Marvel 1602
Marvel 1602, or simply 1602, is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distinctive scratchboard covers. The eight-part series takes place in a timeline where Marvel superheroes exist in the Elizabethan era; faced with the destruction of their world by a mysterious force, the heroes must fight to save their universe. Many of the early Marvel superheroes — Nick Fury, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man — as well as villains such as Doctor Doom and Magneto appear in various roles.
| Marvel 1602 | |
|---|---|
Cover to 1602 #8, featuring from left to right: Matthew Murdoch, Virginia Dare, Rojhaz, Sir Nicholas Fury, and "John" Grey. The scene was based on a famous sketch of the men involved in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 against King James. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | November 2003 – June 2004 |
| No. of issues | 8 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Neil Gaiman |
| Artist(s) | Andy Kubert Scott McKowen (covers) |
| Colorist(s) | Richard Isanove |
| Collected editions | |
| 1602 | ISBN 0-7851-4134-0 |
| 1602: New World | ISBN 0-7851-1494-7 |
| 1602: Fantastick Four | ISBN 0-7851-2293-1 |
| 1602: Spider-Man | ISBN 0-7851-2817-4 |
| 1602: Witch Hunter Angela | ISBN 0-7851-9860-1 |
Neil Gaiman had always been a fan of Marvel, and editor Joe Quesada approached Gaiman to work on a project which eventually evolved into 1602. The success of the comic led to three sequels, entitled 1602: New World, Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four, and Spider-Man: 1602. There is also a short story, "Son of the Dragon", starring the 1602 version of The Hulk in the second issue of Hulk: Broken Worlds. In 1602: Witchhunter Angela of Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars event, Angela appears as a hunter of witchbreed (mutants).
The pocket reality seen at the end of the limited series in which the continuing Marvel 1602 universe takes place is classified as Earth-311. The series was loosely adapted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) / Disney+ series What If...? episode "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" in 2023.