Secret Wars

AUTHOR: Shooter, Jim

ARTIST: Bob Layton (penciller); Mike Zeck (penciller and cover artist); John Beatty (inker); Christie Scheele (colorist); Joe Rosen (letterer)

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

FIRST SERIAL PUBLICATION: 1984-1985

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 1992

Publication History

In the early 1980’s, Marvel’s editor in chief Jim Shooter and toy manufacturer Mattel developed a concept that would use comic books to sell toys based on characters from the Marvel Universe. Shooter was given creative control, understanding that “secret” and “war” must be included in the title. He was also tasked with developing a narrative that would (re)introduce the characters of the Marvel Universe to new, younger readers while simultaneously creating a scenario that would allow for massive interaction between the company’s most recognizable heroes and villains. The result was Secret Wars, also known as Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, a limited series that would alter the comic industry for decades to come.

Plot

Selected heroes from the Marvel Universe disappear from Earth and find themselves on a distant planet, Battleworld. The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Hulk, and Spider-Man largely compose the “hero” squad, while a “villain” team features Doctor Doom, Galactus, Doctor Octopus, the Molecule Man, and many others. A fissure opens from the vastness of space, proclaiming “I am from beyond! Slay your enemies and all you desire shall be yours. Nothing you dream of is impossible for me to accomplish!” The seemingly omnipotent source of this voice is the unseen Beyonder. Captain America is selected to be the leader of the heroes, while Doom attempts to persuade the villains to seize the Beyonder’s power.

The heroes and villains establish their respective headquarters. The colossal Galactus ascends a mountain and holds a silent vigil upon the peak. As a storm rages on Battleworld, Professor X and the X-Men secede from the heroic alliance. The Molecule Man begins to assert his awesome abilities by obliterating the heroes’ base and then dropping an entire mountain range upon them. They are able to free themselves, but the heroes notice that Galactus is “re-creating” his home world directly above Battleworld. The villains arrive to attack the heroes once again, while Doom penetrates Galactus’s floating world. The heroes determine that Galactus is intent on consuming Battleworld.

Doom, still aboard Galactus’s home world, reconstitutes a portion of energy from the alien machines and accidentally regenerates Klaw. Meanwhile, the villains murder Wasp, the leader of the Avengers. Learning of Wasp’s death, the heroes declare a mission of vengeance against the villains. The heroes invade the villains’ fortress and defeat them, and Wasp is resurrected. The heroes utilize a machine to help “repair” their battle-worn equipment and costumes.

Spider-Man uses a different machine, and he is granted a black suit that he can control mentally. With the villains detained, the heroes focus upon stopping Galactus from devouring the planet. Galactus retreats and begins to consume his own home world, gaining energy. Simultaneously, Doom imports this energy to himself, gaining unworldly powers. Doom offers to share his power with the heroes. They reject the offer, and Doom is mysteriously dissembled and reborn. Doom proclaims that the Beyonder is dead and that he is now the supreme power in the universe. Captain America and Doom battle, but Doom is overwhelmed by his own power. The heroes are transported back to Earth.

Characters

•The Beyonder is an apparently omnipotent force from deep space that has transported Earth’s greatest heroes and villains to Battleworld.

•Mr. Fantastic, a.k.a. Reed Richards, is the leader of the Fantastic Four. As the intellectual force of the heroes, he advises the team regarding alien technology they encounter.

•Professor Charles Xavier, a.k.a. Professor X, the leader of the X-Men, possesses immense psionic powers. On Battleworld, he is not longer confined to a wheelchair. He sympathizes with Magneto and leads the mutants.

•Spider-Man, a.k.a. Peter Parker, possesses the abilities of an arachnid. During his time on Battleworld, he obtains a new, black costume. This costume is later revealed to be a symbiotic creature that would become the villain Venom.

•Captain America, a.k.a. Steve Rogers, is the red-white-and-blue-clad hero who is appointed leader of the hero team. Though he is a valiant leader, his suspicion of mutants leads the X-Men to splinter from the heroic team.

•Dr. Doom, a.k.a. Victor von Doom, views the experience on Battleworld as an opportunity to obtain immortality and godlike abilities.

•Wasp, a.k.a. Janet Pym, possesses the powers of a wasp and can alternate between the size of an insect and the size of a human. She is murdered and then revived during her time of Battleworld.

•Hulk on Battleworld is the amalgam of the Hulk body and the mind of the human Bruce Banner. While on Battleworld, the powerful Hulk seems to be losing his intelligence and devolving to his previous, uncontrollably violent self.

•Galactus is a devourer of planets with powers beyond human comprehension. He interacts with mortals in a humanoid form of great height and later attempts to devour Battleworld.

•Magneto, a.k.a. Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, possesses the power to control elements through his master of magnetism. An ally to the mutants, yet a villain to the Avengers, he often finds himself aligned with the X-Men.

•Molecule Man, a.k.a. Owen Reece, has the ability to manipulate all forms on the molecular level. A diminutive villain with a scarred face, Molecule Man was undergoing psychotherapy before his arrival on Battleworld.

•The Thing, a.k.a. Ben Grimm, serves as a member of the Fantastic Four. A rocklike body gives him great power. During his time on Battleworld he begins to revert back to his “human” form.

•Klaw is the master manipulator of sound. He exists as a physical manifestation of sound waves. Serving as Doom’s assistant, he is instrumental in the Beyonder reclaiming his power.

Artistic Style

The primary penciller of Secret Wars is Mike Zeck, most popularly recognized as the illustrator of the Punisher limited series (1986) and the Amazing Spider-Man “Kraven’s Last Hunt” saga (1987). Zeck’s deliberate, crisp pencil work brings clarity to the characters and proceedings of Secret Wars. As illustrator of almost every issue, the depictions of the characters and actions are consistent and uniform throughout the series. Zeck’s work remains within the traditional and conventional framework expected of comic book artists during the 1980’s, and as a result, the heroes and villains of Secret Wars are depicted in a traditional visual mode akin to John Byrne. Utilizing the classical visual vocabulary of comic books, Zeck’s imagery is accessible to readers new to comics and agreeable to others steeped in the history of comics art.

The visual atmosphere of Secret Wars is not one of menace or anxiety. All of the events occur under the brightness of Battleworld’s sun, and interiors are lit with a constant glare from metallic alien technology. As this comic rarely deals with human ambiguity and self-doubt and is driven primarily by action emerging from the plot, it is fitting that the imagistic atmosphere is tonally unambiguous. Overall, there is little shading or shadows used, yet depths are created within the panels as the characters are pushed to the forefront because backgrounds often depict the desolation of Battleworld.

The coloring of the series emphasizes the brightly hued costumes of the heroes, which “pop” at the reader. The restrained, disciplined, and minimal inking allows for the colors to further lend energy to the action. In fact, there are few instances when heavy blacks invade a panel. Zeck’s depictions of characters remain in standardized anatomical propositions, but he does reinvent Spider-Man’s appearance with the famed black costume and converts Dr. Doom from a traditional man in armor to a cybernetic being fused with electronic circuits. Zeck’s Galactus does indeed emphasize awe-inspiring size, proportion, and power through perspective, truly giving the planet devourer a sense of immense power.

Zeck’s panels featuring large-scale battles emphasize kinetic energy, with movement lines tracing the trajectory of various weapons and bodies. These extremely well-composed panels also allow the viewer to focus on various, smaller conglomerations of characters in combat, resulting in heavily populated panels that actually bring a sense of order to war. Zeck also uses varying perspectives and repeating shapes to keep the reader engaged in the moments between the massive conflicts. His splash pages exist as examples of compositional mastery; such splash pages as the arrival of the heroes, the unveiling of Spider-Man’s new suit, and the final battle reveal Zeck’s talent for layout. Beyond these spectacles, Zeck’s intimate moments of character introspection, such as Colossus’s longings for Kitty Pryde and the Thing’s final pose alluding to Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, reveal that Zeck can expertly depict both internal and external intensity.

In addition to penciling duties, Zeck was responsible for the startling covers of the series. Secret Wars, issue 1, features one of the most iconic images from Marvel Comics. All the heroes involved in Secret Wars jump from the cover in attack mode toward the reader. The characters are posed in stances directly connected to their personas: Wolverine with claws extended, Cyclops blasting from his visor, and the Thing about to initiate “clobberin’ time.” This image has been parodied (such as in Marvel Zombies) and re-created (most famously by Alex Ross) throughout the years. Other covers, such as that for issue 7, displaying an extreme close-up of an uncharacteristically anxious and frightened Captain America, and issue 10, focusing on the torn and bloodied flesh protruding from the ravaged armor of Dr. Doom, have also become exemplars of comic book cover art. Zeck’s work on Secret Wars demonstrates a dynamism and control that stands as a classic example of 1980’s comic art.

Themes

As a relatively traditional comic designed for mass appeal, Secret Wars explores themes that recur throughout the Silver and Modern Ages of comic books. The series examines the dynamics and responsibilities of heroes, while also ruminating on teamwork and collaboration. Like other comics, Secret Wars explores the existential predicament of both heroes and villains. All are transported to a new world and must exert themselves in battle with one another. This battle-royal tournament requires all characters to realize their greatest potential under the eyes of an unknown entity.

Beyond expected concerns of the genre, Secret Wars utilizes a centuries-old concept (that of a mortal reaching for godlike powers) as a central plot point. Doom recognizes the Beyonder as a wielder of unimaginable power and immediately seeks to usurp that power. He wishes not only to destroy the godlike Beyonder but also seeks to take his place as an omnipotent force in the universe. He serves as the tragic hero of Secret Wars, whose hubris leads his own destruction.

The series also concerns identity and malleability of one’s identity. Molecule Man arrives on Battleworld as a villain undergoing therapy in an attempt to reform himself. Because of this process, he slowly distances himself from his former transgressive actions. However, he is tempted by the other villains and begins to reconnect with his powers, enacting them in horrendous ways previously unimaginable. Thus, the reforming villain accepts his “lot” and seeks to fulfill his potential, reconciling with his “true” self.

Identity is also seen in the often morally ambiguous character Magneto. He is recognized by the mutants as an ally, yet the heroes remain suspicious of him. Unable to align himself with heroes, villains, or mutants, Magneto chooses to carve his own, distinct path on Battleworld. Like many comics featuring mutants, Secret Wars also confronts issues of discrimination and intolerance. The Avengers are suspicious of the X-Men because they are mutants and work to marginalize them. As a result, the X-Men splinter from the group. In fact, it is the idealized heroes who demonstrate the most intolerance in Secret Wars.

Impact

Secret Wars forever altered the comic book industry. It stands as one of the first major successful collaborations between a toy manufacturer and a comic book publisher. Though the toys tied to Secret Wars were not particularly successful, the experiment did establish the precedent for partnerships between comic publishers and the toy industry. In the following decade this became a major source of revenue for both industries.

Secret Wars also helped to further popularize the limited-series format. In addition, it was the first major “crossover” in comic books. Secret Wars introduced the companywide “event” that involved multiple characters from various titles tied into one, unifying narrative. The impact of Secret Wars continues, as every year Marvel and DC unveil “crossover” series such as House of M (2005) and Secret Invasion (2008-2009). Secret Wars also demonstrated the viability of the “event” comic book that could catch the attention of the broader public. These story arcs, such as the death of Superman and the assassination of Captain America, garner headlines far beyond the confines of comic book stores and fandom. Finally, Secret Wars inevitably gave birth to Secret Wars II (1985), in which the Beyonder journeys to Earth.

Further Reading

Bendis, Brian Michael, and Olivier Coipel. House of M (2005).

Millar, Mark, and Steve McNiven. Civil War (2006).

Shooter, Jim, and Al Milgrom. Secret Wars II (1985).

Bibliography

Clark, Eric. The Real Toy Story: Inside the Ruthless Battle for America’s Youngest Consumers. New York: Free Press, 2007.

Dutter, Barry. “Epilogue: Where Are They Now?” In Secret Wars Omnibus. New York: Marvel, 2008.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. “Prologue: The War to End All Wars.” In Secret Wars Omnibus. New York: Marvel, 2008.

Lere, Mark. “Are You Ready for Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars?” In Secret Wars Omnibus. New York: Marvel, 2008.