The last year of Marvel Comics storytelling, particularly the events of Ryan North's One World Under Doom and Chip Zdarsky's Captain America, has been leading to a watershed moment in Avengers history.
We've known for a while that "Armageddon" is coming, but that turning point finally arrives this June in Avengers: Armageddon, a five-issue event series from Zdarsky, the superstar writer known for his defining and Eisner-nominated work on Daredevil, and rising stars Frank Alpizar and Delio Diaz, the artist duo behind Doomed 2099 and recent issues of Captain America.
Following key buildup in Captain America and Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon, Avengers: Armageddon leads to a transformative shakeup of the team—the likes of which, according to Marvel Comics, haven't been felt since Avengers: Disassembled.
The saga begins in Latveria, where Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, a.k.a. Red Hulk, claims Doom's homeland for himself, igniting a global conflict. When the Avengers assemble against him, explosive escalations will force them to unleash a power that changes how the world views their mightiest heroes forever. This pivotal chapter will lead directly into a new era of Avengers starting later this year.
Here's the official description for the event series:
ARMAGEDDON HAS ARRIVED!
Red Hulk’s devastating tear across the globe must be stopped...but it will take a colossal gathering of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to do it! Calling in the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine and more...but who will survive this super-powered cataclysm?! There will be a pre-Armageddon Marvel Universe and a post-Armageddon Marvel Universe. Be here to bear witness to the transformation.
Avengers: Armageddon is also expected to deal with the fallout from Ultimate Endgame, the end of the Ultimate Universe (and the Origin Boxes that Miles Morales has brought back to Earth-616).
In terms of what all this means for Earth's Mightiest Heroes, that obviously remains to be seen. However, we'd bet on Zdarsky taking charge of a new Avengers series in the wake of this event, especially as he's the main architect of Armageddon.
"I don't really consider it an event, but I think just because of the nature of the internet and also my striking design, it invited questions. Who is this person in a cape? What is this cube they're holding?" Zdarsky previously said. "I just don't write that way. I'm not like, 'All right, here's an event.' I just wrote a story that I thought was big and cool and interesting."
"And then Marvel's like, 'Oh, wow. This is a cool event.' I'm like, 'Oh, yeah, okay. I guess that's what it's called.' The Wolverine miniseries kind of cropped up in my head, so we added that to it, so it feels like a big thing. God, the more I talk about it, the more I realise I'm doing an event."
Check out Dike Ruan's cover for Avengers: Armageddon #1 below, along with a couple of recently released teaser images for the comic.
AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #1
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
Art by FRANK ALPIZAR & DELIO DIAZ
Cover by DIKE RUAN
On Sale 6/3