Jonathan Hickman is the award-winning writer/artist of critically acclaimed independent titles Pax Romana, Transhuman and The Nightly News. Teaming with writer Brian Michael Bendis, he launched Marvel’s Secret Warriors, spinning out of Secret Invasion. He then wrote the Dark Reign: Fantastic Four limited series, which served as a warm-up for his revered runs on Fantastic Four and FF, and two S.H.I.E.L.D. series. Hickman penned numerous Ultimate Universe titles before bringing his intricate plotting to Avengers and New Avengers. Hickman’s years of planning culminated with the Marvel Universe-shattering Secret Wars. His impressive list of credits includes a trio of lauded series for Image: East of West, Secret and the Eisner Award-nominated The Manhattan Projects. Hickman returned to Marvel to mastermind a transformative relaunch of its mutant titles, beginning with House of X and Powers of X, and continuing with X-Men.

Working for the Marvel UK imprint led Spanish artist Salvador Larroca to a regular gig on Ghost Rider. He graduated to Fantastic Four, alongside one of his favorite writers, Chris Claremont. From 2000 to 2006, Larroca depicted Marvel’s mutants across Uncanny X-Men, X-Men and X-Treme X-Men. Following a stint on Amazing Spider-Man, Larroca brought his maturing style to a lengthy run on Invincible Iron Man and the X-Men: No More Humans original graphic novel. Upon the return of Star Wars to Marvel, Larroca turned to the dark side with Darth Vader before taking on the flagship Star Wars title.

Artist Mike Deodato Jr. was already a renowned illustrator in his native Brazil when he got his big break in American comics in 1994, illustrating DC’s Wonder Woman. For Marvel, he drew such series as Avengers, Elektra, Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk. After refining his inimitable style on the creator-owned Jade Warriors, he returned to Marvel for a second turn on Incredible Hulk, with writer Bruce Jones, and a stint on J. Michael Straczynski’s Amazing Spider-Man. Deodato has forged an association with the Avengers on various titles — including collaborations with Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker and Jonathan Hickman — and demonstrated his superstar status on the event book Original Sin. Deodato joined writer Jeff Lemire in exploring one of Marvel's greatest villains in Thanos.

A copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way sparked Leinil Francis Yu’s interest in comics when he was 11. Whilce Portacio’s tutelage helped him land his first mainstream comics work on Wolverine in 1997. Following a successful run, Yu took on such titles as Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Superman: Birthright and Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk. After an extended period laying the groundwork in New Avengers, he and writer Brian Michael Bendis turned the Marvel Universe upside down with Secret Invasion, and the Marvel mainstay has subsequently worked on event comics including Avengers & X-Men: Axis and IVX, and such blockbuster titles as Star Wars.