Since 2021, Japanese artist Peach Momoko has been working on her own reinterpretation of the Marvel universe using Japanese folklore as a base. The first arc of this new world, Demon Days, was published in March last year. This five-issue event, based mostly on the X-Men, is followed by Demon Wars, a rewrite of Mark Millar's Civil War. They're interconnected by Mariko Yashida, the main character on a self-discovery journey.
What makes the Momoko-verse so interesting is the incredible adaptation work Momoko did. Both her arcs feature many alternate versions of iconic Marvel heroes and villains, revamped to fit a Japanese, anime-like aesthetic. While some of these reinterpretations are obvious, others take a bit of analysis to make sense. Only a keen-eyed Marvel fan will go through this story without having to search the internet for clues.
10 There Are No Gamma Beings In The Momoko-Verse
Since it's set in a version of Japan's Edo period, the Momoko-verse doesn't have science. Instead, it depends on magic and oriental folklore to explain everything. Given this, there aren't any gamma beings. Instead, the Momoko-verse explains any Hulk-like creature as an oni.
Oni are ogre-like creatures that belong to the yokai group. Like Hulks, oni are strong, mostly non-verbal beings. The main difference between Halbo and Hulkmaru, the Momoko-verse gamma beings, is that they don't have a human alter-ego to transfom into. They're simply yokai.
9 A Version Of Doctor Strange Has A Cameo
Since Demon Days mostly focuses on the X-Men, there aren't any Avengers in the Momoko-verse until Demon Wars. During Demon Wars: The Iron Samurai, Mariko finds a portal to a different dimension that's being guarded by an affable man dressed in blue, with a red cape, and golden details, sporting a hiragana character on his traditional hat.
This character is a very obscure reference to Doctor Strange. The first clue is the color pallet he wears, but there's the fact he's the one to open the portal, as well as the fact he has the Eye of Agamotto on his staff. Since Doctor Strange chose not to fight during Civil War, this appearance indicates Momoko's will be a loose adaptation.
8 Ochi & Toraji Are As Villainous As Their Alternate Versions
On her journey to better understand her past, Mariko encounters two powerful villains in the woods, a beast-like man named Toraji (literally: "tiger nature"), and a blue shape-shifter by the name of Ocho. It doesn't take a genius to decipher that these are Sabretooth and Mystique.
Like in the main canon of the X-Men comics, Mystique and Sabretooth are villains who use their abilities to serve a master. On this occasion, Magneto isn't in the picture, but their leader is Ogin, a mysterious crime lord who wants to kidnap Mariko to take revenge on their shared past.
7 Ms. Kuroki's Name Reveals Her Identity
Demon Days: X-Men #1 — by Peach Momoko, Zack Davisson, and Ariana Mahermarks — the debut of Ms. Kuroki, a mysterious woman who works as a housekeeper for Mariko and her grandmother. By the end of the issue, it's revealed that this red-haired woman is an actual spy, tasked with protecting the family.
Based on her red hair, her hourglass brooch, and her all-black outfits, it's easy to figure out Ms. Kuroki is Black Widow. Additionally, her name includes the Kanji for "Kuro," which is "black" in Japanese. Besides the entertaining plot, Momoko leaves a lot of clues for language nerds to play with in this series.
6 The Civil War Is Led By Bake-Yoroi & Hayabusa, A New Version Of Known Heroes
As a reinterpretation of Civil War, Demon Wars starts by establishing the main conflict of the series. When Mariko arrives at a magical dimension, she discovers her life choice may start a war between two fractions. While Bake-Yoroi (this world's Iron Man) wants to resurrect the great Kigandoshi, Hayabusa (an anthropomorphic version of a hawk that clearly references Falcon) wants to keep things as they are.
Originally, Civil War divided the heroes into two groups, one led by Iron Man and the other led by Captain America, but Demon Wars has yet to reveal Momoko's version of Captain Amaerica. So far, he's only appeared on the covers, but he'll likely be fighting this war alongside Falcon.
5 Thor & Storm Are Gods, But Not Like In The Main Canon
Like Marvel's canon, the Momoko-verse has its own cosmogony full of different gods. Two great examples are Sosuke, a thunder god carrying a hammer, and Ororo, a white-haired child who can control the weather. These siblings are obviously based on two of Marvel's most powerful gods, Thor and Storm.
However, contrary to the canon — where Thor is a Norse God from Asgard and Ororo is a mutant regarded as African deity — Sosuke and Ororo are Shinto kami, nature spirits from the Shinto religion that embody Japan's values. This is perfectly explained in "Yokai Files," a final section in the comics where Momoko offers cultural capsules about Japanese mythology.
4 Silver Samurai Is A Woman
When Mariko investigates her mother's past, she learns she has a sister named Ogin. As it turns out, Ogin is the crimelord behind Mariko's misfortunes and that the conflict is based on a misunderstanding. During their fight, Mariko discovers Ogin can take other Yokai powers by drinking their blood.
This silver-clad warrior presents a new take on the incredible fighter Silver Samurai, aka Keniuchio Yashida. The clues are right there. Not only i sOgin's color pallet the same, but Keniuchio and Mariko are siblings (often rivals, often allies) in the Earth-616 timeline.
3 Venom & Carnage Are Two Terrifying Japanese Monsters
Both Venom and Carnage have an important role in the Momoko-verse. However, it's quite different from Marvel's canon. Venom, also known as Orochi, is a version of Yamata no Orochi, or "Giant Eight-Headed Snake." This beast was slayed by Susanoo, the Japanese storm god.
On the other hand, Carnage is known as Kigandoshi, a yokai demon released by Mariko when she opened the Yokai dimension. Since he barely debuted, Kigandoshi hasn't appeared in the comics beyond flashbacks, but everything signals he'll be the main villain in Demon Wars.
2 Wolverine Is Mariko's Loyal Guardian Wolf
Since Wolverine is one of the characters closest to Mariko and her main love interest, it wasn't possible to leave him outside the Momoko-verse. Funny enough, he has a very different role from what everyone expected.
Instead of being a human or yokai, Wolverine's a one-eyed wolf that has protected Mariko's family for centuries. The only thing that points to his real identity (besides his wolf-like nature) is his name, Logan. Out of all the Momoko-verse changes, this one probably features the most shift.
1 Mariko Yashida Stars As The Hero Of The Series
The Momoko-verse strives to create a new, fresh, alternate world for the Marvel multiverse, but this task needs a proper axis. Peach Momoko chose Mariko Yashida, and the whole Momoko-verse revolves around her story. While Demon Days introduces her as a character, delving into her past, Demon Wars puts her in the middle of a conflict she barely knows.
As a character, Mariko changes plenty from her canon version. For starters, she's a human/oni hybrid. Instead of coming from a villainous family, she was raised by an adoptive grandmother, and she never dates or marries Wolverine. Her design and origin remind fans of her time as the Scarlet Samurai, but it's still too soon to see if Momoko will keep this moniker for her.