Imperial to Transform Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

In 2025, Marvel Comics is set to launch one of its most ambitious projects yet with Imperial, spearheaded by the visionary Jonathan Hickman, renowned for his transformative works like House of X and the new Ultimate Universe. This series promises to redefine the landscape for Marvel’s cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy, creating a fresh status quo that fans are eagerly anticipating.

To give fans a glimpse into how Imperial will reshape the cosmic universe, IGN had the opportunity to engage in an email conversation with Hickman. Dive into an exclusive preview of Imperial #1 in the slideshow gallery below, and continue reading for more insights.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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The genesis of Imperial stems from a perfect alignment of timing and opportunity. Hickman explains to IGN, “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.”

Drawing parallels to the successful relaunch of the Ultimate line, Hickman notes that Imperial will serve as the cornerstone for a new array of cosmic books. He shares, “You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in 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.”

However, he points out a key difference, 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.”

While Imperial might evoke memories of the 2006 Annihilation crossover, Hickman clarifies that the two projects are fundamentally different. “No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that,” he says. “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.”

Despite incorporating elements from his previous works, such as the “Hunt for Xavier” crossover in the X-Men line and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda from Secret Wars and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther series, Hickman emphasizes that Imperial isn’t just a continuation of his past narratives. “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,” he explains. “Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect.”

Additionally, Imperial is set to bring the Hulk family back into the cosmic spotlight, with the preview art hinting at a return to Sakaar, reminiscent of the iconic Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman teases, “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, whose collaborative efforts are crucial given the series' accelerated publishing schedule. Hickman praises their work, stating, “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.