Writer J. Michael Straczynski made pop-culture history with the epic TV series Babylon 5. In 1999, Straczynski penned Top Cow’s Rising Stars, leading to an offer from Marvel to write Amazing Spider-Man, a title he revolutionized. “JMS” went on to write Supreme Power, Fantastic Four, Bullet Points, The Twelve and a fan-favorite revival of Thor. The latter helped inspire Marvel’s Thor feature film, on which he shares a writing credit. JMS’ screenplay for Changeling was directed by Clint Eastwood and starred Angelina Jolie, while his other movie credits include Underworld: Awakening and World War Z. For DC Comics, he has written iconic characters Superman and Wonder Woman.

An award-winning critic and journalist, Kieron Gillen wrote for organizations such as PC Gamer, The Guardian, Rock, Paper, Shotgun and WIRED before turning his attention to comics. His previous credits include the critically lauded Phonogram with frequent creative partner Jamie McKelvie, as well as Thor, S.W.O.R.D. and Generation Hope. Gillen relaunched two long-standing Marvel series in Uncanny X-Men and Journey into Mystery before again teaming with McKelvie for an acclaimed take on Young Avengers. Gillen turned his attention to Iron Man for Marvel NOW! and proved the perfect scribe to put carefully chosen words into the mouth of a legendary Star Wars villain in Darth Vader. Gillen introduced Doctor Aphra into the galaxy far, far away in those pages, and continues her adventures in her own series.

Artist Mike McKone was pegged as a future industry superstar when his first work was published in DC’s JLA and Legion. In 2001, McKone collaborated with writer Judd Winick to launch Marvel’s Exiles, a surprise hit among X-fans. Two years later, he teamed with writer Geoff Johns to revamp Teen Titans for DC. Since signing an exclusive contract with Marvel, McKone’s credits include Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man and Avengers Academy.

Artist Olivier Coipel caught the eyes of Avengers fans with his work in a series of startlingly fresh and exciting stories in 2004, then delivered a star turn on the 2005 blockbuster limited series House of M. Proving his mettle with the grand splendor and huge cast of a Marvel epic, he earned the plum assignment of restoring the hallowed halls of Asgard to grandeur in J. Michael Straczynski’s Thor. Again called on to illustrate a Marvel mega-event, Coipel reunited with House of M writer Brian Michael Bendis on Siege. His subsequent credits include returns to the world of the Thunder God, as well as contributions to Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men and Avengers vs. X-Men.