Critically Acclaimed Avengers Story Is Ending Months Ahead of Doomsday, And Here's How

3 weeks ago 10

Patrik Walker is an Emmy Award–winning writer who covers all things Comics & Superheroes. His work can also be found at the Dallas Cowboys, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports, among other outlets. One of the most respected names in his field, he is also a diehard enthusiast of all things comics, anime, gaming and movies — thriving in spaces where discussions involving those or similar topics reign supreme.

With a new beginning comes a bit of an end for the Avengers. The world is currently abuzz as Earth's Mightiest Heroes tee up to take on Robert Downey Jr.'s Victor von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom, soon to be realized as God Emperor Doom for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, four trailers being released in as many weeks, alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash, by the Russo Bros. and Marvel Studios.

But while, cinematically, things ratchet up to never-before-seen levels for the Avengers, and Steve Rogers, once again, the end of a separate Avengers story meets its end in 2026, in the comic book realm. Jed MacKay, the renowned writer who has spent the last three years molding the Avengers for Marvel Comics will conclude his run with the upcoming Avengers #36, set to arrive in March, and it truly does mark the end of an era.

Writer: Jed MacKay
Art: Farid Karami
Variant cover: C.F. Villa
On sale: March 2026

So, What's Next for the Avengers?

Both Marvel Comics and MacKay promise to go out with a bang in Avengers #36, though. To help fulfill that promise, for starters, they're reuniting with C.F. Villa, the original series' artist and for something special: to design a farewell variant cover "that mirrors Stuart Immonen’s cover for the debut issue of MacKay’s run" — something that can only be righfully viewed as a collectible — and currenty series' artist Farid Karami will ensure some welcomed visual continuity within the panels.

MacKay recently spoke about the departure, and it's no surprise he got a bit emotional about it, given how the Avengers have grown to become such a large part of his life and work over nearly half a decade.

"It’s sad to say goodbye to the Avengers after the last few years of chronicling their adventures, but we certainly had some fun introducing them to the Impossible City, putting them against their old nemesis, Kang, and even putting them through their paces in the blood-soaked first ever Red Band event! I got to work [with] some of the best artists working today on some of the biggest characters Marvel has, and I'll always remember my time with Earth's Mightiest Heroes fondly!"

The good news is that while the MacKay does unfortunately come to an end, more is definitely in store for Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The events of Avengers #35 will be used as a stage for what comes next, and taking that stage will be the release of Armageddon in Summer 2026. That series will birth the following: Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon, Captain America #6 (new arc by Chip Zdarsky and Valerio Schiti) and Armageddon/X-Men #1 CGD (the Comics Giveaway Day™ title), amongst others.

Yes, all the world impatiently awaits the coming of God Emperor Doom and Avengers: Doomsday, but that doesn't mean it has to wait for greatness from the Avengers, because it'll be waiting for you in your local comic books shop in 2026.