Jonathan Hickman is the award-winning writer/artist of critically acclaimed independent titles Pax Romana, Transhuman and The Nightly News. Teaming with writer Brian Michael Bendis, he launched Marvel’s Secret Warriors, spinning out of Secret Invasion. He then wrote the Dark Reign: Fantastic Four limited series, which served as a warm-up for his revered runs on Fantastic Four and FF, and two S.H.I.E.L.D. series. Hickman penned numerous Ultimate Universe titles before bringing his intricate plotting to Avengers and New Avengers. Hickman’s years of planning culminated with the Marvel Universe-shattering Secret Wars. His impressive list of credits includes a trio of lauded series for Image: East of West, Secret and the Eisner Award-nominated The Manhattan Projects. Hickman returned to Marvel to mastermind a transformative relaunch of its mutant titles, beginning with House of X and Powers of X, and continuing with X-Men.

A copy of How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way sparked Leinil Francis Yu’s interest in comics when he was 11. Whilce Portacio’s tutelage helped him land his first mainstream comics work on Wolverine in 1997. Following a successful run, Yu took on such titles as Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, Superman: Birthright and Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk. After an extended period laying the groundwork in New Avengers, he and writer Brian Michael Bendis turned the Marvel Universe upside down with Secret Invasion, and the Marvel mainstay has subsequently worked on event comics including Avengers & X-Men: Axis and IVX, and such blockbuster titles as Star Wars.

A former Disney animator who worked on films including The Lion King and Pocahontas, artist Phil Noto started in comics with DC’s Birds of Prey and Jonah Hex, and DC/Wildstorm’s Danger Girl. For Marvel, he has worked on titles ranging from Black Widow to Uncanny X-Force, and he explored the Star Wars galaxy with Chewbacca and Poe Dameron. Also an accomplished painter, Noto has been exhibited in solo shows in New York, Los Angeles and Paris.

Russell Dauterman is a freelance artist and character designer. In addition to Marvel’s Cyclops, Dauterman has worked on titles such as Nightwing, Shadowman, Quantum + Woody and Supurbia. He has also illustrated the children’s books Shape Up or Bite Me, the Nanny Reilly series and his own Terry, the Awkward Turtle. Dauterman was a costume illustrator on the films Captain America: The First Avenger and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Helping chronicle the adventures of Jane Foster as Thor, Goddess of Thunder, established Dauterman as one of the industry’s brightest talents, a reputation set to be confirmed by his collaboration with Jason Aaron on the epic War of the Realms. Dauterman wowed fans of Marvel’s mutants with his Giant-Size X-Men collaborations with Jonathan Hickman and his stunning designs for the Hellfire Gala.