Marvel Comics’ Heroes Reborn Celebrates 25th Anniversary In 2021, But What Will Marvel Do To Celebrate? (Sans Spoilers)
The key books for the event from 1996-17 are below if you want to get caught up on this piece of Marvel history.
Onslaught: X-Men (1996) #1
Published: August 01, 1996Writer: Mark Waid, Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Adam Kubert, Pasqual FerryProfessor Xavier is Onslaught? Questions will be answered about the X-Men’s most insidious villain in this tell-all issue. Is Xavier truly the traitor his team of mutants believes him to be? And who is really behind the devastation of Onslaught?
Onslaught: Marvel Universe (1996) #1
Published: October 01, 1996Writer: Mark Waid, Scott Lobdell
Penciler: Joe Bennett, Adam KubertThe entire Marvel Universe pitted against Onslaught! From Hulk to the Avengers, from Fantastic Four to X-Men, the Marvel U leaves no stone unturned as they face their most dangerous adversary yet!
Onslaught Epilogue (1997) #1
Published: February 01, 1997Writer: Larry Hama
Penciler: Randall GreenIn the aftermath of Onslaught, a de-powered Professor X is imprisoned in an abandoned Hulkbuster base without hope of freedom. Will Charles Xavier find an ally in prisoner M-9, a young girl with incredible mutant abilities?
You could just get the above three issues and the story would work, but if you wanted the full Onslaught storyline Marvel did an Omnibus for that too.
X-Men/Avengers: Onslaught (Hardcover)
Published: August 19, 2015 (1996-97 storyline)Onslaught is here! The fury of Magneto plus the psionic might of Charles Xavier equals very bad news for the Marvel Universe! Now, discover how this mental monster came to be – and the full extent of the havoc he wreaked on the X-Men, the Avengers and pretty much everybody else! As the truth slowly dawns about the nature of the evil they face, how much are Marvel’s greatest heroes prepared to sacrifice to save the world? Collecting CABLE (1993) #32-36; UNCANNY X-MEN (1981) #333-337; X-FORCE (1991) #55 and #57-58; X-MAN #15-19; X-MEN (1991) #53-57 and ANNUAL ’96; X-MEN UNLIMITED (1993) #11; ONSLAUGHT: X-MEN, MARVEL UNIVERSE and EPILOGUE; AVENGERS (1963) #401-402; FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #415; INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #444-445; WOLVERINE (1988) #104-105; X-FACTOR (1986) #125-126; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #415; GREEN GOBLIN #12; SPIDER-MAN (1990) #72; IRON MAN (1968) #332; PUNISHER (1995) #11; THOR (1966) #502; X-MEN: ROAD TO ONSLAUGHT; and material from EXCALIBUR (1988) #100 and FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) #416.
There were also a few more Onslaught tales in something called Onslaught Reborn in 2006 and Onslaught Unleashed in 2010, but not sure how that all fits with OG Heroes Reborn which received the Omnibus treatment.
Heroes Reborn Omnibus (Hardcover)
Published: June 26, 2019 (1996-197 storyline)Marvel’s greatest heroes, revamped and reborn! Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, the FF and more have awakened on a whole new world, boldly reimagined by the hottest creators of the 1990s! Steve Rogers takes on the mantle of the Sentinel of Liberty, gains a brand-new sidekick and faces down the Red Skull! Cap, Hawkeye, Vision, Swordsman, Hellcat and more form the Avengers, but can they awaken Thor and defeat the devious Loki? The Fantastic Four face old threats for the first time, from Mole Man to Doctor Doom! The newly forged Iron Man takes on Hydra and the incredible Hulk! But can these reborn heroes save the Earth from the hunger of Galactus? Collecting HEROES REBORN #1/2, CAPTAIN AMERICA (1996) #1-12, AVENGERS (1996) #1-12, FANTASTIC FOUR (1996) #1-12, IRON MAN (1996) #1-12 and material from INCREDIBLE HULK (1968) #450.
Heroes Reborn: The Return (Trade Paperback)
Published: January 01, 1998Collects Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4; Heroes Reborn: Doomsday, Ashema, Masters Of Evil, Rebel, Remnants, Young Allies And Doom. When Onslaught threatened his family and friends, Franklin Richards created a world where they could be reborn! Now, it’s time to return to the real Earth, but must Franklin’s Counter-Earth die in the process? Doctor Doom saves the new world so he can rule it — and where there are villains, new heroes must rise to face them. But which are which? Starring the FF, the Avengers, every hero on Counter-Earth and more! Also featuring its next wave of heroes, the Young Allies and the Remnants!
An interesting time in comics.
