Female Thor? Black Captain America? It's Avengers NOW!

Ooh look, did someone make the change in Mjolnir's inscription for the all-new lady Thor? No! It's from What If? Vol 2 #66, when Rogue absorbed Thor's powers and psyche AND gained the ability to wield Mjolnir. (found on Wonderful Girl's blog at wondygirl.tumblr.com)

Disassembled? Reconditioned? Deconstructed? Decepticons?

Some of the above may apply to Marvel’s reinvention of the core of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in its Avengers NOW! initiative, taking shape in the comics realm from this October.

To sum up: the mantle of Captain America will be taken up by Sam Wilson, formerly best known as Steve Rogers’ partner the Falcon, in All-New Captain America #1; Tony Stark gets a new attitude and a new silver suit with Superior Iron Man #1; and a woman will lift Mjolnir, thereby becoming Thor, in November’s Thor #1.

Marvel’s new Avengers Now! lineup includes Sam Wilson as Captain America, a female Thor, and the Superior Iron Man. Say who?

The news came out in stages last week, setting the industry and fandom abuzz – mostly with cynical remarks, because this sort of thing has happened before, and will happen again. It’s all part of a wave of change that stems from the now-ongoing Original Sin event.

It seems kind of unfair that Rogers and Thor Odinson can’t get to hang on to their heroic identities while Stark just gets a makeover. And this, just months before their cinematic counterparts team up again in next May’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

Oh well... as always, fan reaction and sales (mostly sales) will likely determine how long it is before this NOW! thing becomes “then”.

At the office, StarBytz colleague Tan Kit Hoong and I had fun speculating what would be next. White Panther? Dr Normal? Caredevil? The Credible Hulk, who backs up his arguments with facts and logic? (OK, that one’s kinda old.) Or maybe... Nic Cage, Power Man?