Marvel 1602, or simply 1602, is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distinctive scratchboard covers. The eight-part series takes place in a timeline where Marvel superheroes exist in the Elizabethan era; faced with the destruction of their world by a mysterious force, the heroes must fight to save their universe. Many of the early Marvel superheroes—Nick Fury, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man—as well as villains such as Doctor Doom and Magneto appear in various roles.

Neil Gaiman had always been a fan of Marvel, and editor Joe Quesada approached Gaiman to work on a project which eventually evolved into 1602. The success of the comic led to three sequels, entitled 1602: New World, Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, and Spider-Man: 1602. There is also a short story, "Son of the Dragon", starring the 1602 version of the Hulk in the second issue of Hulk: Broken Worlds. In 1602: Witchhunter Angela of Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars event, Angela appears as a hunter of witchbreed (mutants).

The pocket reality seen at the end of the limited series in which the continuing Marvel 1602 universe takes place is classified as Earth-311. The series was loosely adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) / Disney+ series What If...? episode "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" in 2023.

Development

Background

Neil Gaiman stated in an afterword to the series that he had always viewed the Marvel universe as "magic". When the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred, Gaiman decided that he did not want planes, skyscrapers, bombs or guns in his comic. "I didn't want it to be a war story, and I didn't want to write a story in which might made right—or in which might made anything." The time was chosen because "it was a nice place to set the story. It gave me America and it gave me a lot of things that I wanted in terms of the way the world was changing. It also gave me the sense of wonder and magic."

Illustration

left|thumb|Kubert's pencils (top) contrasted with the finished panel

Unlike usual penciled pages, Marvel 1602 used a technique called "enhanced pencils", whereby the finished pencil drawings are sent straight to the colorist instead of to an inker first. This technique had been used before on Kubert's Origin, and results in cleaner and more elaborate lines. Scratchboard is a technique where a sharp knife is used to scrape through a layer of black ink to a hard chalk surface underneath; in effect, artists draw white lines on an all-black surface. All McKowen's illustrations were done by hand and then colored later in Photoshop.

The hardbound edition features a scratchboard illustration depicting the main characters whispering discreetly to each other on the cover. According to McKowen, the image was inspired by a depiction of the masterminds behind the "Gunpowder Plot", an attempt to blow up Parliament during the reign of King James.

  • James I of England: Originally King James VI of Scotland, James becomes the monarch over England as well with Elizabeth's death. James maintains an intense hatred of witchbreed (the mutants of this reality) and seeks to destroy them along with any who practice sorcery or witchcraft.
  • Virginia Dare: The daughter of Ananias Dare, and the first English child born in the Americas. In this world, the Roanoke Colony did not disappear in the 1580s; when Steve Rogers went into this world he saved the colony, which would have been killed by starvation. Dare touches the rift caused by Rogers' arrival. She has the ability to transform into white-furred animals when frightened, which she later learns to control, and appears to be the equivalent to Alpha Flight's Snowbird who has a similar appearance and powers, though Neil Gaiman had denied this.
  • Uatu, the Watcher: A younger member of a race of intelligent beings who have sworn not to interfere in the affairs of lesser races, only to watch and observe. He breaks this oath, however, by explaining the situation to an astral projection of Doctor Stephen Strange.
  • Sir Nicholas Fury: The Queen's intelligence officer (referred to as the "intelligencer") and responsible for foiling many past plots against the monarch. Seemingly killed when he carries an unconscious Rojhaz into the dimensional rift.
  • Doctor Stephen Strange: The Queen's Physician, who is also a magician and alchemist. He allows himself to be beheaded by King James, which subsequently frees him from the restriction placed upon him by Uatu the Watcher (namely, that he could not reveal what he knows while still living).
  • Peter Parquagh: Sir Nicholas' apprentice; left orphaned and tended to by his aunt and uncle until Fury arrived and took the boy to London.
  • Matthew Murdoch: A blind Irish minstrel who moonlights as a freelance agent. Matthew was blinded by a mysterious substance he encountered as a child; yet from it, he also acquired heightened senses.
  • Clea Strange: Stephen Strange's wife and assistant, Clea actually comes from another dimension. After bringing her husband's severed head to the Roanoke colony—thus fulfilling her last promise to him—she asks the heroes to bury the head with the rest of the body and then returns to her home dimension.
  • Rojhaz: Virginia's blonde-haired, blue-eyed Native American bodyguard, who in fact is a displaced Captain America from a dystopian future. When the government of his time ruled by Purple Man captured him and attempted to execute him using advanced technology, he was accidentally sent back in time—the event which triggered the alternate timeline to begin with—thus forming the paradox of the story.
  • Carlos Javier: A Spaniard living in England, where he runs a "College for the Sons of Gentlefolk", in fact a haven for "witchbreed". His students include Roberto Trefusis, Scotius Summerisle, Hal McCoy, Werner, and "John" Grey (who is in fact a young woman with psychic powers rivaling his own).
  • The Four from the Fantastick: A band of explorers who gained powers when their ship encountered a strange energy vortex at sea. The four are Captain Benjamin Grimm, Sir Richard Reed, Susan Storm, and John Storm. Their bodies were reshaped into the four elements: Reed's body became pliable like water, Grimm's body became solid rock, Susan's body became weightless and invisible like air, and John's body became living fire. They are eventually captured by Doom.
  • Grand Inquisitor Enrique: Born a Sephardic Jew, a young Enrique was forcibly baptized and seduced by a Catholic priest, and thus inducted into the church. As an adult, he leads the Spanish Inquisition—a position of power through which he can further his own plans. Although ordered to execute the witchbreed, he hides those whom he can pass off as normal. Secretly a witchbreed himself, he uses his activities as a cover to form a "Brotherhood of Those Who Will Inherit the Earth". He is assisted by Sister Wanda and Petros, who are secretly his children. He is also aided by Toad, despite Toad's betrayal at one point.
  • David Banner: An advisor to King James, Banner is sent to Roanoke in order to kill Fury. When the rift is closed at the end of the story, Banner is caught within the backlash and is later seen lurking in the nearby woods as a massive gray-skinned creature.
  • Count Otto von Doom: Doom is the ruler of Latveria, known as Otto the Handsome due to his perfect physique and appearance. He captures the Fantastick Four in order to force Reed's compliance in creating war machines, poisons, and various other inventions. Von Doom is later struck and badly burned by Thor's lightning, although he survives.
  • Donal: The Guardian of the Templar Treasure, who is captured by Count Otto von Doom on his way to deliver the treasure of the Templars (the hammer Mjolnir disguised as a simple walking stick) to England. He is rescued by Sir Nicholas Fury and the witchbreed and is taken to the New World along with the Fantastick Four.
  • Natasha: She travels with Matthew while en route to meet Donal, who is bringing the Templar Treasure to England. Natasha is revealed to be working for Count Otto von Doom.

Reception and legacy

The first issue of 1602 was ranked first in August 2003 US comics with pre-order sales of 150,569.

1602 received mixed praise upon its release with Comics Bulletin stating "Is 1602 good? Yes, it's damn good. Is it revolutionary or even ground breaking? No. Sorry, but I can't go so far as to call a glorified What If? series anything more than what it is; a well done re-imagination of the Marvel Universe." Entertainment Weekly declared that the combination of writing and moody artwork meant "the Marvel Universe hasn't been this engrossing in ages." ShakingThrough.net noted that fans looking for elements of Gaiman's The Sandman would be disappointed; "It's not a senses-shattering Marvel epic, but then it's not meant to be. It's nothing more or less than a chance to enjoy reinterpretations of some familiar characters." UGO Networks concurred, stating "there doesn't need to be a 'point' in re-imagining familiar icons—it's simply meant to be fun. [...] The result of 1602 is agreeable entertainment." The series won several awards, including the Quill Book Award for Graphic Novels. The first issue was also awarded the 2003 Diamond Distributors Gem Award as "Comic of the Year".

Conversely, Time Magazine listed it as the worst comic of 2003, although the list's composer later stated "he didn't actually mean it was the worst comic of the year." UGO's Darren Latta noted as a downside to the series that "the approach maybe a little too subdued at times." Latta also felt that despite being familiar with the setting, Gaiman never utilized the period to its full potential.

James Fleming, an adjunct instructor at Keiser University and Southern New Hampshire University, has also written about the use of the postmodern tradition in 1602 and how this is employed as a means to respond to the post-9/11 world in which the comic was written.

Sequels

1602s success led to three sequels.

  • 1602: New World is a five-issue limited series written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Greg Tocchini. The series was published from August 2005 to January 2006. Taking place shortly after the end of 1602, the heroes are settling down in America. Lord Iron and Captain Ross had arrived to hunt down David Banner while coming into conflict with the Spider and Virginia Dare. Meanwhile, Master Osborn tries to turn the natives against the settlers.
  • Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, is a five-issue miniseries written by Peter David and pencilled by Pascal Alixe. The series was published from November 2006 to March 2007. The story involves the Fantastic Four's adventures in London, the return of Otto von Doom, and the "Four Who Are Frightful" when they capture William Shakespeare to chronicle Otto von Doom's travels to Bensaylum, ruled by Numenor. Other characters include Wyatt Wingfoot, Doris Evans, and Rita.
  • Spider-Man: 1602 is a five-issue miniseries written by Jeff Parker and pencilled by Ramon Rosanas. The series was published from December 2009 to April 2010. The story centers on the continuing adventures of the Spider and features reinterpretations of Victor Octavius, the Lizard, and Mary Jane Watson. Also appearing are the Beast, Janette Pym and Henri Le Pym, the King's Pin, Bullseye, and Steve Rogers.

Spider-Verse

The Marvel 1602 universe appears in a lead-up to Spider-Verse. Peter Parquah is on stage at the Globe Theatre with Marion Jane Watson's family when Morlun appears. Peter attempts to defend himself, but Morlun proves too powerful. Morlun brings down the Globe Theater around everyone, and absorbs Peter's life essence. Before disappearing into another dimension, Morlun declares that all spiders will die.

Secret Wars (2015)

Marvel 1602 appears in Secret Wars where its domain on Battleworld is referred to as King James' England. It is mostly featured in the comic 1602: Witch Hunter Angela (which features a witch hunter version of Angela). The Secret Wars Marvel 1602 now includes Bronze Age and Modern Age Marvel characters where its King James is a variation of Wolverine.

Web-Warriors

The Web Warriors (Alternate versions of Spider-Man) visited the 1602 Universe to deal with the dimension's version of Sinister Six called the Sinister Sextet which consists of Carnage, Electro, Karnov, Magus, and Serpent. After apprehending the villains, they noticed the dimension's Electro has escaped. Unbeknownst to the heroes, Electro followed them back to the Great Web.

In other media

Television

  • The Marvel 1602 reality appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "1602! (Six Against Infinity, Part 6)".
  • Marvel 1602 creator Neil Gaiman stated that he pitched the idea of a live-action adaptation of the series to Marvel Television, only to be rejected. Additionally, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige has also stated that he is interested in a Marvel 1602 series alongside Earth X, but noted that there must be a built-in audience for it.
  • The Marvel 1602 reality appears in the second season of What If...? (2023). The universe primarily appears in the episode "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?", which was produced without Neil Gaiman's involvement.

Video games

  • Spider-Man 1602 appears as an unlockable skin in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.
  • Spider-Man 1602 appears as a playable character in Spider-Man Unlimited.

Collected editions

{| class="wikitable"

|+

! Title

! Material collected

! Published date

! ISBN

|-

| Marvel 1602

| 1602 #1–8

| October 2004

|

|-

| Marvel 1602: New World

| Marvel 1602: New World #1–5

| January 2006

|

|-

| Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four

| Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four #1–5

| June 2007

|

|-

| Marvel 1602: New World/Fantastick Four

| Marvel 1602: New World #1–5 and Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four #1–5

| October 2009

|

|-

| Marvel 1602: Spider-Man

| Marvel 1602: Spider-Man #1–5

| May 2010

|

|-

| 1602 Witch Hunter Angela

| 1602 Witch Hunter Angela #1–4 and 1602 #1

| March 2016

|

|}

See also

  • Dark Knights of Steel – a comic book series by DC Comics with a similar premise

References

  • Annotations to Marvel 1602
  • 1602: Fantastick Four on Marvel.com