"Fear Itself" was first announced by then-Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, Vice President Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Vice President and X-Men group editor Axel Alonso in a December 21, 2010 press conference at Midtown Comics Times Square. Quesada explained that like the 2006 storyline "Civil War", the storyline of "Fear Itself" was inspired by the real world, in particular the perceived malaise and fear evoked by late 2000s events such as terror alerts, oil spills, the economy and partisan politics. Explains Quesada
"The climate in the world today was certainly the inspiration for this as we started to think about the bigger stories for the Marvel Universe," Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada said at a press conference at Midtown Comics in Manhattan. "You will absolutely see the real world inject itself into this story because it's undeniable that there's a certain something in the air right now…we tend to tap into that whether consciously or unconsciously and it effects all our stories."
Joe Quesada, Axel Alonso and Tom Brevoort announcing the storyline at Midtown Comics Times Square, December 21, 2010.The storyline's title is a reference to a famous quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt, "So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance", as indicated by the use of a portion that quote as part of the soundtrack of the trailer presented during the Midtown press conference. The story's antagonist is the God of Fear, a supervillain who sows doubt and fear among the superheroes of the Marvel Comics Universe, as illustrated by early promotional images for the event, which depict Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Cyclops, Thor, and Iron Man coming face to face with their worst nightmares. Brevoort explained that all major characters are featured in the storyline, which involve a number of unconventional alliances, with even Marvel's version of Dracula participating in the event. Another god of fear, the adolescent Phobos, who is a member of the Secret Warriors, also appears in the series. Brevoort further explained that subtle hints of the storyline were planted well in advance, between approximately 15 months and two years prior to the miniseries, some of which may only be perceptible in hindsight. Brevoort and Alonso explained that although the story also ties into all of the company's other high-profile titles, and presents stakes as high as an "extinction-level event", the story could be understood by those who choose to read only the core Fear Itself miniseries. The related titles include the X-Men family of books, though X-Factor writer Peter David indicated on his blog that that title does not tie into the storyline.
The Fear Itself prologue book, which was published in March 2011, features Captain America and Namor, and is produced by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton. The main Fear Itself miniseries, which debuted the following month, is written by writer Matt Fraction, and features illustrated interiors by Stuart Immonen and covers by Steve McNiven. Fear Itself #1 is priced at $3.99 USD, and is expected to be about 45 pages long, according to Brevoort. Brevoort also indicated that the final issue will also be oversized, as is typical with such event miniseries.
