S.W.O.R.D. 1

Sentient World Observation and Response Department"—was introduced in Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men, as a counterpart to Marvel's long-standing super-spy agency S.H.I.E.L.D. Basically, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is Earth's MI5 in the Marvel Universe, then S.W.O.R.D. is its MI6. Its principal characters are Agent Abigail Brand, Marvel Universe's favorite green-haired Skrull-killer and her boyfriend Henry McCoy, aka The Beast. Much of the action occurs on board a space station that also serves as a sort of halfway station for aliens bound for earth, an idea most of us will be certainly familiar with, from other comics titles of course. Yet the breathless action coupled with the banter and interplay between the Agent Brand and Hank McCoy brings a freshness to it all. A tuned creative team in fine form coming out with a promising new series.

Spinning out of ASTONISHING X-MEN comes a series that will take you places you’ve never been! After Secret Invasion, Agent Brand is no longer the top dog at S.W.O.R.D. Forced to share her leadership post with former Avengers-liaison Henry Gyrich, Brand is less than pleased. Will the arrival of her boyfriend, X-Man Beast, help her out? Not when she discovers Gyrich’s plan for fixing S.W.O.R.D. is to rid Earth of ALL ALIENS! Brought to you by Kieron Gillen (DARK AVENGERS: ARES), Steven Sanders (Five Fists of Science) and topped off with covers by ASTONISHING X-MEN artist JOHN CASSADAY! -- issue #1 solicitation