First off, I love the Thor article
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2019/12/5/the-god-of-thunder/

The design looks awesome, the minion-centric powers seems pretty cool

I'm sort of aghast at the Defender of the Nine Realms card, but only because that is potentially going to go to great lengths to add an acceleration token that much faster. That being said, I can see how it's a 'break in case of emergency' card, the downsides of which are reduced somewhat thanks to the anti-minion abilities Thor comes with. Anyway, I'm greatly looking forward to it.

However, this post is really more about the tantalizing teaser Fantasy Flight stashed in the the back of the article, under the heading "Discover the Future"

3 hero packs after Thor each have a silhouette. From what I can puzzle out, here's some identifying features:

April: Pony tail (or, possible something on their back that just creates the same shape, maybe a cape cowl?), one hand (looks like the left hand if the character is facing us) curved in towards the self, the other (right hand) splayed out in what appears to be a vaguely spider-man spray pose. Also appears to be wearing a glove on that right hand.

May: Backwards cap, one hand (left?) up and appears to be looking at it. There also appears to be something on the hand, just below the thumb. Seems to be wearing a jacket.

June: Hand up, possibly robes, appears to be holding the characters glasses.

Based purely on the size of the torsos I'm thinking April is a female character and May/June are male.

July: Story Box!!!

The [Blank] of [Blank]. Based on the font size, and assuming no extensive changes in size for the missing words, I think the middle word looks to be around 4 characters in length, and the bottom one would equivalently be around 10 character lengths. A lot of assumptions there. Pure speculation: The Rise of Doctor Doom (doctor doom just so happens to be 10 characters; 11 if you include the space); alternatively The Rise of Magneto?

Speculation on the characters:

Who wears glasses?
Cyclops

Popped collar and bell shaped gloves:
Kitty Pryde - Shadowcat (also has a little dragon thingy, which on reflection could be the same shape as the seeming pony tail)

Hat? Bandana? Headband? looking at raised open hand, possibly displaying a power (ice/fire?)
Danny Rand/Iron Fist (only because he's the only non-included hero thus far that I can think of who wears a bandana).
William Kaplan/Wiccan (has a headband that fits the profile and sometimes has a little hair sticking out in back.

The first image looks like Kitty Pryde but I'm doubtful she would be the first X-Men character we get.

Need to think more about the other two but the last looks like they are drinking to me.

Age of Apocalypse seems like a great guess but I'm doubtful they will give us alternate universe characters before their main counterparts.

For silhouettes I was thinking a woman in a dress, at first I thought a gloved hand, but maybe that is a bracelet? So I'm thinking someone dressed for a gala/ball? Janet Van Dyne, Elektra, or Black Widow? Wanda seems likely as well. Middle my guess is Iron Fist or Shang Chi. Last on the right a scientist type- Pym or Banner? But I'm hoping Doctor Strange!

Great marketing from FFG! Notice the teaser image has a Marvel Copyright imprint.

my first thought was “Rise”, though Age or War are equally good guesses!

I’d have liked to have seen another villain though, for more gameplay variety.

Also “Teamwork” looks like a great leadership card, adding an allies thwart or attack to the heroes, with the consequential damage looks strong!

2 hours ago, HirumaShigure said:

Pym

Oooooooo yes pls.

Following the War of the Realms suggestion... I’m wondering if it could be Jane Foster? If these are indeed Alter-Ego silhouettes, she might be sitting at a desk with a computer in front of her, based on that pose, which would work well for a scientist-y type. Either way, I’m gonna see if I can read some of that story line to get a better idea of what characters play a bigger role (rather than basing it off of the Wiki article).

Also it just sank in that we were fairly sure Ghost Rider was coming soon, and none of these stand out as him..? Unless that is a hat after all—does Reyes wear a hat ever?

I was thinking again maybe it's Susan Storm (Richards), Johnny Storm, and Reed Richards. And maybe the top missing word is "Fall"?

1 hour ago, HirumaShigure said:

I was thinking again maybe it's Susan Storm (Richards), Johnny Storm, and Reed Richards. And maybe the top missing word is "Fall"?

The Fantastic Four were listed as a major group for the War of the Realms. So were Avengers, Warriors (Ms. Marvel) and X-Men, but if they did do those three as individual packs, the story pack could have a couple X-Men...?

I don’t know at this point if I’d rather they drop a major comic book story line or just have it be “Rise of” some major villain, honestly. I think my only real hope at this point is that we get X-Men and FF sooner than later, really, so I could go either way on the story box.

My only other thought specifically on the pony tail is Gwen Stacey, tbh. I’d love a Spider-Gwen, but it seems more likely that they drop Miles first among alternate Spideys—not to mention the massive potential for sales a Spiderverse story box would have.

Edit: the more I look at the first picture the more I’m convinced it’s an Alter Ego and she’s sitting/standing at a desk or counter of some sort. Her waist is drawn reaaaaaally slim if there’s not something blocking a bit of it in the art.

Sue, Johnny, Reed, The Rage of Victor Von Doom.

Thoughts?

edit: (I do find the arguments for Kitty Pryde + Whatever that space dragon is; Iron Fist, because, bandana; and Hank Pym, because lab coat, appears to be maybe pouring a vial into a beaker; to be most convincing.)

34 minutes ago, Derrault said:

Whatever that space dragon is

Lockheed sir Kitty was my favorite character growing up. If Lockheed is in the picture that explains what that weird shape is snaking off to the bottom right.

Also if any of this is Fantastic Four related that would mean that Andrew is not to be trusted in his AMA responses. He already confirmed they have no FF products currently planned as of that livestream and this must have all been at least in development at the time. It was surprising that he gave such a direct answer to a question about a future product so I took note of it.

Maybe the middle silhouette is a martial artist but that hand he's holding up doesn't look right for martial arts. He's gonna break his fingers. So I'd be surprised if it was, but maybe the artist made a choice there. I'm onboard with it being Stephen Strange as a surgeon scrubbing in for surgery. That does look like a hand being held up to dry cleanly.

The one on the right seems like maybe they are making a fist for a fighting stance and the other hand is obscured by the silhouette. Though it just as easily could be someone adjusting their glasses and/or holding something up to their face to read it. I'd like to say it's Scott Summers adjusting his visor, but it seems weird that he would be drawn with what looks like such baggy sleeves.

What I'm most surprised about is no Wolverine. Usually Marvel products are tripping over themselves to throw Wolverine into things and he seems to be nowhere in the near future for this game. I'm okay with that considering he's had plenty of time in the sun, but I am surprised by it.

11 minutes ago, phillos said:

What I'm most surprised about is no Wolverine. Usually Marvel products are tripping over themselves to throw Wolverine into things and he seems to be nowhere in the near future for this game. I'm okay with that considering he's had plenty of time in the sun, but I am surprised by it.

I don't believe they'd throw Wolverine out there without anything else X-Men related at the same time or around it. I'm convinced we'll see X-Men stuff soon enough, but not piecemeal.

3 minutes ago, Ascarel said:

I don't believe they'd throw Wolverine out there without anything else X-Men related at the same time or around it. I'm convinced we'll see X-Men stuff soon enough, but not piecemeal.

Maybe though they pimped Wolverine pretty hard over the years to the different titles since he sold issues. So if any of the X-Men is going to get thrown out there piecemeal I could see an argument for him since he's appeared in so many team books and solo titles. Though to be clear while I enjoyed Wein, Claremont and Byrne era classic depiction of Wolverine I find most of his modern depictions to be slightly grating. So I'm okay with him sitting it out for a while.

53 minutes ago, phillos said:

Maybe though they pimped Wolverine pretty hard over the years to the different titles since he sold issues. So if any of the X-Men is going to get thrown out there piecemeal I could see an argument for him since he's appeared in so many team books and solo titles. Though to be clear while I enjoyed Wein, Claremont and Byrne era classic depiction of Wolverine I find most of his modern depictions to be slightly grating. So I'm okay with him sitting it out for a while.

I’d definitely agree if there’s a mutant character that’s going to appear randomly away from the other X men, it’s Wolverine. One of the big changes that came in with Bendis’s Avengers run was adding Spider-Man and Wolverine (Marvel’s most popular characters) to the Avengers (who were kind of ‘C’ tier in terms of popularity at the time) so Wolverine is definitely associated enough with the Avengers to be introduced here I would say. I kind of agree though, that one of the more annoying things about the Marvel Universe for me is just how much stuff Wolverine is doing - I’m sure their were months where he was in arcs with 3 different X men teams and 2 different Avengers Teams, but still had time for solo Adventures... Characters can definitely be over used!

2 hours ago, phillos said:

If Lockheed is in the picture that explains what that weird shape is snaking off to the bottom right.

I thought the “weird shape” was just the other arm

While the right silhouette reminded me of a man in a kimono

It could also be that they’re holding a book? Especially if they’re adjusting glasses.

Hank McCoy conformed! 😱 /s

9 minutes ago, cheapmate said:

I thought the “weird shape” was just the other arm

The shape that would be the hand on the bottom right doesn't look 100% correct for a human hand. Maybe they are holding something, but it does look paw-like. To be honest it kinda looks like Rocket's foot, but I can't really managed to puzzle a pose where his foot is like that.

Ah, you mean the gloved hand (my opinion at least)

I see. You see the bump at the "wrist" as a belled glove. Interesting.

Add: Could be Rogue then. She always wears belled gloves and would have her hair back or in a hood depending on her costume. That would be interesting if they picked Rogue as the first X-Men character.

I still think it might be Miles and Spider-Gwen...or wasp and Ant-Man?

Middle really looks like someone in that pre-surgery pose with their hands up waiting for gloves and wearing a surgeon cap.

5 hours ago, phillos said:

I see. You see the bump at the "wrist" as a belled glove. Interesting.

Add: Could be Rogue then. She always wears belled gloves and would have her hair back or in a hood depending on her costume. That would be interesting if they picked Rogue as the first X-Men character.

Reviewing the comic art of Rogue, her glove style is too slim, and her hair is much too big for that silhouette.

Kitty Pryde on the other hand actually wears those bell gloves.

22 minutes ago, coljrigg said:

Middle really looks like someone in that pre-surgery pose with their hands up waiting for gloves and wearing a surgeon cap.

Agreed.

On 12/5/2019 at 11:29 AM, jonboyjon1990 said:

Getting real tired of going back a page to reference this, tbh

what’s the boy sticking out behind his head in huddle one if he’s a surgeon? Do their hairnet things tie in the back like that?

my guesses are Shadowcat, Dr. Strange, Mr Fantastic or Beast, and The Age of Apocalypse

i've seen the guesses that it's Age of Ultron, which is also possible, but i'm betting it's Apocalypse

i can definitely see Shang-chi for the last one as others have said, but when i first saw it, i thought it was someone examining something closely with a microscope or something

Could the centre silhouette perhaps be Robbie Reyes in his mechanic's overall and a reversed cap? He's the only Avenger-related character left to come that's on the core box art. Although if we're getting Ghost Rider I want Johnny Blaze!

For July's story box, only a three letter word fits in that first blank. I'm hoping for Age of Apocalypse as already suggested - can't wait to see the X-Men.

Age of Apocalypse would be cool, but I'm hoping for "regular" versions of the x-men first. I think if it was Age of Apocalypse it's most likely we'd get the alternate versions of our heroes before we get our current incarnations/recent. And of note, not all our beloved mutants were all that "good" in AoA. (Dark Beast for example)