The other day in their latest “Next Big Thing” Press Conference call Marvel talked about “Shattered Heroes”. The call was hosted by James Viscardi with panelists  Matt Fraction, Tom Brevoort and Ed Brubaker. The upcoming November event will kick off in Fear Itself #7.1, 7.2, and 7.3.  Fraction emphasized that each issue will focus more on character and not so much on the events. It will set up upcoming events in  Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor.

Tom Brevoort said “Our heroes will have to deal with the choices they made and the things they had to do to survive.” He elaborated,  “There isn’t really one overlying storyline to “Shattered Heroes”–it’s more about the individual heroes reconstructing their lives.”

Fear Itself #7.1 will be written by Ed Brubaker and focus on Captain America as he deals with the loss of Bucky. Apparently Brubaker wrote the issue a while ago. 7.1 will also be setting up the next year’s worth of stories  for Captain America as well as some secret stuff that has been in the pipeline for a while now. Ed Brubaker added that “Cap is going to punch Nick Fury. ”

Fear Itself #7.2 will be written by Matt Fraction and focus on Thor and really focus on the consequences for Asgard  and his immediate circle.

Fear Itself #7.3  will continue to explore Iron Man and Odin’s dynamic relationship. Fraction added “It was like the two biggest egos in the Marvel Universe going against each other.

Captain America, The Mighty Thor,  Invincible Iron Man as well as Jason Aaron’s Incredible Hulk will all publish under that “Shattered Heroes” banner. They soon added Fraction’s new Defenders book as well as Avengers Academy.

Fear Itself: The Fearless focuses on the Serpent’s Hammers and the continued threat they pose. While Fear Itself: Battle Scars will focus on the emergance of a “terribly important character.  Fraction hopes that these issues serve as both endings and beginings.

In terms of who we should be looking to step up in this event Fraction and Brevoort says we should expect Daisy Johnson, (who is also getting a major push in the upcoming Hammer War), Taskmaster, Valkyrie, and the proto-SHIELD from Hickman’s Secret Warriors.

When asked if this will tie into X-Men Schism? Brevoort said it’s no coincidence that these two events are happening parallel to one another and that we will have a much clearer sense after Fear Itself #6. Fraction added that “Schism is a thematic companion to Fear Itself”