With Marvel Comics entering its 80th year, the present of the Marvel universe will collide with its future – specifically, the heroes from Marvel 2099, which is just 80 years away itself, will arrive in our time to crossover with temporary characters. The event has already kicked off, too, with Spider-Man 2099 AKA Miguel O’Hara arriving in 2019 in last week’s The Amazing Spider-Man #34. What’s more, the issue confirmed the identity of the future Captain America.
The comic reiterated that Roberta Mendez is the Sentinel of Liberty in the year 2099. Mendez has been established before now, but previously, O’Hara’s world has only been one possible version of Earth-616’s future. As of now, it’s 100% canon and is the fate of the Marvel universe.
Here’s how editor Nick Rowe explained it in the official trailer for the Marvel 2099 event:
“The story is huge! And like a Spider-Man story should be, also really small, and about Peter Parker and his life, and everything that’s going on. This isn’t an alternate timeline! This isn’t a What ‘If?’…! This is the future of the Marvel Universe!”
This means that Steve Rogers’ official successor as Captain America is Mendez. This isn’t the first time that a female future Cap has been teased, though, as in one alternate timeline, Danielle Cage (daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones) took over the shield. But this is the first time history has been set in stone in this way, as Marvel has previously been keen to keep things vague when it comes to the future. Now, however, we know that Roberta isn’t just one possible future Cap but the future Cap.
Elsewhere in the book, Amazing Spider-Man #34 teased Miguel coming back to the present in order to get help to save the future. It becomes clear that his and Peter Parker’s meddling in the past ends up being responsible for Doctor Doom holding New York under siege in 2099. However, there’s also the bigger issue of a temporal anomaly causing the future to splinter to worry about.
The event continues next month in TASM #35. Don’t miss it.