Free Comic Book Day 2013 (Infinity) #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeFree Comic Book Day 2013 (Infinity) #1 serves as the formal debut of Corvus Glaive — Thanos's most favored lieutenant and the first publicly revealed member of what would become the Black Order — making it the chronological ground zero for a cadre of villains who would go on to anchor both the Infinity event and the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War. The issue also marks the first appearance of the Outriders, Thanos's genetically engineered infiltrators, whose infiltration of the Avengers, X-Men, and S.H.I.E.L.D. is depicted within the story's ten-page new narrative. As a Free Comic Book Day release, the comic occupied a strategic position in Jonathan Hickman's long-form Marvel NOW! architecture, functioning as the opening chapter of a storyline that ran through the Infinity six-issue series and its tie-ins before seeding the subsequent Inhumanity event — a rare instance of FCBD material being canonically woven into the main series rather than treated as a standalone sampler. The issue's reprinting of Thanos's first solo story from 1977's Logan's Run #6 also made it a deliberate act of historical continuity, presenting the Mad Titan's entire arc from obscure Bronze Age backup to Marvel's central cosmic threat within a single free package.
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Marvel teased the issue as early as February 2013, with Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso publicly positioning the Free Comic Book Day offering as the connecting tissue that would explain how concurrent titles — Nova, Thanos Rising, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Hickman's Avengers — were converging toward a single event. Writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Jim Cheung (inked by Mark Morales, colored by Justin Ponsor, lettered by VC's Joe Caramagna) crafted the ten-page new story as a prologue set on the planet Ahl-Agullo, with Tom Brevoort serving as executive editor alongside assistant editor Jake Thomas and editor Lauren Sankovitch. The FCBD issue was released May 4, 2013, roughly three months ahead of Infinity #1's August launch; the new Infinity #1 then reprinted the FCBD material as its own opening chapter, cementing the promotional piece as genuine continuity rather than throwaway preview content. The comic leaked online nearly three weeks before its street date — a high-profile piracy incident reported by Comic Book Resources — adding unplanned publicity to an already-anticipated release.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Released on Free Comic Book Day, May 4, 2013 (cover-dated May 2013), published by Marvel Worldwide Inc. at no cover price.
- First appearance of Corvus Glaive (Earth-616), created by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Jim Cheung; Glaive is Thanos's second-in-command and the inaugural revealed member of the Black Order (also called the Cull Obsidian).
- First appearance of the Outriders (Earth-616), Thanos's genetically engineered assassin-scouts; one Outrider is shown infiltrating the Avengers, X-Men, and S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
- First appearance of alien characters Luxor and Augollux (who dies in this issue) on the planet Ahl-Agullo, establishing Thanos's galaxy-spanning tribute system.
- The primary new story runs approximately ten to twelve pages; the full creative team is Jonathan Hickman (writer), Jim Cheung (pencils), Mark Morales (inks), Justin Ponsor (colors), VC's Joe Caramagna (letters), with editorial oversight by Tom Brevoort, Lauren Sankovitch, and Jake Thomas.
- The issue reprints 'The Final Flower!' — Thanos's first solo story — originally published in Logan's Run #6 (1977, Marvel), written by Scott Edelman with art by Mike Zeck, featuring Drax the Destroyer.
- Also includes a four-page preview of Warren Ellis and Mike McKone's Avengers: Endless Wartime original graphic novel.
- The FCBD content was reprinted verbatim as the opening section of Infinity #1 (August 2013) and is collected in the Avengers by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 1; Corvus Glaive and the Black Order were later loosely adapted for Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), with Glaive portrayed by Michael James Shaw.
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Reprints
↩ Reprints Logan's Run #6 (1977), Captain Marvel: The Death of Captain Marvel #[nn] (2010), Infinity Gauntlet #[nn] (2010), Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos #[nn] (2010), Road to Oz #1 (2012), Marvel Now! Point One #1 (2012), Avengers vs. Thanos #[nn] (2013), Nova #1 (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy #2 (2013), Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (2013)
Reprinted in Infinity #1 (2013), Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: The Complete Collection #3 (2020)
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