Secret Wars

• Core Identity: In its various forms, Secret Wars is a cataclysmic Marvel event where a being of immense power forces disparate heroes and villains to battle on a constructed patchwork reality known as Battleworld, with the fate of universes often hanging in the balance.
• Key Takeaways:
• Role in the Universe: The original 1984 Secret Wars was Marvel's first company-wide crossover event, establishing the blueprint for large-scale, status quo-altering storylines that would define the industry for decades. The 2015 successor served as a climactic finale to the entire history of the Marvel Multiverse, destroying and then recreating it. Marvel Comics.
• Primary Impact: Its legacy is immense, most famously introducing Spider-Man's black alien symbiote suit which would later become the villain venom. The original event also led to She-Hulk replacing The Thing on the Fantastic Four and the introduction of the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter. The 2015 event integrated miles_morales into the main Marvel universe and fundamentally rebooted the multiverse as a whole.
• Key Incarnations: There are two primary comic book versions: the 1984 original orchestrated by the enigmatic beyonder, and the 2015 multiversal epic orchestrated by doctor_doom after he usurped the power of the Beyonders. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is building towards its own adaptation, which is expected to be the climax of its “Multiverse Saga” and will likely feature kang_the_conqueror as the central antagonist.

The genesis of the first Secret Wars is a famous piece of comic book history, directly tied to commercial interests. In the early 1980s, the toy company Mattel sought to compete with Kenner's successful Super Powers Collection line, which featured characters from rival DC Comics. Mattel approached Marvel for a similar partnership, leading to a proposal for a major comic event that could be used as a marketing vehicle for a new toy line. Marvel's Editor-in-Chief at the time, Jim Shooter, took on the task of writing the series. He reportedly gathered feedback from focus groups of children to determine what they wanted to see in a story, which led to the straightforward “heroes versus villains” premise and the name Secret Wars itself. The 12-issue limited series, titled Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, ran from May 1984 to April 1985. It was a blockbuster success, with art primarily by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton that defined the epic scale of the 1980s. It became the best-selling American comic book series in 25 years, proving the commercial viability of the line-wide crossover. Three decades later, Marvel revisited the concept with a vastly more complex and ambitious story. The 2015 Secret Wars, written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Esad Ribić, was not a standalone event but the culmination of Hickman's multi-year run on the `avengers` and `new_avengers` titles. He had meticulously seeded the concept of `the_incursions`—the collision and destruction of parallel universes—building a sense of cosmic dread that led to the inevitable end of the entire Marvel Multiverse. This new series served as a grand finale and a relaunch point for the entire Marvel line, under the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” banner.

The in-universe catalyst for Secret Wars differs dramatically between its major iterations, reflecting the evolving complexity of Marvel's cosmology.

The story began with a simple, yet terrifying, premise. A cosmic entity of unimaginable power, later known as the Beyonder, from a realm beyond the known multiverse, became aware of the Marvel Universe. Fascinated by the constant conflict and the concepts of good and evil, desire, and will, he decided to conduct an experiment. Using his omnipotent abilities, the Beyonder ripped pieces from hundreds of worlds, including a suburb of Denver, Colorado, and stitched them together into a single planet he named Battleworld. He then instantaneously teleported a curated selection of Earth's most powerful superheroes and supervillains to this new world. The abducted heroes included members of the `avengers` (Captain America, Thor, Iron Man (James Rhodes), Hawkeye, Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau), Wasp, and She-Hulk), the `fantastic_four` (Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, and The Thing), the `x-men` (Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Nightcrawler, and Colossus), and the solo hero `spider-man`. The villainous contingent included powerhouses like `doctor_doom`, Doctor Octopus, Ultron, Kang the Conqueror, Absorbing Man, a newly empowered Titania and Volcana, and even the planet-eater `galactus`. `magneto`, due to his complex motivations, was initially placed with the heroes but quickly established himself as a neutral third party. A disembodied voice boomed across Battleworld, delivering a simple ultimatum from the Beyonder: “I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all that you desire shall be yours! Nothing is impossible for me!”. With that, the first Secret War began, a forced conflict where the prize was seemingly anything the victors could imagine. The story explored not just the physical battles, but the psychological toll, the shifting alliances, and one villain's audacious attempt to steal the power of a god.

The 2015 event had a much more complex and tragic origin, built upon years of preceding storylines. The catalyst was a cosmic disease: the premature death of the entire Multiverse. A phenomenon known as Incursions began occurring, where two parallel Earths would occupy the same space. If one Earth was not destroyed within a short window, both of their respective universes would be annihilated. For years, a secret cabal of Earth's greatest minds, the `illuminati` (including Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Beast), fought a desperate, soul-crushing war to save their universe, Earth-616, by destroying other Earths. They discovered the Incursions were being caused by omnipotent beings known as the Beyonders (retconned from the original singular entity) who were conducting an experiment to destroy the multiverse simultaneously. In the final hours, as the last two universes—Earth-616 and the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610)—were about to collide in the Final Incursion, Doctor Doom, having previously uncovered the Beyonders' plans, confronted them. Aided by the immense power of Molecule Man (who was, in reality, a multiversal bomb designed by the Beyonders), Doom managed to kill them and absorb their reality-warping power. However, he was too late to save the Multiverse. As everything was destroyed, Doom used his newfound omnipotence to salvage the remaining fragments of dozens of dead realities. He wove them together into a new, singular planet: a new Battleworld. He placed himself at its center as the unchallenged ruler, God Emperor Doom. With Doctor Strange as his sheriff and the `fantastic_four` erased from memory, Doom ruled this patchwork reality for eight years, creating a fragile peace built on the foundation of his absolute, tyrannical will. The “war” truly began when a life raft containing the few survivors of Earth-616, who had been in stasis since the Final Incursion, was discovered, reintroducing the memory of the world that was and challenging the authority of the god who had replaced it.

The MCU's version of Secret Wars is currently in development, slated as the capstone of the “Multiverse Saga.” While the film has not been released, its origins are being carefully laid across multiple films and television series. The foundation was established in the `Loki` series. The show introduced the concept of the Multiverse, Variants (alternate versions of characters), and the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an organization that “pruned” branching timelines to maintain a single “Sacred Timeline.” The show's antagonist, He Who Remains, was revealed to be a benevolent variant of kang_the_conqueror. He created the TVA to prevent a multiversal war that was instigated by his more malevolent variants. His death at the hands of Sylvie unleashed the multiverse, setting the stage for infinite timelines and infinite Kangs. `doctor_strange_in_the_multiverse_of_madness` further explored this concept by introducing Incursions into the MCU lexicon. Here, they are defined as the catastrophic collision of two universes, often caused by extensive multiversal travel. This directly mirrors the comic book setup for the 2015 Secret Wars. `ant-man_and_the_wasp_quantumania` formally introduced the primary antagonist, Kang the Conqueror, and his legion of variants, the `council_of_kangs`. It is heavily implied that this Council, or a particularly powerful variant of Kang, will be the architect of the coming conflict, seeking to conquer or collapse the entire multiverse for their own ends. Therefore, the MCU's Secret Wars appears to be a synthesis of both comic events: it will feature a massive conflict between heroes and villains from across the multiverse (like the 1984 event) but will be precipitated by the existential threat of Incursions and a central, reality-shaping villain who controls them (like the 2015 event).

The two primary Secret Wars events were structured very differently, with unique turning points and consequences that reshaped the Marvel Universe in their respective eras.

• Timeline & Key Turning Points:
• The Abduction: Heroes and villains are teleported to Battleworld and given their mission by the Beyonder. The initial conflict sees the heroes seize a fortress, establishing a base of operations.
• Doom's Ascent: Refusing to be a pawn, Doctor Doom immediately begins scheming. He captures several villains, studies Galactus's technology, and eventually challenges the world-devourer himself. Though he is seemingly destroyed, he uses the confrontation to study the Beyonder's energy.
• The Alien Symbiote: After his classic red and blue suit is damaged, Spider-Man is directed to a machine that he believes will repair his costume. It instead produces a black sphere that flows over him, creating a new black and white costume that can respond to his thoughts and generate its own webbing. This is the first appearance of the Venom symbiote.
• Doom Steals Godhood: In the series' climax, Doctor Doom uses technology he has built to siphon the power of Galactus, which he then uses to challenge the Beyonder directly. He successfully drains the Beyonder of his omnipotence, becoming a godlike being himself.
• The God's Defeat: The newly empowered Doom easily defeats the assembled heroes but is undone by his own paranoia and humanity. The Beyonder, now possessing Klaw's body, goads Doom, whose own self-doubt causes his power to fluctuate. Captain America's unyielding will proves to be a critical distraction, allowing the Beyonder to reclaim his power.
• Aftermath:
• The Beyonder offers the heroes a way home. The Thing, who gained the ability to revert to his human form on Battleworld, chooses to stay behind to explore his newfound freedom, leading to She-Hulk taking his place on the Fantastic Four.
• Colossus ends his relationship with Kitty Pryde after falling in love with an alien healer named Zsaji, who died during the conflict. This emotionally scarred him for years.
• Spider-Man brings his new, seemingly inert, black costume back to Earth, setting the stage for the entire Venom saga.
• The event was a commercial template, proving that tying multiple comic book titles into a single, cohesive narrative event could be massively successful. It directly led to a sequel, `Secret Wars II`, and normalized the “summer event” in the comics industry.

• Timeline & Key Turning Points:
• The Final Incursion: The last two universes, 616 and 1610, collide. Most of their heroes are obliterated, but small groups survive on “life rafts” designed by Reed Richards and The Maker (the evil Reed Richards of Earth-1610).
• The Reign of God Emperor Doom: The story jumps forward eight years. Battleworld exists, a patchwork planet of alternate realities policed by the Thor Corps (an army of various Thors) under the iron fist of God Emperor Doom, with Doctor Strange as his right-hand man. The populace worships Doom as their creator and savior.
• The Reawakening: Strange discovers the 616 life raft and awakens its survivors, including Reed Richards, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and a Phoenix-empowered Cyclops. He scatters them across Battleworld to avoid Doom's wrath. At the same time, the Cabal's life raft (containing Thanos, Maximus, and others) is also discovered.
• The Seeds of Rebellion: The survivors of 616 begin to sow dissent across Battleworld, reminding its inhabitants of the realities that were stolen from them. Sheriff Strange defies Doom to save the heroes and is killed for his betrayal, a key moment that solidifies Doom's tyranny.
• The Final Battle: Reed Richards and his counterpart, The Maker, work to find the source of Doom's power. Two massive armies, one led by the heroes and one by Thanos, march on Castle Doom. The conflict serves as a distraction for the true fight.
• Richards vs. Doom: The final confrontation is not a physical brawl but an ideological one. Reed Richards confronts God Emperor Doom in his sanctuary, where they find Molecule Man, the true source of Doom's power. They debate who could have done a better job as god. When Doom admits, for a fleeting moment, that Reed could have, Molecule Man gives the power to Reed.
• Aftermath:
• The Eighth Cosmos: Using the Beyonders' power, Reed Richards, with his family (Sue, Franklin, and Valeria) and Molecule Man, does not just restore the 616 universe; they begin rebuilding the entire Multiverse, one reality at a time. The Fantastic Four title went on hiatus for several years as they were off on this cosmic mission.
• Earth-Prime: The main Marvel reality was restored, but with key changes. Miles Morales, his family, and friends were transplanted from the Ultimate Universe into this new “Earth-Prime,” finally allowing him to operate alongside Peter Parker.
• All-New, All-Different Marvel: The event served as a line-wide relaunch. New teams were formed (e.g., the Ultimates), characters took on new mantles (Jane Foster as Thor was solidified, Sam Wilson was Captain America), and the entire universe was given a fresh, albeit temporary, starting point.

While scores of characters participate in the Secret Wars, a few key individuals and groups drive the central narrative of each event.

• The Beyonder (1984): The original architect was a being of pure power from his own dimension, the “Beyond-Realm.” He was characterized by a profound, almost childlike curiosity and a complete lack of understanding of mortal concepts like good, evil, or mortality. He was not inherently malevolent; his actions were driven by a desire to understand the nature of desire itself. This portrayal made his omnipotence all the more terrifying, as he could unmake reality on a whim without any malice.
• God Emperor Doom (2015): In the modern event, Doctor Doom took center stage. After witnessing the collapse of everything, he single-handedly slew the Beyonders and forged a new reality from the scraps of the old. As God Emperor, he was an absolute monarch, both savior and tyrant. He truly believed he had created a perfect world and erased the memories of the past to maintain order. This version of Doom was at his most complex: a man who achieved his ultimate desire—to rule all—but was haunted by his own perceived inadequacies, particularly his unending rivalry with Reed Richards.

• Captain America's Faction (1984): The heroes abducted for the first Secret War were officially led by Captain America, who was elected by the group. They represented a unified front against the villains, focused primarily on survival and finding a way home. However, internal friction existed, particularly with the X-Men, who operated more independently due to their general distrust of other super-teams.
• The Survivors of Earth-616 (2015): In the second Secret Wars, the “heroes” were the fugitives from a dead reality. This small group, led by Reed Richards and Black Panther, were the only ones who remembered the world before Doom. Their mission was not just to survive but to overthrow a god and restore the entire multiverse, making them a revolutionary force within Battleworld.

• Doctor Doom's Alliance (1984): Doctor Doom was the de facto leader of the villains in the original series, though his “alliance” was one of convenience and coercion. He manipulated the other villains, using them as cannon fodder and test subjects in his quest to understand and ultimately steal the Beyonder's power. His ambition quickly set him apart from the more straightforward goals of his compatriots.
• The Cabal (2015): A nihilistic and brutal faction that served as a chaotic third party on Battleworld. Led by Thanos and consisting of villains like Maximus the Mad and Proxima Midnight, they had survived the Final Incursion on their own life raft. Unleashed upon Battleworld, they had no interest in restoring reality, only in carving out their own bloody kingdom in Doom's new world, serving as a major threat to both Doom's forces and the heroic resistance.

The concept of Battleworld is central to every iteration of Secret Wars, but its composition has varied wildly.

The original Battleworld was a simple, functional creation. The Beyonder used a “planet-puller” beam to grab chunks of various planets, including a mountain range from Earth, and fuse them together. It was a barren, rocky world with a breathable atmosphere. Key locations were sparse and served the plot directly:

• Hero-Base: A large fortress-like structure created by the Beyonder for the heroes.
• Doombase: A base constructed by Doctor Doom for the villains after they were driven from their initial location.
• The Alien Village: A small settlement inhabited by peaceful aliens, including the healer Zsaji, which the Beyonder had transported to his planet.

This version was vastly more intricate and imaginative. It was a single planet composed of the salvaged remains of over 40 different alternate realities, each existing as a distinct “domain” or kingdom. Each domain was ruled by a “Baron” or “Baroness” appointed by and loyal to God Emperor Doom. The planet was a fascinating tapestry of Marvel's “what if” history. Some of the most notable domains included:

• Doomstadt: The capital of Battleworld and the seat of Doom's power, located in the center of the planet. It was a fusion of Latveria and futuristic science.
• The Shield: A massive wall, inspired by Game of Thrones, that surrounded the more “civilized” domains. It was constantly manned by an army of Ben Grimms (The Thing) to keep the horrors of the southern domains at bay.
• The Deadlands: A southern domain overrun with zombies from the Marvel Zombies universe.
• Perfection: A domain populated by the legions of Ultron from the Age of Ultron event.
• New Attilan: A floating city that served as the base of the Inhumans, led by Black Bolt.
• Westchester: A domain based on the Age of Apocalypse reality, ruled by Baron Apocalypse and populated by his X-Men.
• Greenland: A savage realm populated by different tribes of Hulks.
• 2099: A futuristic domain based on the Marvel 2099 timeline, run by a futuristic version of Stark Industries.
• Higher Avalon: A kingdom protected by Captain Britain and his Captain Britain Corps.

The Secret Wars concept has been revisited and adapted multiple times beyond the two main comic book events.

• Secret Wars II (1985-1986): A direct and widely criticized sequel to the original. In this series, the Beyonder travels to Earth in a human form to try and understand humanity and desire. The series was disliked for its meandering plot and for diminishing the Beyonder from an unknowable cosmic force into a petulant, naive character in a white disco suit. Molecule Man ultimately plays a key role in his defeat.
• Beyond! (2006): A six-issue miniseries that served as a spiritual successor to the original. A mysterious being, later revealed to be the Stranger posing as the Beyonder, abducts a disparate group of heroes and villains (including Hank Pym, Wasp, Gravity, Venom (Mac Gargan), and Medusa) and forces them to fight on a new Battleworld, promising that the winner's wish will be granted.
• Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1990s): The final three episodes of this classic animated series adapted Secret Wars. In this version, the Beyonder and Madame Web abduct Spider-Man to lead a team of heroes (the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Iron Man, and Storm) against a team of villains (Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Red Skull, Alistair Smythe, and the Lizard) to determine if good is stronger than evil. It remains a beloved adaptation for a generation of fans.
• Avengers: Secret Wars (Animated Series, 2017): The fourth season of Avengers Assemble was subtitled Secret Wars. This story adapted elements from the 2015 comic, where a new version of the Cabal, led by the Leader, tricks the Avengers into activating a device that scatters them across time and space. Black Panther and the “New Avengers” must reassemble the team to stop the Beyonder from destroying reality in his cosmic experiment.

• beyonder
• doctor_doom
• molecule_man
• the_incursions
• battleworld
• marvel_cinematic_universe
• venom
• reed_richards

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