From the Friday, June 17, 2022, edition of The Oklahoman

By MATTHEW PRICE 

Marvel’s comic-book heroes are dipping back into an action-packed video game world in a new miniseries. 

“Fortnite x Marvel: Zero War” kicked off this month with a new story that will feature ramifications in the Fortnite world and in the comics, as Spider-Man will get a new “Zero Suit” that can be used in the game and will be seen in the comic. 

“Fortnite” is a free multiplayer game where the gamer can compete in Battle Royale, collaborate to create a private island or quest in Save the World. According to publisher Epic Games, more than 350 million people have registered an account to play the game. 

In Fortnite’s Battle Royal, the Zero Point is an object that makes connections with other dimensions and realities. 

In the new miniseries, a fragment of the Zero Point has ended up in the Marvel Universe, leading to a hunt for Zero Shard as worlds collide.  

Each “Fortnite x Marvel: Zero War” print issue will include a code for an in-game item redeemable at fortnite.com/redeem. The first issue includes a code for Spider-Man’s new outfit.

The series is written by Christos Gage along with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard. The artist is Sergio Davíla.

Comic books and video games have been intertwined almost since the invention of the second medium. Superman first came to consoles in 1979; the X-Men and Avengers became mainstays both in arcades and in next-generation consoles. 

And the movement has also flowed the other way. “Atari Force” became a DC Comic in the early 1980s; tie-in comics with Nintendo characters hit stands in the 1990s. In the 2000s, Tomb Raider bcame a comic-book best-seller. “Halo,” “Assassin’s Creed” and other titles have also made the jump to comics.  

And in some cases the collaboration exists in both media. DC Comics faced its characters off with Mortal Kombat characters both in games and in comics, and last year was involved in its own “Fortnite” series.  

The second issue of the five-issue “Fortnite x Marvel,” featuring a code for an in-game Iron Man wrap, goes on sale July 13.