Secret Empire extends to #10 issue come August

In what feels like a recurring trend for recent Marvel events, Marvel.com has announced that their current Captain America/ Hydra centered crossover story "Secret Empire" has been extended one more issue - bringing the total count to 10 and seeing the last issue come out this August. The story, written by "Captain America: Steve Rogers" writer Nick Spencer, sees the Cosmic Cube altered Steve Rogers as the new Supreme Commander of Hydra - leading his new council and army to take over the world and with the divided heroes trying to mount a stand against his secret empire.

In the article, Marvel SVP and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort explained why there was a need to add an issue #10:

“[Writer] Nick [Spencer] has constructed each issue of SECRET EMPIRE so that it ends with a climactic twist or a big reveal or a shocking development, and issue #9 is no exception,” said SVP & Executive Editor, Tom Brevoort. “So moving into the finale, with issue #10, the heroes across the Marvel Universe will be pushed to the breaking point as we race to the exhilarating climax we’ve been planning for months. Oh, and let me say again: we’re not going to use the Cosmic Cube to simply reverse everything away—the stakes matter, maybe more than they ever have before.”

Secret Empire #10 will be written by Nick Spencer and drawn by Steve McNiven, with a cover by Mark Brooks featuring a new look for the Hydra leader Cap.

Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars announced for 2015

Just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier in the Marvel Universe... THIS HAPPENS.

Announced in USA Today and reported by Newsarama, the House of Ideas has revealed as part of their Marvel 75th Anniversary slideshow presentation in the New York Comic Con their plan for 2015... And it's titled Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars.

If the title bears any familiarity to longtime Marvel fans, it's because it harkens back to 30 years ago... When the first Secret Wars was initiated by a being known as The Beyonder, who plucked some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Villians and put them in a world to do battle against one another in a world called "Battleworld". The premise has been revisited in a sequel and used through other means... But this will be the first mega-crossover that involves no other characters BUT members of The Avengers and their past/ alternate counterparts (as well as Miles Morales, Ultimate Spider-Man), as depicted in this solid poster by the great artist himself, Alex Ross.

While no concrete details have been given for the storyline, it will launch in May 2015 (the same month as Avengers: Age of Ultron) and will be written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Esad Ribic. Marvel Senior VP of Publishing Tom Brevoort went on to say:

""However massive you think this is, let me assure you it is bigger than that. It's by far the craziest thing I've dealt with."