TITLE: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars vol. 1, Issue #1
YEAR: May 1984
COMPANY: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciller: Michael Zeck
Inker: John Beatty
Letter: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Editor: Tom DeFalco
In my very first post for mycomicbookjourney.com, I wrote about “Contest of Champions” being an epic limited series. It was the first for Marvel Comics but what followed in 1984 was truly epic and it would have long lasting ramification in other comic book series such as “The Avengers”, “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Fantastic Four”, “The Thing”, “The Uncanny X-Men” and more.
It’s the series that launched the black symbiote costume for Spider-Man, which would eventually become Venom. The comic would introduce Julia Carpenter (the second Spider-Woman), the creation of villains Titania and Volcana. It was the series that would create fiction between Colossus and Kitty Pryde, The Thing on a downward spiral and choose to live on Battleworld and leave the Fantastic Four, leading to She-Hulk joining the group and for the most part, it would be a series that really had a major impact.
It was also a series that led to action figures and it was one of the biggest memorable moves made by Editor-in-Chief and writer, Jim Shooter and is considered one of the greatest comic events ever.
The series begins with heroes and villains being transported into space by the Beyonder.
Separated into two structures in space, the heroes consist of the Avengers: Wasp, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye and Iron Man. The Uncanny X-Men featuring Storm, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus and Kitty’s dragon, Lockheeed. Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four members, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing and Human Torch. And to everyone’s surprise, Magneto.
In the other structure, The Enchantress, Ultron, Kang, Molecule Man, Dr. Doom, The Wrecking Crew: Absorbing Man, Thunderball, Piledriver and Bulldozer, Lizard, Dr. Octopus and Galactus.
As the heroes bicker why Magneto is on their structure, Ultron goes on the attack against any humans.
And while Beyonder has told everyone that they will be involved in a Secret War to fight for a prize, Dr. Doom sees it as an opportunity to achieve power and by sticking with Galactus, hopefully he can obtain some of that power.
As Captain America is chosen as the leader of the heroes, Dr. Doom who doesn’t want to be around the villains plans to leave but is shot down by Kang.
What will happen when heroes and villains collide?
Overall, “Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars” was no doubt a limited series that I absolutely loved as a child. And while I had to give up my initial collection which I collected the Secret Wars as a teenager, I read it once again during my college years and now, here I am in 2017, reading the series once again.
It’s a series I grew up reading and I look forward to reading all issues once again!