The world of Marvel senses its latest existential threat in Dark Ages #1.
A Marvel Comics preview for the issue sees the day start out normal enough for our favorite Marvel heroes. It's "pizza time" for Peter Parker, Mary Jane, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, who are catching up while their children are playing (with Peter and MJ's daughter stuck to the ceiling). When Peter goes to bring his daughter May down, that's when the danger is felt.
The next page sees every spider-powered hero and person, Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy (Ghost-Spider), Peter Parker and his daughter, experience excruciating pain as their spider-senses go haywire. This page had previously been teased in early interior art shown in the Marvel's Free Previews catalog for September. The page was seen uncolored with writer Tom Taylor later releasing the colored version online to tease the upcoming event. This preview now sees the dialogue and narration placed over the page.
The narration appears to come from Peter Parker, who seems to be telling the story as though it happened in the past, stating that, "The spiders felt it first." He highlights the level of danger that would soon come down the line by saying that this level of pain and spider-sense had never even been felt when Galactus was approaching Earth. Of course, the spider heroes aren't the only ones to detect something wrong.
Crossing over from New Jersey to Manhattan, Lunella Lafayette, otherwise known as Moon Girl, detects the anomaly on her equipment in her underground laboratory. Moon Girl is a relatively newer character, debuting in 2015's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1. Speaking of the T-Rex, Lunella is then seen racing across the city to talk to the only other person that could understand the readings she had just seen: Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four.
Not everyone is fearful of the unknown power about to arrive on Earth, however. Jean Grey and Professor X of the X-Men felt the presence as the spiders did, but one mutant embraced it fully. The preview, which can be found below, ends with Apocalypse enjoying the sensation he feels, wanting to feel that power more.
Apocalypse was another character confirmed for this event, along with a battle-damaged Vision in images drawn by Ryan Stegman. Readers can also expect to see a venomized Miles Morales, wounded Iron Man and the debut of the Unmaker, Marvel's latest big bad. The preview for the issue can be found below.
DARK AGES #1 (OF 6)
- TOM TAYLOR (W) • IBAN COELLO (A/C)
- VARIANT COVER BY INHYUK LEE
- VARIANT COVER BY FRANCIS MANAPUL
- VARIANT COVER BY RYAN STEGMAN
- STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY PATRICK GLEASON
- VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
- BLACK BLANK VARIANT COVER ALSO AVAILABLE
- This is what the Watcher has been watching for!
- A danger older than the Earth threatens everything. For once, the heroes who have saved the planet so many times are almost powerless in the face of it.
- X-Men and Avengers assemble. Spider-People and Fantastic Four come together. Heroes for Hire fight alongside Champions.
- None of it will be enough.
- The lights are about to go out.
- The world outside our window...is about to end.
- An all-new saga of the Marvel Universe as you’ve never seen it before from Tom Taylor and Iban Coello!
- 40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99
Dark Ages #1 is written by Taylor with interior and cover art by Iban Coello. Colors are provided by Brian Reber, letters by Joe Sabino and cover art also provided by Frank D'Armata. The issue goes on sale Sept. 1, 2021 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel