Nuke Me with the New!

New Universe Checklist

Are you a hopless completist? Do you have to own every single appearance of every New Universe character ever? Don't worry, this page is here to help. No, not to overcome your addicition, but to let you know exactly what comics you need to get to make your collection complete. All comics published by Marvel unless otherwise noted. Story arcs are in chronological order in each section and identified by when they were published. Series are identified by the year in which the first issue was published, although single issues are sometimes identified by their cover date.

Core Titles (1986–1989)

For more information on these, see the New Universe Publishing History.

Collections

Prelude to Starblast (1992–1994)

Quasar #31, written by D.P. 7 writer Mark Gruenwald, features Quasar traveling to and getting stuck in the New Universe. Quasar seeks out the fighter pilot given the Star Brand in Star Brand #19 and convinces him to let him have the Brand to get him back home. This is the first time any of these characters have been seen in contiunity since The War #4.

Two subplots come out of Quasar's trip to the New Universe through the next several issues. The first concerns one of Randy O'Brien's mini-antibodies that hitches a ride with Quasar back to the Marvel Universe, but ends up in Quagmire (Quasar #36, 37, 43-46). The second is that while Quasar thinks he burned the Star Brand out getting home, he actually transferred it to his girlfriend, Kayla Ballantine (Quasar #32-53). As you can see from the range, this sub-plot was drawn out for a long time. New Universe fans should be warned that it took a long time to finally reveal Kayla had the Star Brand. It also wraps up the old Questprobe series, of all things, along the way. The Kayla sub-plot culminates in Starblast (below).

Starblast (1994)

During this four-issue limited series, Quasar is heavily featured and his series is pretty much required reading for the event. Starblast culminates with the Earth of the New Universe brought into the Marvel Universe, but it is then sealed off so that no interaction with it can take place. The final appearance of the New Universe Earth for a decade comes in Quasar #60. (Although it's literally an appearance of the Earth. No New Universe characters are seen.)

Justice in 2099 (1993–1996)

I have to admit, I don't own any of these comics at the moment. From what I've gathered on the Internet, Justice first appeared as a somewhat amnesiac character called the Net Prophet. By his final appearances, he regained his memory, but the series was canceled before it got beyond that. Note that Spider-Man 2099 was written by Peter David, who also wrote the last half of Justice. See Tensen 2099 on the Links page for more details.

World Tour (2005)

The Exiles' "World Tour" brings them to a universe much like the New Universe in Exiles #72. They drop in at what would be the very end of D.P. 7 #1. Justice, Nightmask, and Star Brand (Ken Connell) are also featured. The Exiles continue their adventure in the not-quite-the-New-Universe through Exiles #74. At that point they and their villain, Proteus, move on to 2099. Proteus does so in Justice's body, which is last seen in Exiles #75. In 2008, a follow-up was done in an Exiles one-shot featuring Jenny Swensen (spelled "Swenson" in the comic) and the MAX armor.

Untold Tales of the New Universe (2006)

Marvel published this New Universe event in March (cover date of May 2006). There were five one-shots and three backup tales in Amazing Fantasy and New Avengers. More information on each title can be found at the Untold Tales page. This acted as a prelude to the launch of newuniversal (see Re-imaginings at the bottom of the page).

Squadrons Sinister and Supreme (2015–2017)

During Marvel's Secret Wars event in 2015 (not to be confused with the original Marvel Super Heros Secret Wars event in 1984–85), the Squadron Sinister limited series, part of the Warzones set of tie-ins, detailed the attempt by the Squadron Sinister of Utopolis to annex the surrounding territories, including Nutopia, which featured many prominent New Universe characters.

This paved the way for James Robinson's Squadron Supreme series that ran for 15 issues from 2016 to 2017. The team included Blur (of D.P. 7) amongst of cast of characters from destroyed universes seeking retribution against those that they blamed for the destruction. Blur is the only New Universe character that appears with Squadron Supreme.

Blur made additional cameos alongside Squadron Supreme in:

Secret Warps (2019)

A follow-up to the Infinity Warps sub-event that happened during the Infinity Wars event of 2018, this is a series of five Annuals telling a connected story about these characters that are each a mashup of two diferent Marvel characters. On the last page of Part 3, the Supreme Seven appear. They are mashups of the Squadron Supreme and various New Universe characters: Starbrand (Hyperbrand), Spitfire (Codename: Eagle), Justice (Dr. Justice), Mastadon (Meglodon), Glitter (Princess Powerhouse), Blur (Blurrer), and Nightmask (Hawkmask).

Marvel Comics #1001 (2019)

This issue, continuing the 80th anniversary celebration from the previous issue, features a story titled, "Us: Kickers, Inc.!" This one-page story (all the stories are only one page) was written by the McElroys with art by Ig Guara, colors by Triona Farrell, and letters by VC's Clayton Cowles. It features the members of Kickers, Inc. pitching movie ideas to an agent. The final panel features cameos by Star Brand, Spitfire, Nightmask, and Psi-Hawk.

Marvel Handbook (2005–2007)

In 2004, Marvel revived The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (OHOTMU), initially as a series of one-shots. The New Universe characters hadn't appeared in the previous incarnations because they weren't part of the Marvel Universe. However, the New Universe got it's own entry in The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005. Then Justice received an entry in the monthly All-New Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z while other major characters got listings in a special handbook patterned after the Deluxe Edition of the original series. Since then, Marvel has continued to dole out a character here and there with their OHOTMU updates.

Cameos

Quasar #4 (Marvel, December 1989)
This issue is by the all the same creators -- down to the colorist and letterer -- responsible for the final half of the D.P. 7 series and features a cameo by two unnamed characters that look exactly like Charlotte "Friction" Beck and Stephanie "Glitter" Harrington of D.P. 7. Was this writer Mark Gruenwald's idea or penciller Paul Ryan's?
Avengers West Coast #65 (Marvel, December 1990)
Former D.P. 7 artist Paul Ryan sneaked in a gag where the names of the original members of D.P. 7 appear on the tombstones in a graveyard.
Speed Demon #1 (Marvel as Amalgam Comics, April 1996)
This is part of the Amalgam Comics skip week event between DC vs. Marvel/Marvel vs. DC #3 and #4. All the comics published by DC and Marvel this week took place in the Amalgam Universe, a blend of the Marvel and DC Universes. Page 1 featured Hal Jordan of the Starbrand Corps being stalked by Guardian of the Universe Uatu, who mentions that "a new universe looms on the horizon."
Challengers of the Fantastic #1 (Marvel as Amalgam Comics, June 1997)
This is part of the 1997 Amalgam Comics skip week event. As above, all the comics published by DC and Marvel this week took place in the Amalgam Universe, a blend of the Marvel and DC Universes. On page 5 of this comic, Reed "Prof" Richards discovers "Universe-Two" in which the "'Heroic Age' began during World War Two with groups such as Spitfire and the Blackhawks continuing into the present day with certain descendents playing professional sports as Infinite Kickers, Inc."
Avengers Forever #12 (Marvel, October 1999)
Someone wearing what looks like a Star Brand costume appears in the double-page spread on page 3.
Gambit #19 (Marvel, August 2000)
A mutant named Quiet Bill has the power to peer into alternate universes. In this issue, one of those includes a view of Ken Connell as Star Brand. According to writer Fabian Nicieza, this was going to lead to appearances by at least some of the New Universe characters, but he was pulled from the title before this could come to fruition.
Amazing Spider-Man #559 (Marvel, July 2008)
This issue contains a visual gag of "Starbrand Coffee," a parody of Starbucks, but using the Star Brand logo, in the background.

Parodies

Failed Universe (Blackthorne Publishing, 1986)
The New Universe launched in the middle of a big boom in the comic book industry. Part of this was the "Black and White Explosion," which encompassed many a parody book like this one. In the story, Mediocre Comics decides to create a new universe with their marketing department's cosmic computer. It churns out the titles "Starbland"; "Misfire and the Tequilashooters"; "Sue Force", a group of precognitive lawyers who can summon up F. Lee Belly; "Mark Lizzard: Jerk", "P.P. 7" (Paranoid Paranormals); "Nightflask"; "S-Kickers", a group of Canadian hockey players with super powers; and "Just Dressed," who kills those that are out of fashion. In the end, they're all done in by the Reader, who says none of the characters interest him. It turns out the creative department sabotaged the computer. They were fired and the new titles were published anyway.
Legends #5 (DC, March 1987)
For four pages of this issue, Green Lantern Guy Gardner fights a supervillain named Sunspot. Sunspot wears a suit that looks like the one Ken Connell (Star Brand) wore, except Sunspot's is blue with brown gloves instead of Connell's brown with blue gloves. His power comes from a red spot in the palm of his hand. Sunspot claims to have "the power to create a new universe." He ends up burning off his own foot with his power trying to destroy one of Gardner's ring constructs binding it.
Aristocratic Xtraterrestrial Time-Traveling Thieves vol. 2, #2 (Comics Interview, April 1987)
Known as X-Thieves for short, this science fiction humor series featured a pair of thieves named Fred and Bianca who are as described in the title. In this issue, one of the Thieves' nemeses, the Continuity Inquisistion, hires reality to come to their universe. This prevents the Thieves from pulling many of their normal stunts. Reality is apparently male, but we never actually see him. A couple of lines talk about how busy reality was with "another universe" and how this one is eight times smaller (because there's only one title instead of eight, you see). The story ends with Fred tossing reality out of the book. He lands in "another universe, another book" where, still locked in a case, he's recoved by a familiar, long-haired, blond man wearing a distinctive jacket and riding a motor cycle." The man's orders were to keep reality under lock and key if he came back.

Re-imaginings

newuniversal (2006–2008)

This series is Warren Ellis' attempt to reinvent the New Universe from the beginning. It's an ensemble book featuring multiple characters who develop powers and are, at least initially, unaware of each other. One can't help but draw parallels to NBC's hit series Heroes, which was out at the same time.

The series has gone on hiatus twice. First, after the completion of newuniversal #6 and then again after newuniversal: shockfront #2 (of six-issue limited series). The latter was a result of Ellis losing all his scripts and notes in a computer crash (and only having corrupted backups). In June 2010, Ellis claimed he would be returning newuniversal, but the series failed to rematerialize.

Starbrand Reed Richards (2009)

An alternate reality version of Reed Richards somehow obtained the Starbrand of his universe and later joined the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. He died near the end of the arc and his body was recovered later.

Avengers (2013–2017)

Jonathan Hickman mixed the concepts of the original New Universe and newuniversal and put his own mark on them in Avengers vol. 5 (2013). This included new versions of Starbrand (now one word and possessed by Kevin Connor), Nighmask (Adam Blackveil), and the White Event in Universe-616 (the primary Marvel Comics universe). These new versions of Starbrand and Nightmask played a part in the Infinity event of 2014 before going on to have their own short-lived series in 2016. Connor was killed in Marvel Legacy #1.

Troubleshooters (2017)

After the Secret Wars event of 2015, the Marvel and Ultimate universes were united. A new team using the Ultimates name was created. And to keep an eye on that team, the Troubleshooters were made. The characters shared names and had similar powers to the New Universe characters they were based on. Most dervied their powers from a connection to the Psi-Force.

Starbrand Reborn (2018–present)

Starbrand 1,000,000 B.C.

Jason Aaaron brought in new characters possessing the Starbrand during Avengers vol. 8 in 2018. One was the Starbrand of 1,000,000 B.C., a gay caveman named Vnn who was featured in a flashback in the first issue. It was later revealed that Vnn had gotten the Starbrand from an earlier Earth protector, a T. Rex.

Suzanne and Brandy

In modern times, a woman named Suzanne Selby possessed the Starbrand through unrevealed means. She died giving birth to her daughter, who inherited the Starbrand. The arc was called "Starbrand Reborn" on the covers, running from #27-30 (with #26 as a prelude, see above). The new Starbrand ("Brandy") has been making appearances since and seems to be quickly aging.

Need even more New Universe stuff? Check out the New Universe Bibliography or Memorbilia.