Stan Lee and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Comics announced at New York Comic Con that they will collaborate on the creation of a new superhero universe, to be launched in early 2009.  Lee will act as both a writer and editor, overseeing the creation of the new characters and universe.  

A team of ten superheroes with varied backgrounds and origins will anchor the universe at first. Over time, some of the heroes will be revealed to be other than they seem, with infighting, abuses of power, and internal struggles which will show the characters that the real villains may be within themselves.  

Lee will work with artists in the old school Marvel Method, in which the writer and artists collaborate in the creation of the story from the ground up in stages.  Most comics are currently produced by an author delivering a finished script to an artist.  

The new universe will be launched with a series of ten graphic novels and associated online animated shorts.  Virgin plans to use both comic and videogame artists in the collaborations with Lee.