Marvel 2099[1] was a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that was originally about one possible future of the Marvel Universe, but later revealed[2] to be the Earth of the main Marvel continuity in the distant future. It was originally announced by Stan Lee in his "Stan's Soapbox" column as a single series entitled The Marvel World of Tomorrow, which was being developed by Lee and John Byrne. This later changed to a line of books under the banner Marvel 2093 (the date being one hundred years from the year in which the titles launched) before finally being published as Marvel 2099.
Three of the initial four titles launched—Doom 2099, Punisher 2099, and Spider-Man 2099—starred futuristic takes on pre-existing characters. The fourth, Ravage 2099, featured an all-new superhero, scripted for several months by Stan Lee. The 2099 line soon expanded to include 2099 Unlimited, Fantastic Four 2099, Ghost Rider 2099, Hulk 2099, X-Men 2099, and X-Nation 2099. While it has been confirmed to be a possible future version of Earth-616, the mainstream Marvel Universe, the 2099 universe has been officially designated as Earth-928 and alternatively dubbed as Earth-616 circa 2099, or simply Earth-2099.
Publication history
The initial universe began with Spider-Man 2099, Ravage 2099, Doom 2099, and Punisher 2099 being launched in subsequent months. Peter David wrote Spider-Man for the bulk of the series, and it was consistently the most popular series.[citation needed] It satirized corporations, with Spider-Man constantly clashing with Alchemax, which employed him in his secret identity. Stan Lee wrote the first eight issues of Ravage as an extremely political story about corruption, corporate pollution, and the environment. After Lee left, he was replaced by a series of writers. In 1993, Wizard reported that the 2099 line had "gone over fairly well with the fans".[3]
Growth and decline
Fans requested further titles, and Marvel provided X-Men 2099. They also introduced a Hulk 2099 in the series 2099 Unlimited, which featured occasional Spider-Man 2099 stories, as well as early work by Warren Ellis. The comics had a strong degree of interconnectivity that was similar to comics published by Marvel in the 1960s due to the imprint's editor Joey Cavalieri. The only cross-title crossover within the 2099 universe, The Fall of the Hammer, detailed a plot by the corporations to technologically recreate the Norse pantheon, along with a new Thor, to distract attention from the anti-corporate superheroes.
The 2099 series expanded to include Ghost Rider 2099, about a hero whose consciousness had been downloaded into a robotic body. Hulk 2099 was also given a brief chance at his own series. As sales began to flag on all titles besides Spider-Man and X-Men, Marvel commissioned ideas from various writers, including a proposal by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, before accepting Warren Ellis's idea that Doom 2099, revealed to be, in fact, Victor Von Doom, would take over the United States.[citation needed] Each title had the modifier "A.D." ("After Doom") added on the logo to reflect the change. The new storyline allowed Marvel to cancel several low-selling titles (Hulk, Ravage, and The Punisher).[citation needed] The in-universe reason for the heroes' deaths was President Rogers (an impostor Captain America who was instated after Doom was violently ousted from office) ordered the execution of the super heroes, including Punisher, Hulk and a handful of low-tier heroes who had appeared in 2099 Unlimited.[4]
In 1996, when Marvel, during a cost-cutting exercise, fired Cavalieri, many of the 2099 creators (including Peter David and Warren Ellis) quit the line in protest. With the line floundering, two additional titles were launched: X-Nation 2099, a spin-off of X-Men 2099, and Fantastic Four 2099, which featured characters who were apparently the present day Fantastic Four accidentally sent into the future.[citation needed]
Around this time, Doom 2099 became the only 2099 comic to crossover with a present-day Marvel comic when he traveled back to 1996 and met Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, and Namor in a story partially told in Fantastic Four #413. Spider-Man 2099 met the original Spider-Man in a special one-shot issue, making them the only characters to meet their counterparts.
End of the imprint
Parts of this article (those related to Timestorm 2009–2099 and the second Spider-Man title) need to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2014)
After sales slumped, the 2099 titles were canceled and replaced by 2099: World of Tomorrow, a single title featuring the surviving characters from all the titles. The series lasted only eight issues before being canceled.[citation needed]
The 2099 line was concluded with a one-shot, 2099: Manifest Destiny (March 1998), in which Captain America was found in suspended animation and, with Miguel O'Hara, assembled various 2099 heroes into a new team of Avengers. The story summarized the years from 2099 to 3099, with humanity transforming the corporate world of 2099 into a utopia and then expanding into space.
Subsequent appearances
The 2099 world has been seen occasionally since, most notably in Peter David's "Future Tense" storyline in Captain Marvel, which revisited both Spider-Man 2099 and the alternate future of the Maestro that David created in The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect, explaining a plot point which had been left dangling since David had abruptly left Spider-Man 2099.
In 2004, writer Robert Kirkman wrote a series of one-shot comics for the fifth anniversary of the Marvel Knights imprint, under the heading Marvel Knights 2099. The future portrayed in this series is unconnected to the original 2099 Universe, which included a different Punisher 2099.
In 2006, the Exiles visited the Marvel Universe 2099 in Exiles #75-76 as part of the "World Tour" arc. This future had split apart from the mainstream 2099 fairly early, as Doom 2099 had not yet met Spider-Man 2099. Spider-Man 2099 joined the Exiles and left with them.
In 2009 Marvel published miniseries "Timestorm 2009–2099", crossing the current Marvel Universe with yet another alternate version of 2099. The Spider-Man 2099 of this reality is a teenager.
In 2013, Spider-Man 2099 became trapped in the mainstream Marvel Universe in The Superior Spider-Man. In 2014 he would star in an ongoing series and become involved in the "Spider-Verse" storyline, along with numerous other alternate reality Spider-Men. Notably the Spider-Men 2099s of the "Exiles" and "Timestorm 2009–2099" series are killed during this event. At the end of this storyline, the 2099 timeline has been altered.
The 2099 universe is involved in the 2015 storyline "Secret Wars".
In 2016, a storyline in Deadpool debuted the 2099 versions of Deadpool, a moniker shared by Wade's daughters, Warda Wilson (his daughter with Shiklah) and Ellie Camacho. The storyline also reveals that Wade Wilson and Iron Fist are still alive in this time period, as they work with Ellie and Wade's ally Emily Preston to stop Warda's war on the city as she attempts to find out what happened to her mother.[5]
In 2019 in Amazing Spider-Man #25, Dr. Connors is giving a lecture on the negligence of the world and environment due to focus on the countless occurrences of superhero activity will end up negatively impacting the future, to the point of catastrophe. Meanwhile, set to his lecture, strange weather phenomenon is occurring above a burning oil rig. A rift opens in the sky and a figure falls out of it, landing on the dock of the rig. The workers un-bury the figure, revealing an unconscious Spider-Man 2099. There was later a series of one-shots to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marvel 2099. It incorporated the ongoing storyline from Amazing Spider-Man that not only reintroduced Spider-Man 2099, Fantastic Four 2099, Doom 2099, Punisher 2099, and Venom 2099 in individual one-shot issues, but also introduced Conan 2099.[6] Ulana the Watcher narrated that this reality of Earth-2099 is a combination of Earth-928 and the other Marvel 2099 realities which have been rewoven together.[7]
Setting
The world of 2099 is a cyberpunkdystopia (similar to the world of Blade Runner). North America is a corporate police state ruled by a few huge megacorporations, most notably Alchemax, which owns the private police force the Public Eye (which primarily punishes criminals' bank accounts). There were, prior to the launch of the comics, no active superheroes in this world, and the previous heroes are mythologized through religion, as with the Church of Thor. The present-day Marvel continuity is referred to as an "Age of Heroes" that abruptly ended in a catastrophe a century before that also set back society (this catastrophe was averted in the present when Miguel O'Hara—Spider-Man 2099—temporarily swapped places with his past self shortly before the cataclysm, turning Miguel's world into an alternate future of the Marvel Universe rather than the future).
Card system
In the 2099 Universe, the monetary currency system uses implants commonly known as cards, which are credit ID implants. There are aluminum cards, gold cards, and platinum cards. Another type of card are black cards, which give the owner unlimited funds and law immunity.
Characters
This section contains the characters from each of the 2099 realities:
An original incarnation of Iron Man 2099 appears in a self-titled episode of Iron Man: Armored Adventures, voiced by an uncredited actor. This version is Andros Stark, grandson of Tony Stark who travels back in time to kill him before he can create an A.I. called "Vortex", which goes on to kill most of humanity. Along the way, he allies himself with Justin Hammer, who is reputed as a hero by 2099. Andros eventually succeeds in killing Tony, but the latter infects his armor with an advanced virus. Realizing it will evolve into Vortex, Andros travels back in time to stop himself, successfully changing history at the cost of his existence.
Spider-Man 2099 and Earth-928 appear in the Ultimate Spider-Man episode "The Spider-Verse: Part 1", with Spider-Man 2099 voiced by Freddy Rodriguez. Additionally, a 2099-inspired incarnation of J. Jonah Jameson (voiced by J.K. Simmons) appears as well.
A cyborg descendant of Heinrich and Helmut Zemo from 2099 makes a minor appearance in the Avengers Assemble episode "The House of Zemo", voiced by an uncredited actor.
Spider-Man 2099, Alchemax, Nueva York, and Earth-928 appear in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, with Spider-Man 2099 voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes. Additionally, 2099 incarnations of Black Cat and Peter Parker appear as bosses in the Activision versions of the game while 2099 incarnations of Arcade, Big Wheel, and Overdrive appear in the Nintendo DS version.
Human Torch 2099 and Hulk 2099 appear as alternate skins in Marvel Heroes.
Several Spider-Man 2099-related characters appear as playable characters and bosses in Spider-Man Unlimited. Additionally, Nueva York appears as a stage.
Spider-Man 2099, Captain America 2099, Black Widow 2099, and Iron Man 2099 appear as playable characters in Marvel Future Fight.
Spider-Man 2099 and Punisher 2099 appear as playable characters in Marvel Contest of Champions. These versions come from a 2099 ruled by HYDRA. Additionally, a 2099 incarnation of original character Guillotine also appears.
Spider-Man 2099, Captain America 2099, and Ghost Rider 2099 appear in Marvel Avengers Academy.
Spider-Man 2099, Captain America 2099, Hulk 2099, Goblin 2099, Electro 2099, and Venom 2099 appear as playable characters in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. Additionally, Kang the Conqueror uses Nueva York and Earth-928 as components while creating Chronopolis.
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a 12-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied in with a similarly named toy line from Mattel and a role-playing game of the same name from TSR, Inc.
Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe (Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles to Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti's company Event Comics; Event hired the creative teams for the Knights line while Marvel published them.
What If, sometimes stylized as What If…?, is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics whose stories explore how the Marvel Universe might have unfolded if key moments in its history had not occurred as they did in mainstream continuity. Since What If debuted in 1977, the comics have been published in 14 series as well as occasional stand-alone issues. In 2024, Marvel announced that What If…? would expand to include alternate explorations of continuity within other non-Marvel Universe properties owned by their parent company The Walt Disney Company from its fifteenth volume onwards, beginning with Aliens: What If…?, based on the Alien franchise.
Ghost Rider is the name of multiple superheroes or antiheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.
The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in The Avengers #6, with the lineup continually changing over the years.
Arcade is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in 1978's Marvel Team-Up #65, the creation of writer Chris Claremont and writer/artist John Byrne. The character is a combination of an evil genius and a hitman who carries out his assassinations via various elaborate traps, often referred to as Murderworld.
Spider-Man 2099 is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for the Marvel 2099 comic book line, and he is a futuristic re-imagining of the original Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. His true identity is Miguel O'Hara, an Irish-Mexican geneticist living in Nueva York in the year 2099 who attempts to re-create the abilities of the original Spider-Man in other people and later suffers a related accident that causes half of his DNA to be rewritten with a spider's genetic code.
The Punisher 2099 is a comic book series following the account of Jake Gallows in the year 2099 in an alternate Marvel Universe. The majority of the issues were written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, with art by Tom Morgan. The rest were written by Chuck Dixon. The series ran from February 1993 through November 1995 with a total of 34 issues.
Doom 2099 is a fictional anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was primarily featured in the Marvel 2099 series Doom 2099. The character is based on Doctor Doom, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The series was written by John Francis Moore for its first two years, and by Warren Ellis for its third.
Hulk 2099 is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Gerard Jones and Dwayne Turner and first appeared in 2099 Unlimited #1. As with many other Marvel 2099 characters, Hulk 2099 was a futuristic re-imagining of the original Hulk.
Marvel Universe Cards are collectible trading cards based on the characters and events of the Marvel Universe.
Venom is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a sentient alien symbiote with an amorphous, liquid-like form, who survives by bonding with a host, usually human. This dual-life form receives enhanced powers and usually refers to itself as "Venom". The symbiote was originally introduced as a living alien costume in The Amazing Spider-Man #252, with a full first appearance as Venom in The Amazing Spider-Man #300.
Giganto is a fictional monster appearing in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Giganto has been seen across two separate instances in the Marvel Universe.
Timestorm 2009–2099 is a 2009 Marvel Comics limited series. It was written by Brian Reed with pencils by Eric Battle. The series is a crossover between the mainstream Marvel Universe and a universe very similar to, but with notable differences from, the Marvel 2099 universe.
Alchemax is a fictional megacorporation appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally depicted as a prominent feature of the Marvel 2099 alternate future universe, it has since been introduced into the present day comics taking place on Earth-616.
Fresh Start is a 2018 relaunch of comic book publications by Marvel Comics, following Marvel Legacy.
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