WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Captain Marvel #22, by Kelly Thomspon, Lee Garbett, Tamra Bonvillain, and Clayton Cowles, on sale Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Earlier this year, Kelly Thompson and Carmen Carnero's Captain Marvel: The End introduced a future version of Carol Danvers who sacrificed her life to give a frozen and devastated Earth a shot at rebuilding. That future Earth still needs heroes though, and it gets one this week in Captain Marvel #22, where the present-day Carol Danvers is suddenly is transported to this future timeline through mysterious circumstances.
The issue, by Thompson and artist Lee Garbett, is the start of a brand new arc, titled “The New World,” and Carol isn't the only Marvel hero running around in this dystopian future. It's populated by classic Marvel characters and brand new legacy ones designed by Garbett. Along with a sneak peek at pages from Captain Marvel #22 by Garbett and Tamra Bonvillain, CBR has an exclusive preview of the designs by Garbett, who chatted with us about what went into creating the looks for these legacy characters.
CBR: Captain Marvel #22 kicks off a story set in a dystopian future. What did the nature of this world mean for the new characters you designed? Which aspects of this environment did you really want to see reflected in their looks and physicality?
Lee Garbett: The issue is set after Carol saved the day in Captain Marvel: The End. So we’re back in that era, but just as the world is starting to thaw. Things are still cold and grim and people are struggling to survive… some people, at least. Others have found ways to exploit the situation and are living quite differently.
In issue #22 we meet one of these new characters, Sora, who is the daughter of Forge and Kwannon. What inspired your design for her? Which of her traits did you really want to capture and bring forward?
She’s young but has grown up in a tough world with the weight of who her parents were resting hard on her shoulders. She’s accomplished and fiercely protective of her pack. I figured she’d be pretty proud of her parents, and her suit reflects that with a serious nod to their X-days. She’s super cool, and her powers are the real showpiece. Sora has the ability to not just manifest the psi-blade, but Psi-bows and arrows, axes… all sorts of good stuff.
The cover to November's Captain Marvel #23 features a character that could be Namor or related to Namor. What was it like working on this character?
He is so much fun. He’s a mix of a couple of characters and that gives him elements from Atlantis and [REDACTED]. I was keen to echo elements of both the outfits we’re used to seeing with those worlds, but I couldn’t use any furs or cloaks like the others, as he’s got to be able to swim. I tried to add layers and cuts to the costume to imply both cultures, but also give him a little flare of his own as he’s quite a character.
Finally, who were some of the other characters you designed for this story that you especially enjoyed working on?
We meet a character called Brigid in issue 23 and I loved working on her design. Again, she’s a legacy character who’s very powerful but definitely feels she’s not managed to live up to her potential and what she feels is expected of her. That causes some self-doubt and you can use that in the design. She’s not showy. She works as the camp’s blacksmith so she’s pretty utilitarian in her outfit but stylish. Sorta Blacksmith Chic.
Also Fantomex 5. He was fun, just to tweak the existing design and add some elements that show he’s been on a bit of a journey. I’m not sure how much we’ll get to delve into his backstory, but I like him a lot.
This is such a great arc. The scale is epic, super high stakes and we find some characters in dire straits. It’s going to be an incredibly emotional journey too, so be prepared. We’ll see a lot of familiar faces and some new ones - and those new faces could well be sticking around well beyond this arc so don’t sleep on these first appearances, folks!
Captain Marvel #22, by Kelly Thomspon, Lee Garbett, Tamra Bonvillain, and Clayton Cowles, on sale Wednesday, Oct. 14.