What I'd Do With... #13 - ONE YEAR LATER!
So the big thing in comics coming up in March is DC's jump to ONE YEAR LATER. Now, initially I was pretty excited about it, but when information started coming out, I realized that I was dropping far more books than I was picking up. Anyway, I figured OYL was a prime idea to do as a What I'd Do With segment... except not just with DC books, but with Marvel ones as well.
Ground rules first: I obviously don't read every book Marvel or DC puts out. So chances are my 'one year later' suggestions for those titles I don't read aren't going to make much sense, be lame ideas, or just be plain wacky. I will however use every currently running ongoing title in
the regular DC or Marvel Universe (and the Ultimate Universe as well) as of February 2006 as my base list for books to OYL. Because I'm maddeningly inconsistent, I'll sometimes write it in the style of a solicit as it might appear. Other times (when I have it) I'll flesh out more details.
For characters that have more than one book, I'm just going to do a general direction.
I'm bound by status quo as I know it before the OYL jump in the case of DC, and in February 2006 for Marvel. But most titles I only have a limited view, if any, of what's going on. In some cases my OYL's going to reflect where I expect the titles will be going (in cases where that interests me and I can't think of anything better).
DC:
BATMAN: Bruce should always be Batman, and IMHO he should always be a paranoid jerk. I don't care, it's the only thing that makes him interesting. OYL, though, he's weary of trying to keep Gotham under control all by himself and is looking to bring his allies back under his wing, and at least control his paranoid jerk tendencies towards them. Also, Jason Todd is growing to be more of a problem.
BATGIRL: No, it's not cancelled. I don't care. It's not cancelled. Batgirl returns to Gotham.
CATWOMAN: I like the 'Catwoman's pregnant OYL' idea. I don't know if this is the plan already, but I think she should be deliberately operating in a mentor role to a new Catwoman.
NIGHTWING: Nightwing's also back in Gotham, although not exclusively (since he still has his Outsiders duties), especially since Bludhaven's gone. There's an influx of new supervillains coming to the city.
ROBIN - Robin's the only one to outright refuse Batman's request to come back to Gotham as he continues his own 'making a name for himself on his own' phase. He lives and works in a completely different city, maybe even on a different coast.
SUPERMAN - OYL, Lois Lane is still married to Clark... but somehow she's forgotten that he's also Superman! WTF!?!
SUPERGIRL - Supergirl searches for a home and a city to defend... and she's not limiting herself to the US! Yes, it's Supergirl in the Cross Canada Road Trip!
AQUAMAN - I like the 'whole new Aquaman' idea, so let's go with that. The old Aquaman's busy being king of Atlantis, and the new Aquaman is making a name for himself.
BLOOD OF THE DEMON - I don't really know anything about this character or the ongoing storylines, so I'll just randomly say OYL the Demon has being magically bound to the will of an evil wizard and is forced to do his bidding while trying to look for a way out.
BIRDS OF PREY - Although she's still/again helping Batman, Oracle's focus is outward. She lives in Metropolis and sending agents all over the world. The core cast is Oracle, Huntress, Black Canary, but there'll be a bit more of an emphasis placed on agents that are more limited in scope to particular missions. Batgirl for example is a member for Gotham missions.
And, I can't stress this enough, Babs DOES NOT WALK OYL. She's still in the chair. She might have a little more feeling in her feet, but no miracles.
FIRESTORM - All I know about Firestorm is that it's some sort of gestalt between two people. OYL, there's a third! And it's a girl!
GREEN LANTERN - Five Words: Super-Intelligent Gorilla Green Lantern. ... Nah, let's go with this one: Earth is declared a No-Fly Zone for the Green Lantern Corps... because of this (or the cause of this, whatever fits better into GL continuity), Green Lantern rings can no longer recharge normally while on Earth. The Earthborn Green Lantern of the sector won't give up on defending his home planet, though, even if he has to make watch his power supply very carefully.
GREEN ARROW - I don't want Green Arrow to be Mayor of Star City OYL. I want him to be _running_ for Mayor. The campaign is in full swing but still time for the election to be won or lost.
HAWKMAN - Hawkman is crippled and Hawkgirl has taken his place.
JLA - Membership is Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Starfire, Booster Gold, and Green Lantern (mostly for space missions though). No dramatic new directions other than the cast itself.
JSA - This is one of those titles I know almost nothing about. I probably couldn't pick 90% of the people out of a lineup. But, I have to play the game. One Year Later... the existence and history of the JSA have been wiped from every mind on Earth. Who has done this, and why, and how can this veteran team re-establish themselves?
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES - I'll keep the 'Supergirl is a member' change. I don't follow the title but it seems like a reasonably interesting change.
MANHUNTER - If she's not already, a good place to start would be Manhunter on the run from the law for the murder of an 'innocent' who was believed guilty. Of course presumably (I don't read it) her secret identity isn't known.
OUTSIDERS - Roster consists of Nightwing, Arsenal, Shift, Donna Troy, and Grace, with some completely new character being recruited eventually.
But what is this team doing with the head of Braniac? They're using his evil knowledge from the future (yes, the head of Braniac is from the future) to identify future Crisis-level events... and stop them before they reach that level. But could this plan possible not backfire? We'll find out OYL!
TEEN TITANS #33 - The adult members of the team are all gone one way or another. Of the original team, only Raven remains (and she's physically a teen too). The rest of the cast is: Superboy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Robin, Raven, and Batgirl. Yep, thats right, Batgirl is a member of the Teen Titans as part of her continued attempts to resocialize with people. I like how the Robin and Batgirl team-up dynamic was handled, so it might be nice to continue.
There will be a Titans East, lead by Beast Boy (that's where he went) and featuring some of the lesser known characters, but that's left for minis and guest appearances.
WONDER WOMAN - Themyscera is gone, so OYL part of her goal is to find it. I also have this image of Wonder Woman as a Sword and Sorcery type character fighting through magical lands and eventually becoming Queen of her own kingdom. Maybe some portal to some sort of greek mythology world?
Marvel:
ULTIMATES - They've faced foreign enemies. They've faced alien menaces. Now, the Ultimates must face an enemy from another time. How can they face a foe that already considers the Ultimates ancient history (just cause I think it's about time for a reworking of Kang into a kickass Ultimate version)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR - The Fantastic Four have been gone an entire year, lost in another dimension... but that's not all that's changed, because from their point of view, they've been gone ten (yes, I hate teen Reed Richards and just want to move him past this).
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN - Spider-Man's girlfriend, Kitty Pryde, pregnant? Eegads! With great power comes great responsibility indeed!
ULTIMATE X-MEN - The Hellfire Club has reformed, but they're no longer backing Xavier... it's Emma Frost's school they've decided to target. But with the Phoenix already risen, what supernatural force are they trying to raise?
SPIDER-MAN - No longer in the Avengers! Still living with Aunt May! When a scandal has destroyed Mary Jane's career and forced the couple to declare bankruptcy, things are as bad as they can get... that is, until another Sinister Six form, lead by somebody who knows the Webcrawler's Identity and has a personal stake in making him suffer!
BLACK PANTHER - His country has been annexed, but the king in exile is prepared to continue protecting his people... until he uncovers shocking evidence that the country that invaded him is in reality a puppet regime run by none other than Victor Von Doom. What are his plans for Wakanda and the world? And why is Kang determined to see Black Panther regain his throne?
DAREDEVIL - What? Daredevil's no longer blind? That's crazy, you say? Well, you're right. So that's not what happens OYL. But he is in jail awaiting trial, and that's not as interesting as it's already going on in the main books (Daredevil already did the OYL jump back for the King of Hell's Kitchen arc. Let's just assume OYL catches everyone else up more or less).
WOLVERINE - OYL, Wolverine is the best at what he does sniktbub. Since he now remembers who he is, he's tracking down what's left of his family, with the help of X-23.
FANTASTIC FOUR - Another Fantastic Four wedding looms! But if Reed and Sue are already married... does this mean it's Johnny and Ben?! Find out who's getting hitched and why, OYL!
CAPTAIN AMERICA - His shield's in the hands of one of his greatest enemies, and Cap will do anything to get it back.
IRON MAN - Iron Man may be becoming more machine than man, and for that he's come to the attention of a machine intelligence... and it'll stop at nothing before Iron Man becomes just Iron.
INCREDIBLE HULK - A year being on another planet has changed the Hulk, but it's changed Banner more. The Hulk has become King of a hodgepodge interstellar empire, but he wants revenge... for the betrayal that sent him here, HULK SMASH PUNY EARTH! And his alter ego Bruce Banner's left with the unpleasant task of fostering a revolution... against himself!
MARVEL TEAM-UP - This title can't jump OYL, just the people it teams up will be OYL now.
MS MARVEL - She's back and working for the government. Also, she's come into possession of a Kree superweapon... except she doesn't know what it is, just that a hell of a lot of aliens are after it.
NEW AVENGERS - At first, they were New. Now it's OYL, and they're looking a lot older, as the cast now consists of: Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, and Spider-Woman... and they're looking into a sudden appearance of new cults about one of their old friends. But could their prophecies of a second coming of Thor be true?
NEXTWAVE - More explosions and pointless fights! But OYL, their new leader is A TALKING ORANGUTANG! AND EVERYONE SMOKES AND DRINKS HEAVILY (INCLU ESPECIALLY THE APE)!
NEW THUNDERBOLTS - They've gone from villains to heroes, and now the next move is... to heroes for hire? Are they backsliding, or is there a good reason for it?
RUNAWAYS - Runaways doesn't jump OYL. No. It doesn't. This lets BKV tell at least a year's worth of stories while advancing the timeline at a reasonable rate and letting the characters age on panel. If any book needs it, this one does.
THING - The Thing is moonlighting as a private eye, just for the kicks!
SHE-HULK - Her lawyerly ways haven't changed OYL, but let's throw in Jamie Madrox as a rival. If anyone can be in two books, he can!
YOUNG AVENGERS - Patriot has powers! Kate finally has a codename! And there's a new Asgardian? Or perhaps she's not so new... and no longer even a mutant, but when Dani Moonstar learns she's been chosen as the first Valkyrie of New Asgard, she's shocked to learn her first mission is to take the soul of a Young Avenger.
X-MEN GENERAL - I'd like to undo Decimation totally, but I think it kind of goes against the spirit of the experiment. However, OYL mutants are no longer kept in a concentration camp and it's revealed mutants are still appearing - lighten up a little less of the oppressive atmosphere. Crossover between the various teams for guest appearances, character moments, etc, will be frequent.
ASTONISHING X-MEN - Cast: Cyclops, Emma, Kitty, Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. Yeah, just to change things up, we're going to substitute out Beast. I'm sure Whedon can deal with it! ;)
Mission Statement: Do the generic hero thing and show people that mutants are still going to be good guys even though there are few of them left.
UNCANNY X-MEN - Cast: Havok, Husk, Cannonball, Rachel Grey, Storm, Warpath
Mission Statement: Defend the now scattering mutant community from new threats. Follow up on Deadly Genesis and Kid Vulcan.
X-MEN - Cast: Rogue, Mystique, Beast, Magma, Bishop, Iceman
Mission Statement: Track down various nefarious groups giving mutants their powers back temporarily (but at a cost) using a MGH derivative or Apocalypse tech. Search for the 'cure' to Decimation.
EXILES - This is completely separated from the regular Marvel continuity anyway, so making it jump OYL isn't entirely necessary. But I'd revamp the cast and remove direct control of the missions of the Exiles away from the team again, so their fates are in someone else's hands and they can't just go to any world they want and recruit anyone they want. For details, go see my own 'WIDW #1 - Exiles (actually the slightly more thought out Armchair Editor version on my site)'. Obviously not all of it would still work, but in broad strokes and character outlines, sure.
CABLE & DEADPOOL - Providence, Cable's floating island paradise is getting bigger... and now it's asking for membership in the UN.
NEW EXCALIBUR - They're now the official superhero team of all of Europe. I know they're heading towards being Britain's official superhero team already, but it'll probably take at least a years worth of stories to get there, so let's just cut to the chase. Cast more or less the same, maybe cut Nocturne and send her back to Exiles though.
NEW X-MEN - Mostly the same cast, minus Santo and X-23, and with a couple new mutants discovered post Decimation, the few that seem to be proving that mutants are still appearing, albeit much more slowly.
X-FACTOR - War of the Madroxes! 'Nuff said. What, you mean it isn't? Okay, how about this, true believers - Madrox's powers have been pulling him in so many different directions he's reached his breaking point. Now five different Jamies have declared independence and he can't force them back into Jamie prime. And one of them is a killer! X-Factor's rallying behind Jamie-Prime... all except for Layla, who's backing a different horse for a mysterious reason!
PUNISHER - Let's face it, there's nothing you could do to the Punisher to make him interesting, at least not to me, without completely destroying everything distinctive about him. So, OYL... HE'S A COUNTRY MUSIC STAR! Errr... no, he's still the Punisher. But a year older and WITH LASERS. Or just guns. Have I mentioned I don't particularly care about the Punisher? He could be dead OYL for all I care.
Comments welcome as usual. Of course, all my previous WIDWs can be found here.
Ground rules first: I obviously don't read every book Marvel or DC puts out. So chances are my 'one year later' suggestions for those titles I don't read aren't going to make much sense, be lame ideas, or just be plain wacky. I will however use every currently running ongoing title in
the regular DC or Marvel Universe (and the Ultimate Universe as well) as of February 2006 as my base list for books to OYL. Because I'm maddeningly inconsistent, I'll sometimes write it in the style of a solicit as it might appear. Other times (when I have it) I'll flesh out more details.
For characters that have more than one book, I'm just going to do a general direction.
I'm bound by status quo as I know it before the OYL jump in the case of DC, and in February 2006 for Marvel. But most titles I only have a limited view, if any, of what's going on. In some cases my OYL's going to reflect where I expect the titles will be going (in cases where that interests me and I can't think of anything better).
DC:
BATMAN: Bruce should always be Batman, and IMHO he should always be a paranoid jerk. I don't care, it's the only thing that makes him interesting. OYL, though, he's weary of trying to keep Gotham under control all by himself and is looking to bring his allies back under his wing, and at least control his paranoid jerk tendencies towards them. Also, Jason Todd is growing to be more of a problem.
BATGIRL: No, it's not cancelled. I don't care. It's not cancelled. Batgirl returns to Gotham.
CATWOMAN: I like the 'Catwoman's pregnant OYL' idea. I don't know if this is the plan already, but I think she should be deliberately operating in a mentor role to a new Catwoman.
NIGHTWING: Nightwing's also back in Gotham, although not exclusively (since he still has his Outsiders duties), especially since Bludhaven's gone. There's an influx of new supervillains coming to the city.
ROBIN - Robin's the only one to outright refuse Batman's request to come back to Gotham as he continues his own 'making a name for himself on his own' phase. He lives and works in a completely different city, maybe even on a different coast.
SUPERMAN - OYL, Lois Lane is still married to Clark... but somehow she's forgotten that he's also Superman! WTF!?!
SUPERGIRL - Supergirl searches for a home and a city to defend... and she's not limiting herself to the US! Yes, it's Supergirl in the Cross Canada Road Trip!
AQUAMAN - I like the 'whole new Aquaman' idea, so let's go with that. The old Aquaman's busy being king of Atlantis, and the new Aquaman is making a name for himself.
BLOOD OF THE DEMON - I don't really know anything about this character or the ongoing storylines, so I'll just randomly say OYL the Demon has being magically bound to the will of an evil wizard and is forced to do his bidding while trying to look for a way out.
BIRDS OF PREY - Although she's still/again helping Batman, Oracle's focus is outward. She lives in Metropolis and sending agents all over the world. The core cast is Oracle, Huntress, Black Canary, but there'll be a bit more of an emphasis placed on agents that are more limited in scope to particular missions. Batgirl for example is a member for Gotham missions.
And, I can't stress this enough, Babs DOES NOT WALK OYL. She's still in the chair. She might have a little more feeling in her feet, but no miracles.
FIRESTORM - All I know about Firestorm is that it's some sort of gestalt between two people. OYL, there's a third! And it's a girl!
GREEN LANTERN - Five Words: Super-Intelligent Gorilla Green Lantern. ... Nah, let's go with this one: Earth is declared a No-Fly Zone for the Green Lantern Corps... because of this (or the cause of this, whatever fits better into GL continuity), Green Lantern rings can no longer recharge normally while on Earth. The Earthborn Green Lantern of the sector won't give up on defending his home planet, though, even if he has to make watch his power supply very carefully.
GREEN ARROW - I don't want Green Arrow to be Mayor of Star City OYL. I want him to be _running_ for Mayor. The campaign is in full swing but still time for the election to be won or lost.
HAWKMAN - Hawkman is crippled and Hawkgirl has taken his place.
JLA - Membership is Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Starfire, Booster Gold, and Green Lantern (mostly for space missions though). No dramatic new directions other than the cast itself.
JSA - This is one of those titles I know almost nothing about. I probably couldn't pick 90% of the people out of a lineup. But, I have to play the game. One Year Later... the existence and history of the JSA have been wiped from every mind on Earth. Who has done this, and why, and how can this veteran team re-establish themselves?
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES - I'll keep the 'Supergirl is a member' change. I don't follow the title but it seems like a reasonably interesting change.
MANHUNTER - If she's not already, a good place to start would be Manhunter on the run from the law for the murder of an 'innocent' who was believed guilty. Of course presumably (I don't read it) her secret identity isn't known.
OUTSIDERS - Roster consists of Nightwing, Arsenal, Shift, Donna Troy, and Grace, with some completely new character being recruited eventually.
But what is this team doing with the head of Braniac? They're using his evil knowledge from the future (yes, the head of Braniac is from the future) to identify future Crisis-level events... and stop them before they reach that level. But could this plan possible not backfire? We'll find out OYL!
TEEN TITANS #33 - The adult members of the team are all gone one way or another. Of the original team, only Raven remains (and she's physically a teen too). The rest of the cast is: Superboy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Robin, Raven, and Batgirl. Yep, thats right, Batgirl is a member of the Teen Titans as part of her continued attempts to resocialize with people. I like how the Robin and Batgirl team-up dynamic was handled, so it might be nice to continue.
There will be a Titans East, lead by Beast Boy (that's where he went) and featuring some of the lesser known characters, but that's left for minis and guest appearances.
WONDER WOMAN - Themyscera is gone, so OYL part of her goal is to find it. I also have this image of Wonder Woman as a Sword and Sorcery type character fighting through magical lands and eventually becoming Queen of her own kingdom. Maybe some portal to some sort of greek mythology world?
Marvel:
ULTIMATES - They've faced foreign enemies. They've faced alien menaces. Now, the Ultimates must face an enemy from another time. How can they face a foe that already considers the Ultimates ancient history (just cause I think it's about time for a reworking of Kang into a kickass Ultimate version)
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR - The Fantastic Four have been gone an entire year, lost in another dimension... but that's not all that's changed, because from their point of view, they've been gone ten (yes, I hate teen Reed Richards and just want to move him past this).
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN - Spider-Man's girlfriend, Kitty Pryde, pregnant? Eegads! With great power comes great responsibility indeed!
ULTIMATE X-MEN - The Hellfire Club has reformed, but they're no longer backing Xavier... it's Emma Frost's school they've decided to target. But with the Phoenix already risen, what supernatural force are they trying to raise?
SPIDER-MAN - No longer in the Avengers! Still living with Aunt May! When a scandal has destroyed Mary Jane's career and forced the couple to declare bankruptcy, things are as bad as they can get... that is, until another Sinister Six form, lead by somebody who knows the Webcrawler's Identity and has a personal stake in making him suffer!
BLACK PANTHER - His country has been annexed, but the king in exile is prepared to continue protecting his people... until he uncovers shocking evidence that the country that invaded him is in reality a puppet regime run by none other than Victor Von Doom. What are his plans for Wakanda and the world? And why is Kang determined to see Black Panther regain his throne?
DAREDEVIL - What? Daredevil's no longer blind? That's crazy, you say? Well, you're right. So that's not what happens OYL. But he is in jail awaiting trial, and that's not as interesting as it's already going on in the main books (Daredevil already did the OYL jump back for the King of Hell's Kitchen arc. Let's just assume OYL catches everyone else up more or less).
WOLVERINE - OYL, Wolverine is the best at what he does sniktbub. Since he now remembers who he is, he's tracking down what's left of his family, with the help of X-23.
FANTASTIC FOUR - Another Fantastic Four wedding looms! But if Reed and Sue are already married... does this mean it's Johnny and Ben?! Find out who's getting hitched and why, OYL!
CAPTAIN AMERICA - His shield's in the hands of one of his greatest enemies, and Cap will do anything to get it back.
IRON MAN - Iron Man may be becoming more machine than man, and for that he's come to the attention of a machine intelligence... and it'll stop at nothing before Iron Man becomes just Iron.
INCREDIBLE HULK - A year being on another planet has changed the Hulk, but it's changed Banner more. The Hulk has become King of a hodgepodge interstellar empire, but he wants revenge... for the betrayal that sent him here, HULK SMASH PUNY EARTH! And his alter ego Bruce Banner's left with the unpleasant task of fostering a revolution... against himself!
MARVEL TEAM-UP - This title can't jump OYL, just the people it teams up will be OYL now.
MS MARVEL - She's back and working for the government. Also, she's come into possession of a Kree superweapon... except she doesn't know what it is, just that a hell of a lot of aliens are after it.
NEW AVENGERS - At first, they were New. Now it's OYL, and they're looking a lot older, as the cast now consists of: Captain America, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, and Spider-Woman... and they're looking into a sudden appearance of new cults about one of their old friends. But could their prophecies of a second coming of Thor be true?
NEXTWAVE - More explosions and pointless fights! But OYL, their new leader is A TALKING ORANGUTANG! AND EVERYONE SMOKES AND DRINKS HEAVILY (INCLU ESPECIALLY THE APE)!
NEW THUNDERBOLTS - They've gone from villains to heroes, and now the next move is... to heroes for hire? Are they backsliding, or is there a good reason for it?
RUNAWAYS - Runaways doesn't jump OYL. No. It doesn't. This lets BKV tell at least a year's worth of stories while advancing the timeline at a reasonable rate and letting the characters age on panel. If any book needs it, this one does.
THING - The Thing is moonlighting as a private eye, just for the kicks!
SHE-HULK - Her lawyerly ways haven't changed OYL, but let's throw in Jamie Madrox as a rival. If anyone can be in two books, he can!
YOUNG AVENGERS - Patriot has powers! Kate finally has a codename! And there's a new Asgardian? Or perhaps she's not so new... and no longer even a mutant, but when Dani Moonstar learns she's been chosen as the first Valkyrie of New Asgard, she's shocked to learn her first mission is to take the soul of a Young Avenger.
X-MEN GENERAL - I'd like to undo Decimation totally, but I think it kind of goes against the spirit of the experiment. However, OYL mutants are no longer kept in a concentration camp and it's revealed mutants are still appearing - lighten up a little less of the oppressive atmosphere. Crossover between the various teams for guest appearances, character moments, etc, will be frequent.
ASTONISHING X-MEN - Cast: Cyclops, Emma, Kitty, Wolverine, Colossus, and Nightcrawler. Yeah, just to change things up, we're going to substitute out Beast. I'm sure Whedon can deal with it! ;)
Mission Statement: Do the generic hero thing and show people that mutants are still going to be good guys even though there are few of them left.
UNCANNY X-MEN - Cast: Havok, Husk, Cannonball, Rachel Grey, Storm, Warpath
Mission Statement: Defend the now scattering mutant community from new threats. Follow up on Deadly Genesis and Kid Vulcan.
X-MEN - Cast: Rogue, Mystique, Beast, Magma, Bishop, Iceman
Mission Statement: Track down various nefarious groups giving mutants their powers back temporarily (but at a cost) using a MGH derivative or Apocalypse tech. Search for the 'cure' to Decimation.
EXILES - This is completely separated from the regular Marvel continuity anyway, so making it jump OYL isn't entirely necessary. But I'd revamp the cast and remove direct control of the missions of the Exiles away from the team again, so their fates are in someone else's hands and they can't just go to any world they want and recruit anyone they want. For details, go see my own 'WIDW #1 - Exiles (actually the slightly more thought out Armchair Editor version on my site)'. Obviously not all of it would still work, but in broad strokes and character outlines, sure.
CABLE & DEADPOOL - Providence, Cable's floating island paradise is getting bigger... and now it's asking for membership in the UN.
NEW EXCALIBUR - They're now the official superhero team of all of Europe. I know they're heading towards being Britain's official superhero team already, but it'll probably take at least a years worth of stories to get there, so let's just cut to the chase. Cast more or less the same, maybe cut Nocturne and send her back to Exiles though.
NEW X-MEN - Mostly the same cast, minus Santo and X-23, and with a couple new mutants discovered post Decimation, the few that seem to be proving that mutants are still appearing, albeit much more slowly.
X-FACTOR - War of the Madroxes! 'Nuff said. What, you mean it isn't? Okay, how about this, true believers - Madrox's powers have been pulling him in so many different directions he's reached his breaking point. Now five different Jamies have declared independence and he can't force them back into Jamie prime. And one of them is a killer! X-Factor's rallying behind Jamie-Prime... all except for Layla, who's backing a different horse for a mysterious reason!
PUNISHER - Let's face it, there's nothing you could do to the Punisher to make him interesting, at least not to me, without completely destroying everything distinctive about him. So, OYL... HE'S A COUNTRY MUSIC STAR! Errr... no, he's still the Punisher. But a year older and WITH LASERS. Or just guns. Have I mentioned I don't particularly care about the Punisher? He could be dead OYL for all I care.
Comments welcome as usual. Of course, all my previous WIDWs can be found here.