New Universe

The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was the first line produced by Marvel Comics utilizing a pre-conceived shared universe concept. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco.

In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics' 25th anniversary, Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter launched the New Universe line of comics. This was to be a distinctly separate world consisting of its own continuing characters and stories in a more realistic setting. Superhuman activity would have more realistic consequences, yet the characters and their powers would be limited and thus more subdued in their activities.

The premise behind the line of comics was that, prior to July 22, 1986, the New Universe was relatively "normal". The New Universe's first abnormality was the White Event, a strange astronomical phenomenon that occurred on July 22, 1986, at 4:22 a.m., EST, and lasted for mere moments. It bathed the Earth in a bright white light and caused genetic anomalies in two out of every one million humans, which led to them developing superhuman powers. These humans were referred to as paranormals.

The original New Universe titles included:


 * Mark Hazzard: Merc
 * Spitfire and the Troubleshooters
 * Nightmask
 * Psi-Force
 * Justice
 * Star Brand
 * D.P.7
 * Kickers, Inc.

Sales were sluggish and four of them (Codename: Spitfire, Merc, Kickers Inc. and Nightmask) were cancelled after their initial year. From that point on, the remaining titles were taken in a radically new direction following the Black Event, which resulted in the complete destruction of Pittsburgh. The Black Event and its effects were depicted in two graphic novels and a four-part bookshelf format series:


 * The Pitt
 * The Draft
 * The War

In 2006, the universe was revisited with a series of one-shots and short stories collectively called the Untold Tales of the New Universe, which take place prior to the Black Event. These stories included:


 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Kickers, Inc.
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Nightmask
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Marc Hazzard: Merc
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Justice
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: DP7
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Spitfire
 * Untold Tales of the New Universe: Psi-Force

Trivia

 * Adding to the sense of realism, the New Universe titles were designed to operate in real-time(a month would lapse in the universe for each month that passed in reality). The limitation of fantasy elements, and the low-key nature of the characters' activities in the New Universe, gave the imprint verisimilitude, to seem like "The World Outside Your Window," which was the series catchphrase.