| Secret Wars | |
|---|---|
 Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1 (May 1984). Cover art byMike Zeck depictingCaptain America,Cyclops,Wolverine,Hawkeye,The Wasp,Rogue,She-Hulk,The Thing,Captain Marvel,Colossus,Nightcrawler,Hulk,Spider-Man,Storm,Human Torch andIron Man | |
| 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 |
| Inker | John Beatty |
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known asSecret Wars, is a 12-issueAmerican comic bookcrossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 byMarvel Comics. The series was written byJim Shooter, with art byMike Zeck,Bob Layton, andJohn Beatty. It was tied in with a similarly namedtoy line fromMattel and arole-playing game of the same name fromTSR, Inc.
The series was conceived by Marvel Comics'editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The series was announced under the titleCosmic Champions in the eleventh issue of theMarvel 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 includeThe 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]TheThing #10–22,[8]Fantastic Four #265,[9]Marvel Team-Up #141,[10]The Uncanny X-Men #178–181,[11] andThor #341. In 1987,Thor #383 was presented as a previously untold tale fromMarvel Superheroes Secret Wars.[12]
A cosmic entity, theBeyonder, becomes fascinated with Earth's superheroes in themainstream 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 theAvengers (Captain America,Captain Marvel,Hawkeye,Iron Man,She-Hulk,Thor, theWasp, and theHulk), three members of theFantastic Four (Human Torch,Mister Fantastic and theThing), solo heroSpider-Man, and theX-Men (Colossus,Cyclops,Nightcrawler,Professor X,Rogue,Storm,Wolverine, andLockheed the Dragon).Magneto is featured as a hero, but becomes non-aligned when the Avengers question his presence. The villains include theAbsorbing Man,Doctor Doom,Doctor Octopus, theEnchantress,Kang the Conqueror,Klaw, theLizard, theMolecule Man,Titania,Ultron,Volcana, and theWrecking Crew. The cosmic entityGalactus also appears as a villain who becomes a non-aligned entity.
The heroes (with the X-Men choosing to remain a separate unit) and villains have several skirmishes. Ultron is drained of energy by Galactus, who then confronts the Beyonder while Doctor Doom observes. Both are defeated and sent crashing down to Battleworld. 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 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 secondSpider-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 ablack costume. Galactus begins to devour the planet. Mr. Fantastic suggests they let him, so the Beyonder will take away his eternal hunger, but 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, sends him back to his own time, and reveals that Galactus was taken away byNova. 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. They battle Klaw and monsters he created, including Ultron. Doom's powers go out of control, thanks to Klaw convincing him to use them again. While Wasp destroys Ultron, 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. 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 tie-ins withSecret Wars open right after the return of the combatants. She-Hulk replaces the Thing in the Fantastic Four,[18] Colossus ends his romantic relationship with a heartbrokenKitty Pryde,[19] and the Hulk's leg is injured by Ultron.
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, fromCarol 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?"[20]
In 2011,IGN listedSecret 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.[21] In 2011, Alex Zalben ofMTV News rankedSecret Wars as the second biggest comic event ever, after only DC Comics'Crisis on Infinite Earths event. Zalben praised theSecret Wars story and its lasting effect on the Marvel universe, as well as honoring the storyline as the "semi-official first Event Comics ever."[22]
| Battleworld | |
|---|---|
| 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 patchworkplanet that serves as the setting in Secret Wars. There have been three Battleworlds in total. The first was created by theBeyonder,[23] the second was an imitation created by theStranger pretending to be the Beyonder,[24] and the third was created byDoctor Doom by stealing the power of theBeyonders.[25]
The first Battleworld debuted inSecret Wars (1984) #1, and was created byJim Shooter andMike Zeck.
The second Battleworld debuted inBeyond!, and was created byDwayne McDuffie andScott Kolins.
The third Battleworld debuted inSecret Wars (2015) #2, and was created byJonathan Hickman andEsad Ribić.
The fourth Battleworld debuted in Battleworld (2025) #1, and was created byChristos N. Gage andMarcus To.
TheBeyonder merged dozens of fragments from manyplanets (including a suburb ofDenver, Colorado, fromEarth), 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 thatSpider-Woman II was on Battleworld, as was Zsaji, the healer, who had brief romances with both theHuman Torch of theFantastic Four andColossus of theX-Men.[23]
In the aftermath ofSecret Wars, the planet became infected with cosmic energy when the Beyonder reclaimed his stolen power fromDoctor Doom. This led to a "wish fulfillment" phenomenon whereby force of will could alter reality; for example, repairingCaptain America'sunbreakable shield or allowingMister Fantastic to create a way to take them quickly home. This may be due to the Beyonder's nature as an incompleteCosmic Cube, which allows the wielder to alter reality by force of will, or was an aspect of the "heart's desire" promised by theBeyonder and granted to the winners of theSecret Wars. All the heroes left the planet, except forBen 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 whileShe-Hulk took his place in the Fantastic Four.[26] After Ben returned home—he had defeatedUltron and slain his manifested dark side Grimm the Sorcerer—the planet had no more reason to exist and broke apart.[27]
It is unknown whether all pieces returned to their home planets; the fragment of Colorado was ferried back to Earth with its citizens and theSecret Wars villains byMolecule Man.[26]
A mock Battleworld appeared in theminiseriesBeyond! It was constructed by theStranger 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 withGravity holding it together long enough for his group to escape at the cost of his life.[24] Gravity was later resurrected byEpoch as the new Protector of the Universe.[28]
A third Battleworld appeared in the 2015 seriesSecret Wars. Before the incursions destroyed theMultiverse,Doctor Doom, theMolecule Man, andDoctor Strange had defied the godlike entities behind the catastrophe: theBeyonders. 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.[25] 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.[25]
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 theMarvel Zombies), Perfection (which contains theUltron Sentinels), and New Xandar (which contains theAnnihilation Wave) are separated from the rest by the Shield (a giant version ofBen Grimm) because each contains threats that if loosed would destroy the other domains.
Battleworld is protected by theThor Corps who serve as Battleworld's police force and answer to God Emperor Doom.[29] Battleworld isorbited by a smallSun, in fact theHuman Torch, consigned to the role for acting against Doctor Doom.[30]Knowhere acts as Battleworld'smoon.[31] 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.[32]
This Battleworld would eventually collapse[33] after God Emperor Doom's Beyonders' power was transferred toReed Richards, who was considered by Doom himself and Molecule Man to be more worthy, and rectified the artificial reality.[34]
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel" event, it is revealed that the reality where Battleworld was fashioned was identified asEarth-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, theCollector andGrandmaster 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.[35] After assuming control of the Power Primordial that the Grandmaster and Collector were competing for, the Battleworld version ofMaestro recreates Battleworld to its previous form as he had previously vowed that he would become the God-King of Battleworld.[36] To combat the remaining players, Maestro summoned the remnants of the Avengers and Thunderbolts from an alternate reality where Iron Man becamePresident of the United States after winning thesuperhuman civil war as well as summoning Sentry of Earth-1611 to deal with the remaining Contest of Champions competitors.[37] 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 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.[37]
A new Battleworld planet appeared in the 2025 seriesBattleworld, created by the villainKorvac. By trying to fix an anomaly that is treating the timeline, Korvac smashed different realms taken from across the multiverse and united them to form this new patchwork. Korvac himself governs a territory called Forest Hills, a technologically advanced city with its own version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and is constantly threatened by rival lords, including Baron Simon Williams of the domain Holy Wood, and a mysterious "Madness" that is corrupting the population. He handpicked from across space and time an assembly of heroes and villains to engage in their own Secret Wars for the survival of their timelines while uncovering the source of the Madness and hiding his power from the tyrannical God Emperor Doom.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(December 2017) |
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 inSecret Wars #2:
| # | Domain | Baron | Setting | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Greenland | Currently ungovernable | Planet Hulk | Formed from the remnants of Earth-71612, this area is adesert-like wasteland infested with an assortment ofHulks and other gamma-irradiated creatures. Some of the Hulk species include the Tribal Hulks (made up of both Green Hulks andRed Hulks), the Bull Hulks (a race of gamma-enhancedcattle), 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. 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 ofThunderbolt Ross). 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 theHorsemen of Apocalypse until they became servants ofApocalypse when he conquered their lands. Known locations include Heaven Nightclub, the Human Compound, New Cairo, the Savage Land Sanctuary, Some Kinda Jungle?[40] andWestchester County. Apocalypse was the appointed baron of the domain until he was infected and killed by theLegacy Virus. | ||
| #4 | Egyptia | Khonshu andBast | Forever Yesterday;Secret Wars main series;Secret Wars Journal | This area is an alliance between theUpper 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 andwerewolf warriors. There are factions that also worshipThe Man in the Sun, devoting songs to the light he brings the world. Themutants are used as slaves to build Khonshu's pyramids. Known locations include theNile andZenn-La. Much of what wasWakanda is found in the Upper Kingdom, both in design and function. | |
| #5 | Technopolis | Kiri Oshiro | Armor Wars | Afuturistic 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 wearpowered armors so that they can live and breathe.Anthony Stark and his brotherArno Stark are rivals in the armor-making business. Technopolis has its own version ofStark 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, andBen Urich. | |
| #6 | Valley of Doom | GovernorRoxxon | 1872 | It is a location that evokes the traits of theWild West and 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 ofMan-Spiders. ItsManhattan hasHorizon 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 fromStegron' serum),Lizard People (derived from theLizard serum), Vampires (derived fromMorbius, the Living Vampire's serum), andWerewolves (derived fromMan-Wolf's Godstone). The domain is to be renamed Flash City or Thompsonville in memory ofFlash 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 whereRegent was behind the deaths and disappearances of many superheroes while Spider-Man has retired to protect his wifeMary Jane Watson and his daughterAnnie. The Regency also has its versions ofAvengers Mansion, theDaily Bugle, and theGeorge 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 (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 theElizabethan era. Its previous Baron was King James (this reality's version ofWolverine instead of thehistoric King James) before he was discovered to beWitchbreed 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, andYork. | |
| #10 | Weirdworld | Witch Queen le Fay | Weirdworld | This domain is afloating 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 theDevil Dino, the Crypt of Man Maggots, the Crystal Labyrinth, Fang Mountain, the Forest of theMan-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 theBermuda Triangle. | |
| #11 | K'un-L'un | EmperorShang-Chi | Master of Kung Fu | Based on the mystical city of the same name from Earth-15513, it is awuxia-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'spuppet ruler. Annexed domains are allowed to retain autonomy as long as they pay 60% of theirgross domestic product and 30% of their food storage every month. Anyone who shows signs of weakness is 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 theSquadron Supreme and formed from the remnants of Earth-17021), Shadow Province (which was under the rule of the Shadow Dwellers and formed from the remnants ofEarth-88194), and Europix (aWorld War II-themed domain formed from the remnants of Earth-59125) are annexed domains of Utopolis. Lost Land (where a variation of First Line resides formed from the remnants of Earth-12212), Nutopia (formed from the remnants of Earth-14227), and Wittland (formed from the remnants of Earth-66232 and home to a variant of theFrightful Four) are also shown in Utopolis' region. | |
| #13 | NewMars | — | — | 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 | — | 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 | HigherAvalon | Brian Braddock | Secret Wars main series | Not much is known about Higher Avalon other than the fact that it is formed from the remnants of Earth-81518. The previous BaronJamie 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 ofNew York City whereGwen Stacy was killed, Spider-Man disappeared, andNorman Osborn resurfaced ten years later as the head ofOzcorp 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 hasChinatown, George Washington Bridge, and Ozcorp Tower. TheBrooklyn area has theBrooklyn 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 | — | Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX | Formed from the remnants of Earth-71912, this area 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 secretisle is the home ofSheriff Strange to serve as his remembrance of Earth-616. Since 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 ofGalactus. Doomstadt also has the Killiseum run byArcade, 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 theAsgardian Ten Realms. A system of caverns located beneath Doomstadt. Norseheim is where the Rock Trolls andUlik live and the enchanted suit of armor known asDestroyer is hidden, guarded by an elderly Rick Jones from Dystopia, who operates as the Ancient One. | ||
| #20 | Kingdom ofManhattan | — | — | 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 coexisting next to each other and split into four parts. This area was considered to be the remnants of Earth-61610. | |
| #20A | NewAttilan | 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. FormerlyMedusa 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 Attilan 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's memories in the process. | |
| #20B | Earth-616 Manhattan | Ultimate End | This version of Manhattan was combined with the Earth-1610 Manhattan enabling them to coexist. Known locations include Nelson & Murdock,Avengers Mansion, the Earth-616Baxter Building,Sanctum Sanctorum, the Earth-616Stark Tower, and theX-Mansion. | ||
| #20C | Earth-1610 Manhattan | This version of Manhattan was combined with the Earth-616 Manhattan enabling them to coexist. 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 includeDracula's Palace and the Trail to Hell. Dracula was the governor of Monster Metropolis before he was killed byShiklah. 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 ofHollywood) andForest Hills. Another region of the city was composed by Yinsen City and Mondo City. | |
| #21A | Holy Wood | Destroyed | The Korvac Saga | Formerly ruled byBaron Simon Williams and policed by theAvengers, 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 byBaron Michael Korvac and policed by theGuardians, 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 wasRescue. 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,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 wasBoss 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 withSteve Rogers (known as General America). President Stark and General America sacrificed their lives to activate the depowering bomb to stop theSkrulls causing Jennifer Walters and Peter Parker to take their place two months later. The domain is a variation of theUnited States that is divided into three zones: | |
| #22A | The Iron | Jennifer Walters andPeter 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 ofSt. Louis,Missouri whenPrison 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 anindustrial city). After General America's death, Peter Parker took his place as the leader of the Blue. | |||
| #23 | New Quack City | — | 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 | — | Where Monsters Dwell | Formed from the remains of Earth-200100, this domain is anAsian-themed location. Known locations include the Island of Dung,Malaya, Port Song, andShanghai. | |
| #25 | Valley of Flame | — | Formed from the remnants of Earth-200111, this domain is a prehistoricjungle location which evokes the traits of theSavage Land. Known locations include theAmazon Village and thePygmy 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 ofHydra and is defended by their version of the Avengers. Known locations include the Temple of Hydra andTimes Square. | |
| #27 | 2099 | Miguel Stone | Secret Wars 2099 | A futuristic area 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 includeAlchemax Tower, Latverian Cuisine, New Atlantis, and theSanctum 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 formed from the remnants ofHouse of M universe. It is an area in which mutants rule over humans.Genosha is where Castle Magnus is located. Other known locations includeAtlantis and Josie's Bar.King Erik Magnus was the Baron of the domain before he was deposed by his own sonQuicksilver and Namor. However, Magnus was able to retake his position from Namor by killing him and then forgiving Quicksilver. | |
| #30 | Sentinel Territories | PresidentRobert Kelly | Years of Future Past | Formed from the remnants of Earth-25158, this domain is infested withSentinels. The Sentinel Territories consists of an alternate version of theUnited 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 being contained in camps, sterilized, and used for experiments. | |
| #31 | Wastelands | — | 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 | — | E is For Extinction | In this domain that is formed from the remnants of Earth-55133, the dream of peaceful coexistence of mutants and humans was achieved which turns the table on the mutant dynamic. Professor X is dead and Magneto is running a school and also created his own version of the X-Men. The classic X-Men are middle-aged and apparently losing their powers. Known locations include the Atom Institute andDistrict X. | |
| #33 | Westchester | PresidentRobert Kelly | X-Men '92 | Formed from the remnants ofEarth-92131. Known locations include the Clear Mountain Institute, New Salem Mall, theX-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 wasKarl 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 anisland 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 inAvengers vs. X-Men. Following theSecret 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 ofNew York City whereManhattan became aHell-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 areBrooklyn,Coney Island, theEast River, andQueens. The domain had been under the rule of several barons: the first known was BaronessMadelyne Pryor until she was overthrown byDarkchilde 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 Darkchilde'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 Darkchilde's power regaining in the process her position as baroness. | |
| #38 | Deadlands | Outside God Emperor Doom's jurisdiction | Marvel Zombies | Formed from the remnants ofEarth-2149, it is an area that is infested withzombie versions of Marvel characters and evokes the traits of azombie apocalypse. | |
| #39 | Perfection | Age of Ultron | An area that is filled withUltron Sentinels. This was formed from the remnants of Earth-21261, where Ultron-1 annihilated all superheroes and conquered Earth in arobot apocalypse-type manner. | ||
| #40 | NewXandar | The Infinity Gauntlet | An area that is filled withinsectoid-like creatures that make up theAnnihilation Wave. This was formed from the remnants of Earth-94241, where the Annihilation Wavedecimated 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 ofThing had been the form of the Shield at the convincing of God Emperor Doom. The Shield was formerly under the supervision of CommanderNick Fury until he was presumed killed in battle. CommanderAbigail 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, 30 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 | — | Secret Wars Journal | Formed from the remnants of Earth-15203 which contained a variation ofMarvel 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 | — | Spider-Island | Formed from the remnants ofEarth-982. | |
| #46 | Walled City of New York | — | 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 | — | Formed from the remnants of Earth-22312, this domain is a version of New York City that is inhabited byinsect versions of the heroes and villains. | ||
| #48 | Metropolitia | Gorilla-Man/Baron Helmut Zemo | Secret Wars:Agents of Atlas | A sprawlingmegacity 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 byHeinrich Zemo (who believed himself to be a god and the citizens his playthings). His only opposition being theAgents 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 killingGorilla-Man and turned into the new Gorilla-Man. | |
| #49 | Unidentified Domain #2 | — | Secret Wars Too | A domain composed from the last remnants ofEarth-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 whereGalactus has finally succeeded in having his insatiable hunger taken away by creating a food blog and where a small team of heroes (composed ofJessica 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 asDomain #615, 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 | — | A domain where at least three alternate versions of Cyclops try to date Jean Grey (who is dating that domain's Wolverine). Its location appears to be near Marvel All-Bear. | ||
| #54 | Marvel All-Bear | — | A questionable domain where all its citizens are actualbears. Beardevil (the bear version of Daredevil) and Foggy Bearson (the bear version ofFoggy Nelson) are known to be hunted down, for unknown reasons, by the human Foggy Nelson of XXX. | ||
| #55 | Rule 63 | — | 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 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, theVision, andWonder Man. Using Wonder Man's expertise in electrical engineering, scientific construction concepts grasped during their time with Ultron, as well as using Wonder Man's ionic energy as a source, a force field has been created to protect this location from any outside threats. | |
| #57 | Knowhere | Guardians of Knowhere | The severedCelestial head orbits Battleworld like amoon and contains the city of Knowhere. Known locations include Cebulski's Bar and Knowhere Marketplace. | ||
| #58 | Mojo dot Mojo | Secret Wars: Battleworld | Based on theMojoverse, Mojo dot Mojo is a clandestine place located somewhere underneath Battleworld. It is whereMojo 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 holdingPrison 42. Likewise, theFuture Foundation also often visit the place and spent a fair amount of time studying it. | ||
One year later,Secret Wars II was published, with theBeyonder visiting Earth and having a tie-in with almost every Marvel comic book written at the time.[41]
Marvel published a thirdSecret Wars tale written bySteve Englehart and drawn byKeith Pollard within two issues of theFantastic Four series: the "Secret Wars III" story inFantastic Four #318–319 (September–October 1988).
In 2006, a six issue series entitledBeyond! 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 the Beyonder again transported superheroes and supervillains of Earth to fight on Battleworld.
Spider-Man & the Secret Wars, aMarvel 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 withAvengers & The Infinity Gauntlet andCaptain America & TheKorvac 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.[42]
The four-issue miniseriesDeadpool's Secret Secret Wars was released during the2015Secret Wars event. It retold the events of the original miniseries from Deadpool's point of view and usedretroactive 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.
A four-issue miniseries titledMarvel 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.
Some issues ofWhat If? revolve around the Secret Wars:
In May 2015, Marvel published a newSecret Wars miniseries, written byJonathan Hickman and drawn byEsad Ribić, that picked up from where the "Time Runs Out" storyline running inThe Avengers andNew Avengers at the time had ended.[45] The storyline involved the Marvel Universe combining with other alternate universes, including theUltimate Universe, as well as the2099 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.[46][47][48] One of the core miniseries,Ultimate End, had ended the Ultimate Marvel imprint after 15 years at the time.Ultimate End is written byBrian Michael Bendis and artistMark Bagley, the team that began the Ultimate Marvel universe withUltimate Spider-Man.[49]
InSpider-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" (theWorld 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.[50]
A film based on the storyline,Avengers: Secret Wars, is in development and is scheduled to be released on December 17, 2027.[59]
In 2016,Secret Wars received a novelization written byAlex Irvine.
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| 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 fromFantastic Four #265. Also includesThing: Battleworld, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars Aftermath, Secret Wars II Vol. 1–4, Secret War, Beyond the Secret Wars andMarvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars: Behind the Scenes. | June 2015 | 978-0785197515 |
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