An award-winning critic and journalist, Kieron Gillen wrote for organizations such as PC Gamer, The Guardian, Rock, Paper, Shotgun and WIRED before turning his attention to comics. His previous credits include the critically lauded Phonogram with frequent creative partner Jamie McKelvie, as well as Thor, S.W.O.R.D. and Generation Hope. Gillen relaunched two long-standing Marvel series in Uncanny X-Men and Journey into Mystery before again teaming with McKelvie for an acclaimed take on Young Avengers. Gillen turned his attention to Iron Man for Marvel NOW! and proved the perfect scribe to put carefully chosen words into the mouth of a legendary Star Wars villain in Darth Vader. Gillen introduced Doctor Aphra into the galaxy far, far away in those pages, and continues her adventures in her own series.

Working for the Marvel UK imprint led Spanish artist Salvador Larroca to a regular gig on Ghost Rider. He graduated to Fantastic Four, alongside one of his favorite writers, Chris Claremont. From 2000 to 2006, Larroca depicted Marvel's mutants across Uncanny X-Men, X-Men and X-Treme X-Men. Following a stint on Amazing Spider-Man, Larroca brought his maturing style to a lengthy run on Invincible Iron Man and the X-Men: No More Humans original graphic novel. Upon the return of Star Wars to Marvel, Larroca turned to the dark side with Darth Vader before taking on the flagship Star Wars title.

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.