Here’s your first look at Marvel Heroes, the house of M’s new MMO

Marvel Studios and Gazillion Entertainment have officially let the lid off of their highly rumored and long in development Marvel Comics MMO: Marvel Heroes. The game, written by famed comic’s scribe Brian Michael Bendis and described as Marvel meets Diablo will reportedly feature a good portion of the 8,000 plus heroes and villains in the Marvel universe, from the hotly popular Avengers and Wolverine to the lesser known Squirrel Girl. I’m currently holding out hope for Spider-Ham.

Describing the game as a cross between the Marvel Universe and Diablo would may seem like a lofty claim, but remember that Gazillion Entertainment employs David Brevik, the creator of Diablo I and II as their president. “I’ve been a big Marvel fan for all of my life.Marvel Heroes represents the combination of Marvel IP with all of the knowledge and experience I gained creating Diablo,” brevik said in a recent press release announcing the game. “It is a dream come true.  I’m excited to unveil Marvel Heroes and share this revolutionary MMO with both gamers and Marvel fans.”

On top of the game’s combat missions, Marvel Heroes will reportedly also feature common areas like a Marvel inspired Manhattan and Xavier’s School for Mutant’s for players to converge, create storylines and swap items.

Of course, Marvel couldn’t let the press release end without taking a slight, if not subtle jab at rival comic publisher DC Comics and their MMO, DC Universe Online. “Marvel Heroes marks a new era in gaming for us,” stated TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games at Marvel. “For fans to actually become their favorite heroes in an original storyline, explore iconic Marvel landscapes and combat some of the most dangerous villains in a shared experience is unbelievably compelling.” DC Universe does not let players assume the role of their favorite heroes, but rather create their own based on the look and abilities of DC classics like Superman and Batman.