If you could roll back time..

[Romus]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.

[mandog]

I have to say I'm happy with where its at. If I turned back the clock I wouldnt get the Civil War which I'm stoked about.

[Comic_Mobsta]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.Probably before the 90's

[Cactusakic]

No Clone Saga.

No Heroes Reborn.

Y'know what? Now that I think about it, Romus hit the nail on the head, Go back to the end of Secret War and start there.

[Expletive Deleted]

March 17, 2004.

No need to wipe everything clean. Just some recent questionable decisions I wouldn't mind seeing Marvel take a mulligan on. Mostly X-Related.

[LordEd1976]

I'd go back to the early 90s about the time right before the start of things like the Clone saga.

[Shellhead]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.

I'm with you there. I think that Marvel went off track when Jim Shooter became Editor-in-Chief. I loved his writing on Avengers, but I hated his editorial decisions. Some of my favorite characters (including Namor, Thing and Iron Man) lost popularity due to decisions by Shooter, and have never recovered again. While I enjoyed the original Secret Wars, I didn't like some of the resulting changes, and then the sequel was horrible. This was also around the time when the X-titles got pushed away from the rest of the Marvel Universe and into their own segregated neighborhood.

[Phrozen]

Bendis: "I got this great idea for the 500th issue of Avengers! We will have Wanda go crazy and disband the team. It will be great."

Me:"No, just no. In fact so much no that we are going to take Secert War, which you have been writing, don't finish it and forget it ever happened. Now, go back to writing Powers and Daredevil."

[Haunt]

i'd roll it back far enough to where i could purchase Spiderman and Wolverine's first appearance, for cheap. i'd then use that money to purchase controlling interest in Marvel.

[Huzzah!]

If i could roll back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that hurt you
And you'd stay

I say go back to the whole artist more important than the writers stuff that made many good writers leave books . 90s need to be undone.

[Mark Wallace]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.
I'd go back to the mid-60s, and make it a law that no-one can come back from the dead, whether good-guy, baddie, or support character -- which means no more killing characters off just for dramatic effect in one story, and which would have forced the writers to create new characters, rather than retcon or have stupid "why I'm not dead" stories.

That alone would get rid of 50% of the chaff.

[fireball87o]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.

Great Creative Idea Romus.
For simplicity's sake if the time clock was gonna be rolled back in the comic books I would roll it back to around 2000, that was a relatively nice time for the X-Men

If 2000 wouldn't work, I'd roll things back to the 80s when the X-Men where in Australia & the original X-Factor was still kickin' around--gotta love those times :D

Okay, screw 2000, I'd roll it back to the '80s!

[Babylon23]

I'd roll the clock back to just before the end of Claremont's run on X-Men, 1991. This for me was when everything started to drop away for me. Artists became more important than writers, and were given incredible control over books. Editors suddenly decided that they would effectively write the books, hiring writers that would essentially do what they were told. A lot of the books produced after this point were a total mess.

[Mark Wallace]

I'd roll the clock back to just before the end of Claremont's run on X-Men, 1991. This for me was when everything started to drop away for me. Artists became more important than writers, and were given incredible control over books. Editors suddenly decided that they would effectively write the books, hiring writers that would essentially do what they were told. A lot of the books produced after this point were a total mess.
The X books certainly had that feel to them, but it wasn't as bad with some other titles.

[algertman]

I would undo Avengers Dis. and go from there. Stick Slott on Avengers. Millar on Defenders, post current llast mini. Throw Hulk into deep space but find another way to do it without using the Illumanati, which would have been scrapped at the drawing board.

[agrich]

I'd probably also go back to the mid-'80s or so and have Shooter run out of Marvel a little bit earlier. Perhaps then Colan and Starlin and Byrne and Miller a few other guys wouldn't have left when they did.

[darkhawk76]

just before Venom make his proper debut, I'd stick with the original idea of making the costume go from host to host

stop the stupid policy of relaunching titles with new #1's

and I stop titles getting too serious

[Coheed and Cambria]

March 17, 2004.

No need to wipe everything clean. Just some recent questionable decisions I wouldn't mind seeing Marvel take a mulligan on. Mostly X-Related.


That's when I got with my ex-girlfriend. :(

[Roquefort Raider]

I don't think I would go back and do a soft-reboot from a specific point in Marvel history.

I'd probably use some practical but unpopular plot device, set a few crucial things straight with as little damage to the rest of the Marvel universe as possible, and move from there.

For example, I could use the Beyonder as Marvel's version of Mister Mxyzptlk and reveal that this omnipotent being has been messing with Peter Parker's reality in recent years. He just brought back Norman Osborn for the heck of it, resurrected aunt May, engineered the whole clone saga mess, made up the Morlun mystical crap and invented the "sins past" story out of thin air. (Why? Er... I don't exactly know. Maybe the Beyonder wants revenge for the humiliation of being potty trained by Peter in Secret Wars 2).

After some appropriately clever conclusion, the Beyonder undoes all his messing about and us readers aren't being told "all you've been told in the past was wrong", but rather "a god-like being has altered reality".

The same recipe could be used for all the titles that need it. After all, the Beyonder has a lot to be angry about: he was made to sport a mullet, he wore ugly 80s clothes, he was dumped by the Dazzler and was turned into a cosmic cube.

[Mark Wallace]

For example, I could use the Beyonder as Marvel's version of Mister Mxyzptlk and reveal that this omnipotent being has been messing with Peter Parker's reality in recent years. He just brought back Norman Osborn for the heck of it, resurrected aunt May, engineered the whole clone saga mess, made up the Morlun mystical crap and invented the "sins past" story out of thin air. (Why? Er... I don't exactly know. Maybe the Beyonder wants revenge for the humiliation of being potty trained by Peter in Secret Wars 2).

I could write a Hell of a comedy around an idea like that! -- I'm not being nasty; it just struck me as something that'd be fun to do -- immature godlike creature does stuff, thinking it's OK to do, but screws up people's lives.

A lot of character development for the Beyonder himself would have to be included, which would be good, because he never had one.

Did I miss something about Mxyzptlk? Did he actually do stuff like that?

[hoffmandu]

I would have impreganted Oprah back when she was a crack addict.

[Roquefort Raider]

I could write a Hell of a comedy around an idea like that!

Please be my guest. I'm all for comedy.

-- I'm not being nasty; it just struck me as something that'd be fun to do -- immature godlike creature does stuff, thinking it's OK to do, but screws up people's lives.

A lot of character development for the Beyonder himself would have to be included, which would be good, because he never had one.

Did I miss something about Mxyzptlk? Did he actually do stuff like that?

I don't think Mxyzptlk went that far, but he certainly had the immature godlike stuff down pat.

One of his descendants messed with the Legion of Super-heroes big time, though, in the old Adventure Comics days. He even managed to kill them all before Superboy got him to say his name backwards. And Mxyzptlk himself, in "Whatever happend to the man of tomorrow", messed up Supe's life the same way Peter parker's has been by Marvel comics.

[Mark Wallace]

I don't think Mxyzptlk went that far, but he certainly had the immature godlike stuff down pat.

One of his descendants messed with the Legion of Super-heroes big time, though, in the old Adventure Comics days. He even managed to kill them all before Superboy got him to say his name backwards. And Mxyzptlk himself, in "Whatever happend to the man of tomorrow", messed up Supe's life the same way Peter parker's has been by Marvel comics.

Ambush Bug! I'm sure there's something like that in Ambush Bug! I'll have to look it up -- thanks for (albeit inadvertently) reminding me; I'll take any excuse to re-read a bit of Bug.

[Mark Wallace]

Please be my guest. I'm all for comedy.


Done.
I was right: It was fun!

Since I'm not even considering selling it, you lot might as well have it:
http://mwallace.net/truth/Truth_01.doc

I have GOT to get a hobby that doesn't involve me doing the same thing that I do all day, every day!

[Citizen V]

Let's say that you are not happy with how the Marvel Universe has developed over the past several years (i'm not} and you would rather not do some Crisis or reality warping cleanup. Instead you decide that the clock should be turned back to one moment in Marvel history and then it all continues from there (each series gets a recap issue that let's everyone know what has gone on in recent history to get you on track)

At what point would you roll back to? For me it would be just before the Secret Wars. Sure there have been some good stories since then, but I think that is where the overall erosion started.

If I couldn't go that far back then I would go back to before X-Men (new series) was released.

Great minds think alike,when Morrison wrote New X-Men,it was the downfall of anything X-Related.It seems to make a domino effect from there,egotistical writers like Bendis followed in his footsteps and decided to trash the Universe in a effert to get his name out,a immatation Stan Lee.

I wouldnt make a Marvel Crisis,just erase everything until about 1995.Simple,no big event,since we already had enough of that nonsence,just a quiet recon,and put the writers who were on the comics at that time,back.