Mark Paniccia--dubbed “Panic” by those who work with him--is the jack of all trades. A Marvel editor for just over 2 years--now Senior Editor--Paniccia has, does and will tackle anything under the Marvel sun. He rocks out the big, crazy warrior stories with Incredible Hulk, the alternate reality superhero hijinx in Exiles, Bullet Points and various What If? projects, the all ages scene with the Marvel Adventures line, X-Men: First Class and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, the revisionist vibe with Agents of Atlas, continuity-heavy superheroics with Heroes for Hire and this book this spy’s most looking forward to: the upcoming, M.O.D.O.K.-centric Super-Villain Team-Up.
Grabbing the soft-spoken editor outside his office, I made him spill the beans on all things Paniccia.
Agent M: Gimme the scoop on how you got to Marvel. You were slingin’ manga, correct?
Mark Paniccia: I was working for Tokyopop in Los Angeles, developing original English manga when I got a call from publisher Dan Buckley, asking if I’d like to come aboard. I knew Dan from the last time I worked at Marvel over a decade ago. I thought it was an amazing opportunity to work at the House of Ideas again so it was an easy decision.
AM: What was your first gig with Marvel?
Paniccia: If you want to really go back, it’s probably Ultragirl, a book I did with Barbara Kesel and Leonard Kirk in the mid-nineties. But when I came back, I was given a slew of projects from Amazing Fantasy to X-Men: Deadly Genesis right off the bat.
AM: Exiles recently made the move from the X-office and into your hands. What happened and what’s in store?
Paniccia: As you know, Chris Claremont is taking over as writer. We’ve discussed the future direction of Exiles and Chris has some surprises in store and will take us to both worlds we’ve seen and worlds we wouldn’t expect to see. We’ll also have special guest artists jumping on for some of the shorter arcs.
AM: Mark, I need names!
Paniccia: Not yet!
AM: Fine, fine. In addition to Exiles, you edit the What If? books and Bullet Points. How do you like being the keeper of the Alternaverse?
Paniccia: I love it. I’ve been a big fan of alternate realities since I can remember. I was raised on original "Star Trek."
AM: Do you have a favorite What If? or What If?-style story?
Paniccia: My all-time favorite is the very first issue which I read back in the day, What If? #1, “What if Spider-Man joined the FF?”--but there are a lot of classics out there…like #9, “What if the Avengers Fought Evil During the 1950’s?” (the book that spawned Agents of Atlas). As for What If?-style stories, there will always be Claremont and Byrne’s “Days of Future Past.”
AM: Okay, so I side-stepped a little, but you’re also Mr. Hulk. How’d you get in good with the big green guy?
Paniccia: It was just my lucky day. When I came to Marvel, I got a list of books I’d be working on. I was surprised to see Incredible Hulk on that list, but oh-so glad it was.
AM: Explain the creative process that resulted in "Planet Hulk." How did it go from a germ of an idea to the kickass tale it is now?
Paniccia: Joe Q. wanted to put Hulk on a planet where he could cut loose. When the decision was finally made to bring in Greg Pak, we sat down and talked about what the arc needed to accomplish. Greg came back with a cast of incredible characters and a world rich in history and culture. He and I continued to meet and discuss the 14-part epic until we had a very clear plan of where it was going and how it was going to end. And I have to say Greg’s been brilliant. He’s got an impeccable understanding of Hulk’s character and continuity and continues to wow me with his ingenuity and imagination. I honestly think his Hulk run is going to be difficult for future writers to beat. And Carlo Pagulayan derserves a huge amount of credit for visually creating the world of Sakaar. He’s an outstanding designer who takes everything from physics to past history into consideration.
AM: And then there’s the shadow looming over everything: "World War Hulk." When did that start to come together?
Paniccia: It was there in the beginning. It could end no other way than this. "World War Hulk" is part of the natural course of this storyline.
AM: Is it difficult building a year-plus long story and then going right into a big event?
Paniccia: There is an incredible amount of work and coordination that goes into something like this, but it’s been very rewarding. Plus, I’m working with some of the best talent in the industry so I really can’t complain.
AM: In addition to fortifying Hulk’s role in regular continuity, you also have Heroes for Hire on your plate. Is it difficult making sure all the pieces fit into the larger puzzle?
Paniccia: With as many characters as Marvel owns, I can say [that] a lot of time and effort from every editorial office goes into coordinating events.
AM: So…who’s the new Heroes for Hire writer?
Paniccia: Drum roll, please…Zeb Wells!
AM: Very cool! What pushed Zeb to the top of the heap?
Paniccia: HFH is a fun book that sometimes doesn’t take itself seriously but still has room for drama. Zeb is one of those writers that can give you the cool moments, the character moments and bring on the fun. I’ve worked with him before on New Warriors and he just fit the bill with this book. His first script (issue #8) is a blast!
AM: So aside from handling one of Marvel’s most iconic characters, plenty of alternate reality stuff and dipping into continuity, you also edit the majority of Marvel's all-ages fare. What’s the mindset in editing books that should be appropriate enough for any kid to read, yet engaging enough for a teen or adult to want to pick them up?
Paniccia: Because these books are aimed at new readers, we try to make sure each issue is as accessible as possible. But we don’t write them down to a younger level. The goal is to give a new reader an experience they can only find in comics, something unique and special to the medium. Whether you’re 40 or 7, we want you to think comics are the coolest thing out there when you’re done reading a Marvel Adventures book. That being said, we don’t want a parent to find the content uncomfortable so there are content rules we stand by.
AM: The Marvel Adventures books are also outside of regular continuity, correct? What do you think has more of an effect on the storyline possibilities: the content boudnaries or freedom from strict continuity?
Paniccia:Both. I think the guidelines challenge the writer to go into some pretty interesting directions and the freedom from continuity allows them the room to go there.
AM: Now, I have to thank you. You’ve been bringing the M.O.D.O.K. back lately, with his appearance in Marvel Adventures Avengers and the upcoming Super-Villain Team-Up. What’s up with you and the big guy?
Paniccia: I don’t know. I think I’m under his mind control.
AM: What’s Super-Villain Team-Up all about?
Paniccia: It’s about revenge, betrayal, love, friends and redemption, but mostly, it’s about the heist of the century with a team of villains put together by that sexy man with the big head, M.O.D.O.K.
AM: And this spins out of an arc in Ms. Marvel, right?
Paniccia: Yup. Ms. Marvel in May and June.
AM: Who’s the Super-Villain Team-Up creative team and what other characters show up aside from ‘D.O.K.?
Paniccia: Fred Van Lente (Amazing Fantasy featuring the new Scorpion and some of the best Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and FFs) is the scribe and Francis Portela (Heroes for Hire) is the penciler. As for the roster, there’s Puma, Deadly Nightshade, the Spot, Living Laser, Chameleon, Mentallo, Armadillo, A.I.M. Scientist Supreme Monica Rapaccini, Rocket Racer, Mandarin and a few others!
AM: What other projects are you excited about?
Paniccia: I’m excited about more 1602, more Eternals, Marvel Adventures Iron Man and Marvel Adventures Hulk.
Five from the Fans: Five questions pulled straight from the Marvel.com message boards.
Is there any way we can get Mr. Pelletier to design Psylocke a new costume? Sure it's a classic, but I think it's time we outgrew the old Jim Lee design and make her wear something more interesting with oriental flare to it. All the other X-Women, Storm, Rogue etc., are constantly getting new costumes it doesn't seem fair that Psylocke is always thrown back into the Jim Lee design. It's from the late '80s can't we let it die already? – CmX23
Paniccia: We just might be able to make this request happen. Stay tuned to Exiles to find out.
What Hulk incarnation can we expect to see in "WWH"? I understand he is gonna be a little ticked when he gets back to Earth and that is certainly an understatement. However will we see a Savage Hulk level anger given his attitude toward "Puny Humans," or will we see a Hulk temperment similar to what is in the "Planet Hulk" series now which I think is a bit more subdued as compared to the Mindless Hulk we have seen in the past? – toomsdpt Paniccia: We’ll see the Hulk similar to the way he’s been in "Planet Hulk," but even more clever and strategic. Don’t think that anger doesn’t play into his psyche, but he’s in far more control than he’s been in a while. And this has a lot to do with how Banner plays into things.
Are going to see a more lethal side of Spider-Man 2099? As I recall he was a good guy but he had a "dont mess with me edge". - BlackToe
Paniccia: Yes.
One could see "Planet Hulk" and the upcoming "World War Hulk" mini as ways to enlighten the masses to prowess and general power of the character. Given the general misconception of Hulk's intelligence and abilities in comicdom by non-avid readers, were/are these storylines a conscious decision by the editorial staff? If so, was it done as a way to invigorate the character? - anoddity
Paniccia: While the decision to send him to another planet was editorial, the circurmstances for this were all organic, starting with the “Peace in Our Time” arc. All the other pieces fell into place, including the Illuminati connection. It was all our hopes, both editorially and creatively, to elevate the character.
How's the Banner/Hulk relationship gonna be during and post world war Hulk? Also, how powerful is this Hulk from "WWH"? - Spidey-Jason
Paniccia:. I can’t say right now what the relationship is going to be without spoiling anything, but I can say things will be very different for Hulk post-"WWH." As for his power level, he’ll be more powerful than ever upon his return. He’ll be able to take just about anyone in the Marvel U. down.
Until my cover’s blown…
Agent M -Your Spy inside the House of Ideas