Imperial to Transform Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious and expansive new projects yet with *Imperial*, a series masterminded by the acclaimed Jonathan Hickman. Known for revolutionizing Marvel's universe through projects like House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, Hickman is now poised to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

To dive deeper into how *Imperial* will transform the cosmic narrative, IGN had the opportunity to interview Hickman via email. Below, you'll find an exclusive preview gallery of *Imperial #1*, followed by more insights into this groundbreaking series.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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The inception of *Imperial* was driven by the perfect timing to reassess Marvel's cosmic roster. Hickman shared with IGN, “I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe. That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do *Imperial*. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book.”

The success of the new Ultimate line over the past two years has set a precedent for *Imperial*. Hickman sees similarities in their approach, stating, “You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in the current market. A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this.”

However, *Imperial* diverges from the Ultimate line by not being set in an alternate universe, avoiding the real-time aspect. Hickman notes, “The big difference, obviously, is that this isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be doing the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. Which has its pluses and minuses, but I think most people will be pleased about.”

When asked about comparisons to the 2006 *Annihilation* crossover, Hickman clarified, “No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that. The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No.”

*Imperial* draws on elements from Hickman’s previous works, such as the *Hunt for Xavier* crossover, which set the stage by bringing back the former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier. The series also introduces the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, an element first hinted at in 2015’s *Secret Wars*. Despite these connections, Hickman emphasizes, “Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books. Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect.”

*Imperial* also aims to take the Hulk family in a more cosmic direction, revisiting the war-torn world of Sakaar from the 2006 *Planet Hulk* storyline. Hickman hints at the significance of this timing, stating, “All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of *Planet Hulk* and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by.”

The creative team for *Imperial* includes artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello, who are working together to bring this epic to life. Hickman praises their efforts, saying, “Both of those guys are crushing it. I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here.”

*Imperial #1* is scheduled for release on June 4, 2025.