MARVEL Tokon: First Strike #1 Releases This August

It's a prequel to the upcoming fighting game Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

One of the most anticipated fighting games of 2026 is Arc System Works' upcoming PlayStation 5 and PC title Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The game has a ton of hype around it, with fans eagerly anticipating a 4v4, Marvel-themed fighter coming from the studio responsible for the Guilty Gear series. In an effort to capitalize on that hype and build a little synergy, Marvel is producing a tie-in comic book that will serve as a companion piece to the game.

Marvel Tōkon: First Strike #1 will hit comic book shops on August 6, 2026. The anthology comic features a range of creators, including Steve Orlando, Tom Waltz, and Josh Trujillo on writing duties and Bruno Büll, Áthila Fabbio, and Ryusei Yamada handling art (Juan Frigeri provided the cover art). Here's what Marvel says about the stories within:

As MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls makes its debut on gaming systems, fans can pick up this exciting anthology comic showcasing brand-new high-octane adventures from the MARVEL TŌKON Universe that won’t be found anywhere else! From show-stopping brawls to deep abiding mysteries – this one-shot acts as a companion piece to the upcoming 4v4 tag-team fighting game, uncovering secrets and more!

Marvel will also be publishing its usual battery of variant covers tying into the comic and game. These will be featured across a variety of its series, similar to the Marvel vs. Capcom variants that were published a couple of years ago. Like those covers, these variants appear to feature the Marvel characters as they appear in the game.

If you want a copy or any of these covers, be sure to reach out to your local comic book shop.

Source: Marvel Comics Press Release