Instead, Marvel Comics’ new ‘‘NOW’’ initiative aims to recharge the publisher’s heroes and villains, the publisher’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said of the new effort that starts this week.

‘‘This ain’t a reboot, we’re simply hitting the refresh button. ‘Marvel NOW!’ simply offers a line-wide entry-point into the Marvel Universe that you’re already reading about,’’ he said of the endeavor, which starts Wednesday with the release of ‘‘Uncanny Avengers’’ No. 1 in comic shops worldwide.

‘‘All of the stories take place in the aftermath of ‘Avengers Vs. X-Men.’ New creative teams — each of which are deeply invested in their titles — will take your favorite titles in bold new directions,’’ Alonso said of the calamitous events of the best-selling and just-concluded mini-series that saw the return of the fabled Phoenix force and the death of some key characters, notably Charles Xavier.