Heroes for Hope

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Heroes for Hope Starring the X-Men
)
Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men
Front cover for Heroes for Hope. Art by Art Adams.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
FormatOne-shot
Genre
Publication date1985
No. of issues1
Main character(s)X-Men
Creative team
Created byJim Starlin
Bernie Wrightson
Written by
Artist(s)
Penciller(s)
Inker(s)
List
Letterer(s)
Colorist(s)
List
  • Michelle Wrightson

    Leslie Zahler
Editor(s)Chris Claremont
Ann Nocenti

Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men is a 1985 Marvel comic book designed to raise awareness about hunger in Africa. Proceeds from the comic went to the American Friends Service Committee, to assist in their work on behalf of African famine relief and recovery. Published in the form of a "comic jam" or exquisite corpse, the book featured an all-star lineup of comics creators as well as a few notable authors from outside the comic book industry, such as Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, and Edward Bryant. It also saw a rare Alan Moore Marvel Comics credit outside his early Marvel UK work.

Heroes for Hope featured some memorable artist/writer and penciler/inker pairings, including Stan Lee and John Buscema; Stephen King and Bernie Wrightson; Moore and Richard Corben; Harlan Ellison, Frank Miller, and Bill Sienkiewicz; Mike Baron and Steve Rude, Howard Chaykin inked by Walt Simonson; and John Byrne and Terry Austin reuniting on the X-Men.

Speakeasy magazine reported in April 1986 that Heroes for Hope had raised $150,000 for the American Friends Service Committee.[1]

Publication history

Heroes for Hope came about in response to the devastating

USA for Africa's "We Are the World", and the Live Aid concerts. Then-Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter
described the genesis of the project this way:

One night, a few months ago, artist

Berni Wrightson had suggested to him — that Marvel Comics publish a special issue of The X-Men, a benefit book for famine relief in Africa. Jim and Berni wanted to do the book as a "jam", with as many artists and writers contributing, which would enable us to bring a small army of outstanding talents together on the project, making it a real event. I thought it was a great idea. The next morning I pitched it to Publisher Mike Hobson and President Jim Galton. . . . Jim and Berni recruited the artists. Chris Claremont . . . quickly volunteered to recruit writers, and to help . . . coordinate the entire project.[3]

In addition to the contributors donating their work for the project, so did logo designer Janet Jackson and Marvel's production staff; while

comics specialty shops donated their profits.[3]

Plot

The comic book opens with Rachel Summers poking her head out of the X-Mansion to grab the mail, only to be confronted with a horrible sight. The X-Men rush to the entrance to see that the mansion has somehow been transported to the middle of a barren desert.

After retrieving the comatose mail carrier, Wolverine senses that all is not right, and claws him in the face. But it turns out that it was all an illusion. The X-Men go back to business as usual after this fiasco, but then things begin to go wrong. One by one, a series of psychic assaults is launched on each member of the team, as they are subjected to their greatest subconscious fears.

First

Storm confronted by a carnival ringmaster, who traps her in a house of mirrors
. She is shown various images of her possible self, each one more distorted than the last. Ororo gets drawn into the crazy carnival games, and in the first concrete expression of the story's theme, she realizes that it is wrong to waste food. Having defeated the psychic attacker by feeding illusory cream pies to illusory people, Storm returns to her teammates for discussion of what has transpired.

Courtesy of Rachel's powers, the X-Men track the psychic presence that's been harassing them to the continent of Africa. They fly the

C-130 Hercules
transport aircraft arrive, full of supplies, which the X-Men help distribute.

That night,

Rogue becomes so frustrated that she has not had her turn of psychic punishment yet that she decides to hunt down the entity herself. She sneaks around the campsite stealing her teammates' powers. Using the psychic powers of Rachel Summers
, the Rogue hybrid traces the presence of the X-Men's harasser to a desert hideaway. Upon entering the crypt, Rogue is attacked by the avatar of the psychic being. Things are not going well for Rogue when Storm appears to give aid. The "entity" is revealed to be a primeval god-force that feeds on human despair. One by one, the X-Men awake from their Rogue-induced comas and join in the battle.

The X-Men finally defeat the entity and return to their campsite, where they resume the enormous task of feeding the starving refugees. They realize their battle with the entity was a metaphor for the fight against famine, and indeed any human struggle. Kitty expresses fear that the entity survived the battle and is ready to strike again, but Wolverine comforts her with words of hope.

Contributors

Heroes for Hope featured a story by Chris Claremont, Ann Nocenti, Bernie Wrightson, Jim Starlin, and Jim Shooter. The editors were Nocenti and Claremont; the assistant editors were Pat Blevins and Terry Kavanagh. Front cover was made by Arthur Adams and back cover by Starlin. Logo design by Janet Jackson.

Page Writer Penciler Inker Letterer Colorist
1-2 Stan Lee John Romita Jr. Al Gordon Tom Orzechowski Daina Graziunas
3-4 Stan Lee John Buscema Klaus Janson Tom Orzechowski Marie Severin
5 Ed Bryant Brent Anderson Joe Sinnott Phil Felix Bob Sharen
6-8 Louise Simonson John Byrne Terry Austin Mike Higgins Petra Scotese
9 Ed Bryant Brent Anderson Dan Green Phil Felix Bob Sharen
10-12 Stephen King Bernie Wrightson Jeff Jones Tom Orzechowski Christie Scheele
13-14 Bill Mantlo
Charlie Vess
Jon J Muth Janice Chiang Christie Scheele
15 Ed Bryant Brent Anderson Tom Palmer Phil Felix Bob Sharen
16-18 Alan Moore Richard Corben Richard Corben Jim Novak Michele Wrightson
19-21 Ann Nocenti
Mike Kaluta
Al Milgrom Lois Buhalis Glynis Oliver
22-24 Harlan Ellison Frank Miller Bill Sienkiewicz John Workman Christie Scheele
25-26 Chris Claremont Brian Bolland Craig Russell Lois Buhalis Glynis Oliver
27-28 Jo Duffy John Bolton John Bolton Ron Zalme John Bolton
29-30 Mike Baron Steve Rude Carl Potts Diana Albers Marie Severin
31-32 Dennis O'Neil Bret Blevins Al Williamson Janice Chiang Daina Graziunas
33-35 George Martin Herb Trimpe Sal Buscema John Costanza Glynis Oliver
36-37 Bruce Jones Gray Morrow Gray Morrow Joe Rosen Ann Nocenti
38-39 Steve Englehart Paul Gulacy Bob Layton Ron Zalme George Roussos
40-41 Jim Shooter Alan Weiss
Joe Rubinstein
John Morelli Christie Scheele
42-44 Mike Grell Jackson Guice Steve Leialoha Rick Parker George Roussos
45-48 Archie Goodwin Howard Chaykin Walt Simonson Ken Bruzenak Leslie Zahler

Awards

Heroes for Hope producers Jim Starlin and Bernie Wrightson were co-recipients of the 1986 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award for their work on the book.[4]

See also

Notes

References