MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS
OMNIBUS HARDCOVER
Editor-in-Chief
Jim Shooter wrote the classic series as a marketing plan for Mattel toys which
released three waves of action figures, vehicles, and accessories between May 1984
and April 1985. The cosmic entity called the Beyonder pits the heroes and
villains of the Marvel Universe on the planet called Battleworld. The Beyonder
promises whoever wins will be rewarded with whatever they desire. One of the
highlights of the series is Spider-Man gets a new alien costume which later
develops into an entity called Venom.
A sequel
was inspired from July 1985 to March 1986 which followed the Beyonder back to
Earth and ended with his death. In The
New Avengers: Illuminati, writer Brian Michael Bendis explored the origin
of the Beyonder as a mutant Inhuman who was exposed to the Terrigen Mists. This
particular revelation is filled with continuity errors and the story should be
dismissed.
The
series is twelve issues long however it feels like four story arcs of three
issues a piece. The series was beautifully drawn by Mike Zeck who drew the
first Punisher limited series. The
first story arc begins by the heroes and villains have been brought together by
the Beyonder who was only entity existing in another universe. As the Avengers,
Fantastic Four, and X-Men unite along with Spider-Man and Hulk, the villains
arrive and both sides battle. Afterwards both sides find separate shelters, as
Magneto retreats from the heroes and the X-Men prepare to join him. As the
X-Men leave for Magneto’s fortress, the villains arrive and wreak havoc on our
remaining heroes then bury them alive. The second arc begins as the X-Men join
forces with Magneto and Galactus prepares to consume Battleworld. The third arc
speeds forward as the villains are imprisoned and the heroes deal with the
threat of Galactus while Doom harvests the power of Galactus. The final arc
begins as Doctor Doom goes for a power grab against the Beyonder and seizes his
powers. The heroes finally overcome Doom and held back home.
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
- Captain America commands the
heroes while Doctor Doom leads the villains (Secret Wars #1)
- Ben
Grimm changes back to human form (Secret
Wars #2)
- Spider-Man
takes on all the X-Men (Secret Wars #3)
- Doctor Doom creates both Volcana
and Titania (Secret Wars #3)
- Introduction
to the new Spider-Woman (Secret Wars #7)
-
Introduction to the new Spider-Man (Secret
Wars #8)
- The face
of Doom is revealed (Secret Wars #11)
- The Beyonder regains his powers
from Doom (Secret Wars #12)
-
She-Hulk replaces the Thing in the Fantastic Four (Secret Wars #12)
This
hardcover collects
Secret
Wars #1 – 12
RECOMMENDED – 4 OUT OF 5
