Marvel Heroes

Developer Gazillion Entertainment (maker of Marvel Super Hero Squad Online) has revealed the first details for its upcoming free-to-play massively multiplayer online game, Marvel Heroes.

“Drawing upon the 8,000-plus heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes allows players to become their favorite Marvel Super Heroes — from the popular Iron Man, Thor, Storm, and Black Widow to the lesser-known Squirrel Girl and Cable,” the official press release said. That’s right: You, too, may now express your long-denied admiration of Squirrel Girl and her creepy prehensile tail in front of the entire internet. Other playable characters will include Spider-Man and Wolverine.

The President of Gazillion, David Brevik, co-created the Diablo series and promises Diablo-style gameplay mechanics will be incorporated into the superhero MMO.

The game will include “social areas” modeled after such Marvel landmarks as Midtown Manhattan and the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, in which players can talk to fellow superheroes, receive missions, and “buy items from legendary Marvel characters.” I’m picturing Iron Man running a hot dog stand, and I’m not sure I disapprove of that mental image.

Heroes will feature a script by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Secret War), and the missions will draw from famous Marvel story arcs and events.

You can read the full press release at Gazillion’s website.