Iron Man Takes on a New Superhero Identity in Marvel's Multiversal Avengers Series
The Multiverse is taking over the Marvel Universe. Fans have gotten a glimpse of the Multiverse in the Loki Disney+ series, and will see more on the big screen in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, Marvel Comics is not looking to be outdone, as the publisher plans to launch Avengers Forever, a new series focused on Earth's Mightiest Heroes from across the Multiverse. A preview of December's Avengers Forever #1 by writer Jason Aaron, artist Aaron Kuder, and colorist Jason Keith finds a variant of Tony Stark taking on a new superhero identity that isn't Iron Man.
Meet Tony Stark, the Invincible Ant-Man. In one of the many alternate realities of Avengers Forever, Tony Stark becomes an archeologist instead of an inventor and takes up the mantle of Ant-Man. In the preview pages, Tony/Ant-Man is chased by a swarm of Venomized ants, discovers Mjolnir (and attempts to pick it up), and looks over cave drawings depicting the seven symbols representing the prehistoric Avengers — a hammer with lightning as its handle for Odin, a firebird for the Phoenix, a dragon tattoo for Iron Fist, a panther head for Black Panther, the Eye of Agamotto for the Sorcerer Supreme, the Starbrand, and a skull engulfed in flames for the Ghost Rider.
"Avengers #50 lights the fire. AVENGERS FOREVER is the explosion that follows," Jason Aaron explained. "A slam bang supernova of a megabomb that sends shockwaves across all of reality, to earth after earth that's been defaced by the new Multiversal Masters of Evil, to the ruins of Asgard at the end of time, to an Avengers Tower that sits atop a bedrock of fallen gods at Infinity's End. Along the way, we meet some new versions of Avengers we know, as well as witness the return of some dear old friends, in a series that will swing for the fences with each and every issue, as the Mightiest Heroes of all the Earths in the heavens look to assemble as never before."
"Completely stoked to be working on Avengers Forever… In space no one can hear you scream. In alternate realities, no one can tell you 'that doesn't fit with continuity,'" Kuder said. "It is a huge blast to work together on this with Jason. The over-the-top nature of this, the craziness of the scope…that is, in my opinion, one of Jason's strongest storytelling flexes. This is going to be a blast for anyone on this ride."
Avengers Forever #1 launches on December 22.