Thirty years ago, Marvel’s Secret Wars was the first line-wide company crossover from Marvel, pre-dating DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths by almost a year. It was a massive success, and spawned toys, merchandise and several sequels. Announced at New York City Comic-Con Thursday evening, at an offsite event at, Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. in Times Square, Marvel has made it official: They are relaunching Secret Wars by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic as a year-long event starting in May 2015, The story will commence at the conclusion of the currently running Avengers and “New Avengers” storyline, “Time Runs Out.”
Marvel’s President & Publisher of print, TV and digital Dan Buckley said it’s a story Jonathan Hickman has been planning since the the time he began his run on both Avengers and New Avengers back in 2012, and also mentioned that he wanted to revisit the classic crossover but tell the story in a different way. Much like the original Secret Wars back in ’84-85, Marvel plans to branch this story out into multiple entertainment platforms.
So what will the story entail? Will the Beyonder return in his awesome white leisure suit? Marvel released some teaser art from Alex Ross that shows the current crop of Marvel heroes, including Falcon-Cap, female Thor and Miles Morales Spider-Man fighting what looks like their classic incarnations. Two interesting things to note: I don’t seem to see any members of the Fantastic Four or the X-Men in that pic; make of that what you will. The other thing is it is heavily rumored that DC is planning an all-new Crisis on Infinite Earths for next year, which would make 2015 like living in 1985 all over again. Cue the Huey Lewis and the News Back to the Future song.
Check out the very first teaser image below; are you excited about an all-new Secret Wars event? Let us know in the comments below.
Image: Marvel
1. Pretty sure the merchandising agreement came first and the name “Secret Wars” emerged from a marketing survey of kids that found they liked stuff with those two words, so they stuck them together.
2. Not sure it counts as a crossover since the whole story was self-contained in 12 issues squeeze between regular issues of the comics its effected. (I wish they’d go back to doing stuff that way)
3. However, if it does count as a crossover wouldn’t Contest of Champions from 1982 count as the first? It was certainly the first “limited series” advertised as such.
4. Hickman’s Marvel work is overrated
Well, the Royals and the Cardinals are both making a World Series run, so it might as well be 1985 again.
Oh my Galactus… when did the Shadowline universe merge with the 616?! I know the New Universe characters were integrated in recent years, but Shadowline?! Doctor Zero! St. George! Powerline! I thought Terror Inc. would be the only ever Shadowline character to come to Marvel proper!
I didn’t even notice St. George until I read your comment! That is so damn exciting. St. George was so good. I have the whole series. Loved those covers.
Wonder if Miles Morales will manage to find a “new suit” of his own?
STOKED! Secret Wars was the first big comic event I ever read when I was a kid. I loved it and it was my first time getting into Marvel. I’m very excited to see where it goes… especially since we’re seeing so many different versions of heroes in this art.
We have multiple caps, multiple iron-men and thors… very cool!