Secret Wars
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied to the same-named toyline from Mattel.
Publication history
The series was conceived by Marvel Comics' Editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. In the eleventh issue of the Marvel Age news magazine, published February 1984, a news column announced the series as Cosmic Champions. One month later, the twelfth issue of Marvel Age featured a cover story on the series, now with the revised title of Secret Wars.Shooter stated:
Shooter further explained Mattel's input for the series:
Crossover titles include The Amazing Spider-Man #251–252, The Avengers #242–243, Captain America #292, The Incredible Hulk #294–295, Iron Man #181–183, The Thing #10–22, Fantastic Four #265, Marvel Team-Up #141, Thor #341 and 383, The Uncanny X-Men #178–181,
Plot summary
A cosmic entity called the Beyonder observes the mainstream Marvel universe. Fascinated by the presence of superheroes on Earth and their potential, this entity chooses a group of both heroes and supervillains and teleports characters against their will to "Battleworld," a planet created by the Beyonder in a distant galaxy. This world has also been stocked with alien weapons and technology. The Beyonder then declares: "I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all that you desire shall be yours! Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!"The heroes include the Avengers three members of the Fantastic Four ; solo heroes and the mutant team X-Men. Magneto is featured as a hero, but immediately becomes non-aligned when the Avengers question his presence. In 2015 Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars revealed that Deadpool was also a chosen hero, but the Wasp accidentally caused the other characters to forget his involvement.
The villains include the Absorbing Man, Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Enchantress, Kang the Conqueror, Klaw, Lizard, Molecule Man, Titania, Ultron, Volcana, and the Wrecking Crew. The cosmic entity Galactus also appears as a villain who immediately becomes a non-aligned entity.
The heroes and villains have several skirmishes. There are several significant developments in the series: villainesses Titania and Volcana are created; the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter, is introduced; Spider-Man finds and wears the black costume for the first time, initially unaware that it is actually an alien symbiote ; Doctor Doom temporarily steals the Beyonder's power; having fallen in love with the alien healer Zsaji, mutant Colossus ends his romantic relationship with a heartbroken Kitty Pryde; and the Thing gains the ability to revert to his original human form at will and chooses to remain behind on Battleworld and explores the galaxy for a year, with She-Hulk temporarily joining the Fantastic Four as his replacement.
The next issues of series tie-ins with Secret Wars open right after the return of the Marvel combatants. Immediate developments include: Thing replaced by She-Hulk in the FF, Spider-Man has a new costume, and Hulk has an injured leg and the savage side is re-emerging. Readers would have to read Secret Wars through to find what caused these changes.
Reception
Secret Wars was a best-seller when it was published in 1984, selling more copies than any other comic in the previous 25 years. While it was a financial success, it was not well received by critics when it was published, being criticized for its uninspired and juvenile content. An announcement of a sequel series, Secret Wars II, from Carol Kalish, Marvel's Direct Sales Manager at the time, was first met with boos. Kalish was even quoted saying, "Let's be honest. Secret Wars was crap, right? But did it sell?"In 2011, IGN listed Secret Wars as one of the best comic book events. Their writers found the action and goofiness of the story to be enjoyable. They also highlighted the effect it had on the Marvel Universe by introducing the symbiote and new characters. In 2011, Alex Zalben of MTV News ranked Secret Wars as the second biggest comic event ever, after only DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths event. Zalben praised Secret Wars' story and lasting effect on the Marvel universe, as well as honouring the storyline as the "semi-official first Event Comics ever."
Sequels
One year later, Secret Wars II was published, with the Beyonder visiting Earth and having a tie-in with almost every Marvel comic book written at the time.Marvel also published a third Secret Wars tale written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Keith Pollard within two issues of the Fantastic Four series.
In 2010, a Marvel Adventures all-ages non-canonical miniseries titled Spider-Man & the Secret Wars was released. It tells the story from Spider-Man's perspective and features major discrepancies with the original event. These tales include him receiving the Beyonder's power and creating "New Parker City", Spider-Man and the Thing spying on Dr. Doom, and a story featuring Spider-Man's suspicions concerning the Hulk. It was released in conjunction with Avengers & The Infinity Gauntlet and Captain America & The Korvac Saga, similar self-contained, all-ages re-imaginations of past events, that appear to take place in their own separate continuities in the standard "Marvel Adventures" manner.
In 2015, as part of the modern day Secret Wars event, Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars was released. This four-issue miniseries retold the events of the original miniseries from Deadpool's point of view and fixed inconsistencies with the original and later events. Among these was the Wasp and Magneto's sudden one-night stand, and the purpose of the Secret Shields from the original toyline. It was ultimately revealed that the Wasp, out of either disgust or regret for seeing Deadpool's cancer-ridden body, accidentally caused everyone to forget his involvement in the storyline, creating the inconsistencies.
Spoofs
The IDW Publishing 6-issue comic miniseries Cartoon Network Super Secret Crisis War featuring various characters from Cartoon Network is a spoof of both Marvel Comics' Secret Wars and DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths with its title taken from those two books.Other versions
''What If?''
Some issues of What If? revolve around the Secret Wars:- "Brave New World" by Jay Faerber and Gregg Schigiel explored what would happen if the heroes became stranded on Battleworld after Galactus and the Beyonder destroy each other in battle. The battle continues for a while, but after the deaths of Bulldozer, Captain Marvel, Cyclops, Doctor Octopus, Kang, Magneto, and Spider-Woman, both sides declare peace. The Hulk heads into the wilderness to find a way to get everyone back home, while Doctor Doom builds a replica of his Latverian castle. The Enchantress disappears, Mister Fantastic somehow dies, and Spider-Man's black costume causes him to turn cold and accelerates his aging to the point of becoming a skeleton. Eventually, some of the inhabitants have children who inherit some of their powers, including Bravado, Chokehold, Crusader, Firefly, Gator, Malefactor, Moleculon, Mustang, Raze, and Torrent. By Bravado's 18th birthday, Malefactor disposes of his father and gathers Chokehold, Gator, Klaw, Moleculon, and Raze in a plot to take over Battleworld. Bravado, Crusader, Firefly, Mustang, Torrent, and the heroes and reformed villains defeat them. The Hulk and Doctor Doom return to help end the conflict. The Hulk has used 30th Century technology from the deceased Kang to create a portal that will take everyone home with the help of Thor's hammer. Uatu soon appears and warns them of the bad thing that will happen if they return to Earth. Though the adults call off the trip, the younger heroes sneak out at night and end up on Earth, which is overrun with Sentinels. The five agree to stay on Earth as the Avengers and liberate Earth. On a related note, these five had appeared in the Destiny War storyline.
- In another alternate universe, Doctor Doom retains the Beyonder's power and takes over the universe.
''Secret Wars'' (2015)
''Spider-Man: Life Story''
In Spider-Man: Life Story, which depicts an alternate version of the Marvel Universe where characters aged in real time and debuted in the same year as their first issue publications, the Secret Wars began in 1984 when a number of United States-based superheroes were transported to Battleworld during "the Russian War". Among them was Spider-Man, who received the Venom symbiote/black costume like his Earth-616 counterpart.In other media
Television
- An abbreviated form of the 1990s "Secret Wars" storyline appeared in the animated television series Spider-Man, in which the Beyonder and Madame Web selected Spider-Man to lead a team of heroes against the villains Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Lizard, Alistair Smythe, and Red Skull. The goal was to allegedly determine whether good or evil was stronger. But, it was revealed after the war that the real goal was to determine which of several alternate Spider-Men was worthy to lead a team to save the universe. One completely written chapter of "Secret Wars" involved Spider-Man finding another black suit and the X-Men, but transporting the X-Men cast to L.A. from Canada was too costly in the previous episodes the X-Men appeared in, so the episode was dropped and only Storm was used for the rest of the chapters of Secret Wars due to the fact that Iona Morris lives in L.A. Hulk and She-Hulk were not used in these episodes because the Hulk show was on UPN. Furthermore, Quinton Flynn was the only voice actor to reprise his role from the Fantastic Four animated series.
- The fourth season of the animated show Avengers Assemble is titled Avengers: Secret Wars, after the storyline but focuses only on the Avengers. As it turns out, Loki had told a powerful being, who comes to be known as Beyonder, about Earth's existence. To Loki's dismay, Beyonder uses the Bifrost Bridge to take various parts of Earth, places across the universe such as Asgard, and other realities including the one where Tony Stark was stranded, and then combines them in order to form Battleworld for his "experiment", taking those who live there with them, including the Avengers. With Iron Man back with them, the Avengers must form an unlikely alliance with Loki to rebuild the Bifrost Bridge and get everyone back to Earth. During the final battle against Beyonder, Doctor Strange gives Loki the Orb of Agamotto to begin activating the Bifrost Bridge and Thor throws Mjolnir to Jane Foster to save her from the quicksand transforming her into a female Thor. Through their efforts, they finally undo Beyonder's experiment, but Loki reveals that Doctor Strange giving him the Orb of Agamotto was the purpose of his telling the Beyonder about Earth, and with his new power plans to conquer Asgard, Earth, and other locations. With help from Jane Foster's Thor form, the Avengers defeat Loki who is consumed by the All Dark. After Thor regains Mjolnir, Odin has a new weapon created for Jane Foster where her weapon is dubbed Thunderstrike.
Merchandise
- Mattel released three waves of action figures, vehicles, and accessories in the Secret Wars toyline from 1984 to 1985.