'Outlawed' #1 Preview: Greta Thunberg-inspired character to spearhead Marvel's upcoming comic crossover event
Teen superheroes have existed for decades now, not just in Marvel Comics but across the board. But now they face a threat greater than any they've ever faced: a government that denies their right to save the world.
Marvel's upcoming 'Outlawed' one-shot event comic by Eve L Ewing and Kim Jacinto promises to change the landscape of Marveldom with a politically-charged story that will see the United States passing legislation that bans underage heroes. The one-shot will be launching a number of spin-off titles including new volumes of 'Champions', 'New Warriors', and 'Power Pack', all dealing with the fall-out of this legislation.
The whole premise sounds perfectly timed for the current political scenario where young people are joining social movements in increasing numbers and facing flak from adults who denounce them as "too young" or "too inexperienced" to share a relevant opinion.
Preview pages that have been released for the issue reveal that the story will begin with a meeting of young heroes, spearheaded by a young woman named Ailana who appears to be more than a little inspired by climate change activist Greta Thunberg. There's also a dragon involved and men with guns who would rather shoot and kill the youngsters than actually help contain the monster on rampage.
At its very heart, Marvel's core principle has always been that their universe is the World Outside Your Window, plus superheroes. Nothing has ever been more true to those principles than this upcoming event, which looks like it's the perfect story for the times we live in.
Here's the official solicitation for 'Outlawed' #1: "EXPLODING FROM THE PAGES OF INCOMING! In the wake of a devastating tragedy, the United States passes a law that will shake the Marvel Universe to its core. The world has had enough of teen heroes. The crackdown has begun. And the lives of Marvel’s next generation will never be the same again. EVE L. EWING and KIM JACINTO launch a new era in this game-changing event one-shot that will send shockwaves across the Marvel Universe! You won’t want to miss this one!"
'Outlawed' #1 will arrive in stores on March 18.