July 22, 4:22 AM or maybe PM: It's a New, new U / Comin ' right at you

New Universe teaser house ads in Marvel comics (1986), art by John Romita, Jr.

2/? Yes, on this date in 1986, at 4:22am EST (I wasn't up yet), the WHITE EVENT (there's a name that hasn't aged well) bathed Earth-148611 in a bright white light and created paranormal powers in two out of every million humans and launched 8 ambitious if ill-fated comic books.

3/? Then-EIC Jim Shooter headed this Marvel imprint that had nothing to do with Marvel's unusual Earrth-616, spawning all-new heroes in "the world outside your window."

4/? The White Event caused--well, 5 out of 8 of--these characters to come into being. (MERC, SPITFIRE & THE TROUBLESHOOTERS, and JUSTICE were not dependent on the White Event. The latter two's giant mecha suit and alien cop instantly punctured the "outside your window" concept.)

5/? This new publishing program commemorated the 25th Anniversary of Marvel (well, since 1961) and was promoted heavily, including that month's issue of MARVEL AGE. Even Fred Hembeck got in on the fun, asking the questions we were all thinkin' about:

6/? Here's some pages from an extensive interview in MARVEL AGE #44 with Shooter and the other creators. Read between the lines and even then you can tell the focus of the New Universe was all over the place.

7? Despite a course-correction *away* from the ill-fated "The World Outside You Window" concept towards the end of 1987), the New U was doomed from the start. The project's budget was slashed even before publication and big-name creators couldn't be tempted on board.

8/? Of course Shooter eventually had blame for pretty much everyone but himself. (Thanks @garaujo1 for this clipping!) https://twitter.com/garaujo1/status/1286007969717596160?s=20

9/? But Marvel played it up big, promoting the line as the Next Big Thing. Despite the criticism against Shooter's SECRET WARS comics, they sold *extremely well*, so Marvel was riding high in 1986.

That. would. change. (sounds bell of doom)

10/? Oddly, the White Event itself wasn't portrayed in most of the New U #1 issues. THIS isn't it:

from STAR BRAND #1 (October 1986), script by Jim Shooter, pencils by John Romita Jr., inks by Al Williamson, colors by Christie Scheele, letters by Joe Rosen

11/? ...because we find out from a later issue that the White Event occurred BEFORE Ken Connell got the Star Brand.

from STAR BRAND #12 (March 1988), script and pencils by John Byrne, inks by Tom Palmer, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Joe Rosen

12/? Make a guess: Which ONE of the other seven New Universe #1 titles showed the White Event happening on camera?

13/? Betcha didn't expect the one about a SUPER-POWERED FOOTBALL PLAYER to be the only showing the actual White Event, huh?

from KICKERS, INC. #1 (November 1986), script by Tom DeFalco, pencils by Ron Frenz, inks by Sal Buscema, colors
by George Roussos, letters by Phil Felix

14/? (Note that this *has* to be happening at 4:22 PM. Early references to the White Event have it happening in the afternoon, but that later changed canonically to 4:22 in the morning. Why? The world may never know. As i said: I wasn't up yet.

15/? Here's a later comic that shows it happening at *1:24 PM* (12:24 PM EDT, consult your local listings for channel).

from D.P. 7 ANNUAL #1 (November 1987), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Lee Weeks, inks by Tony DeZuniga,
colors by Paul Becton, letters by Phil Felix

16/? And pay attention to that guy. He'll later turn out to the the New Universe's version of The Watcher!

from STAR BRAND #17 (January 1989), script and breakdowns by John Byrne, finishes by Tom Morgan, colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Rick Parker

17/? But for the most part in New U comics, the White Event happened off-screen *before* their #1 issues started...

from D.P. 7 #1 (November 1986), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Romeo Tanghal, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Phil Felix

18/? ...and stories often began *afterwards*, showing the emergence of paranormals...

from NIGHTMASK #1 (November 1986), script by Archie Goodwin, pencils by Tony Salmons, inks by Bret Blevins,
colors by Andy Yanchus, letters by Joe Rosen

19/? ...and the White Eevent (did I mention it was today?) became a MacGuffin , useful for establishing origins of paranormals and for the 7/22/86 starting point of the real-time concept of the books: a year of publication would equal a year in the lives of the characters.

20/? This "World Outside Your Window" concept wasn't utiized properly across all the titles, which resulted in a year and a half where, despite all the heroes and villains, the world outside *didn't* change *too* much from our own, except with super-powered football players.

21/? This status quo would change *dramatically* a year and a half later.

But you're going to have to read about *that* this *December*.

(But stay tuned! More to come today on this thread!)

22/? While you're waiting, why not take the NEW UNIVERSE TRIVIA QUIZ?

23/? Marvel returned to the New Universe in 2006 with 5 one-shots (and a few back-up stories) to cover the UNTOLD TALES OF THE NEW UNIVERSE:

24/? Here's where the time of today's White Event in history canonically moved from 4:22 PM to 4:22 AM.

from UNTOLD TALES OF THE NEW UNIVERSE: D.P. 7 #1 (May 2006), script by C.B. Cebulski, pencils by M. D. Bright, inks by John Stanisci, colors by Studio F, letters by Rus Wooton

25/? Most of the tales were pretty standard continuity implants that did exactly what was said on the box.

26/? Although at least the Star Brand one with pretty weirdly meta.

from UNTOLD TALES OF THE NEW UNIVERSE: STAR BRAND #1 (May 2006), script by Jeff Parker, pencils and inks by Javier Pulido, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Vic Caramagna

27/? Hey, remember when Jim Shooter promised THIS?

28/? in 1992, Mark Gruenwald made Shooter a fibber (yay, Mark!), and connected the Marvel and the New Universes...

from STARBLAST #1 (January 1994), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Herb Trimpe, inks by Ralph Cabrera,
colors by Mike Higgins, letters by Paul Becton

29/? ...sending Quasar to a universe that had no Watchers and had never been observed by "our" 616-Watcher. Then again, there's a *lot* Uatu doesn't know:

30/? Anyways, Quasar met *these* guys*:

from QUASAR #31 (February 1992), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Greg Capullo, inks by Harry Candelario, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Janice Chiang

31/? ...and was given the Star Brand, which helped him get back to the Marvel U. Unfortunately, the Star Brand didn't make it back with him. Or...DID IT?!?

32/? Gruenwald's extensive crossover series STARBLAST showed us Quasar's girlfriend Kayla wound up being the recipient of the Star Brand...

from STARBLAST #3 (March 1994), script by Gruenwald, pencils by Grant Miehm, colors by Mike Higgins, letters by Paul Becton

33/? Despite the Avengers and Quasar battling to save Kayla, she had to remain behind on Earth-148611, which would up pulled into our universe and orbiting the Stranger's planet. Toldja it got weird!

from STARBLAST #4 (April 1994)

34/? And *that* is pretty much all anybody ever saw of the White Event and the New Universe.

Until one day in the Marvel Universe...

from AVENGERS (2013 series) #5 (April 2013), script by Jonathan Hickman, art by Adam Kubert, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Cory Petit

35/? How's THAT for a sneaky cliffhanger, True Bullievers? TO BE CONTINUED SOON!

36/? It looked like the New Universe was at an end, but nobody told JONATHAN HICKMAN! Even one of his alternate REED RICHARDS had the Star Brand!

from FF #572 (December 2009), script by Jonathan Hickman, pencils by Dale Eaglesham, colors by Paul Mounts, letters by Rus Wooton

37/? And in Hickman's run-up to SECRET WARS, an Earth-616 White Event was set off, unlocking the power to say "The White Event" multiple times!

from AVENGERS (2013 series) #5 (4/2013), script by Jonathan Hickman, art by Adam Kubert, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Cory Petit

38/? This gave Marvel-Earth a new Starbrand, just as powerful and just as hapless as the first one. Well, that'll happen.

from AVENGERS (2013 series) #8 (May 2013), script by Hickman, art by Dustin Weaver, colors by Justin Ponsor, letters by Cory Petit

39/? But, he got to join the Avengers, so it was all right, huh? All okay!

from AVENGERS WORLD #4 (May 2014), script by Hickman and Nick Spencer, art by Stefano Caselli, colors by Andres Mossa, letters by Joe Caramagna

40/? I'm not certain if Earth-148611 survived Secret Wars, but D.P.7's Blur shows up as a member of the Squadron Supreme:

from SQUADRON SUPREME #1 (2/2016), script by James Robinson, pencils by Leonard Kirk, inks by Paul Neary, colors by Frank Martin, letters by Travis Lanham

41/44 And Marvel even gives the new Starbrand a miniseries and a happy ending!...

cover of STARBRAND AND NIGHTMASK #1 (February 2016), art by Yasmine Putri

42/44 ...until Ghost Rider kills him.

from MARVEL LEGACY, (November 2017) script by Jason Aaron

43/44 So there ya go, New Universe fans. Sparked into being by the White Event on this very day, July 22, 1986. But it came back several times, and it'll come back again.

44/44 And hey, it ended on its cast walking into another White Event, to go get ice cream.

For me, that's the best of all possible worlds.

from D.P. 7 #32 (final issue) (6/89), script by Mark Gruenwald, pencils by Paul Ryan, inks by Danny Bulanadi, colors by Paul Becton

45/44 PS: Wondering why I didn't mention THE PITT, THE DRAFT, THE WAR, or NEWUNIVERSAL? That's because they all have different dates attached to 'em, and I'll cover them when those dates run around! (This December: don't go back to Pittsburgh!)

Have a Happy New Universe Day!