Imperial's Impact: Reshaping Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

*Imperial* stands as one of Marvel's most ambitious and expansive comic book projects slated for 2025. Spearheaded by Jonathan Hickman, the mastermind behind transformative Marvel narratives such as *House of X* and *the new Ultimate Universe*, *Imperial* aims to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. In the same vein as his previous works, Hickman's latest endeavor promises to usher in a new era for these iconic characters.

To delve deeper into how *Imperial* plans to revolutionize the cosmic realm, IGN had the opportunity to discuss the project with Hickman via email. Below, you can explore an exclusive preview gallery of *Imperial #1*, followed by more insights into the series.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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Curious about the inception of *Imperial*, we asked Hickman whether this was a story he was eager to tell or if Marvel approached him to replicate the success of *Krakoa* and *Ultimate Invasion*. Hickman shared, "I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe. That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do *Imperial*. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book."

The success of the new Ultimate line over the past two years has set a precedent, and *Imperial* is poised to serve as the cornerstone for a new series of cosmic books. We inquired about the parallels Hickman sees between the two initiatives and any lessons he's applying from the Ultimate Universe launch to *Imperial*.

"You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in the current market," Hickman noted. "A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this."

He added, "The big difference, obviously, is that this isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be doing the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. Which has its pluses and minuses, but I think most people will be pleased about."

*Imperial* also evokes memories of the 2006 *Annihilation* crossover, which significantly altered the status quo for Marvel's cosmic heroes and shifted the power dynamics, paving the way for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. When asked about similarities between *Annihilation* and *Imperial*, Hickman clarified, "No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that. The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No."

While *Imperial* draws on elements from Hickman’s earlier Marvel works, such as the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men series, which resurrected the former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reunited her with Charles Xavier to rescue their daughter Xandra, and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda introduced in *Secret Wars* and further developed in Ta-Nehisi Coates' *Black Panther*, Hickman clarified that these connections are not as deep as they might appear.

"Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books," Hickman explained. "Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."

*Imperial* also marks a significant shift for the Hulk family, bringing them back to the war-torn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of the 2006 *Planet Hulk* storyline. Hickman hinted at the timing behind this return, stating, "All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of *Planet Hulk* and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by."

Finally, regarding the creative decision to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello, Hickman praised their work, saying, "Both of those guys are crushing it. I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here."

*Imperial #1* is set to be released on June 4, 2025.