The following contains spoilers for Inferno Girl Red #1, on sale now from Image Comics.

Image Comics' Massive-Verse only recently began expanding, but creators are making it seem a lot older by grounding their Radiant-related comics in heroic legacies. This abruptness, combined with a rapid crossover release pace helps world builders quickly tie together a brand-new multi-hero saga. It also gives the impression that the Radiants have long-running pasts. Image's decision to merge other creator-owned titles with their new powerhouses also makes Radiant titles feel like they're part of a familiar franchise.

The Massive-Verse is highly inventive, with Radiant titles going against the traditional superhero construction of Marvel and DC. Image is not waiting for these superheroes to become fan favorites before peeling back their layers, killing them off, and introducing their legacies. They're going for the jugular, maiming and killing their starting line-up. It took a long time for DC to kill Superman, or for Marvel to give the Spider-Man mantle to anyone other than Peter Parker. The Radiant stories, conversely, start with the main superhero dying and passing their powers to a friend or leaving their legacy to a relative. These creative decisions make it seem like the Massive-Verse has more history to it, and the release of Inferno Girl Red #1 (by Matt Groom, Erica D'urso, Igor Monti, and Becca Carey) continues the trend of Massive-Verse heroes inheriting their mysterious legacies.

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Image's Radiant Titles Star Second-Generation Superheroes

Radiant Black Nathan and Marshall

Radiant Black (by Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa) begins by building the origin story of fledgling superhero Nathan Burnett. But in just four issues, Nathan winds up comatose and his best friend Marshall picks up his mantle. Suddenly, a straightforward story about a brand-new superhero gets scrambled. What happened to Image’s brand-new superhero is sidelined as Marshall takes on his role. Higgins' Radiant Black has Nathan no longer a budding superhero, but a powerless bystander who is only able to observe his friend's heroics as a Black Radiant variant. This makes the comic feel like Nathan's Radiant Black ran for decades, not months.

Image published Supermassive (by Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrot, Mat Groom, and Francesco Manna) soon after Radiant Black. The one-shot introduced more Radiants (already referred to colloquially as the Helmets) and introduces a new hero, Rogue Sun, who would soon star in a miniseries a month later. Like Radiant Black, Rogue Sun #1 (by Ryan Parrot and Abel) lends brand-new characters legacy superhero mystiques. It has Dylan Siegel inherit his murdered father's superhero mantle by way of the Sun Stone. Dylan's father's ghost is conjured by Dylan's Sun Stone-powered suit. He coaches his son, providing information on villains Dylan faces.

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Image Replaces Traditional Superhero Training with Artifacts

radiant pink featured

Radiant powers are readily transferred through an object, whether it be a miniature black hole or a relic like the Sun Stone. This plot point gives creators the flexibility to play with the theme of heroic legacy in exciting ways. Traditionally, creators have drawn out stories of mentorship between hero and protégé. Radiant Black, on the other hand, has a traveling miniature black hole supplying instinctive qualities to civilians. Dylan's father just passes on his Rogue Sun mantel to his son by bequeathing the Sun Stone. Inferno Girl Red #1 has Cassia inherit mysterious space jewelry, a bracelet set with a red gemstone. Not only does Cassia's mother know that the bracelet is attached to her daughter, but she is also able to teach Cassia how to harness the bracelet's powers.

Image creators have so much more content in store for the future, so fans can expect the burgeoning multiverse to continue its rapid expanse. At first glance, readers just see the new lineup of Radiant Black, Red, Pink, and Yellow, plus Inferno Girl and Rogue Sun. However, after diving into Image's brand-new universe it's easy to see that these characters are so much more than just a stereotypical group of superheroes. As the keystone series intersects with annuals, one-shots, and miniseries, the Massive-Verse is expected to break even more ground in its genre.