Marvel Comics Uncanny Avengers series follows the exploits of the Unity Squad, a special team of Avengers designed to show the Marvel Universe that man, mutant, and inhuman can fight alongside each other and make the world a better place. What happens though when the person who brought the team together betrays the ideals they're founded upon? How do you move past that, refocus, and rebuild? The current Unity Squad members wrestled with the former question during Secret Empire where they discovered a Cosmic Cube-altered Steve Rogers had betrayed them and America by taking control of both Hydra and the country he was sworn to protect. Now that the event is over and Steve Rogers has been restored they're struggling with the latter question.

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In Uncanny Avengers #28 writer Jim Zub and artist Sean Izaakse kick off a new Marvel Legacy arc titled “Stars & Garters,” which will show how the team, with assistance from former Avengers Beast and Wonder Man, tackles that problem head on. CBR spoke with Zub about writing Beast and Wonder Man, how Johnny Storm's history with the FF will affect his role in the Unity Squad, the series quieter, emotional moments and the upcoming Avengers event, "No Surrender."

CBR: Jim, you're kicking off the Marvel Legacy era of Uncanny Avengers in issue #28 with a new arc titled "Stars & Garters," where you'll be exploring one of the Avengers most iconic friendships, the one between Beast and Wonder Man. What's it like writing these two characters together? What's your sense of how they've changed in recent years?

Jim Zub: Writing Beast and Wonder Man is a real thrill. Their friendship ranks right up there with Wolverine and Nightcrawler, or Power Man and Iron Fist for me.

Hank and Simon’s friendship has a playful honesty I really enjoy. I wanted to make sure I reflected that here in Uncanny Avengers. They’re silly, but beneath that silliness is humility and the ability to admit when they’ve screwed up. Hank and Simon are truthful with each other even when it hurts. They know when to joke and when to dig deep into the heart of a problem.

Both of them have gone through really difficult times over the past few years. Wonder Man took a villainous turn for a bit, rejecting his role as an Avenger. Then, by the time he redeemed himself, he was absorbed by Rogue and was unable to escape until recently. Beast’s hubris led him down a path of snap decisions and missteps that he’s grappling with. They’re both looking for clarity and a better path.

Moving forward, will Wonder Man and Beast be a regular part of the Uncanny Avengers line-up?

They’re joining the cast of characters we’re dealing with in upcoming issues, but that doesn’t mean they’re jumping on the team just yet. Something else is coming up quickly that will shake things up for them and the other Avengers.

On the final page of Uncanny Avengers #27, a lawyer arrives to discuss the legacy of the Fantastic Four with Unity Squad member, Johnny Storm. How will that cliffhanger impact your book? With Marvel Two-In-One sending him and Ben Grimm on a search for his family, how big a role will Johnny play in future issues of Uncanny Avengers?

Johnny’s still here in the Uncanny Avengers, but that doesn’t mean he can walk away from his history with the FF. Dealing with that past and its ramifications gets covered a bit in my series, and more substantially in Two-In-One. Speaking of which, I’ve read the script for Marvel Two-In-One #1, and it’s the best script Chip Zdarsky has written so far at Marvel. There’s a real nice balance of action and emotion. I think people are going to love it.

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Another interesting twist in recent issues is the dynamic between Doctor Voodoo and the Scarlet Witch. It feels like their relationship opens the door for some classic Avengers style sub-plots/soap operas. Are you interested in exploring things like cast member romances in Uncanny Avengers?

I think it’s easy to lose track of character relationships/romance when there are so many “big” plot lines at play – world-shaking events and a parade of other threats that need to be dealt with, but some of my favorite Marvel moments over the years have come from love and friendship in the Marvel Universe. I wanted to make sure I brought a healthy dose of that into the series. Don’t get me wrong, the series will continue to be action-packed, but it’s tempered with some smaller emotional moments too.

What else can you tell us about the action of the "Stars & Garters" arc? What kinds of foes are the Unity Squad up against in the story?

This arc is about the team finding their focus after the events of Secret Empire – What they stand for and where they need to go from here. It’s about rebuilding and making hard decisions. The villains they face are pulled from Avengers and X-history, setting it all up for bigger things to come in 2018.

It was recently announced that your Uncanny Avengers cast will be part of the upcoming No Surrender Avengers Event. What's it like collaborating with your fellow creators on this story? And are there any characters in No Surrender that you don't normally write and are especially excited to get a crack at?

No hyperbole, it's been an absolute dream project to be a part of. There have been many times throughout the project that I've needed to pinch myself to remind me that this is really happening. Al Ewing and Mark Waid are such generous creative collaborators. They bring so many ideas to the table and tee up great scenes for the big cast of characters we've put together. Pepe Larraz, Paco Medina and Kim Jacinto are three of the best artists in the business right now and they're firing on all cylinders beyond any of our expectations. Tom Brevoort and Alanna Smith, our avenging editorial team, are somehow keeping this wild ride on the tracks, improving our storytelling, gathering reference from the Marvel archives and making sure we hit the deadlines required for such an aggressive shipping schedule. We really feel like the Avengers, assembled together to create something we couldn't do on our own.

I can't give away any characters involved who aren't in Alex's announcement piece, but suffice to say that the mix of classic and new characters coming in the story is really inspiring. Combining them in unexpected ways and delving into their shared legacy together as Avengers has been a constant source of inspiration.

Uncanny Avengers is a title that bridges a lot of different aspects of the Marvel Universe. It sits at the crossroads of Avengers, X-Men, FF, Inhumans, and the supernatural. That eclectic mix is what makes it so special and it’s a joy to work on. I hope readers jump on to see where we’re headed.