NYCC ’17: The Marvel Legacy Panel With Soule, Rosenberg, Duggan, Rowell, Henderson, And More

In the Marvel Legacy: Next Big Thing Panel at New York Comic Con today, on Thursday, the opening day at the show, panelists included Matthew Rosenberg, Axel Alonso, Ed Brisson, Erica Henderson, Javier Garron, Gerry Duggan, Charles Soule and Rainbow Rowell. The panel was hosted by Nick Lowe with fellow editor Mark Basso joining the panel.
Talking about the comics, Lowe kicked off with Iron Fist #74, bringing Sabretooth into the book. Brisson said that even though he’s an X-Men character, Sabretooth debuted in Iron Fist originally. They have a “longstanding beef with each other”, Brisson said. Sabretooth holds intense grudges too.
The Immortal Iron Fists #6 introduces a second Iron Fist, an adolescent girl. This book is an exclusive to the Marvel App and ComiXology app.
The Defenders series is coming up to issue #6, and is bringing in Deadpool on October 11^th.

Daredevil is coming up to issue #595, where we have “Mayor Wilson Fisk”. Writer Charles Soule said the idea for this came from how much Fisk actually loves New York, though his ideas of how to express that are opposed to Daredevil’s ideas. The premise is that Kingpin becomes the “King”. In #600, there will be a “massive” story, trying to do something “unique”, Soule said.
The Punisher #218 will introduce us to a plot where Punisher takes the War Machine armor. Writer Rosenberg says that Punisher decides that a good target is worth going after, but he needs to “level up”. He wants to go to Europe and overthrow a coup, and in order to take that on, he needs the War Machine armor. He’s one of the most dangerous people in the Marvel Universe, but now he has a nuclear weapon. Rosenberg says here we’re “accelerating” Frank Castle’s personality to a “nightmarish pace”. Covers are by Clayton Crain.
Punisher: The Platoon #2 is on sale in October, written by Garth Ennis with art by Goran Parlov. The story follows Castle’s first tour of Vietnam. We meet his men in his platoon and their adversaries. We meet a young woman assassin who causes “major problems” for Frank, according to Lowe.
Secret Warriors #8 releases in November, and artist Javier Garron said that drawing the comic was very “dramatic” due to the plot of the story. In the “extreme sitation” where a group of people are facing the events of Secret Empire, and these people are masters of various forms of combat. We also have the most intelligent person in the Marvel U, Moon Girl, and the question is how all these people can work together in a team.
They have to find a way to trust each other, Garron said, but it’s far from simple. They are “falling apart” but have to stay together due to the threats they face. We still find “humor” in the book, he said, and it’s a book with “a little bit of everything”. The first arc is mainly Inhumans vs. X-Men, but the second arc will also include “direct consequences” from that. “What’s not to love?” he asked.
Rosenberg added that in the Legacy arc, it’s going to be about the “young characters” who don’t really identify as Inhumans, and are looking for a “cure for this in some way”. Mr. Sinister from the X-Men will appear, as well as Magic from New Mutants and X-Men. She’ll be joining the team of Secret Warriors as a “semi-functional” element.
Runaways received a round of applause when Lowe mentioned it as the next book for discussion. Issue #3 arrives in November. Writer Rainbow Rowell said that each of the characters have always felt like they went “600 miles an hour” to her. She was “desperate” to bring the characters back. The Runaways are a group of characters who never “chose” each other as family, and now have to decide properly. It’s a “getting the band back together” story, but some of the team are dead or gone, so that was challenging, she said. They are characters who don’t really wear costumes, so Chris Anka’s clothing designs were really important.
A free copy of Runaways #1 will be available at retailers during HalloweenFest this month.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl also got a big round of applause. Erica Henderson said that in issue #25, for Legacy, she’s going to space! Scammers are going from planet to planet pretending Galactus is going to destroy their planet unless they pay bribe money. There will be a “zine” issue for #26 that’s comprised of separate stories with many guest participants.
Guardians of the Galaxy #146 lands in November, and in their Legacy storyline, Duggan said that there will be very “dangerous” things happening as people are questing for stones. A former SHIELD agent in the Nova Corps is going to ask the Guardians to join them to help combat this situation. Their new teammate is going to be Ant-Man. He hitches a ride “off planet” and some discoveries may “keep him with the Guardians a little while”, said Duggan.
In #147, Peter Quill be driving a new ‘Nova Hawk’ and Nova will be on a mission with him. Their “giant” issue #150 will feature Adam Warlock, and Duggan teased another “return” too.
Deadpool #287 arrives October 11^th. Duggan says it’s “Deadpool’s legacy” to kill Cable. Deadpool finds himself in a situation where he has to agree to kill 4 people form a list to follow through on an old promise.
Lowe announced a new series for March 2018 called Weapon H. The Weapon X program is used to create a “Hulk with claws”, which Lowe said is the most “8 year old idea” they’ve ever had, and he loves it.
During the Q&A, an audience member asked when Squirrel Girl was going to “blow up” and be put as a guest feature in many other comics. Henderson pointed out that there are already three Squirrel Girl timelines, so Old Woman Squirrel Girl is coming up. She’s also going to be in the TV show, New Warriors, Lowe reminded.