contest of champions

The core concept of Marvel’s Contest of Champions ongoing series is based loosely on an app based loosely on a comic from 1982. In the game, by developers Kabam, The Collector tasks you as a summoner, forced to compete against Kang The Conqueror by pitting heroes against each other, and plays like a beat ‘em up, only much more simplified for mobile play. In the comic, by Al Ewing, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco and David Curiel, the Contest of Champions takes place between The Collector and The Grandmaster, who in turn have chosen Summoners to act as their champions, who in turn choose teams from across the Marvel multiverse to compete in the contest.

Developed by Kabam, mobile game Contest of Champions follows a galactic tournament where everyone from Marvel's vast catalog is duking it out for bragging rights. The game has proven to be so successful that a new comic series spinning out of Secret Wars takes place within that universe, from Al Ewing and Paco Medina. Along with that new series comes an entirely new character, Guillotine. Making her debut both in-game and in the pages of the monthly Contest of Champions book, Guillotine is one of the first entirely new characters from a Marvel video game to make the leap to the page. While at New York Comic Con, we talked with Contest of Champions' art director Gabriel Frizzera about the game, creating a new character for Marvel, and the advantages of working in Marvel's mobile space.

Our round-up of the All-New All-Different Marvel titles concludes with the books that don't quite fit anywhere else. This is the catch-all category that Marvel tends to call things like 'Marvel Universe', or 'Marvel Knights', or 'Marvel Heroes'. That makes this sound like a clearing house, and the presence of Agents of SHIELD supports that case, but you'll also find some of Marvel's most important titles here; titles that just don't quite fit elsewhere.

Today, a new content update for Kabam's Marvel Contest of Champions drops pitting players against Ultron, the big bad of the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. In addition to new characters, arenas, in-game events and modes, the free Age of Ultron update also offers an exclusive video clip from the upcoming movie sequel. We talked with creative director Cuz Parry about what to expect from all this content, and what lies ahead for Kabam's Marvel Contest of Champions.