In the late Sixties a fireball struck the town of Pederson, Illnois granting fantastic powers to the 113 children who were in utero at the time of impact. They grew up as the world watched. Labeled the Specials by the Media, their powers were monitored and catalogued by the United States Government. Public perception of them changed often. Were they the future of mankind? A scourge? A random occurrence? Heroes? Villains? Role models or simply caricatures? What would be their impact on culture and society? They were a waried as kids and adults ever are; some were more powerful, some less. As adults they became many things: a policeman, a corporate symbol, a singer, an assassin, a writer, a painter, a thief, a preacher. Some found celebrity, some notoriety, while others simply went to work and raised families like everyone else. But they all carried inside them a seed of something great. Something special. Something that made them stars. As their epic stories unfolded, there were other stories as well...of their lives and the lives of those around them. This book is about those stories. Collected here are the short stories about the Specials, a bit about their beginnings, a bit about their middles and just a little bit about their end.

    Featuring the Black Cat, the Kingpin, Madame Web, Mary Jane, the Prowler and more! See Spider-Man's earliest battles with one of his deadliest foes! Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #238-239, #244-245 and #249-251; and PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) #43, #47-48 and #85.

    The original appearances of the Black Orchid from Adventure Comics #428-430, The Phantom Stranger #31, 32, 35, 36, 38-41, and The Super Friends #31.

    a Hydra agent? Witness the Arachnidian Adventuress's dire debut against Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. - and a follow-up arc alongside the ever-lovin', blue-eyed Thing After working a few bugs out of her origin, she set up shop in California and faced an array of eccentric enemies rarely equaled to this day Includes the introduction of several characters by the late great Mark Gruenwald Featuring Shang-Chi, the Werewolf by Night, the Shroud, and more.Collecting: Marvel Spotlight 32, Marvel Two-In-One 29-33, & Spider-Woman 1-25

    Avalon; a world created for the survival of his chosen people--mutants--sworn to follow a madman's lead. Charles Xavier; the most powerful mind on earth, whose Dream for peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants may be the earth's last hope. Wolverine; the berserker mutant whose adamantium skeleton may be the very thing that destroys him.X-Men! X-Force! X-Factor! And Excalibur! Still reeling from the death of one of their own--they now face their greatest enemy in a battle that could mean the end of the world!

    Along with his sidekick Speedy, see Green Arrow take on all manner of crime in Star City!

    Reprints Captain America #357-364

    Retold and redefined in this volume is the origin of the Spectre, the most powerful being in the universe. As the Wrath of God bonded on a human soul, the Spectre roams the Earth in order to confront evil and avenge the unavenged dead as a form of penance. Paying for his earthly sins, the Spectre must not only oppose evil but also understand why men commit it. Once this metaphysical journey is completed, his mortal soul will be freed and another will be called upon on this holy mission of redemption.

    Will Peter discover the price for perfection? Meanwhile, Deadpool teams up with Deadpool (well...Deathwish) in this alternate-reality-doppelganger extravaganza! And what dreams come true does this dimension hold for Hulk? Collecting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #38, DEADPOOL ANNUAL #1 and INCREDIBLE HULKS ANNUAL #1

    IRREDEEMABLE dares to ask the question: what if the world's greatest hero decided to become the world's greatest villain? A "twilight of the superheroes"- style story that examines super-villains from the writer of KINGDOM COME and EMPIRE!

    Transmetropolitan combined black humor, political scandal, and moral ambiguity to look into the mind of gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem and The City he inhabits. Aided by his embattled Editor and his two Filthy Assistants, Jerusalem blazes a path through a futuristic world of skyscrapers and technological wonders, dark alleys, and unspeakable depravity.Transmetropolitan: All Around The World is a lovingly crafted and designed tribute to a seminal work. Contributors include: Aaron Alexovich, Stephanie Buscema, Jim Calafiore, Stefano Caselli, Cliff Chiang, Richard C. Clark, Kevin Colden, Molly Crabapple, Camilla d’Errico, Kristian Donaldson, Ryan Dunlavey, Gary Erskine, Richard Friend, Dan Goldman, Cully Hamner, Lea Hernandez, Phil Hester, Rantz Hoseley, Matt Howarth, K Thor Jensen, Seth Kushner, Jonathan Luna, Milo Manara, John McCrea, Moritat, Dean Motter, Darick Robertson, Jimmie Robinson, Stuart Sayger, Tim Seeley, Fiona Staples, Bryan Talbot, Pete Woods, and many, many others.[text from http://cbldf.org/homepage/transmetrop... ]

    Will his violent actions mean Spider-Man is an Avenger no more? With classic foes including the Vulture and the Green Goblin, and new friends like Anna Maria Marconi, this is Spider-Man like never before - but whatever happened to the real Peter? COLLECTING: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) 698-700, SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN 1-16

    Gambit plays his cards right and vaults into his own kinetically-charged solo adventures! He's a lover and a thief, but what else does ragin' Cajun Remy LeBeau get up to when he isn't hangin' wit' de X-Men? Would you believe raiding lost temples of doom? Clashing with the deadly X-Cutioner? Or teaming up with Sabretooth? Still, there's always time for the ladies, like old friend Storm and his favorite cherie Rogue...but who is Gambit's gaseous green guardian?Collects Gambit (1999) #1/2, 1-11, Gambit Annual '99, Marvel Authentix: Gambit #1, Material from X-Men Unlimited (1993) #18

    This is so dire that X-Men come from the future with a message: the All-New X-Men must return to the past!

    HEAD TRIP, Part 1 of 6It's the Merc with two mouths! Deadpool travels to the Savage Land to retrieve the severed-but-still-hungry head of the Marvel Zombies Deadpool! Now, Deadpool must dodge Hydra operatives, dinosaurs, and zombie cavemen as he attempts to take his not-so-precious cargo back where it came from: the Marvel Zombies Universe.