I've just picked up a heap of issues of Heroes For Hire, the series that launched post Onslaught.
Unca Rog, you are credited with plotting the first issue, but that was it.
What were your plans for the book?
Who were you intending on having as your final line-up?
Anything else of interest that you remember about this time would be interesting as well.

Well, to begin with, it wasn't supposed to be Heroes for Hire.

It all began over a decade ago, back in Spring '96. The Avengers, Cap, Iron Man, and the FF were being out-sourced as part of Heroes Reborn, and a Marvel editor approached me about designing a new super-hero group that could be active in what was left of the Marvel Universe.

I came up with a concept that I called The Power Corps. It was sort of a super-hero foundation with a small core group that would enlist other heroes as needed for special missions. In this way, it would be somewhat like the classic Mission: Impossible television show...which is what I told my editor to satisfy his desire for a "high concept."

The main force behind the Power Corps was going to be Iron Fist, along with the Black Knight and a new White Tiger. The Hulk was going to be in the first issue -- because the editor wanted him there -- but I was going to send Green-Skin packing by issue #3 at the latest. Power Man would eventually join the team as the fourth core member.

The project was fully approved -- or so I was told -- and I wrote the plot for the first issue. And that's when the editor left Marvel, and the new editor told me that the editor-in-chief wanted the book to be renamed Heroes for Hire.

I tried to point out that "Heroes for Hire" was a great concept, but it wasn't the concept that I had created...a new concept that I had been asked by Marvel to create, and had already been approved.

And, oh -- by the way -- wouldn't a title change affect the creator's royalty? You know, the one I should have received for creating a new title?

At that point, the new editor asked, "What creator's royalty?"

And that's why I didn't write Heroes for Hire.

-- Uncle Rog

wow...

No disrespect for John Ostrander (who did a great job with the title that came out), but I'm really sorry we didn't get to see your take on those characters.

Wow. What a great story. I never realised there was so much to it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer that one.
If we ever get around to doing a 'FAQ' this would make a great entry, IMO.

That's pretty crappy treatment, no question. I wouldn't be surprised to learn it's fairly common, though.

I loved the series, especially the Pascual Ferry art, but I gotta say, this story really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Hi Mr. Stern, this is my 1st post to you in this thread topic. (Although, I had the oppportunity to post at Sterntalk.net). That's an interesting story, I wasn't really aware of that. I have to admit Heroes for Hire was one of my favorite Marvel title at the time. But, that idea you had, I hope to still see it in some future superhero project. That you get to write of course.

No doubt of it. It was a good series specially in the dark times when it was published. But of course i will change it for a series written by Rog.