White Event
The White Event is an incident that occurs in Marvel Comics New Universe.
Contents |
History
New Universe
It was later revealed that the Old Man who was one of the wielders of the immensely powerful cosmic artifact known as the Star Brand had attempted to rid himself of his unwanted power by transferring the Star Brand onto an asteroid near Earth. However, the Brand required a living being's will in order to control it and when placed in an inanimate object it resulted in a flood of power being released that instead infused many human beings with a fraction of the Star Brand's energies.
A similar accident called the Black Event would occur on December 22, 1987 when Star Brand wielder Ken Connell tried to get rid of the Brand by placing it onto a free weight resulting in a massive blast of energy which totally destroyed the city of Pittsburgh.
newuniversal
In 1888, a White Event was noted to had affected the Earth though its existence was only known to a few people. (Newuniversal v1 #2)
In 1953, a White Event was known to had occurred with this being called the Fireworks. (Newuniversal v1 #2)
Earth-616
It was known that the dawn of the first White Event occurred 66 million years when an asteroid struck the planet Earth which brought the end of the native dinosaurs. The planet had drawn the object to crash onto the surface in order to open a way to the Superflow. The sacrifice of the giant reptiles was made to awaken the power of the planet to protect itself from dangers. Thus, the world's first cosmically empowered protector was given the Starbrand with the creature unleashing its might against dangers. The beast eventually died and its remains remained buried until 65 million years ago when the caveman Vnn uncovered it. He was transformed by the power where he turned his wrath against the marauding Deviants that preyed on humanity. (Avengers v8 26)
During the collapse of the Multiverse, the universal machine was said to had broken and led to an abnormal White Event manifesting on Earth. The incursions were a phenomenon where two universes would overlap at their respective Earths for eight hours, and then both universes were destroyed unless one of the Earths was destroyed first. The trend of these incursions was accelerating, and this caused a wave of destruction in the Superflow. Across reality, the stations exploded. Realizing what they were losing, the stations were ordered to fire White Events randomly, in the hopes that the worlds hit would be able to use their blessing wisely to stop the collapse. (Avengers v5 #7)
On Earth-616, the White Event was announced by Nightmask, a creature created by Ex Nihilo, as well as that "the universe was broken" in Builder Machine Code. It was the Builders' "mother," Captain Universe, who deciphered the Builder Machine Code to the Avengers. (Avengers v5 #6) Along with Nightmask, this White Event empowered Starbrand Kevin Connor. (Avengers v5 #8)
Both Nightmask and Captain Universe agreed that this White Event was not normal, and after seeing the destruction to the Builders' structures in the Superflow, Nightmask told Starbrand that it was likely only they were ascended. (Avengers v5 #8)
At Kree-Pama, the last White Event occurred on the world that turned the Kree inhabitant Mar-Sohn into his planet's Nightmask. He later found the second herald that would be the Cipher with this being Joras-Kyl with the pair seeking the third of their number'. (Starbrand and Nightmask v1 #3) The next of their number was a Cotati named Trrunk that was his world's Justice. (Starbrand and Nightmask v1 #4)
Overview
In appearance, the White Event was a sudden and blinding flash of pure, white light that bathed the Earth in unnatural brilliance, manifesting with no warning and lingering just long enough to leave an indelible mark upon the world. It occurred without an accompanying sound, explosion, or precursor phenomenon—a silent, global illumination that struck on a seemingly ordinary day. This wave of radiant energy was uniform and instantaneous, encompassing the entire planet and reaching into its deepest oceans and highest atmospheric layers. There was no known source or origin visible from Earth; astronomers and military agencies alike were caught unaware, unable to track any celestial anomaly that could have foretold the phenomenon. The world changed in that instant—not visibly at first, but irrevocably at its foundation. For most, the White Event was a strange and disturbing curiosity, but for a select few, it was a moment of transformation.
This was described as being a universal mechanism of incredible scale. (Newuniversal v1 #2) These events occurred when a world was on the verge of ascending on a universal scale. It created created/altered heralds to shepherd the ascension. (Avengers v5 #7)
The true consequence of the White Event was the sudden emergence of paranormal abilities in individuals across the globe. These people, called paranormals, were otherwise ordinary humans who spontaneously developed superhuman powers—abilities that defied physics, biology, and any known natural law. These manifestations were unpredictable in both occurrence and nature; some gained flight, telepathy, or control over elements, while others experienced more unstable or destructive mutations. There was no consistency in geography, age, or background, leading to global confusion and fear. Governments scrambled to respond as reports of strange incidents escalated—airliners redirected by unregistered flying entities, towns scorched by uncontrolled pyrokinetics, and people claiming visions or telepathic experiences. Scientific authorities were unable to trace the source of the energy, let alone contain it. The White Event marked the dawn of a new age in Earth's history—one where the rules had changed and the lines between myth and science began to blur.
The White Event shattered the illusion of human dominion and scientific predictability. It birthed a new world where civilization had to reckon with people who could no longer be regulated by the old laws—governments, militaries, and corporations all rushed to adapt, and many sought to exploit these paranormals. Some treated them as threats, others as assets, but all recognized that the event had irrevocably altered the balance of power on Earth. It forced a philosophical and political reckoning: what defined humanity now that evolution could be instantaneous and chaotic. As society fractured along lines of fear, reverence, and opportunism, the White Event stood as a silent monument to a world upended—a cosmic act with no known actor, no explanation, and no assurance it would not happen again
The Builders entered the Superflow at some point in antiquity. They spent a million years building machines and structures in the Superflow. These machines were maintained by the Caretakers and the Curators, and would fire White Events to give planets Starbrands, Nightmasks, Justices, Ciphers, and other Builder systems. (Avengers v5 #7)
The machine altered sentient beings to act as heralds for coming change and empowered them to make the transition smoother with these including the:
- Nightmask : said to be responsible for the consciousness shift. (Newuniversal v1 #4) They were said to act as a forerunner of the change. (Avengers v5 #7)
- Starbrand : stated to be responsible for defence. (Newuniversal v1 #4) They were defined as being a kind of planetary defense mechanism. (Avengers v5 #7)
- Justice : requirement in order to maintain order. (Newuniversal v1 #4)
- Cipher : responsible for technological leaps. (Newuniversal v1 #4)
- Spitfire :
Participants=
- Old Man :
- Kevin Connor :
- Mar-Sohn :
- Joras-Kyl :
- Trrunk :
- Va-Sohn :
Notes
- The White Event was created by Jim Shooter and John Romita Jr. where it made its first appearance in Star Brand v1 #1 (July, 1986).
Appearances
- Star Brand v1: (1986)
- Newuniversal v1:
- Avengers v5:
- Avengers v8: (2019)
- Starbrand and Nightmask v1:
External Links
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