Secret Wars
Secret Wars | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Limited series |
Publication date | May 1984 – Apr. 1985 |
No. of issues | 12 |
Main character(s) | Avengers Fantastic Four X-Men Spider-Man Hulk Magneto Doctor Doom Absorbing Man Doctor Octopus Enchantress Kang Klaw Lizard Molecule Man Ultron the Wrecking Crew Galactus Beyonder |
Creative team | |
Written by | Jim Shooter |
Penciller(s) | Mike Zeck, Bob Layton |
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a 12-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 in with a similarly-named toy line from Mattel and a role-playing game of the same name from TSR, Inc.
Publication history
[edit]The series was conceived by Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The series was announced under the title Cosmic Champions in the eleventh issue of the Marvel Age news magazine, cover dated February 1984. The series was renamed following feedback from Mattel's focus group, which indicated that children responded positively to the words 'wars' and 'secret'. Mattel's involvement influenced the storyline and character design, including making Doctor Doom and Iron Man's armor more high-tech to appeal to kids. They also requested new fortresses, vehicles, and weapons to increase play value and promote playsets. Shooter believed he was the only one capable of writing the series.[1][2]
Crossover titles include The Amazing Spider-Man #249–252,[3] The Avengers #242–243,[4] Captain America #292,[5] The Incredible Hulk (vol. 2) #294–295,[6] Iron Man #181–183,[7] The Thing #10–22,[8] Fantastic Four #265,[9] Marvel Team-Up #141,[10] The Uncanny X-Men, #178–181.[11] and Thor #341. In 1987, Thor #383 was presented as a previously untold tale from Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars.[12]
Plot
[edit]A cosmic entity, the Beyonder, becomes fascinated with Earth's superheroes in the mainstream Marvel universe. He creates "Battleworld", a planet in a distant galaxy, and stocks it with weapons and technology. He teleports groups of heroes and supervillains against their will to Battleworld, declaring: "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!"[13]
The heroes include the Avengers (Captain America, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Iron Man, the She-Hulk, Thor, the Wasp, and the Hulk), three members of the Fantastic Four (Human Torch, Mister Fantastic and the Thing), solo heroes (Spider-Man and Spider-Woman) and the mutant team the X-Men (Colossus, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Professor X, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, and Lockheed the Dragon). 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, the Enchantress, Kang the Conqueror, Klaw, the Lizard, the 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 (the X-Men choose to remain a separate unit) and villains have several skirmishes. Ultron is drained of energy by Galactus, who tries to confront the Beyonder with Doctor Doom, but both are easily defeated. When everyone else reaches Battleworld, Magneto leaves the heroes feeling rejected and Kang blasts Doctor Doom to the heroes' base when he tries to rally the villains. The heroes win the first skirmish, causing the villains to fall back, only to be assaulted by Ultron, having been rebuilt by Doctor Doom. The heroes then attack Magneto, but he captures Wasp and takes her to his fortress where they are trapped by the weather; the X-Men decide to join Magneto. Doom creates villainesses Titania and Volcana,[14] then leads the remaining villains in a successful assault on the heroes and their base, which they bury under a mountain. After Thor and the Enchantress return from elsewhere, Thor vanishes trying to fight the villains. Doom also has Ultron kill Kang as payback.
When the X-Men arrive to fight Magneto, they form an alliance but Wasp leaves. The Hulk is revealed to have saved everyone from the mountain. Thor also returns, having hidden his escape with lightning. The heroes find a village brought to Battleworld where Galactus has summoned his ship so he can consume the planet. Everybody fights him. Doom's faction returns and attacks the heroes, while he sneaks onto Galactus' ship and persuades Klaw to join the villains. Professor X has the X-Men fall back and then attack the villains who are attacking volcanoes set off by Cyclops. Colossus falls in love with an alien healer named Zsaji. Wasp befriends the Lizard but is gravely wounded by the Wrecking Crew before being returned to the heroes. The second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter, is introduced.[15]
The X-Men win another battle against the villains. Galactus sends Doom back to his base, where he notices the volcanoes and tries to fix the planet. Professor X tells Captain America to fight the villains while they take care of Galactus. Zsaji revives Wasp. In the villain's base, Hulk and Thor show Spider-Man an alien device that they have used to recreate their clothing. Spider-Man finds and wears his black costume for the first time. Galactus begins to devour the planet. Mr. Fantastic suggests they let him, then the Beyonder will take away his eternal hunger, but Captain America and everyone else convinces him against it. Back at the heroes' base, Doctor Doom uses Klaw's body to create a machine that absorbs Galactus' power, even after he absorbs his own ship instead. With his newfound power, Doctor Doom steals the Beyonder's power.[16]
Molecule Man brings the villains to Volcana's apartment on Battleworld then takes the suburb of Denver back to Earth. Doom summons the heroes to his new "Tower of Doom" where he revives Kang and sends him back to own time in front of them and reveals that Galactus was taken away by Nova. He kills all the heroes with a bolt when they refuse to join him and attack. Zsaji revives them at the cost of her life, and they battle Klaw and monsters he created, including Ultron, while Doom's powers go out of control thanks to Klaw convincing him to use them again. While Wasp destroys Ultron and the others take care of the rest, the Beyonder, who had possessed Klaw, takes back his powers and teleports Doom and Klaw away. After Zsaji's funeral, everyone finds out that the energy from the Beyonder that was released has turned Battleworld into a place where wishes are granted. Soon Mr. Fantastic builds a portal that can take everyone home. However, the Thing, having gained the ability to revert to his original human form of Ben Grimm at will, chooses to remain on Battleworld for a year to explore the galaxy.[17]
The next issues of series tie-ins with Secret Wars open right after the return of the Marvel combatants. Immediate developments include: the Thing replaced by the She-Hulk in the Fantastic Four,[18] Spider-Man has a new costume initially unaware that it is actually an alien symbiote (the symbiote would subsequently bond with journalist Eddie Brock, giving birth to the villain known as Venom),[19][20] Colossus ends his romantic relationship with a heartbroken Kitty Pryde,[21] and the Hulk has an injured leg from Ultron and the savage side is re-emerging (to culminate in a totally animalistic, inarticulate and mindless Hulk in #299–300).
Reception
[edit]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?"[22]
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.[23] 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 honoring the storyline as the "semi-official first Event Comics ever".[24]
Battleworld
[edit]Battleworld | |
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First appearance | Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 (May 1984) |
Created by | Jim Shooter Mike Zeck |
In-universe information | |
Locations | Various |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
Battleworld is a fictional patchwork planet that serves as the setting in Secret Wars. There have been three Battleworlds in total. The first was created by the Beyonder,[25] the second was an imitation created by the Stranger pretending to be the Beyonder,[26] and the third was created by Doctor Doom by stealing the power of the Beyonders.[27]
Publication history
[edit]The first Battleworld debuted in Secret Wars (1984) #1, and was created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck.
The second Battleworld debuted in Beyond!, and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Scott Kolins.
The third Battleworld debuted in Secret Wars (2015) #2, and was created by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić.
Fictional planet biography
[edit]First Battleworld
[edit]The Beyonder merged dozens of fragments from many planets (including a suburb of Denver, Colorado, from Earth), to create Battleworld, intended to provide an unfamiliar environment where all contestants could use their powers to the fullest. Many peoples, both alien and human, were brought along "for the ride" by this method; it was because of this that Spider-Woman II was on Battleworld, as was Zsaji, the healer, who had brief romances with both the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four and Colossus of the X-Men.[25]
In the aftermath of Secret Wars, the planet became infected with cosmic energy when the Beyonder reclaimed his stolen power from Doctor Doom. This led to a "wish fulfillment" phenomenon whereby force of will could alter reality; for example, repairing Captain America's unbreakable shield or allowing Mister Fantastic to create a way to take them quickly home. This is may be due to the Beyonder's nature as an incomplete Cosmic Cube, which allows the wielder to alter reality by force of will, or was an aspect of the "heart's desire" promised by the Beyonder and granted to the winners of the Secret Wars. All the heroes left the planet, except for Ben Grimm. He stayed behind because he was able to change to and from his human form while on the planet's surface; his adventures were recounted in his own side-series while She-Hulk took his place in the Fantastic Four.[28] After Ben returned home—he had defeated Ultron and slain his manifested dark side Grimm the Sorcerer— the planet had no more reason to exist and broke apart.[29]
It is unknown whether all pieces returned to their home planets; the fragment of Colorado was ferried back to Earth with its citizens and the Secret Wars' villains by Molecule Man.[28]
Second Battleworld
[edit]A mock Battleworld appeared in the miniseries Beyond!. It was constructed by the Stranger posing as the Beyonder for the purposes of studying various combatants from Earth under the guise of battle. This faux Battleworld was destroyed at the end of the miniseries by the departure of the irate Stranger with Gravity holding it together long enough for his group to escape at the cost of his life.[26] Gravity was later resurrected by Epoch as the new Protector of the Universe.[30]
Third Battleworld
[edit]A third Battleworld appeared in the Secret Wars (2015). Before the incursions destroyed the Multiverse, Doctor Doom, the Molecule Man, and Doctor Strange had defied the godlike entities behind the catastrophe: the Beyonders. Doctor Doom used a secret weapon made up of a multitudinous number of Molecule Men to defeat these Beyonders and usurp their omnipotence for himself.[27] Afterwards, he salvaged the remaining realities and merged them into Battleworld, made in his own image and filled with mindwiped residents who worshipped him as God Emperor. In truth, it was actually the Molecule Man who had absorbed the Beyonders' power and Doom was being lent it. To hide this, Doom kept the Molecule Man hidden away and claimed that he had died.[27]
Battleworld was divided into domains which are ruled by an appointed "Baron" or a "Baroness"; while most domains have the ability to interact with each other, the borders of each domain are clearly defined and travel between different domains is discouraged as it requires special dispensation from the local Baron or from God Emperor Doom himself. Only the Deadlands (which contains the Marvel Zombies), Perfection (which contains the Ultron Sentinels), and New Xandar (which contains the (Annihilation Wave) are separated from the rest by the Shield (a giant version of Ben Grimm) because each contains threats that if loosed would destroy the other domains.
Battleworld is enforced by the Thor Corps who serve as Battleworld's police force who answer to God Emperor Doom.[31] Battleworld is orbited by a small Sun, in fact the Human Torch, consigned to the role for acting against Doctor Doom.[32] Knowhere acts as Battleworld's moon.[33] Besides these two and Battleworld itself, there were originally no more celestial bodies in its universe until Singularity, a mysterious young girl who actually represents a pocket universe that gained sentience during the multiversal collapse, appears to give her life to save the citizens of Arcadia from a horde of Zombies which made the stars appear in the sky.[34]
This Battleworld would eventually collapse[35] after God Emperor Doom's Beyonders' power was transferred to Reed Richards, who was considered by Doom himself and Molecule Man to be more worthy, and rectified the artificial reality.[36]
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" event, it is revealed that the reality where Battleworld was fashioned was identified as Earth-15513 and became a distorted portion of time and space after the destruction of the planet, however due to Battleworld's reality having been the epicenter of this Multiversal renewal, it became rich in a substance known as Iso-8, a material identified as the byproduct of creation itself. When the Elders of the Universe of the restored Earth-616 realized that the Multiverse had endured a death and a rebirth, the Collector and Grandmaster discovered the remnants of Battleworld and resolved to fight for the possession of the Iso-8 and used the broken shell as the arena (known as Battlerealm) for their Contest of Champions, a competition where several individuals, taken from Battleworld and the reborn Multiverse, fought to the death on behalf of each Elder. The highest prize was the Iso-Sphere which contained within the Power Primordial, the concentrated and most powerful form of the Iso-8.[37] After assuming control of the Power Primordial that the Grandmaster and Collector were competing for, the Battleworld version of Maestro recreates Battleworld to its previous form as he had previously vowed that he would become the God-King of Battleworld.[38] To combat the remaining players, Maestro summoned the remnants of the Avengers and Thunderbolts from an alternate reality where Iron Man became President of the United States after winning the superhuman civil war as well as summoning Sentry of Earth-1611 to deal with the remaining Contest of Champions competitors.[39] When the Iso-Sphere was stolen from Maestro by Outlaw, he used its power to banish Maestro from Battleworld and teleport the contestants to wherever they wanted to be. As a consequence of Outlaw wishing that the Contest of Champions to end, the Iso-Sphere shattered. A group of the contestants decided to remain in Battleworld, forming the Civil Warriors to guard the Iso-8 and the shards of the Iso-Sphere.[39]
Known locations
[edit]First Battleworld's locations
[edit]This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2017) |
- Baxter Building - A replica of the Baxter Building where Thing had his final battle with Grimm the Sorcerer.[29]
- Leenn - A location of Battleworld taken from Thing's subconscious that was based on Latveria. Thing fought a variation of Doctor Doom called the Wizard. It vanished when Thing destroyed the device that the Wizard was guarding.[40]
- Muab - A kingdom of white magic that was attacked by Grimm the Sorcerer.[41]
Third Battleworld's locations
[edit]The following is a list of the domains and the Marvel Comics event titles that are their basis or reimagining as fully revealed on Marvel Comics' Interactive Battleworld map in Secret Wars #2:
# | Domain | Baron | Setting | Notes | |
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#1 | Greenland | Currently ungovernable | Planet Hulk | Formed from the remnants of Earth-71612, this area is a desert-like wasteland infested with an assortment of Hulks and other gamma-irradiated creatures. Some of the Hulk species include the Tribal Hulks (made up of both Green Hulks and Red Hulks), the Bull Hulks (a race of gamma-enhanced cattle), the Sand Hulks (who have sand-based abilities), and the Sea Hulks. Known locations include the Badlands, the Barrens of the Tribal Hulks, Fang Mountain, Gamma Lake, Mud Kingdom, Port Banner, and She-Hulk Shore. Maestro of Dystopia would use Greenland to exile any dissenters of his domain. Greenland was formerly ruled by the despot baron Red King before he was killed by Steve Rogers. | |
#2 | Dystopia | Future Imperfect | Formed from the remnants of Earth-69413, known locations are the Castle of Green and the Wastes. This area was formerly ruled by the iron fist of Maestro, his only opposition being a band of rebels led by the Thing (a variant of Thunderbolt Ross). Any dissenters captured by Maestro's soldiers would be killed or otherwise exiled to the Greenland domain. Currently, Dystopia has no Baron appointed. | ||
#3 | Domain of Apocalypse | The Age of Apocalypse | Formed from the remnants of Earth-51518, this area was once many kingdoms ruled by the Horsemen of Apocalypse until they became servants of Apocalypse when he conquered their lands. Known locations include Heaven Nightclub, the Human Compound, New Cairo, the Savage Land Sanctuary, Some Kinda Jungle?[42] and Westchester County. Formerly En Sabah Nur was the appointed baron of the domain until he was infected and killed by the Legacy Virus. | ||
#4 | Egyptia | Khonshu and Bast | Forever Yesterday; Secret Wars main series; Secret Wars Journal | This area is an alliance between the Upper and Lower Kingdoms and is formed from the remnants of Earth-51910. The citizens are under the joint control of the moon goddess Khonshu and panther goddess Bast who control the population with their Moon Knights and werewolf warriors. There are factions that also worship The Man in the Sun, devoting songs to the light he brings the world. The mutants are used as slaves to build Khonshu's pyramids. Known locations include the Nile and Zenn-La. Much of what was Wakanda is found in the Upper Kingdom, both in design and function. | |
#5 | Technopolis | Kiri Oshiro | Armor Wars | A futuristic location with high levels of science and technology that is formed from the remnants of Earth-12311. There is a unique airborne virus that is in the land which forces everyone to wear powered armors so that they can live and breathe. Anthony Stark and his brother Arno Stark are rivals in the armor-making business. Technopolis has its own version of Stark Tower as well as Arno-Ware Tower, Fisk Estate, Fisk Tower, the Dailybugle.com Building, the Hall of Law and Order, the Workshop of Kiri Oshiro, and Mobairu Yōsai Mechaniks. Howard Stark was the Baron until his death and the mastermind behind the airborne virus. He was replaced with Anthony Stark until he was deposed and arrested alongside Arno by the Thor Corps for the murders of James Rhodes, Kiri's parents, Spyder-Man, and Ben Ulrich. | |
#6 | Valley of Doom | Governor Roxxon | 1872 | It is a location that evokes the traits of the Wild West that is formed from the remnants of Earth-51920. Timely is the only town in the Valley of Doom. Other locations include Attilan by the Sea, the Kirby River, the Roxxon Dam, and the Savage Mountains. | |
#7 | Spider-Island | Peter Parker | Spider-Island | Formed from the remnants of Earth-19919, this area is infested with an assortment of Man-Spiders. Its Manhattan has Horizon Labs, Oscorp Tower, and Roxxon Research and Development. The Spider Queen was previously the Baroness until her death. Since then, Spider-Island has been filled with Man-Spiders, Bird People, Dinosaur People (derived from Stegron' serum), Lizard People (which have been derived from the Lizard serum), Vampires (which have been derived from Morbius, the Living Vampire's serum), and Werewolves (which have been derived from Man-Wolf's Godstone). The domain is to be renamed Flash City or Thompsonville in memory of Flash Thompson. | |
#8 | The Regency | Currently ungovernable | Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows | Formed from the remnants of Earth-18119, this area was based on a variation of Manhattan where the Regent was behind the deaths and disappearances of many superheroes while Spider-Man has retired to protect his wife Mary Jane and his daughter Annie. The Regency also has its versions of Avengers Mansion, the Daily Bugle, and the George Washington Bridge as well as Empire Unlimited HQ, Phineas Mason's Fix-It Shop, and Public School 123 Mamie Fae. It was governed by Augustus Roman (the Regent) until Spider-Man came out of retirement and defeated him with help from his family and some superheroes who were in hiding. | |
#9 | King James' England | Carlos Javier | 1602: Witch Hunter Angela | Based loosely from the remnants of Earth-311, it evokes the traits of England in the year 1602 during the Elizabethan era. Its previous Baron was King James (this reality's version of Wolverine instead of the historic King James) before he was discovered to be Witchbreed and apparently killed. Known locations include the Abbey of the Queen of Heven, Bishop Estate, Cumberland, the Far West Forest, God Emperor Doom's Cathedral, London, and York. | |
#10 | Weirdworld | Witch Queen le Fay | Weirdworld | This domain is a floating island that contains sorcery and strange perverted science for it was composed of fragments of many alternate reality magical realms. Known locations include Apelantis, the Caves of the Devil Dino, the Crypt of Man Maggots, the Crystal Labyrinth, Fang Mountain, the Forest of the Man-Things, the Motherboard Mountains, the Pink River of Death, and Polemachus (which is on the underside of Weirdworld). Following the "Secret Wars" storyline, Weirdworld manifested on Earth-616 in the Bermuda Triangle. | |
#11 | K'un-L'un | Emperor Shang-Chi | Master of Kung Fu | Based on the mystical city of the same name from Earth-15513, it is a wuxia-inspired domain in which its inhabitants are martial artists with mystical abilities and techniques. Every thirteen years, the Emperor of K'un-L'un is chosen by a trial by combat held in the Thirteen Chambers between the masters of their respective schools. Zheng Zu was the long reigning ruler of K'un-L'un until he was usurped by his son Shang-Chi. Known locations include the Chamber of the Ten Rings, the Halls of the Red Hand, the Temple of the Ten Rings, and the Thirteen Chambers. | |
#12 | Utopolis | Hyperion | Squadron Sinister | Formed from the remnants of Earth-21195, this domain has been annexing the neighboring domains to its territory and killing their champions while leaving one person alive to be that area's puppet ruler. Annexed domains are allowed to retain autonomy as long as they pay 60% of their GDP and 30% of their food storage every month. Anyone who shows signs of weakness ends up killed as it is considered a capital offense in Utopolis. Known locations include Nighthawk's Building and the Squadron Citadel. Supremia Province (which was formerly ruled by the Squadron Supreme that is formed from the remnants of Earth-17021), Shadow Province (which was under the rule of the Shadow Dwellers that is formed from the remnants of Earth-88194), and Europix (a World War II-themed domain that is formed from the remnants of Earth-59125) are annexed domains of Utopolis. Lost Land (where a variation of First Line resides that is formed from the remnants of Earth-12212), Nutopia (which is formed from the remnants of Earth-14227), and Wittland (formed from the remnants of Earth-66232 and home to a variant of the Frightful Four) are also shown in Utopolis' region. | |
#13 | New Mars | N/A | N/A | Almost nothing has been revealed about this domain except that its formed from the remnants of Earth-691 and that "The Voice Unheard" (the main insurrectionist group in Battleworld) used this domain to get access from Kingdom of Manhattan to the Warzone and deliver medical supplies to the Blue. | |
#14 | Doomgard | N/A | Thors | This is the home of the Thor Corps, who are Battleworld's police force. It is short for "Doom's Asgard." Members of the Thor Corps are inducted based on their ability to lift Mjolnir. | |
#15 | Higher Avalon | Brian Braddock | Secret Wars main series | Not much is known about Higher Avalon other than the fact that is formed from the remnants of Earth-81518. The previous Baron Jamie Braddock was exiled to the Shield and died in the Deadlands after taking the blame for Brian's actions towards God Emperor Doom. | |
#16 | Arachnia | Currently ungovernable | Spider-Verse | Formed from the remnants of Earth-22191, Arachnia is a variation of New York City where Gwen Stacy was killed, Spider-Man disappeared, and Norman Osborn resurfaced 10 years later as the head of Ozcorp and eventually become the Mayor of Arachnia. Numerous spider-heroes from other dimensions were recreated in Arachnia, living their lives as they had always existed there with vague memories of their past lives. The Manhattan area has Chinatown, the George Washington Bridge, and Ozcorp Tower. The Brooklyn area has the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Guitar Heaven, and Mount Olivet Cemetery. Dire times go through the domain due to the lack of authority since Mayor Osborn as the "baron" of Arachnia was deposed by the spider-heroes. | |
#17 | Marville | N/A | Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX | Formed from the remnants of Earth-71912, this area that is inhabited by child versions of the Avengers and the X-Men. Known locations include Asgard, Avengers St., the Avengers' Clubhouse, Downtown Marville, Ghost Rider's House, Marville Elementary, Marville Junk, Sanctum Sanctorum, Venom's House, X-Men Way, and the X-Men's Clubhouse. | |
#18 | Isle of Agamotto | None | Secret Wars main series | This secret isle is the home of Sheriff Strange to serve as his remembrance of Earth-616. Since Sheriff Strange's death at the hands of God Emperor Doom, the island is considered abandoned. | |
#19 | Doomstadt | God Emperor Doom | Secret Wars main series; Runaways; Ghost Racers | It serves as the capital of Battleworld and is the base of God Emperor Doom and Sheriff Strange. Doomstadt is the place where courts are held by Sheriff Strange under the supervision of God Emperor Doom and the Thor Corps. The roots of Yggdrasil emerge from Castle Doom which is also guarded by a version of Galactus. Doomstadt also has the Killiseum run by Arcade, where gladiatorial events of different kinds are held. Other locations in Doomstadt are the Foundation's Department of Science, Hollowuud, the Romeo Drive Commercial District, the Victor von Doom Institute for Gifted Youths, and the cavern Nornheim (which grants passage to Norseheim). | |
#19A | Norseheim | Future Imperfect | Formed from the remnants of the Asgardian Ten Realms. It's a system of caverns located beneath Doomstadt. Norseheim is where the Rock Trolls and Ulik live and the enchanted suit of armor Destroyer is hidden, guarded by an elderly Rick Jones from Dystopia, who operates as the Ancient One. | ||
#20 | Kingdom of Manhattan | - | - | The incursion point from Earth-616 and Earth-1610's destruction that were fused together by God Emperor Doom. Because of that, the domain is divided upon two different Manhattans co-existing next to each other and it's split into four parts. This area was considered to be the remnants of Earth-61610. | |
#20A | New Attilan | Blackagar Boltagon | Inhumans: Attilan Rising | Based on the Inhuman city of the same name, New Attilan is above the Earth-616 Manhattan and the Earth-1610 Manhattan. New Attilan serves as the capital of the Kingdom of Manhattan. The Fortress of the domain's Baron is located here. Formerly Medusa was the Baroness of the domain until she was accidentally killed by Blackagar Boltagon after he went through the Terrigenesis process to heal his wounds and activate his Inhuman gene. A furious Blackagar then destroyed New Atilan and set his eyes on God Emperor Doom for revenge. However, God Emperor Doom was watching the events and used his powers to recreate New Attilan, revive Medusa, and switch her position with Black Bolt, erasing everybody memories in the process. | |
#20B | Earth-616 Manhattan | Ultimate End | This version of Manhattan was combined with the Earth-1610 Manhattan enabling them to co-exist together. Known locations include Nelson & Murdock, Avengers Mansion, the Earth-616 Baxter Building, Sanctum Sanctorum, the Earth-616 Stark Tower, and the X-Mansion. | ||
#20C | Earth-1610 Manhattan | This version of Manhattan was combined with the Earth-616 Manhattan enabling them to co-exist together. Known locations include the New Ultimates Hideout, the Earth-1610 Baxter Building, the Earth-1610 Stark Tower, the Triskelion, and the Triskelion Ferry. | |||
#20D | Manhattan: Monster Metropolis | Currently ungovernable | Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos | Based on the setting of the same name, Monster Metropolis is an underground location beneath the two Manhattans where an assortment of monsters dwell. Known locations include Dracula's Palace and the Trail to Hell. Dracula was the governor of Monster Metropolis before he was killed by Shiklah. Due to the dissent that Dracula failed to deal with, the Thor Corps attacked this location and slew most of its inhabitants. | |
#21 | City | - | - | The City is made up of an assortment of sub-domains. The two primary territories being Holy Wood (a variation of Hollywood) and Forest Hills. Another region of The City was composed by Yinsen City and Mondo City. | |
#21A | Holy Wood | Destroyed | The Korvac Saga | Formerly ruled by Baron Simon Williams and policed by the Avengers, this sub-domain formed from the remnants of Earth-61119 was united due to economic interests and concerns over infringement with Forest Hills by the Ultron Swarm. Baron Simon Williams however, held ambitions of usurping Korvac's position and uniting both territories under his leadership. Holy Wood was eventually destroyed alongside Forest Hills by the Thor Corps under the orders of God Emperor Doom, who saw Korvac as a threat to himself after his powers manifested. | |
#21B | Forest Hills | Formerly ruled by Baron Michael Korvac and policed by the Guardians, this sub-domain formed from the remnants of Earth-691 was united due to economic interests and concerns over infringement with Holy Wood by the Ultron Swarm. Baron Simon Williams however, held ambitions of usurping Korvac's position and uniting both domains under his leadership. At some point, Forest Hills began to be inflicted by an outbreak of an unknown mental ailment known as "The Madness." Those infected began to remember the world as it was before Battleworld, and as God Emperor Doom saw Korvac's power manifest he sent the Thor Corps to purge the City from Forest Hills and Holy Wood. Both the Guardians and the Avengers tried to fight back, but they were all apparently killed and the territories destroyed. | |||
#21C | Yinsen City | Big Boss Hill | Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders | Formed from the remnants of Earth-25315, Yinsen City is a futuristic, quiet, and peaceful utopian city. This location is north of the Warzone and is part of the City following the destruction of the primary territories. Its former Baron was Rescue. Currently, Yinsen City has been merged with Mondo City upon the two sub-domains settling their differences and joining forces. | |
#21D | Mondo City | Formed from the remnants of "Earth-32134", Mondo City is a futuristic and fascist city. This location is next to Yinsen City and is part of the City following the destruction of the primary territories. Its former Baron was Boss Cage. Currently, Mondo City has been merged with Yinsen City upon the two sub-domains settling their differences and joining forces. | |||
#22 | Warzone | - | Civil War | Formed from the remnants of Earth-32323, this domain is where President Anthony Stark is in a war with Steve Rogers (known as General America). President Stark and General America sacrificed their lives to activate the depowering bomb to stop the Skrulls causing Jennifer Walters and Peter Parker to take their place two months later. The domain is a variation of the United States of America that is divided into three zones: | |
#22A | The Iron | Jennifer Walters and Peter Parker | Located on the eastern side of the Divide, the Iron was President Tony Stark's territory with Resilient Alpha as its capital. After President Stark's death, Jennifer Walters took his place as the leader of the Iron. | ||
#22B | The Divide | The Divide is a community on the border between the Iron and the Blue territories, marked by a chasm that bisected the former site of St. Louis, Missouri when Prison 42 detonated. The Divide acted as a neutral territory between the Iron and the Blue and when the aforementioned territories finally achieved peace, the Divide began being fixed. | |||
#22C | The Blue | Located on the west of the Divide, the Blue was General America's territory and is twice the size of the Iron although it has half the population. Known locations include its capital, Liberation, and Steeltown (which is an industrial city). After General America's death, Peter Parker took his place as the leader of the Blue. | |||
#23 | New Quack City | TBA | Howard the Human | Formed from the remnants of Earth-82081, this domain is a city filled with anthropomorphic animals. Howard struggles through daily tasks as the only human. New Quack City contains the Duck District and Hen's Kitchen. | |
#24 | Far East | N/A | Where Monsters Dwell | Formed from the remains of Earth-200100, this domain is an Asian-themed location. Known locations include the Island of Dung, Malaya, Port Song, and Shanghai. | |
#25 | Valley of Flame | N/A | Formed from the remnants of Earth-200111, this domain is a prehistoric jungle location which evokes the traits of the Savage Land. Known locations include the Amazon Village and the Pygmy Village. | ||
#26 | Hydra Empire | United Confederacy of Hydra | Hail Hydra | Formed from the remains of Earth-85826, this domain is a variation of New York City that is ruled by the United Confederacy of Hydra and is defended by their version of the Avengers. Known locations include the Temple of Hydra and Times Square. | |
#27 | 2099 | Miguel Stone | Secret Wars 2099 | A futuristic area that is formed from the remnants of Earth-23291 which is a variation of the Marvel 2099 universe. The 2099 Avengers protect Nueva City and are overseen by Miguel Stone. Known locations include Alchemax Tower, Latverian Cuisine, New Atlantis, and the Sanctum Sanctorum. | |
#28 | Hala Field | Jacqueline Cochran | Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps. | Hala Field is the home of the Banshee Squadron, an air force dedicated to protect this territory that is formed from the remnants of Earth-31333. | |
#29 | Monarchy of M | King Erik Magnus | House of M | An area that is formed from the remnants of House of M universe. It is an area in which mutants rule over humans. Genosha is where Castle Magnus is located. Other known locations include Atlantis and Josie's Bar. King Erik Magnus was the Baron of the domain before he was deposed by his own son Quicksilver and Namor. However, Magnus was able to retake his position from Namor by killing him and then forgiving Quicksilver. | |
#30 | Sentinel Territories | President Robert Kelly | Years of Future Past | Formed from the remnants of Earth-25158, this domain is infested with Sentinels. The Sentinel Territories consists of an alternate version of the United States of America called the United Doomstates where Robert Kelly's rise to power as the President and the passing of the Mutant Control Act led to mutants and superhumans to be contained in camps where they were sterilized and used for experiments. | |
#31 | Wastelands | N/A | Old Man Logan | Formed from the remnants of Earth-21923, it is a desert-like location where an older version of Wolverine resides. Known locations include Amerika, Hammer Falls, and New Vegas. | |
#32 | Mutopia | N/A | E is For Extinction | In this domain that is formed from the remnants of Earth-55133, the dream of peaceful co-existence of mutants and humans was achieved which turns the table on mutant dynamic. Professor X is dead and Magneto is running a school and created his own version of X-Men. The classic X-Men are in middle-age and apparently losing their powers. Known locations include the Atom Institute and District X. | |
#33 | Westchester | President Robert Kelly | X-Men '92 | Formed from the remnants of Earth-92131. Known locations include the Clear Mountain Institute, New Salem Mall, the X-Mansion, and the X-Museum. | |
#34 | Killville | MODOK | MODOK Assassin | Formed from the remnants of Earth-11131, in which every superhero was killed by MODOK and where regular citizens are constantly exposed to the damage caused by the killers and villains waging war amongst themselves. Killville contains the Mann District. The former Baron of Killville was Karl Mordo until he was killed by MODOK before he can attack the Thor Corps. | |
#35 | Arcadia | Jennifer Walters | A-Force | Formed from the remnants of Earth-16191, Arcadia is an island nation that is filled with female superheroes. Known locations include Bishop's Lighthouse, the Hall of Justice, the Plaza of Arcadia, and Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. | |
#36 | Bar Sinister | Mister Sinister | Secret Wars main series; Secret Wars Journal | Formed from the remnants of Earth-21919, this domain is dominated by an army of Nathaniel Essex's clones. It is based on Sinister's city of clones in Avengers vs. X-Men. Following the Secret Wars storyline, Bar Sinister manifested in the South Pacific as a secret island on Earth-616 that Mister Sinister uses as one of his lairs. | |
#37 | Limbo | Madelyne Pryor | Inferno | Formed from the remnants of Earth-91240, this domain is a variation of New York City where Manhattan became a Hell-like area infested by demons from Limbo and had to be forcibly splintered from the rest of the domain by a forcefield. Other areas featured are Brooklyn, Coney Island, the East River, and Queens. The domain had been under the rule of several barons: the first known was Baroness Madelyne Pryor until she was overthrown by Darkchild and during the court of All-Father, Doom ruled against Madelyne in favour of her ex-husband, Scott Summers, removing her as baroness and elevating Scott as the next baron. Scott Summers however was eventually deposed when he was unable to prevent Darkchild's invasion and the demon infestation spread over the entire domain. Darkchilde was then appointed as the baroness until she too was defeated and apparently killed by her brother Colossus. Later, Pryor would absorb Darkchild's power regaining in the process her position as baroness. | |
#38 | Deadlands | Outside God Emperor Doom's jurisdiction | Marvel Zombies | Formed from the remnants of Earth-2149, it is an area that is infested with zombie versions of Marvel characters and evokes the traits of a zombie apocalypse. | |
#39 | Perfection | Age of Ultron | An area that is filled with Ultron Sentinels. This was formed from the remnants of Earth-21261, where Ultron-1 annihilated all superheroes and conquered Earth in a robot apocalypse-type manner. | ||
#40 | New Xandar | The Infinity Gauntlet | An area that is filled with insectoid-like creatures that make up the Annihilation Wave. This was formed from the remnants of Earth-94241, where the Annihilation Wave had decimated Earth after overpowering the Nova Corps. | ||
#41 | Shield | Collapsed | Siege | Originally called the "Wall," the Shield is a massive structure that separates The Deadlands, Perfection, and New Xandar from the rest of Battleworld. Anyone who transgresses the borders of the other Battleworld domains or commits any other type of offense are sent here, where they must work to keep the dangers from the three areas from crossing the Shield as a member of the Hel-Rangers. A larger variation of Thing had been the form of the Shield at the convincing of God Emperor Doom. The Shield was formerly under the supervision of Commander Nick Fury until he was presumed killed in battle. Commander Abigail Brand would take his place as the supervisor of Shield until she and the remaining members of the Endless Summers gave their lives standing against the combined forces of the south. The Shield later collapses after the Thing leaves to confront God Emperor Doom. | |
#41A | Subterranea | Mole Man | Secret Wars Journal | An underground kingdom built by the Mole Man of Technopolis by using the technology that he stole from his own domain and by modifying deactivated Ultron Sentinels from Perfection. Its location is somewhere near the Shield and because of that, the Mole Man was allowed to maintain this sub-domain without the need to submit to God Emperor Doom. | |
Other domains unidentified in the Battleworld map | |||||
#42 | Breakland | Destroyed | Siege | Although the actual existence of Breakland is questionable, according to the history of Battleworld, thirty years ago the Shield was breached, allowing the combined forces of the Deadlands, Perfection and New Xandar to run amok on Battleworld. Several regions were destroyed with Breakland among them. | |
#43 | X-Topia | Rachel Grey | X-Tinction Agenda | Formed from the remnants of Earth-24201, X-Topia Province has the island of Genosha as part of its domain which has been quarantined due to a plague. The capital of this domain is X-City. The domain is apparently kept hidden from the rest of the domains just because they have the technology necessary to time travel between space and time. | |
#44 | Old Town | N/A | Secret Wars Journal | Formed from the remnants of Earth-15203 which contained a variation of Marvel Noir, Old Town is a domain that evokes the traits of the 1920s and the 1930s. It is located somewhere close to or near the Domain of Apocalypse. | |
#45 | Unidentified Domain #1 | N/A | Spider-Island | Formed from the remnants of Earth-982. | |
#46 | Walled City of New York | N/A | Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra | One of the few unknown domains. It is formed from the remnants of Earth-21722 where New York City is surrounded by a defensive wall. One part of the Walled City of New York is under Hydra's control while the other part is under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s control. Known locations include Brooklyn and Manhattan. | |
#47 | Bug World | N/A | Formed from the remnants of Earth-22312, this domain is a version of New York City that is inhabited by insect versions of the heroes and villains. | ||
#48 | Metropolitia | Gorilla-Man/Baron Helmut Zemo | Secret Wars: Agents of Atlas | A sprawling megacity whose population is enslaved to forge the weapons of Battleworld. The city is policed by the S.H.I.E.L.D. and was formerly ruled by Heinrich Zemo (who believed himself to be a god and the citizens his playthings). His only opposition being the Agents of Atlas, a secret and never seen group who fight for the oppressed citizens. Heinrich Zemo was eventually killed by the Agents of Atlas. Heinrich Zemo's son Helmut Zemo was cursed as a side effect of killing Gorilla-Man and turned into the new Gorilla-Man. | |
#49 | Unidentified Domain #2 | N/A | Secret Wars Too | A domain composed from the last remnants of Earth-617 whose reality is almost the same as the Earth-616, but subtly different in the form that Peter Parker (who had just recently been gifted with the powers of Spider-Man) is visited by the angels of his better nature whenever he sees a crime being committed and Uncle Ben is actually a criminal. | |
#50 | Hell's Kitchen's Kitchen | Currently ungovernable | A domain where Galactus has finally succeeded in having his insatiable hunger taken away by creating a food blog and where a small team of heroes (composed by Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Spider-Man) have formed a reluctant alliance with Galactus to save their world and act as his Heralds. The domain was formerly ruled by Galactus after he made the mistake of sending Spider-Man and Jessica Jones to the Uncle Ben-a-Verse, causing a revengeful Spider-Man to defeat Galactus and make him and the hacker Social Justice Watcher leave Hell's Kitchen's Kitchen. | ||
#51 | Demolition House | Baron Dunphy | Nothing is known about this domain except that its Baron is Dennis Dunphy. | ||
#52 | The Uncle Ben-a-verse | Uncle Ben | Also known as Domain #615, this is a domain where its citizens have the appearance of Uncle Ben. According to Peter Parker from Hell's Kitchen's Kitchen, the entire domain is a walking trigger warning for Spider-Men. | ||
#53 | XXX | N/A | A domain where at least three alternate versions of Cyclops try to date with Jean Grey (who is dating that domain's Wolverine). Its location appears to be near Marvel All-Bear. | ||
#54 | Marvel All-Bear | N/A | A questionable domain where all its citizens are actual bears. Beardevil (the bear version of Daredevil) and Foggy Bearson (the bear version of Foggy Nelson) are known to be hunted down, by unknown reasons, by the human Foggy Nelson of XXX. | ||
#55 | Rule 63 | N/A | A domain which states that for every fictional character, there exists an opposite-gender counterpart. | ||
Other places absent from the Battleworld map | |||||
#56 | Salvation | Ungovernable | Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies | Salvation is a hidden refuge that is located somewhere between the borders of the Deadlands and Perfection and serves those who seek refuge from the Zombies and the Ultron Sentinels. This sanctuary was created by three of Lord Ultron's former pawns who escaped Perfection: Human Torch, the Vision, and Wonder Man. Using Wonder Man's expertise in electrical engineering, scientific construction concepts grasped during their time with Ultron as well as his ionic energy as a source to create a force field to protect it from any threats. | |
#57 | Knowhere | Guardians of Knowhere | The severed Celestial head orbits Battleworld like a moon and contains the city of Knowhere. Known locations include Cebulski's Bar and Knowhere Marketplace. | ||
#58 | Mojo dot Mojo | Secret Wars: Battleworld | Based on Mojoverse, Mojo dot Mojo is a clandestine place located somewhere underneath Battleworld. It is where Mojo collects and produces television programs from every part of Battleworld. | ||
#59 | Negative Zone | Civil War | The Negative Zone is located inside Battleworld itself and appears to act as its core. The Negative Zone is also where President Tony Stark from Warzone is holding Prison 42. Likewise, the Future Foundation also often visit the place and spent a fair amount of time studying it. |
Sequels
[edit]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.[43]
Marvel published a third Secret Wars tale written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Keith Pollard within two issues of the Fantastic Four series: the "Secret Wars III" story in Fantastic Four #318–319 (September–October 1988).
In 2006, a six issue series entitled Beyond! was published by Marvel. Written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by Scott Kolins, it referred back to the original Secret Wars event with a similar premise as Beyonder again transported superheroes and supervillains of Earth to fight on Battleworld.
Spider-Man & the Secret Wars, a Marvel Adventures all-ages non-canonical miniseries, was released in 2010. 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.[44]
The four-issue miniseries Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars was released during the 2015 Secret Wars event. It retold the events of the original miniseries from Deadpool's point of view and used retroactive continuity to fix inconsistencies with later stories. In the end, the Wasp accidentally caused everyone to forget his involvement in the storyline, creating the inconsistencies.
An four-issue miniseries titled Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld was released in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the original series, beginning in November 2023. The series starred Spider-Man and the Human Torch and claimed to "expose never-before-told secrets" from the 1984 storyline.
Other versions
[edit]What If?
[edit]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[45] 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 (the son of Thor and Enchantress), Chokehold (the daughter of Absorbing Man and Titania), Crusader (the daughter of Captain America and Rogue), Firefly (the son of Human Torch and Wasp), Gator (the son of Lizard), Malefactor (the son of Doctor Doom and Enchantress making him the half-brother of Bravado), Moleculon (the son of Molecule Man and Volcana), Mustang (the son of Hawkeye and She-Hulk), Raze (the son of Wrecker), and Torrent (the son of Storm and Wolverine). 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 (who faked his death when Malefactor attacked him) 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.[45] 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.[46]
Secret Wars (2015 comic book)
[edit]In May 2015, Marvel published a new Secret Wars miniseries, written by Jonathan Hickman and drawn by Esad Ribić, that picked up from where the "Time Runs Out" storyline running in Avengers and New Avengers at the time had ended.[47] The storyline involved the Marvel Universe combining with other alternate universes, including the Ultimate Universe, as well as the 2099 Universe, to form Battleworld, a world which exhibits aspects of the various universes. The core limited series was nine issues long, and ran for eight months, ending in January 2016.[48][49][50] One of the core miniseries, Ultimate End, had ended the Ultimate Marvel imprint after 15 years at the time. Ultimate End is written by Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley, the team that began the Ultimate Marvel universe with Ultimate Spider-Man.[51]
Spider-Man: Life Story
[edit]In Spider-Man: Life Story, which depicts an alternate version of the Marvel Universe (designated Earth-19529) 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 by the Beyonder. This causes the start of the "Russian War" (the World War III of this reality) on Earth due to the absence of the majority of America's superheroes. Among them was Spider-Man, who received the Venom symbiote/black costume like his Earth-616 counterpart.[52]
In other media
[edit]Television
[edit]- 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 (consisting of himself, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Storm, and later the Black Cat) against the villains Doctor Octopus, Doctor Doom, Alistair Smythe, the Lizard (who later switched sides), and the Red Skull. The goal was to allegedly determine whether good or evil was stronger but was later 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 multiverse from the twisted Spider-Carnage. 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. (where production for the Spider-Man animated series was based) from Canada (where the X-Men animated series was based) 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 (who was the first voice of Storm) lives in L.A.[53][54] The Hulk and the She-Hulk were not used in these episodes because the Hulk series was on UPN.[53][54] Furthermore, Quinton Flynn was the only voice actor to reprise his role from the Fantastic Four animated series.[54]
- 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 the Beyonder, about Earth's existence. To Loki's dismay, the 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 the 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 the 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.[55][56]
- Battleworld appears in the Spider-Man three-part episode "Secret Wars".[57][58] This version is an alien planet populated with peaceful inhabitants who did not know war or villainy until the Beyonder took several of Earth's supervillains and introduced them to the planet to test Spider-Man's ability to save the multiverse from Spider-Carnage. Over time, the supervillains divided it into several territories, with one known location being "Octavia", which was ruled by Doctor Octopus until Doctor Doom overthrew him and renamed the territory "New Latveria".
- Battleworld appears in Avengers Assemble. Introduced in the episode "Beyond", this version is created by the Beyonder using parts from Earth, Asgard, and other realities as part of an "experiment".[59][60] Known domains include the desert Egyptia, the subterranean NYC Underworld, No-Tech Land, the Vampire Federation, K'un-Lun, the Vibranium Coast, the pirate-populated Red Skull Sea, the magic-based Weirdworld ruled by Morgan le Fey, the Bay of Attuma, the Old West-themed dinosaur-populated Westland, a domain simply called "Lost to the Symbiotes", and the United States of Crime.
Film
[edit]A film titled Avengers: Secret Wars is in development and will be released on May 7, 2027. It will be the sixth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[61][62]
Video games
[edit]- Battleworld appears in Marvel Contest of Champions and its 1984 spin-off Marvel Realm of Champions. Each of the Battleworld domains are led by different houses and include the Land of the Free, the Nine Realms, Manhattan, Wakanda, the Iron Nation, the Isles of Agamotto, Egyptia, and the Green Desert.
- A variation of Battleworld, renamed Primary Earth, appears in Marvel Future Revolution. This version was created after Vision sacrificed himself to save his Earth from multiverse-destroying incursions and consists of New Stark City, the Hydra Empire, Xandearth, Midgardia, Sakaar, the Savage Shadowland, and the Dark Domain.
Literature
[edit]In 2016, a novelization of Secret Wars was written by Alex Irvine.
Merchandise
[edit]- Mattel released three waves of action figures, vehicles, and accessories in the Secret Wars toy line from 1984 to 1985.
- An original page of the 1984 Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars, showing Spider-Man wearing the black suit for the first time, was sold by Heritage Auctions in January 2022 for over $3 million.[63]
Miscellaneous
[edit]This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. (August 2021) |
- Funko released a collectible card game called Marvel Battleworld, which is loosely inspired by the Secret Wars comic book events. Known domains listed in the game include Earth, Asgard, the Deadlands, and an unnamed anthropomorphic animal-populated domain based on Spider-Ham's universe.[citation needed]
- Battleworld appears in a self-titled web series.[64][65][66]
Collected editions
[edit]Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
---|---|---|---|
Secret Wars | Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12 | December 2011 | 978-0785158684 |
Secret Wars Omnibus | Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12, Thor (vol. 1) #383, She-Hulk (vol. 1) #10, What If? (vol. 2) #4, 114 | December 2008 | 978-0785132936 |
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld Box Set | Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1-12, Amazing Spider-Man #251–252, Incredible Hulk #294-295, Iron Man #181-182, Thing #10, Uncanny X-Men #180-181, Captain America #292, Avengers #242-243, Thor #341 and material from Fantastic Four #265. Also includes Thing: Battleworld, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars Aftermath, Secret Wars II Vol. 1-4, Secret War, Beyond the Secret Wars and Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars: Behind the Scenes. | June 2015 | 978-0785197515 |
References
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- ^ Trumbore, Dave (March 9, 2018). "Avengers Assemble Season 4 Finale Clip Teases a Three-Part Conclusion". Collider. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ "Beyond". Avengers Assemble. Season 4. Episode 17. January 14, 2018. Disney XD.
- ^ Schmidt, Joe (July 23, 2022). "Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty Officially Announced by Marvel Studios at Comic-Con 2022". ComicBook. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "Marvel Studios Announces Updates to Theatrical Release Schedule". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
- ^ Scottie, Andrew (14 January 2022). "A page of Spider-Man comic book history just sold for $3 million". CNN. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ Stone, Sam (June 17, 2020). "Funko Debuts Trailer for Marvel Battleworld Animated Series at Disney XD". CBR. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ Zachary, Brandon (June 23, 2020). "The Marvel Zombies Animated Debut Is... ADORABLE?!". CBR. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
- ^ Nardone, Jacob (June 28, 2020). "Battleworld Is Marvel's Answer to Teen Titans Go!". CBR. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Secret Wars at Marvel.com
- Battleworld at Marvel.com
- Battleworld I at Marvel Wiki
- Battleworld III at Marvel Wiki