‘Generations’ Will Bring Dead Marvel Heroes Back to Life

The classic comic book heroes of the Marvel Universe are about to make a comeback — although Marvel isn’t saying how it’s going to happen just yet.

Ten contemporary Marvel heroes — including Ms. Marvel, Ironheart and the the all-new Wolverine — will team up with their predecessors as part of the three-month storyline Generations, it was revealed Friday morning, despite the fact that some of those predecessors are dead in current comic book continuity. But according to Marvel editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, “this isn’t some alternate reality story or some time-travel story.”

The method with which the classic heroes return is “a bit of a spoiler,” Alonso said. “How did we do this is part of the fun… Right now, [Original Captain America Steve] Rogers isn’t much of a good guy. Why would Sam [Wilson] want to team up with him? Banner’s dead! Logan’s dead! These are questions that demand to be seen.”

The storyline will feature ten tales of today’s versions of a number of Marvel mainstays — Iron Man, Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Thor, Hawkeye, Hulk, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Captain Marvel and Captain America — teaming with the first versions of the characters who share that name. The storyline was teased via Twitter last month, with the image by Alex Ross (above) offering eleven pairings; whether the two Novas will make an appearance during the storyline or if have been quietly dropped in the interim remains unclear for now, as does the format the storyline will appear in.

“We are looking to honor the legacy of the entire universe, so we are taking the iconic legacy heroes and pairing them with the new class,” Alonso told ABC News about the storyline. “It very much indicates where we are going in the future with all of these characters and what we’ve been planning for some time for the universe.” Part of that future might include Make Mine Marvel, a rumored fall relaunch for Marvel’s comic book line putting new emphasis on the classic versions of the characters.

Generations will launch in July.

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