Marvel’s massive summer event is turning up the heat, and the latest preview for Avengers: Armageddon #2 drops a massive wildcard into an already chaotic situation. Thunderbolt Ross has gone completely off the deep end. Operating as the Red Hulk, Ross took over Latveria, put Steve Rogers in a coma, and left Earth’s Mightiest Heroes scrambling to pick up the pieces.
To take down a literal red monster, the heroes need serious muscle. Enter David Colton. If you missed his introduction during writer Chip Zdarsky’s recent run on Captain America, Colton is a post-9/11 super-soldier who has spent years hiding out in the woods, dealing with a history full of tragedy and bloodshed. He is finally stepping back into the light, but he isn’t the same guy who went into hiding. After messing with a mysterious Origin Box during the events of Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon, Colton walked away with an entirely new, unmapped powerset and a major wardrobe upgrade.
Chip Zdarsky on David Colton’s Power Upgrade and Superhero Capes
Series architect Chip Zdarsky sat down with Marvel to tease where the military wildcard fits into this massive conflict. When asked about how these new Origin Box powers alter Colton’s mindset, Zdarsky played it close to the chest, invoking the classic Spider-Man line about power and responsibility.
Avengers: Armageddon #2 Spoiler Variant Cover by InHyuk Lee
The physical transformation also comes with a brand-new uniform designed to handle these massive abilities. Zdarsky handled the initial sketch and color scheme before passing it off to the artistic team of Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar to flesh out the final look. The writer noted that the design intentionally features a cape, jokingly adding that the Marvel Universe doesn’t have nearly enough caped heroes right now.
Why the Avengers Might Not Trust Their Newest Ally
AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #2
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar
Cover by Dike Ruan
On Sale 7/8
Even though Colton and the Avengers share a common goal in stopping the Red Hulk’s tyrannical rampage, don’t expect them to act like best friends. Colton is a military man through and through, used to strict army structures, ranks, and clear chains of command.
Zdarsky teased that Colton’s biggest foil on the team might actually be the team dynamic itself. Dropping a rigid soldier into a group that he views largely as civilians with superpowers is bound to create immediate friction.
Looking past this current storyline, Marvel has already started teasing Avengers #1 and a new era featuring “Earth’s Mightiest Survivors.” Zdarsky confirmed that David Colton will still be around in this post-Armageddon landscape, though he refused to spoil exactly what form the character will take once the dust settles.
Avengers: Armageddon #2 hits comic shop shelves on July 8, featuring a main cover by Dike Ruan and a special spoiler variant by InHyuk Lee.
