Today in Comics History, July 22, 1986, 4:22 AM (or maybe PM): It's a New, New U / Comin ' right at you

New Universe teaser house ads in Marvel Comics (1986), art by John Romita, Jr.



Yes, on this date in 1986, at 4:22am EST (I wasn't up yet), the WHITE EVENT (there's a name that hasn't aged well) bathed Earth-148611 in a bright white light and created paranormal powers in two out of every million humans and launched 8 ambitious if ill-fated comic books. Then-EIC Jim Shooter headed this Marvel imprint that had nothing to do with Marvel's unusual Earth-616, spawning all-new heroes in "the world outside your window."


The White Event caused — well, 5 out of 8 of — these characters to come into being. (Merc, Spitfire and the Troubleshooters, and Justice were not dependent on the White Event. The latter two's giant mecha suit and alien cop instantly punctured the "outside your window" concept.)


back and front cover of Marvel Age #44 (Marvel, November 1986), pencils by Alan Kupperberg, inks by Joe Sinnott
This new publishing program commemorated the 25th Anniversary of Marvel (well, since 1961) and was promoted heavily, including that month's issue of Marvel Age. Even Fred Hembeck got in on the fun, asking the questions we were all thinkin' about:

"Hembeck's Page" from Marvel Age #44; by Fred Hembeck
(Click picture to swirly knee-size)
Here's some pages from an extensive interview in Marvel Age #44 with Shooter and the other creators. Read between the lines and even then you can tell the focus of the New Universe was all over the place.




from Marvel Age #44
Despite a course-correction away from the ill-fated "The World Outside You Window" concept towards the end of 1987), the New U was doomed from the start. The project's budget was slashed even before publication and big-name creators couldn't be tempted on board. Of course Shooter eventually had blame for pretty much everyone but himself. (Thanks @garaujo1 on Twitter for this clipping!)


But Marvel played it up big, promoting the line as the Next Big Thing. Atthe time, despite the criticism against Shooter's Secret Wars comics, they sold extremely well, so Marvel was riding high in 1986.


from "Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel Comics cover-dated December 1986, by Jim Shooter
That. would. change. (sounds bell of doom)




"Bullpen Bulletins" from (top) Marvel Comics cover-dated (top) October 1986 and (middle) November 1986;
"Universe News" from New Universe comics cover-dated November 1986

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Oddly, the White Event itself wasn't portrayed in most of the New U #1 issues. This isn't it...


from Star Brand #1 (Marvel/New Universe, October 1986), script by Jim Shooter, pencils by John Romita Jr., inks by Al Williamson, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen
...because we find out from a later issue that the White Event occurred before Ken Connell got the Star Brand.


from Star Brand #12 (Marvel/New Universe, March 1988), script and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Joe Rosen
Make a guess: Which one of the other seven New Universe #1 titles showed the White Event actually happening on camera?


Give up?...Betcha didn't expect the one about a super-powered football player to be the only showing the actual White Event, huh?


from Kickers, Inc. #1 (Marvel/New Universe, November 1986), script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Frenz, inks by Sal Buscema, colors by George Roussos, letters by Phil Felix
Note by the number of people on the street that this has to be happening at 4:22 PM. Early references to the White Event have it happening in the afternoon, but that later changed canonically to 4:22 in the morning. Why? The world may never know. As I said: I wasn't up yet. Anyway, there's your editorial attention to detail right off the bat! Here's a later comic that shows it happening at 1:24 PM (12:24 PM EDT, consult your local listings for channel).


from D.P. 7 Annual #1 (Marvel/New Universe, November 1987), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Lee Weeks, inks by Tony DeZuniga, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Phil Felix
And pay attention to that guy. He'll later turn out to the the New Universe's version of The Watcher!


from Star Brand #17 (Marvel/New Universe, January 1989), script and breakdowns by John Byrne, finishes by Tom Morgan, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Rick Parker
But for the most part in New U comics, the White Event happened off-screen before their #1 issues started...




from D.P. 7 #1 (November 1986), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Phil Felix
...and the stories often began afterwards, showing the emergence of paranormals...



from Nightmask #1 (Marvel/New Universe, November 1986), script by Archie Goodwin, pencils by Tony Salmons, inks by Bret Blevins, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Joe Rosen
...and the White Event itself (did I mention it was today?) became a MacGuffin, useful for establishing origins of paranormals and for the 7/22/86 starting point of the real-time concept of the books: a year of publication would equal a year in the lives of the characters. This "World Outside Your Window" concept wasn't utiized properly across all the titles, which resulted in a year and a half where, despite all the heroes and villains, the world outside didn't change too much from our own, except with super-powered football players.

This status quo would change dramatically a year and a half later. But you're going to have to read about that elsewhere.


While you're waiting, why not take the New Universe Trivia Quiz?


from Marvel and New Universe Comics cover-dated March 1987
Marvel returned to the New Universe in 2006 (yes, this century!) with 5 one-shots (and a few back-up stories) to cover the Untild Tales of the New Universe:



"New Universe News" from Marvel Comics cover-dated May 2006
Here's where the time of today's White Event in history was canonically determined to be 4:22 AM rather than any of the other times.



from Untold Tales of the New Universe: D.P. 7 #1 (Marvel, May 2006), script by C.B. Cebulski, pencils by M. D. Bright, inks by John Stanisci, colors by Studio F, letters by Rus Wooton
Most of the tales were pretty standard continuity implants that did exactly what was said on the box.


from Untold Tales of the New Universe: Psi-Force #1 (Marvel, May 2006), script by Tony Bedard, pencils and inks by Russ Braun, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Dave Lanphear
Although at least the Star Brand one with pretty weirdly meta.


from Untold Tales of the New Universe: Star Brand #1 (Marvel, May 2006), script by Jeff Parker, pencils and inks by Javier Pulido, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Vic Caramagna
Hey, remember when Jim Shooter promised this?


from "Hembeck's Page" from Marvel Age #44
In 1992, Mark Gruenwald made Shooter a fibber (yay, Mark!), and connected the Marvel and the New Universes...


from Starblast #1 (January 1994), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Ralph Cabrera, colors by Mike Higgins, letters by Paul Becton
...sending Quasar to a universe that had no Watchers and had never been observed by "our" 616-Watcher. Then again, there's a lot Uatu doesn't know:


house ad for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe in Marvel Comics cover-dated July 1983
Anyways, Quasar met these guys*:


from Quasar #31 (Marvel, February 1992), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Greg Capullo, inks by Harry Candelario, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Janice Chiang
...and he was given the Star Brand, which helped him get back to the Marvel U. Unfortunately, the Star Brand didn't make it back with him. Or...did it?!?


Gruenwald's extensive crossover series Starblast showed us Quasar's girlfriend Kayla wound up being the recipient of the Star Brand...


from Starblast #3 (Marvel, March 1994), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Grant Miehm, colors by Mike Higgins, letters by Paul Becton
Despite the Avengers and Quasar battling to save Kayla, she had to remain behind on Earth-148611, which would up pulled into trhe 616 universe and orbiting the Stranger's planet. Toldja it got weird!


from Starblast #4 (Marvel, April 1994); script by Mark Gruenwald; pencils by Brian Kong, Rich Buckler, Jr., and Nathaniel Palant; inks by Don Hudson and Ernie Chan; colors by Michael Higgins; letters by Paul Becton
And that is pretty much all she wrote about the White Event and the New Universe.

Until one day in the Marvel Universe...


from Avengers (2013 series) #5 (Marvel, April 2013), script by Jonathan Hickman, art by Adam Kubert, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Cory Petit
How's that for a sneaky cliffhanger, True Bullievers?




from Avengers (2013 series) #6 (Marvel, April 2013), script by Jonathan Hickman, art by Adam Kubert, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Cory Petit
Yes, the New Universe came to a publishing end years before, but nobody told Jonathan Hickman! Even one of his alternate Reed Richards had the Star Brand!


from Fantastic Four #572 (December 2009), script by Jonathan Hickman, pencils by Dale Eaglesham, colors by Paul Mounts, letters by Rus Wooton
Around now is the point where I keep thinking, Wow, Bully! You coulda made this four entirely seperate posts.


cover of Avengers (2013 series) #7 (Marvel, May 2013), pencils and inks by Dustin Weaver, colors by Justin Ponsor
And in Hickman's run-up to Secret Wars (2015), an Earth-616 White Event was set off, unlocking the power to say "The White Event" multiple times!



from Avengers (2013 series) #7 (Marvel, May 2013), script by Hickman, art by Dustin Weaver, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Cory Petit
This gave Marvel-Earth a new Star Brand, just as powerful and just as hapless as the first one. Well, that'll happen.



from Avengers (2013 series) #8 (Marvel, May 2013), script by Hickman, art by Dustin Weaver, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Cory Petit
But, the new Star Brand got to join the Avengers, so it was all right, huh? All okay!


from Avengers World #4 (Marvel, May 2014), script by Hickman and Nick Spencer, art by Stefano Caselli, colors by Andres Mossa, letters by Joe Caramagna
Now, I'm not certain if Earth-148611 survived Secret Wars, but D.P. 7's Blur then shows up as a member of the Squadron Supreme:


from Squadron Supreme (2016 series) #1 (Marvel, February 2016), script by James Robinson, pencils by Leonard Kirk, inks by Paul Neary, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Travis Lanham
And Marvel even gives the new Starbrand (now one word™) a miniseries and a happy ending!...


cover of Starbrand and Nightmask #1 (Marvel, February 2016), art by Yasmine Putri
...until Ghost Rider kills him.


from Marvel Legacy (Marvel, November 2017) script by Jason Aaron, art by take your pick, colors by Matthew Wilson and/or Daniel Acuña, letters by Cory Petit
So there ya go, New Universe fans. Sparked into being by the White Event on this very day, July 22, 1986. But it came back several times, and it'll come back again.


from D.P. 7 #32 (Marvel/New Universe, June 1989)
And hey, it ended on its cast walking into another White Event, to go get ice cream.

For me, that's the best of all possible worlds.


from D.P. 7 #32 (final issue); script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulanadi, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Janice Chiang
PS: Wondering why I didn't mention The Pitt, The Draft, The War, or newuniversal? That's because they all have different dates attached to 'em, and I'll cover them when those dates run around! (This December: don't go back to Pittsburgh!)


from Marvel Age #50 (Marvel, May 1987)
Have a Happy New Universe Day!