Imperial's Impact: Reshaping Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious and expansive comic book projects to date: Imperial. Spearheaded by the visionary Jonathan Hickman, known for his groundbreaking work on House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, Imperial is poised to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This series promises to shake up the cosmic status quo in a way that fans have come to expect from Hickman's innovative storytelling.

To delve deeper into how Imperial will transform the cosmic realm, IGN had the privilege of discussing the project via email with Hickman. Below, you can explore an exclusive preview of Imperial #1 in our slideshow gallery, followed by insights into the series' creation and its place within the Marvel Universe.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

View 8 Images

The genesis of Imperial was driven by a perfect confluence of timing, interest, and opportunity. Hickman explains, "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 provided a blueprint for the launch of Imperial. When asked about the similarities and lessons learned from the Ultimate Universe, Hickman noted, "You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed within the current market. 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 further clarified the differences, stating, "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."

While Imperial evokes memories of 2006's Annihilation crossover, which reshaped the cosmic landscape and set the stage for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, Hickman sees no direct parallels in terms of plot or story. He remarked, "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."

Though Imperial draws on elements from Hickman's previous work, such as the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line and the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda from Secret Wars and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther, Hickman emphasizes that the series isn't as tied to his past projects as one might assume. He shared, "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. Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."

Imperial also marks a return to cosmic storytelling for the Hulk family, with the preview art showcasing Hulk and She-Hulk revisiting the war-torn world of Sakaar from the iconic Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman teases, "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."

Lastly, Hickman discusses the creative decision to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. He praised their collaboration, 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 hit the shelves on June 4, 2025. For more insights into the world of comics, check out what you should read in this year’s FCBD lineup, and don't miss our exclusive interview with the writers of TMNT: The Last Ronin II.