WIZARD WORLD PHILADELPHIA: AVENGERS PANEL

PHILADELPHIA -- Marvel Comics concluded its Wizard World Philadelphia programming with an Avengers panel.

Panelists included C.B. Cebulski, Brian Michael Bendis, Jim McCann, Molly Lazar and Bill Rosemann.

Following is live coverage of the event:

* The House of M: Avengers book came as a result of the success of the House of M trade paperbacks, Rosemann said.

Rosemann said writer Christos Gage is good at "street-level super-heroics" and using continuity as a tool and not a crutch.

The series will be five issues and starts in November.

* Rosemann said the approach to New Avengers/Transformers, drawn by Tyler Kirkham, is "very widescreen." Cover artists include Jason Peason for #2, Ed McGuinness on #3 and Tom Raney on #4.

* Bendis on the Skrull reveal in New Avengers #31: "This is a start of a conspiracy, a shadow that has hovered over the Avengers since New Avengers #1."

Bendis said mistrust and paranoia will build into "an epic early next year." He said fallout will begin as early as New Avengers #32, with dozens of characters barely able to hold it together emotionally.

* Mark Bagley's first issue of Mighty Avengers is #7, the start of the Symbiote Virus story. Bendis said Bagley and Frank Cho will alternate as artists.

* Lazar pointed out the Avengers Initiative cover for #6. "What has happened to Gauntlet is not pretty," Lazar said.

Lazar said the pattern for larger arcs and then smaller issues. The second standalone story will feature the Scarlet Spider and the book will visit different states.

* Lazar said "The Death of the Dream" arc will deal with the Winter Soldier trying to kill Tony Stark. The Falcon and Sharon Carter team to stop him.

There will also be a new Serpent Society, with Eel, Cobra and a new Viper.

* According to Rosemann, Ms. Marvel decides that she needs super-powered agents and an angry Maria Hill gives her Machine Man and Sleepwalker.

Roseman said the last three issues of Ms. Marvel have sold out and that sales on the book continue to increase.

Regarding the Tigra/Ms. Marvel cover, Rosemann said that it involves the Puppet Master, who sets himself up as a druglord in South America. "He's doing very bad things and Ms. Marvel goes down to stop him," he said.

* Thor encounters Iron Man in Thor #3. "There are indeed blows exchanged," McCann said.

* The Order spins out of Civil War #7.

* Will Loki becoming back with Thor? "Maybe," McCann said.

* Is the dead Captain America a Skrull? Bendis pointed out that Captain America didn't turn into a Skrull like "Elektra" did when she died.

* Bendis said his Skrull story is locked, as it had to be for a story of this size and nature.

* McCann reiterated the Skrull story is not an attempt to retcon anything in Civil War.

* McCann said Quicksilver still has a part to play in X-Factor, and Bendis said the Scarlet Witch "will be deal with in the future."

* Bendis said readers will see a lot of Jessica Jones and that she will play into the paranoia in upcoming months.

* Asked if Nick Fury will be making a re-entrance into the Marvel Universe, Bendis said, "Yes."

* Marvel Comics Presents will have a Taskmaster story.