Ten Questions You Need Answered Before FEAR ITSELF Begins

If you've been on a comic book website in the last couple of months, you could not escape the coming of Fear Itself. But what if you don't know an all-father from a cosmic cube, and you want to be up on the whole deal before Fear Itself #1 hits shelves tomorrow? The basics are that Matt Fraction is writing the mini-series, and Stuart Immonen is drawing it. The main series will be 7 issues, and the event will carry into many of the Marvel Universe titles including spin-offs and mini-series and all that, which you don't have to read, but you might want to read.

As for the facts of the mini-series, if you're not up to date on the 616, there are questions to be answered. As always, we're here to help.

1. Who is Sin and why is she all Raylan Givens about her dad?

Sin is the daughter of long time enemy of Captain America (and all things American), the Red Skull. You may think she's a new character, but she was first introduced in 1984 in the pages of Captain America and created by J.M. DeMatteis and Paul Neary. When the Red Skull decided he needed an heir, he fathered a child with a washerwoman who died in childbirth. When the Red Skull found out the baby was girl and not a boy as he wanted, he almost had the baby destroyed. But he was talked out of this by one of his followers, who then raised Sin (Synthia Schmidt). After being aged rapidly by a machine and given powers, she was then de-aged and lost those powers. Later, she was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. who attempted to deprogram her from the Red Skull's brainwashing, but before that could succeed Crossbones broke her out of captivity, and the two became a couple and Sin was reunited with her father, becoming a key member of the Red Skull's plans against Captain America. During Captain America: Reborn, Sin was caught in an explosion and her face and head were horribly disfigured, leading her to take the mantle of her father as the new Red Skull. She's captured again and put in prison, only to break free again and do battle with the new Captain America (Bucky) as the Red Skull.

2. Why is Asgard in Real America?

There was some Ragnarok action, prophesied, but still a massive inconvenience, and Asgard was destroyed. Recently in J. Michael Straczynski's Thor series, Thor bought up a bunch of cheap land in Broxton, Oklahoma, where he rebuilt Asgard. His god and goddess buddies were then resurrected in the bodies of mortals. Voila! Asgard in Oklahoma.

3. Why is Asgard all run down like Walmart on December 24th?

You can blame Norman Osborn on that. During the Dark Reign period, the former Goblin used all his HAMMER resources to take down Asgard, which being located in Broxton, Oklahoma, posed a threat to America itself. This was known as, and could be read in, Siege. In addition to his regular forces, Osborn attacked with his Dark Avengers, most notably The Sentry, and a bunch of supervillains. The Sentry wrecked the place causing the floating city to cease floating, which makes a big mess.

4. Why is there a magic hammer in a Nazi castle at the North Pole?

As revealed in the pages of Fear Itself Prelude: Book of the Skull, during World War II, the Red Skull, at the behest of the occult obsessed Adolf Hitler, utilized an ancient text to summon an ancient weapon, which turned out to be hammer, much like Mjolnir (Thor's hammer). Despite summoning the hammer, the Red Skull was unable to lift it (not worthy), and so buried it away deep in a Nazi stronghold for when/if he could find someone who could wield this ancient weapon. 

5. Why is Odin so angry? And wasn't he dead?

Odin was dead. But he was only mostly dead. He was comic book dead. So after a little action in Siege, now he's not dead, because Asgard was invaded by the World Eaters, and that's not OK. As to why he's so damned cranky, it turns out that being dead for a Norse god, especially the big cheese Norse god is a pretty sweet deal with the endless glory and feasting and what I imagine is an insane home theater system (okay, technically, the old guy's idea of a good time is actually a never-ending battle with Surtur, a literal death lock that he felt would ensure the safety of His beloved Asgard. But you know he got his jollies that way anyway). Imagine being woken up out of the best dream you ever had, and coming back to what's going on in the Marvel Universe. And you've still only got one eye! 

6. Why is everyone treating Steve Rogers like an oddly dressed J. Edgar Hoover?

After being banished through time by Darkseid the Red Skull, Steve Rogers returned to the present day to find someone else wearing the cape and cowl wielding the red, white, and blue shield, his old partner Dick Grayson Bucky Barnes. Undaunted, he put his Captain America uniform back on and he fought alongside the new Captain America to take down Norman Osborn. Once that was done and dusted, he abdicated his mighty shield to Bucky, donned a ridiculous new costume, started calling himself Commander Steve Rogers (Cap'n Steve), and was appointed the United States' top law enforcement officer by Not President Obama. Now he is America's Top Cop and out-ranks all law enforcement personnel. He's also in charge of all the Avengers teams, some in a more hands on manner than others.

7. This is an Avengers-centric event, right? Who are on the Avengers? Are there really ten different teams?

Ten? Don't be silly! There are only three Avengers teams. No, wait, four. There's:

Avengers: Captain America (Bucky), Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Noh-Varr, Red Hulk, Spider-Woman, Wolverine

New Avengers: Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ms. Marvel, Dr. Strange, Jewel Jessica Jones Power Woman, Iron Fist, Thing, Mockingbird

Secret Avengers: Cap'n Steve, Sharon Carter, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Beast, Valkyrie, Moon Knight, War Machine

Avengers Academy: Finesse, Hazmat, Mettle, Reptil, Striker, Veil

Yes, some people are on multiple teams. They are very busy! So that's it, then… oh wait. And I guess the Thunderbolts?

Thunderbolts: Luke Cage, Man-Thing, Juggernaut, Ghost, Moonstone, MACH V, Fixer, Songbird, Fixer, Satana

Crap. Are we counting the Young Avengers?

Young Avengers: Patriot, Hawkeye, Hulkling, Wiccan, Speed, Stature, Vision

So I guess there are six Avengers teams.

8. What is the Canterbury Cricket?

Wrong event.

9. Do I need to buy everything with a Fear Itself banner?

According to Marvel and writer Matt Fraction: no. They say that this event is designed to work on multiple levels. If you just want the main story, you can just read the main mini-series. If you want to go deeper, there are plenty of other books that tie-in and related mini-series that give you a layered, more expansive story. Are they right? Those who have read the first issue say you can pick it up and read it and enjoy it just fine.

10. Should I be afraid?

Yes, very. I mean, it's in the title. It's also the only thing we have to fear, apparently. I'd keep some duct tape around, just in case.

You want to know what else is in store? Check out Ron's spoiler-free review of Fear Itself #1.