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A new mini series event by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato will be the “ultimate NSA leak” of Marvel, says Tom Brevoort, as a murder mystery onfolds that will envelop the entire Marvil Universe. It starts when the body of the Watcher is found on the moon with his eye missing. I’m pretty much sold right there, but more information is being given out RIGHT NOW was given out at a Marvel press conference with writer Jason Aaron, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and EIC Axel Alonso. The 8-issue mini series will run for four months, as as various revelations about Marvel heroes are revealed, these events will have repercussions in their own titles.

Brevoort promise a thrill ride crucible as the murder of the Watcher will release all the secrets of the Marvel U. “The worst things, the skeletons in the closets of Matt Murdock and Peter Parker and everyone else are revealed,” with terrible repercussions, he says. The Watcher knew where all the bodies were buried, even ones no Marvel readers ever knew were buried. It’s also the TMZ of the Marvel Universe, says Brevoort. It’s a murder mystery at the heart of the Marvel Universe, says Axel Alonso, Marvel e-i-c.

The secrets will be personal and spins off into…the regular series of the characters! For instance, Captain America will learn someone very close to him has tampered with his memories. Also we’ll learn that someone else was bitten by the radioactive spider back in the day! This story goes right back to the very first day in the science lab.

All the tie ins will be important to the characters, says Alonso.

It turns out, this is not the killers first murder, says writer Jason Aaron. Different groups of Marvel heroes will go into the far reaches of the Marvel U to try to solve the mystery. It will be a series of mini buddy cop stories, for instance Ant Man and Emma Frost teaming up on their own part of the investigation, and the Punisher looking at ballistics in the Dark Dimension. Aaron’s favorite team up is Doctor Strange and The Punisher—okay I’m sold on that, too. The teams were all assembled for particular reasons, to cover a lot of bases in the Marvel U. “It’s a specific reason these characters are spearheading this part of the investigation,” and will push them out of their comfort zone. The Black Panther also plays a significant role, as he’s one of Aaron’s favorite characters to write.

Deadato is going a little Steranko-y on the book, with a dark, shadowy take for the murder mystery, says Brevoort.

Finding secrets wasn’t that hard but “sometimes we had to dig a little deeper,” says Alonso. The original teams of the books came up with the secrets that will be revealed. While the secrets mentioned are MArvel continuity secrets, there will be a few more TMZ like shockers, including one for Thor that’s “A big juicy secret.” [Editor’s note: I hope this involves something we find in his bathroom.]

The idea for this story goes back to Alonso’s first retreat as EIC many years ago. Alan HEinberg originally has the basic idea, and Ed Brubaker came up with the idea of The Watcher being killed—the story he wrote for Marvel Point One was a little sneak peak of the storyline. However, neither Heinberg nor Brubaker would execute the story, and it wasn’t until Aaron came on that it was able to blossom. “Jason raised his hand and said I want to take a shot at it,” Alonso recalled.

Brevoort said rhe Zeitgeist felt like it was the right time for this story, and it will be a bit of an allegory on topical events—Wikileaks, teh NSA revelations and so on—but not as “in your face as Civil War, but it is a story that for all that it’s cosmic themed and has dead bodies on the moon, it is in a very real way ripped from the headlines.”

Aaron disagreed with this a little bit. “I think there’s some kind of zeitgeist there but it’s still a story about a giant bald space god whose body is discovered on the moon. If you can find some real world ramification on a story like that, good, but otherwase enjoy the cosmic murder mystery as it rolls out.”

Finally, with the Watcher dead, who will watch the Marvel Universe? And what about his other eye? All big questions you will need to read he mini series to find out!
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ORIGINAL SIN #1 (of 8)
Jason Aaron (W) • Mike Deodato (A)
Cover by Julian Totino Tedesco
Variant cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
INTERLOCKING BATTLE VARIANT BY ART ADAMS
VARIANT COVER BY ED MCGUINNESS
YOUNG VARIANT BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
Teaser Variant also available
BLANK VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE

WHO SHOT THE WATCHER?

The Watcher, the mysterious space-god who’s been watching us from the moon for as long as we can remember… is dead. Thus begins the greatest murder mystery in Marvel Comics history.

As Nick Fury leads the heroes of the Marvel Universe in an investigation, other forces are marshaling as well and other questions are arising. Why is Black Panther gathering a secret team of his own, including Emma Frost, the Punisher and Dr. Strange? Who is the Unseen? What was the Original Sin? What was stolen from the Watcher’s lair? And most importantly, who now holds the Marvel Universe’s darkest secrets in the palm of their hand?

25 COMMENTS

  1. The Watcher being murdered makes me more relieved than anything (considering how often he’s brought out to make events seem important), but I have to admit, his cache op secrets getting out is kind of genius.

    This is also where I get wildly optimistic about whom that blondish head with bangs on the #2 cover belongs to. Certainly Illyana will have plenty of dark secrets left that can be revealed.

  2. I’m having difficulty figuring out what’s funnier: “All the tie ins will be important, says Alonso. ” or “…Punisher looking at ballistics in the Dark Dimension.”

  3. Come on, the Watcher (created by Jack Kirby) has an eye stolen, Nick Fury (created by Jack Kirby) is a major part of the story, he’s been missing an eye for a few decades. You do the maths.

    Of course, it could be Odin (created by Jack Kirby). Or in a cross-company crossover, maybe Deathstroke (created by George Perez and Marv Wolfman).

  4. ” I’m having difficulty figuring out what’s funnier: “All the tie ins will be important, says Alonso. ” ”

    That’s the bit I liked, actually. Sounds like the tie-ins are set up to be important to the series they’re part of. The event will uncover secrets, which the tie-ins will then deal with without having to be remotely interested in the event mini itself.

  5. I know these are editorially-created events. But whenever I read interviews where the editors (like Brevoort or Alonso) chime in, it makes me shiver somehow. Don’t know why. Maybe, that these “stories” aren’t created from the heart, which I always thought the best comics were.

  6. I bet it ends with the superheroes finding no answer and then an epilogue of the Watcher’s last day. Where, after sorting through the different continuities, he leaves work, stops off at the liquor store to pick up a bottle of Red Stag, and sits on the edge of his bed for two hours staring at a wall.

  7. Who shot the Watcher?

    Easy. Marvel did – because ALL the tie-ins are IMPORTANT and you must BUY THEM ALL!!

    **Yawn**

  8. Considering how many times Uatu (love that name!) has meddled in the affairs of Earth and elsewhere when Watchers have taken a vow NEVER to interfere with other civilizations I’d say it is 616 karma coming around. “Remember Prosilicus!”

  9. Let Vegas start booking odds.

    I go with the Red Ghosts’ Peotr the Orangutan, who finally got fed up with communism, and claimed the Watchee’s eye in an attempt to lay all the world’s secrets care so as to provoke a punk-rock driven open source society on the moon.

    Nothing will ever be the same again… until the Red Ghosts’ next appearance which will include Peotr alongside his chimp mates as if nothing happened.

    Silly but True

  10. actually, the watcher shot himself. he just couldn’t take anymore of these endless “events” with endless tie-in’s and endless non-changes to the marvel universe. the next “event”, who will be the next watcher, war of the watchers, or the watcher’s revenge, or……………..

  11. Abc for the win.

    Or….

    “Before Watcher?” The comic industry can bitch and moan as the best contemporary artists of today like Azzarello or Straczynski return to tell new stories which form a prequel to Lee and Kirby’s timeless classic Fantastic Four #13?

    Silly but True

  12. I think this looks like fun. It’s a neat concept, as long as the mystery is resolved successfully. I know the Watcher will be back at some point, so him dying isn’t a big deal. It’s a Marvel event, that’s what happens.

  13. ‘As Nick Fury leads the heroes of the Marvel Universe in an investigation, ‘

    The real one? or that imposter ?

  14. Hm. I’m guessing at the end of it all, Uatu’s wife gets a grim-and-gritty makeover and forms an all-female cosmic super team/revenge squad (6-issue limited series)? And Uatu’s new baby gets a green gem that turns the kid turns into the new Watcher? And then, a few years later, Uatu skypes Star Lord to says he was never dead?

  15. Rick Remender is telling the best Marvel event in years over in Uncanny Avengers. And, as an added bonus, it’s hyperbole free! As the story unfolds I feel my core being shaken! TO IT’S CORE!

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