Avengers or the X-Men.
Marvel is Borrowing a Technique From Their Rival, DC Comics
Hopefully, Fans Will See More of the CrossGen Universe
Unlike their rival DC Comics, Marvel has not acquired many publishers in their long history. When DC acquired a new company, such as Charlton, Quality or Wildstorm, they would stick that company’s characters on another Earth in their multiverse. It would appearMarvelis “borrowing” this idea for the CrossGen universe, setting those characters up for bigger and better things.
