Imperial to Overhaul Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious and expansive projects yet with the new comic series, Imperial. Spearheaded by the visionary Jonathan Hickman, known for his transformative work on House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, Imperial is poised to redefine the cosmic landscape for Marvel heroes such as Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This series promises to shake up the status quo in ways that could echo the impact of Hickman's previous groundbreaking narratives.

To delve deeper into how Imperial will reshape the cosmic arena, IGN conducted an exclusive email interview with Hickman. Below, you can explore a preview gallery of Imperial #1, followed by insights from our discussion.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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The genesis of Imperial stems from a timely opportunity to revisit Marvel's cosmic corner. Hickman shared, "I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe. That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do Imperial. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book."

The success of the new Ultimate line has paved the way for Imperial, which aims to serve as a foundation for a fresh line of cosmic books. When asked about the similarities between these initiatives, Hickman noted, "You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed within the current market. A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this."

He further elaborated on the differences, stating, "The big difference, obviously, is that this isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be doing the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. Which has its pluses and minuses, but I think most people will be pleased about."

Comparisons to 2006's Annihilation crossover were inevitable, given its significant impact on Marvel's cosmic heroes and the emergence of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. However, Hickman clarified, "No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that. The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No."

Imperial also builds on elements from Hickman's previous Marvel projects, such as the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line, which set the stage for Imperial by bringing back the former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier to rescue their daughter Xandra. Additionally, the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, first introduced in 2015's Secret Wars, makes a return. Despite these connections, Hickman emphasized, "Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books. Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."

The series also takes the Hulk family in a more cosmic direction, with Hulk and She-Hulk returning to the war-torn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of the iconic 2006 Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman hinted at the significance of this setting, saying, "All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by."

The creative team behind Imperial includes artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. Hickman praised their work, noting, "Both of those guys are crushing it. I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here."

Imperial #1 is slated for release on June 4, 2025.