With a palette as rich as the Marvel Universe, you've got good odds that even creators and editors who have spent years working for the House of Ideas have certain characters they've never touched but long to explore creatively.
This week, Marvel.com asked those talented folks what dream projects they still aspire to make reality someday.
It's Friday, so kick back, relax and enjoy.
MIKE PERKINS (artist of THE STAND: CAPTAIN TRIPS): I've always had an inkling for the so called "B" heroes although I gave that itch a good scratch working on HOUSE OF M: AVENGERS—although I'd still love to tackle Deathlok. No! The Inhumans...So much political and character intrigue and stunning costumes. No! No! I know...Daredevil...Black Widow...Elektra. Wait! Hold on! Wolverine. I think I could contribute a gritty, visually alluring version of everyone's favorite hairy Canadian, and I don't mean Steve McNiven!
IVAN BRANDON (writer of SECRET INVASION: HOME INVASION): He was in a couple pages of [my Machine Man story in MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS], so I don't know if this is breaking the rules, but I'd say hands down, Iron Man. He's a near-perfect character, a self-made superman. Beyond that I'd probably say Daredevil, who's been one of my favorite characters since I was a kid.
KARL KESEL (writer of MARVEL APES): This one's easy: Dragon Man. I've always
loved Dragon Man—he's one of those great primal characters that [Stan] Lee and [Jack] Kirby concocted. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I also have a deep fondness for all those mighty Marvel Monsters they also came up with—Sporr! Taboo! Groot! I will go to my grave insisting that Dragon Man would make the perfect "Godzilla" to fight all those monsters—supported by a brave and brilliant band of human helpers, of course. Maybe someday...
STEVE EPTING (artist of CAPTAIN AMERICA): This one is easy for me. Spider-Man is the character that hooked me into comics and made me a life long fan. Runners up include Daredevil, Thor, Hulk and Iron Man—but Spidey is king.
FRED VAN LENTE (writer of MARVEL ZOMBIES 3): I've done the Marvel Adventures version, but I'd love to do the regular [Marvel Universe] Fantastic Four, since the potential for their adventures is literally endless.
PHIL JIMENEZ (artist of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN): Although nothing scares me like following Bryan Hitch on
anything, I have to say, I'd love a
shot at drawing the Fantastic Four, particularly with a spotlight on Susan Storm—
sometimes visible, of course.
TOM BREVOORT (Marvel Executive Editor): I've worked on pretty much everybody at one time or another, so there are very few answers to this question that aren't way off the beaten track. DAREDEVIL is really about the only option.
PAUL CORNELL (writer of CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI: 13): I keep saying I'd love to do the Dynamic Defenders, but I think that's been thoroughly taken care of lately, and since my Defenders are guys like Nighthawk, the Valkyrie and Hellcat, I think it'd be a hard sell!
HUMBERTO RAMOS (artist of RUNAWAYS): The
new Fantastic Four. The Young Avengers. Carnage.
HOWARD CHAYKIN (writer of SQUADRON SUPREME): I'd love to do DAMAGE CONTROL: YEAR ONE. Really.
JOE POKASKI (writer of SECRET INVASION: INHUMANS): For me, since I was eight, it's always been about Spider-Man. There's something perfect about the character. Not invulnerable, always scrambling for a victory, and a wiseass to boot. To me he has always been truly unique as a super hero in the sense that you care about Peter Parker as much, if not more, than you care about Spider-Man. One day, in the distant future, it would be great to make a contribution to that mythology.
STUART MOORE (former Marvel editor): I'd love a crack at Adam Warlock. The idea of this artificially-created guy who's just a blank slate, but with godlike power, fascinates me. The Jim Starlin series from the '70s completely blew me away. It'd be great to try and craft a modern version of it that just keeps expanding, from planet to galaxy to universe to omniverse to...Whatever lies beyond, I guess...All seen through the eyes of one god-man who's just learning who he is and what he's capable of.
RALPH MACCHIO (Marvel Senior Editor): I would enjoy taking a crack at editing a Sub-Mariner monthly. This is arguably Marvel's longest lived character with enough nobility to shame the Queen of England.
He has four-fifths of the Earth as his domain. There are so many types of stories you can do about Namor from Tolkien-esque fantasy tales to topical stories about ocean pollution and global climate change. Namor has it all from the cool name to an entire undersea kingdom. It would be an honor to edit a character of such depth and longevity.
CHRISTOS GAGE (writer of CIVIL WAR: HOUSE OF M): For me it's Hercules. As a Greek, it's a matter of ethnic pride!
TONY ISABELLA (former writer of CAPTAIN AMERICA): Being something of a utility infielder for Marvel in the 1970s, I got to write most of my favorite characters for at least a scene or two. There are characters I would love another shot at—Luke Cage as so brilliantly developed by Brian Bendis, maybe the Living Mummy,
maybe Man-Thing—but that's not what you asked.
Only one character leaps to mind: Steve Gerber's Howard the Duck. I mean, who better to write Howard than someone born and raised in Cleveland like yours truly? Okay, maybe Bendis or Harvey Pekar, but still...
Gerber was a genius and nowhere was that more evident than in his Howard stories. He was a good friend of mine when I lived in New York and I'd love the challenge of trying to do something even half as good as what he did. I even have a Cleveland-centric idea of what I would do in an extended storyline.
Hmm...maybe I should add a Howard pitch to my "to-do" list.
KEVIN GREVIOUX (writer of NEW WARRIORS): I'd
love to get a crack at Thor one day. He has such a rich background that I don't think it can ever be exhausted story-wise. He is the one Marvel character that is perfectly at home in the different creative spheres of fantasy, science fiction and super hero action-adventure.
TOMMY LEE EDWARDS (artist of MARVEL 1985): Daredevil has always been my holy grail. I've been able to do some covers for that book, but never had the chance to sink my teeth into the character. I'd also love to tackle Thor.
TOM DEFALCO (writer of AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL): Since I've had the privilege of working on almost every Marvel super hero at one time or another, I would love to take a shot at some of Marvel's more exotic characters. I think a sword and sorcery series starring the original Black Knight during the time of King Arthur could be fun. A new teenage humor comic starring Millie the Model or Sherry the Showgirl would also be a blast to work on. It
would be interesting to explore the Punisher who uses his war on crime to punish criminals and himself. And, of course, I wouldn't mind creating a whole bunch of brand new characters!
RAFA SANDOVAL (artist of INCREDIBLE HERCULES): One of my favorite characters is Spider-Man. I have never drawn Spider-Man but I hope to have the opportunity to be able to some day.
TODD NAUCK (artist of AMERICAN DREAM): The first Marvel comic I started reading regularly was UNCANNY X-MEN. I'd enjoy taking a shot with an X-Book. Maybe something with the original New Mutants.
Of course, I'd also enjoy anything with the classic characters like Cyclops, Beast, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Rogue, etc.
And I also like the more obscure or less seen X-Men like Longshot, Havok and Polaris.
I love team books with lots of characters, so an X-Men comic would be a lot of fun for me!
Check out the official Marvel Shop for the best mighty Marvel merchandise!
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
