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"Heroes Reborn" was an event in which Marvel Comics temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former employees Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. Launched in 1996, the "Heroes Reborn" line represented the aftermath of that year's Onslaught event.
Following the apparent "deaths" of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four during the Onslaught affair, their series were restarted from #1, with the intent of telling their adventures anew for modern generations. This was explained, in-story, as their having been transported into a pocket universe by Franklin Richards, the near-omnipotent son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, to save them, where they lived their lives again in new, different ways, oblivious to their pasts.
For this reworking, Marvel "farmed out" the properties to some of their former employees who had left the company to form Image Comics; Jim Lee's studios handled Fantastic Four and Iron Man, while Rob Liefeld took the reins of Avengers and Captain America. However, after six issues, Liefeld's books were reportedly not meeting their minimum sales quotas, and his titles were given to Lee, who finished their runs. While Avengers had performed poorly with fans for Liefeld's issues, Walt Simonson took over the book when it moved to Lee's studios and produced a well-regarded conclusion. Between the outsourcing of the stories to Image and the changes made to the characters, the "Heroes Reborn" event generated controversy both with critics and fans. Despite this, it was still an unqualified financial success. [http://www.cbgxtra.com/Default.aspx?tabid=1672 At the end of the storyline, the Fantastic Four and Avengers were returned to the mainstream Marvel Universe, again through the intervention of Franklin Richards. The ensuing storyline, dubbed "Heroes Return" was once again created in-house at Marvel Comics.
"Heroes Reborn" revisited
With 2006 marking the "Heroes Reborn" event's 10th anniversary, Marvel is re-visiting it with a new event. First, the reality-travelling Exiles visited the "Heroes Reborn" Earth Exiles #81-82. Next, Marvel will release a collected edition of the "Heroes Reborn" titles in Fall 2006. Finally, in November 2006, Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld will reunite for Onslaught Reborn, a five-part weekly limited series that features both Onslaught and a world similar to the "Heroes Reborn" universe. The latter will tie in with the memorial scholarship fund established in honor of Loeb's son Sam. *
Trivia
- Liefeld and Loeb's run on Avengers hints that the "Heroes Reborn" Hawkeye might be Simon Williams, not Clint Barton as he is in the mainstream continuity. When Walt Simonson took over the title, however, he revealed Hawkeye to be Clint Barton after all. Simonson stated that he did not speak with Liefeld prior to becoming the writer of the series and had no knowledge of Liefeld's plans for the series. *
Bibliography
- Fantastic Four Vol. 2 #1-13
- Avengers Vol. 2 #1-13
- Iron Man Vol. 2 #1-13
- Captain America Vol. 2 #1-13
- Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4 (December 1997)
- Heroes Reborn fifth week event, (January 2000)
- Heroes Reborn: Doomsday
- Heroes Reborn: Rebel
- Heroes Reborn: Masters of Evil
- Heroes Reborn: Ashema
- Heroes Reborn: Remnants
- Heroes Reborn: Young Allies
- Heroes Reborn: Doom
- Exiles #81-82
"Heroes Reborn"