Marvel Comics' Dark Ages #2 has killed off major players from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both featured at the forefront of the franchise's 2021 projects.
A preview for the issue gives readers a glimpse at the aftermath of all of Earth's electronics losing power. Battles began to be fought between heroes and villains, even common citizens, which would culminate in the world building a unified society that has lasted seven years, according to Peter Parker at the end of the first issue in the series. However, the first page of the preview reveals that not everyone had the chance to see this world and met an untimely fate beforehand, including the Avenger, Hawkeye, and Marvel villain, Taskmaster.
Having his first appearance as a villain all the way back in 1954's Tales of Suspense #57 before he would later become a hero, Hawkeye has been launched further into the public spotlight since his MCU debut, portrayed by Jeremy Renner. While he first cameoed in 2011's Thor, it was 2012's The Avengers that featured him as a full character, though the archer was under mind control and acted against his future teammates for much of the movie. In November, he will be featured in his first solo, streaming series on Disney+, Hawkeye, set to release on the platform Nov. 24. Of course, he will be joined by Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who also took up the mantle of Hawkeye in the comics.
The other casualty in the blackout panic was Taskmaster, who, unlike Hawkeye, has predominantly remained a villain since his first appearance in The Avengers #195 back in 1980. In the comics, the villain's name is Anthony "Tony" Masters and has the ability to mimic and recreate anyone's fighting style, hero or villain. While the villain was recently adapted into live-action for this year's Black Widow, Taskmaster's identity was gender-swapped and changed to be the daughter of the film's primary antagonist, Dreykov, though she still had Masters' abilities from the comics.
While these two appear to have lost their lives in the series, the preview also features heroes like Captain America, the X-Men, Ms. Marvel, Deadpool and others working to unify the public, as well as Peter Parker training his daughter, May, in her new super suit. In the current Spider-Man run, writer Nick Spencer's final issue, Amazing Spider-Man #74, revealed that May has the potential to be one of the greatest heroes in the world, so much that the devil Mephisto fears her existence. Readers will have to continue on to see if she will play a similar role in Dark Ages as well. The preview and solicitation for the issue can be found below.
DARK AGES #2 (OF 6)
- TOM TAYLOR (W) • IBAN COELLO (A/C)
- VARIANT COVER BY MEGHAN HETRICK
- VARIANT COVER BY BRYAN HITCH
- VARIANT COVER BY RYAN STEGMAN
- It has been years since the age of technology ended in a single moment, like a switch had been flicked to off for an entire planet. Now Earth’s heroes attempt to bring humanity together in the darkness. X-Men and Avengers, vigilantes and villains all work together to create something better. But something darker than the night is descending on the world. Our postapocalyptic world is about to face Apocalypse.
- 32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99
Dark Ages #2 is written by Tom Taylor with interior and cover art by Iban Coello, colors by Brian Reber, letters by VC's Joe Sabino and cover art also by Frank D'Armata. Variant covers for the issue were created by Ryan Stegman, Bryan Hitch, Alex Sinclair, Meghan Hetrick, JP Mayer and Jason Keith. The issue goes on sale Oct. 6 from Marvel Comics.
Source: Marvel