Uncanny Avengers #1

History

Marvel announced the series in August 2012, pairing writer Rick Remender — fresh off his critically praised Uncanny X-Force run — with superstar penciler John Cassaday, whose Marvel credits included the beloved Astonishing X-Men, with colors by Cassaday's frequent collaborator Laura Martin. The book was edited by Daniel Ketchum and Tom Brevoort, and launched under Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso as the designated flagship of the Marvel NOW! initiative, intended to address the long-simmering fan criticism that the Avengers had stood aside while mutants suffered through Genosha, the Decimation, and Dark Reign. Remender has publicly cited a line Cyclops delivered to Captain America during Avengers vs. X-Men as the emotional engine driving the series' premise, grounding its political theme in recent continuity rather than starting from scratch.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of the Avengers Unity Squad (a.k.a. the Uncanny Avengers), the first Marvel team to formally integrate Avengers and X-Men as co-equal members.
• Written by Rick Remender with interior art and inks by John Cassaday, colors by Laura Martin, and lettering by Chris Eliopoulos; cover also by Cassaday.
• Launched as the flagship title of the Marvel NOW! publishing initiative in October 2012 (cover-dated December 2012), the line-wide creative refresh that followed Avengers vs. X-Men.
• The charter roster consists of Captain America (Steve Rogers), Havok, Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Thor, and Wolverine — a deliberate mix of classic Avengers and X-Men.
• The issue's cliffhanger introduces the Red Skull (established here as a clone held in cryogenic stasis since 1942) as the volume's central villain; he exhumes Professor Xavier's corpse and surgically grafts Xavier's brain matter to his own, acquiring his telepathic powers to incite hatred against mutants.
• First appearance of the S-Men, the Red Skull's team of super-powered operatives who carry out the theft of Xavier's body.
• Issue #1 was released with a substantial variant edition program, including covers by Skottie Young, Daniel Acuña, Adi Granov (1:75 retailer incentive), Olivier Coipel (1:100 retailer incentive), and a Ryan Stegman Detroit Fanfare exclusive, among others.
• Issue #1 is collected in both the Uncanny Avengers Vol. 1: The Red Shadow trade paperback and the broader Marvel NOW! Omnibus; the full Remender run (issues #1–25, #8AU, and Annual #1) is collected in the Uncanny Avengers Omnibus hardcover.

Key issues in Uncanny Avengers

Other variants of Uncanny Avengers #1 (20)