Empyre will touch every part of the Marvel Universe, and that includes the afterlife according to Marvel’s June 2020 Solicits. As part of their new reveals Marvel introduced a new Empyre tie-in titled Lords of Empyre: Swordsman #1, and if you remember who the Swordsman is, you’ll also know that the issue means he is back from the dead. The issue will feature the return of Jacques DuQuesne from the afterlife, and he will be teaming up with his son Quoi on a new adventure pitched as a “journey of discovery” by Alex Paknadel and Thomas Nachlik. You can check out the issue’s cover by Rod Reis below.
For those unfamiliar with the Swordsman, DuQuesne was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck and first appeared in The Avengers #19 (1965). As his name implies, Swordsman’s abilities revolve around his sword, as he is thought to be one of the best swordsman in the world, and also possesses increased agility. Thanks to some tinkering on The Mandarin’s part, his sword can command different elements and abilities, like energy blasts, flames, and more.
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The character first appeared as a Hawkeye villain but would be rehabilitated and even had a child with Mantis. He would meet his death during a battle with Kang, who had kidnapped the Avengers and left Swordsman behind. Swordsman would successfully free the Avengers, but when Mantis was threatened by Kang, Swordsman sacrificed himself to save her life, dying in the process.
Granted, he would be revived or reanimated several times afterward, but none of those stuck, and he’s been dead for a bit now. Now he’s back though, and you can find the official description for the issue below.
Lords of Empyre: Swordsman #1
ALEX PAKNADEL (W) • THOMAS NACHLIK (A) • Cover by Rod Reis
Variant cover by Jay Anacleto
“The swordsman has been resurrected! But there are more secrets than what lies beyond the grave… Join Swordsman and his son, Quoi, as they embark on a journey of discovery here on Earth – one they can’t walk back from!”
40 PGS./ONE-SHOT/Rated T+ …$4.99
Lords of Empyre: Swordsman #1 hits stores this June.
