Mythos (Marvel Comics)

Mythos is a six-issue^[1] series of one-shot Marvel comic books written by Paul Jenkins and fully painted by Paolo Rivera. Each issue is based on the origin story of a particular character or group within Marvel's collective universe.

"Mythos" thematic stories
Cover to Mythos: X-Men #1 Art by Paolo Rivera
Created by	Paul Jenkins Paolo Rivera
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Title(s) Mythos: X-Men Mythos: Hulk Mythos: Ghost Rider Mythos: Spider-Man Mythos: Fantastic Four Mythos: Captain America
Formats	Multiple, thematically linked one-shot titles.
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	March 2006 – August 2008
Number of issues	6
Main character(s)	X-Men Hulk Ghost Rider Spider-Man Fantastic Four Captain America
Creative team
Writer(s)	Paul Jenkins
Artist(s)	Paolo Rivera
Letterer(s)	Joe Caramagna Chris Eliopoulos
Colorist(s)	Paolo Rivera
Editor(s)	Thomas Brennan Tom Brevoort John Denning Jennifer Grünwald Molly Lazer Cory Levine Aubrey Sitterson Alex Starbuck Stephen Wacker
Reprints
Collected editions
Hardcover	ISBN 0-7851-1597-8

Jenkins remarked in several promotional interviews that the project was to be used to bridge the gap between the comics and more recent movie adaptations as a means of introducing the new readers with little knowledge of these characters comic histories.^[1]

Publication history

Paul Jenkins stated during the production of the first issue on a Fanboy Radio interview that the plan was to produce at least eight Mythos books, if these were met with success then further issues would be made.^[2] Due to Rivera's painted art work, the issues would not be released monthly but on an as completed basis with the intention of getting all eight shipped within three years.^[1]

The first Mythos book, Mythos: X-Men #1, was released March 2006 and featured an adapted version of the story first seen in The X-Men #1 (September 1963), in which Magneto attempts to steal nuclear weapons. However, the themes in the story were slightly altered to match with those that have become the general overall tone of the X-Men comics, with Magneto noting to Professor Xavier that Cape Citadel is actually a facility being used for anti-mutant purposes, a conversation which did not occur in the original story.

Mythos: Hulk #1 October 2006

Mythos: Ghost Rider #1 March 2007

Mythos: Spider-Man #1 July 2007

Mythos: Fantastic Four #1 December 2007

The sixth Mythos book, Mythos: Captain America #1, was released August 2008 and featured an adapted version of the story first seen in Captain America Comics #1 (March 1941).

Collected editions

The series has been collected into a single volume:

• Mythos (152 pages, hardcover, December 2008, ISBN 0-7851-1597-8)

Reception