Heroes for Hope
Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Format | One-shot |
Genre | |
Publication date | 1985 |
No.of issues | 1 |
Main character(s) | X-Men |
Creative team | |
Created by | Jim Starlin Bernie Wrightson |
Written by | |
Artist(s) | |
Penciller(s) | |
Inker(s) | |
Letterer(s) | List
|
Colorist(s) | List
|
Editor(s) | Chris Claremont Ann Nocenti |
Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Menis a 1985Marvelcomic bookdesigned to raise awareness about hunger in Africa. Proceeds from the comic went to theAmerican Friends Service Committee,to assist in their work on behalf ofAfricanfaminerelief and recovery. Published in the form of a "comic jam"orexquisite corpse,the book featured anall-starlineup of comics creators as well as a few notable authors from outside the comic book industry, such asStephen King,George R. R. Martin,andEdward Bryant.It also saw a rareAlan MooreMarvel Comics credit outside his earlyMarvel UKwork.
Heroes for Hopefeatured some memorable artist/writer and penciler/inker pairings, includingStan LeeandJohn Buscema;Stephen KingandBernie Wrightson;Moore andRichard Corben;Harlan Ellison,Frank Miller,andBill Sienkiewicz;Mike BaronandSteve Rude,Howard Chaykininked byWalt Simonson;andJohn ByrneandTerry Austinreuniting on the X-Men.
Speakeasymagazine reported in April 1986 thatHeroes for Hopehad raised $150,000 for theAmerican Friends Service Committee.[1]
Publication history
[edit]Heroes for Hopecame about in response to the devastating1983–85 famine in Ethiopia.[2]The concept was in the spirit of contemporaneousmusical fund-raiserslikeBand Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?",USA for Africa's "We Are the World",and theLive Aidconcerts. Then-Marvel Comics editor-in-chiefJim Shooterdescribed the genesis of the project this way:
One night, a few months ago, artistJim Starlincalled me at home to propose an idea that his friend and fellow artistBerni Wrightsonhad suggested to him — that Marvel Comics publish a special issue ofThe X-Men,a benefit book for famine relief in Africa. Jim and Berni wanted to do the book as a "jam", with as many artists and writers contributing, which would enable us to bring a small army of outstanding talents together on the project, making it a real event. I thought it was a great idea. The next morning I pitched it to PublisherMike Hobsonand PresidentJim Galton....Jim and Berni recruited the artists.Chris Claremont...quickly volunteered to recruit writers, and to help... coordinate the entire project.[3]
In addition to the contributors donating their work for the project, so did logo designer Janet Jackson and Marvel's production staff; whileCurtis Circulation Companyand all thedirect marketdistributors andcomics specialty shopsdonated their profits.[3]
Plot
[edit]The comic book opens withRachel Summerspoking her head out of theX-Mansionto grab the mail, only to be confronted with a horrible sight. TheX-Menrush to the entrance to see that the mansion has somehow been transported to the middle of a barren desert.
After retrieving the comatose mail carrier,Wolverinesenses that all is not right, and claws him in the face. But it turns out that it was all an illusion. The X-Men go back to business as usual after this fiasco, but then things begin to go wrong. One by one, a series of psychic assaults is launched on each member of the team, as they are subjected to their greatest subconscious fears.
FirstColossus(with art by Byrne and Austin) is mocked by steely apparitions of his teammates. This is more than he can bear, and he curls up in afetal position.Kitty Pryde,as told by King, Wrightson, and inkerJeff Jones,goes to grab something from the refrigerator only to be surprised by an evil Death-type being in a cloak. He exposes Kitty's great fear of going hungry. As told byBill Mantlo,Charles Vess,andJon J Muth,Nightcrawlerfinds Kitty turned into a wizened old hag, which leads to his own experience, focusing onChristianimagery and moral dilemmas. Kurt is offered the chance to sacrifice himself so that one other person might breath the air and eat the food he would. He declines, and thinks himself a coward. Thanks to Moore andRichard Corben,the next to fall prey to the spiritual onslaught isMagneto,who is offered a glimpse of a world where his dream of mutant supremacy has been realized — and that it's not all it's cracked up to be. Rachel is swept back to her past, where she's confronted by a horde of mutant-huntingdoppelgängerHounds,reminding her of her part in that dystopian future. Wolverine, by Ellison, Miller, and inker Sienkiewicz, must confront the tension between his human and animal sides. Claremont,Brian Bolland,andP. Craig RusselldepictStormconfronted by a carnival ringmaster, who traps her in ahouse of mirrors.She is shown various images of her possible self, each one more distorted than the last. Ororo gets drawn into the crazy carnival games, and in the first concrete expression of the story's theme, she realizes that it is wrong to waste food. Having defeated the psychic attacker by feeding illusory cream pies to illusory people, Storm returns to her teammates for discussion of what has transpired.
Courtesy of Rachel's powers, the X-Men track the psychic presence that's been harassing them to the continent of Africa. They fly theBlackbirdto the source, where they are met with horrible scenes of deprivation. Before long, a fleet ofC-130 Herculestransport aircraft arrive, full of supplies, which the X-Men help distribute.
That night,Roguebecomes so frustrated that she has not had her turn of psychic punishment yet that she decides to hunt down the entity herself. She sneaks around the campsite stealing her teammates' powers. Using the psychic powers ofRachel Summers,the Rogue hybrid traces the presence of the X-Men's harasser to a desert hideaway. Upon entering the crypt, Rogue is attacked by the avatar of the psychic being. Things are not going well for Rogue when Storm appears to give aid. The "entity" is revealed to be a primeval god-force that feeds on human despair. One by one, the X-Men awake from their Rogue-induced comas and join in the battle.
The X-Men finally defeat the entity and return to their campsite, where they resume the enormous task of feeding the starving refugees. They realize their battle with the entity was a metaphor for the fight against famine, and indeed any human struggle. Kitty expresses fear that the entity survived the battle and is ready to strike again, but Wolverine comforts her with words of hope.
Contributors
[edit]Heroes for Hopefeatured a story byChris Claremont,Ann Nocenti,Bernie Wrightson,Jim Starlin,andJim Shooter.The editors were Nocenti and Claremont; the assistant editors were Pat Blevins andTerry Kavanagh.Front cover was made byArthur Adamsand back cover by Starlin. Logo design by Janet Jackson.
Awards
[edit]Heroes for Hopeproducers Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson were co-recipients of the 1986Bob Clampett Humanitarian Awardfor their work on the book.[4]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^"Newspeak: X-Men Benefit Book Raises $150,000",Speakeasy#61 (Apr. 1986).
- ^DeFalco, Tom(2008). "1980s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History.Dorling Kindersley.p. 223.ISBN978-0756641238.
Horrified by the plight of starving children in Africa, writer/artist Jim Starlin and illustrator Bernie Wrightson convinced Marvel to publishHeroes For Hope.It was a 'jam' book...and all of Marvel's profits were donated to famine relief in Africa.
- ^abShooter, Jim. Afterword,Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men(Marvel Comics, 1985).
- ^"The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award".San Diego Comic-Con International.2013.Archivedfrom the original on February 13, 2014.RetrievedJune 23,2013.
References
[edit]- Heroes for Hopeat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
- Heroes for Hopeat theGrand Comics Database
- "The X-Men in:Heroes For Hope!".Retrojunk. August 16, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on December 4, 2014.
- X-Men titles
- One-shot comic titles
- Superhero comics
- 1985 comics debuts
- 1985 in comics
- Art for charity
- Comics by Alan Moore
- Comics by Archie Goodwin (comics)
- Comics by Chris Claremont
- Comics by Dennis O'Neil
- Comics by Frank Miller (comics)
- Comics by Howard Chaykin
- Comics by Jim Starlin
- Comics by John Byrne (comics)
- Comics by Louise Simonson
- Comics by Stan Lee
- Comics by Stephen King
- Comics by Steve Englehart
- Comics by Walt Simonson
- Marvel Comics one-shots