Worlds--universes--crashing together...you believed that there was someone--or something--behind it. Well, you were right. Therewas something behind it. Unfortunately, no one could stop the perfect annihilation plan that theBeyonders had put into motion...

The incursions are the result of theBeyonders' machination to end theMultiverse andRabum Alal's failed attempt at stopping them.^[1][2] Desiring to destroy the Multiverse and spare it fromEnigma,^[3][4] the Beyonders conducted a grand experiment and created theMolecule Man as a living bomb in each reality. The death of these Molecule Men destroys their universe and they were all set to go off in 25 years. Opposing the Beyonders, theMolecule Man–616 andDoctor Doom, Rabum Alal's true identity,^[5] embarked on a time-travelling mission to eliminate all of these Molecule Men early to diminish the charge and save the Multiverse; they founded theBlack Swans to help. However, the Beyonders had built the Molecule Men "too well" and the sabotage attempt simply sent the Multiverse on an alternate path of destruction.^[2] The Molecule Men's deaths had caused the Multiverse to contract, both in its timeline and the proximity of its realities, and realities began to collide in events called incursions.^[6] The first incursion happened seven years after the first Molecule Man's death,^[1] and the site wasEarth because that was where the Molecule Man had died.^[7] To the Beyonders, this was not unforeseen, as the Beyonders had designed the incursions to happen as part of their "perfect annihilation plan."^{[8][9][10][11]}

The contraction caused universes throughout the Multiverse to collide, with each universe's respective Earth as the point of impact. An incursion is the the period in which the two Earths collide, lasting exactly eight hours.^[6] Throughout the duration, there is a short period of harmonic alignment which allows both Earths to exist next to each other without any detrimental effects.

Once the eight hours pass and the Earths collide, both the planets and their respective universes are obliterated.^[6] According to theBlack Swan, there are at least eight ways of averting an incursion.^[12] One of these involves the destruction of at least one of the Earths before they can collide. Doing so will save both universes, and one of the Earths. Each time a new incursion happens, the rate in which universes collide accelerates. With each universe that is destroyed, the Multiverse contracts and its lifespan is shortened.^[6]

For each incursion there is an "incursion point," a single area in each of the colliding Earths from which the other Earth can be seen approaching. The skies inside the incursion point are usually colored red,^[6] but they can also be blue. Blue incursions signified theMapmakers, who drained Earths of their resources, used the incursions to travel to other Earths, destroyed the old Earths to save the new Earths, and repeated the process.^[13] Outside the incursion point, everything looks normal.^[14] An unusual phenomenon called "Simtum Tapputu" can occur, in which an Earth is in an incursion with two realities at the same time.^[15]

Even if a universe's Earth was prematurely destroyed, which stopped the incursion from destroying the universe, the universe would still die early due to the fact that the incursions were shortening the entire Multiverse's lifespan and not just colliding Earths together.^[6] For example,Abyss mentioned that the stars ofEarth-1120006, whose Earth had been destroyed by the Mapmakers, were collapsing and the universe was nearing its last gasp.^[8] During the battle between the final two Earths,Earth-616 andEarth-1610, theMaker and theCabal knew that the conflict was pointless because every single simulation showed that the Multiverse was going to end even if one of the Earths was destroyed. They had reached the death of everything.^[16]

The final incursion ended the Multiverse as theSeventh Cosmos. TheFuture Foundation created aLife Raft that allowedMister Fantastic and various heroes to survive, and the Maker built a similar Life Raft for the Cabal. Doctor Doom, the Molecule Man, andDoctor Strange killed theBeyonders and stole their power. With it, they createdBattleworld out of the remnants of defunct realities, allowing them and many others to also survive. Doom ruled Battleworld for eight years until the two Life Rafts opened, releasing those that were suspended inside. In a confrontation with Doom, the power of the Beyonders was transferred to Reed, who then restored the Multiverse as theEighth Cosmos with help from his son,Franklin, and the Molecule Man.^[17] As the Eighth Cosmos ended up being a continuation, the Beyonders' experiment was deemed a failure and the remaining Beyonders changed their strategy to usingConcordance Engines to contain Enigma to a small number of realities.^[3]

Further Information

Involved Parties

Many multiversal groups and beings were involved in the "Great Game of Worlds."^[12]

The two main factions were theIvory Kings/Beyonders andRabum Alal/Doctor Doom. The objective of the Beyonders was the destruction of theMultiverse, secretly to avertEnigma's threat,^[3][4] and they attempted to set off a multiversal bomb that was theMolecule Man in each reality. Doctor Doom tried to save the Multiverse by eliminating these Molecule Men in hopes to lessen the Beyonders' actions; however, the Molecule Men's deaths triggered the incursions. Upon realizing that killing the Molecule Men was not going to prevent the Multiverse's destruction, Doom gathered the Molecule Men to challenge the Beyonders directly, steal the Beyonders' power, andsave what he could of the Multiverse.^[2]

• Doctor Doom (a.k.a. Rabum Alal, the Great Destroyer)^[14][18] and his servants
  • TheBlack Swans, the Great Ladies^[12]
    • Yabbat Ummon Tarru
  • TheMolecule Man

• TheBeyonders (a.k.a. the Ivory Kings, Sinnu Sarrum, etc.) and their agents^[12][19][18]
  • TheMapmakers
    • TheSidera Maris
    • TheAdaptoids (they become Mapmakers when infected by them)^[20]

TheBlack Priests and theBuilders were two factions with similar goals: stabilize the Multiverse by destroying as manyEarths as possible.^[21][18] The Builders evenwaged a massive war in an attempt to destroy Earth.^[22] They were later annihilated by the Beyonders while investigating the incursions.^[23] Meanwhile, the Black Priests were hunting Rabum Alal (unaware that Rabum Alal was trying tosave the Multiverse) but were destroyed by the Black Swans when they attacked theLibrary of Worlds.^[5]

• TheBlack Priests
  • TheEye of Eyes (Stephen Strange)
• TheBuilders
  • TheAlephs
  • TheCaretakers
  • TheCurators
  • Gardeners
  • Manifold

Like the Builders, other groups tried to track the source of the incursions via the Mapmakers, but it was a trap by the Beyonders, and these groups were all destroyed by the Beyonders.^[23]

• TheCaptain Britain Corps (destroyed)^[24]
• Manycosmic entities^[23]
  • TheCelestials andGalactus^[25]
  • Eternity andInfinity
  • Master Order andLord Chaos
  • TheIn-Betweener
  • TheLiving Tribunal
• TheMultiversal Avengers^[8]

There were also various groups and people looking for solutions to save their own realities:

• Multiple versions of theIlluminati
  • TheIlluminati (Earth-616)^[26]
  • TheIlluminati (Earth-23099)^[27]
  • TheIlluminati (Earth-2319)^[28]
  • TheIlluminati (Earth-14515)^[29]
• TheAlliance
• Galaktus (destroyed hisreality'sEarth to save his universe)^[30]
• TheGreat Society^[31]
• Namor's Cabal^[32]
• Scientists working forLatveria^[33]
  • Kristoff Vernard
  • TheMad Thinker
• S.H.I.E.L.D.^[34]
  • S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Avengers^[34]
• A.I.M. (later bought bySunspot)^[35]
  • Sunspot's Avengers
  • TheChildren of the Sun
• Nation X
• TheMaker^[36]
  • TheCity
  • TheChildren of Tomorrow^[16]
• S.H.I.E.L.D. (Earth-1610)^[37]
• TheGalactic Council^[36]
  • TheShi'ar Empire
  • TheAnnihilation Wave
• TheInhumans
• TheFuture Foundation^[38]
• Kang the Conqueror^[39]
• Immortus^[39]
• Iron Lad^[39]
• Korvac
• Iron Man 3030^[40]

Finally, theManifolds seemed to have some role to play.^[14][29][41]

Survivors

While the final incursion ended the Multiverse, many characters survived via various methods.

• Using the power of theBeyonders:^[9]
  • Doctor Doom (Victor von Doom)
  • TheMolecule Man (Owen Reece)
  • Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
  • Battleworld's residents
• Using aLife Raft (Earth-616):^[16]
  • Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards)
  • Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
  • Phoenix/Cyclops (Scott Summers)
  • Star-Lord (Peter Quill)
  • Thor (Jane Foster)
  • TheBlack Panther (T'Challa)
  • Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
• Using a Life Raft (Earth-1610):^[42]
  • The Maker (Reed Richards)
  • TheBlack Swan (Yabbat Ummon Tarru)
  • Thanos the Mad Titan
  • Proxima Midnight
  • Corvus Glaive
  • Maximus the Mad
  • Terrax the Truly Enlightened (Tyros)
  • Namor the Sub-Mariner
  • Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
• Goingoutside theMultiverse:
  • TheSilver Surfer (Norrin Radd)^[43]
  • Dawn Greenwood^[43]
  • Glorian (Thomas Gideon)^[43]
  • TheIncredulous Zed^[43]
  • TheShaper of Worlds^[43]
  • Loki Laufeyson^[44]
  • Verity Willis^[44] (ghost)
• Additionally, theChallenger appeared to have avoided the effects of the incursions, as he was trapped in theFar Shore.^[45]

Alternate Realities

Marvel Cinematic Universe andrelated realities

• OnEarth-838,Earth-199999, and other Earths depicted in the related continuity, the incursions are caused as a result of prolonged multiversal travel. Dream-walking, a spell found within theDarkhold that allows its user to take control of an alternate self, can trigger an incursion. TheDoctor Strange of Earth-838 caused the first of these incursions, destroying an entire reality. Asinister Strange caused an incursion on his home reality, although it was not totally destroyed. TheDoctor Strange of Earth-199999 caused an incursion as well.^[46]

Notes

• While the incursions are not theBeyonders' original plan,^[1] the Beyonders state that the incursions are still part of their experiment and that they are the cause of the incursions.^[8]
• Doctor Strange called the Beyonders' annihilation plan "perfect."^[47] If nothing is done, theMolecule Men would explode and destroy theMultiverse, but if the Molecule Men are killed early, their deaths would start the incursions, which wouldstill destroy the Multiverse.^[1]

Clarifications

• The Beyonders and Doom each had two plans, which may result in confusion:
  • Beyonders' Plan A: Destroy the Multiverse with the Molecule Men (simultaneously).^[1][2]
  • Doom's Plan A: Eliminate all the Molecule Men to save the Multiverse. Doom founded theBlack Swans to help.^[1][2]
  • Beyonders' Plan B: The incursions^{[8][9][10][11]} (caused by setting off the Molecule Men).^[6][1][2][7] The Beyonders sent theMapmakers to track and lure irritants (e.g.,Multiversal Avengers).^[23][48]
  • Doom's Plan B: At some point, Doom stopped killing Molecule Men and started kidnapping them to use as a weapon against the Beyonders. The Molecule Men destroyed the Beyonders and stole their power, allowing Doom to preserve the Multiverse's remnants asBattleworld.^[2]
    • Secret Wars #5 clarifies that Doom was genuinely trying tosave the Multiverse by killing the Molecule Men. He only conceived his Battleworld plan after he had realized that his original plan was futile.
• History of the Marvel Universe (Vol. 2) #6 claims that Doom and Reece were unaware that killing Molecule Men would trigger the incursions, but Reece knew their actions would cause worlds to collide.^[1] They thought that the Molecule Men exploding was the main threat and didnot anticipate how effective the incursions would be.^[2]
• Because of theBlack Swan,^[29] many characters mistakenly believed that Rabum Alal (Doctor Doom) and the Ivory Kings (Beyonders) wanted the same thing: the destruction of the Multiverse.^[18] However, Doom explained that she was a rogue Swan and that he was actually trying tosave the Multiverse.^[1][2]

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