Marvel Celebrates Its Asian and AAPI Heroes and Creators in Special One-Shot

Marvel is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month this May with Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022, the second Marvel’s Voices anthology that showcases new stories told by Asian and AAPI talent.

Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022 features four different stories set in the Marvel Universe. The first story, “Secrets,” comes from writer Pornsack Pichetshote, artist Creees Lee and colorist Bryan Valenza and sees Shang-Chi and Jimmy Woo take on a vital mission with some unexpected surprises along the way. Shang-Chi returns for a second tale, “Fool Me Twice,” that also features Ms. Marvel by writer Sabir Pirzada, artist Eric Koda and colorist Brian Reber. “The Primeval Paradox” — written by Jeremy Holt with artwork by Kei Zama and colors by Irma Kniivila — puts a spotlight on Guardian of the Galaxy’s Mantis. The fourth and final entry, “While You Were Out,” showcases Wong in a thrilling solo adventure by writer Emily Kim, artist Rickie Yagawa and colorist Sebastian Cheng.

“It was a complete honor being asked to contribute to Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022, and I was surprised by how immediately I knew the story I wanted to tell,” Pichetshote said of “Secrets.” “Jimmy Woo and Shang-Chi are two of Marvel’s highest profile, non-superpowered Asian heroes, and I was instantly drawn to the things they had in common as well as the surprising things that set them apart.”

Other creators involved with Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022 all shared similar statements. “I could not be more excited to be back on a Marvel’s Voices issue, this time pairing Ms. Marvel with Shang-Chi, two of the most iconic heroes among Asian Americans who have very different life experiences, especially when it comes to relationships with their families,” Pirzada said. “How that might inform their value systems at this specific point in their lives was a question I had to explore.”

“When my editor asked me to write a story focusing on Mantis, I was excited for the opportunity to reintroduce an original Avenger to the fans,” Holt recalled. “Forget what you know of her from the films, artist superstar Kei Zama and I are going to show you exactly how extraordinary this Guardian of the Galaxy truly is.” Kim explained, “Wong is a fan favorite character, but we don’t actually know much about him. He hasn’t had a lot of story devoted to just him. Everyone thinks of themselves as the main characters of their lives and I wanted to explore that idea with a character who has always been known as a ‘sidekick.’ I also realized that feeling like a sidekick is closely tied to Asian American themes, so everything came together in a really special way for this one-shot. I also really enjoyed being able to work with such a great team on this.”

In addition to the four stories, Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022 includes an introduction by Marvel Games senior manager of creative development Isabel Hsu and an exclusive interview with longtime comic book letterer Janice Chiang. The issue features cover art from Lee and Romulo Fajardo Jr., with variant covers by Jeehyung Lee, Stan Sakai, Emi Fuji and Wooh Nayoung.

Check out a preview for Marvel’s Voices: Identity #1 2022 below alongside the solicitation information for the issue.