Start your engines with the all-new, first of its kind, CIVIL WAR II #1 Hot Wheels variant cover, featuring cars from the new wave of Marvel themed Hot Wheels.
Illustrated by Manuel Garcia and colored by Andres Mossa, Falcon—as Captain America’s racecar—Iron Man, Punisher, Nova, Spider-Man, and the Wasp race down the Hot Wheels’ signature orange track, as they soar into their next adventure. Garcia’s concept for the cover sought to show the cars in action, based on the original designs of the Marvel Hot Wheels, capturing the designers’ intentions for each vehicle.
“The Falcon’s vehicle is a high speed, single seat, open wheeled machine with design elements that reflect his namesake,” say designers, Mark Jones and Jeremy Cox. “The wings and turbine power allow the Falcon fast getaways and optional short airborne jump flights to avoid obstacles.” In addition, the vehicle’s two-eyed canopy represents the winged warrior’s second set of eyes—aka his pet falcon, Redwing.
Designed by Bryan Benedict, Iron Man’s vehicle encompasses brilliant design and state-of-the-art performance- resembling the charm and charisma of the Armored Avenger himself. With a sleek profile, this rocket car’s crimson body resembles Iron Man’s new armor in “Captain America: Civil War,” featuring dual boosters fueled by his genius high-yield arc reactor.
Benedict’s hotshot sports car design for the Nova perfectly represents the Nova-Force. Resembling the Human Rock’s Centurion uniform, black and gold cladding protects his enhanced strength and out-of-this-world speed inside while three headlights and rear wing detailing match the futuristic markings of his intergalactic uniform on the outside. In addition, Nova’s famously bold starburst emblem splays across the top, making this racecar the ultimate pursuit vehicle for the Nova Corps.
“I wanted the Spider-Man car to be light and agile, like the hero himself, so I made the body an open-fendered hot rod-type design,” says Benedict. “But I didn’t want it to be a straight up old fashioned hot rod, because Spider-Man felt to me like he should be more current and modern, so I stuffed a modern supercar 12-cylinder motor into this car and have it a [sleeker], advanced look. The central design theme captures the spider motif, with the cockpit serving as the main body of the spider, and the fenders and exhaust forming the legs.” In addition, the tires grip the road with heavy tires for a strong, sporty stance.
“We chose to make Ant-Man a futuristic high-tech Baja Bug type vehicle because Ant-Man himself is very high-tech and he is fast, nimble, and compact,” says designer Tyler Charest. “The overall futuristic design of the car reflects his iconic face mask, with antennae protruding out the back from each side and the shape of the eyes as windows.” In addition, this compact vehicle has off-road suspension, allowing Ant-Man to zoom forward with augmented speed and agility in any terrain!
“As a vigilante ant-hero with controversial methods of dealing with criminals, we felt a crude and rebellious hot rod was just the thing for Punisher,” says designer Miguel Lopez. “His iconic death’s skull logo forms the shape of the hood and, since he is a bit of a hothead, the eyes and nose serve as air intakes to cool down his monstrous engine.” In addition, Punisher’s hot rod features multiple exhaust pipes that capture the barrel of his semiautomatic rifles as he attacks the road with unbridled power and vengeful ferocity.
“The Wasp car was designed after the lighter Formula One cars, but with a feminine touch,” says Lopez of his F1 racer design. “You can see how the rear vents bend out to mimic her hips, the slung forward cabin mimics a wasp’s profile, including the stinger bent down and ready for the sting, but still fast looking enough to intimidate.” In addition, the car’s yellow and black detailing, wing-like spoiler, and exposed wiring—revealing the flow of Pym particles—pay homage to the Wasp’s iconic look.
Lookout for the newest additions to the Marvel Hot Wheels collection: Nova, hot off the race track in April 2016, and Punisher, out this summer! And be sure to pick up your copy of CIVIL WAR II #1 on sale June 1, 2016.
