Marvel is returning to Battleworld for the 40th anniversary of the classic Secret Wars series. Created by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton and first published by Marvel in 1984, the original Secret Wars pit Marvel’s heroes and villains against the seemingly omnipotent Beyonder, setting the bar for decades of Marvel event series that followed. Marvel will celebrate that legacy with the four-issue Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld, beginning in November. As announced at San Diego Comic-Con, former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco, who worked as the editor overseeing the first Secret Wars, returns to Marvel to write the series, joined by artist Pat Oliffe.
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Secret Wars: Battleworld will reveal secrets from the first Secret Wars event, including “revelations beyond the Beyonder’s true motives, shocking appearances by characters that you didn’t even know fought in the Secret Wars, and more.” With Marvel heroes Spider-Man and the Human Torch cast in the lead roles, Secret Wars: Battleworld is designed to fit within Marvel continuity and between the pages of the original Marvel Comics event. Here’s the synopsis from Marvel:
“The mysteries of the Secret Wars deepen! Get ready for an all-new cataclysmic battle from when Spider-Man first got his alien costume and a mysterious being called the Beyonder assembled super heroes and villains from Earth to do battle on a patchwork planet. Witness now an untold adventure set during the original Secret Wars!
“Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars set the standard for Marvel Comics events (as well as action figures and the characters existing at the forefront of pop culture), and this new story will at last reveal some secret connections and missing characters going back to the original series! What secret test are the Beyonders conducting…and how will Spider-Man, the Human Torch and the whole cast determine the fate of the universe? (PLUS: Surprise super villain appearances inside!)”
In a press release, DeFalco says, “Pat Olliffe and I were handed a daunting creative challenge. We were asked to do a sequel/new tale of a classic Marvel story that first saw print 40 years ago and created ripples that are still felt throughout the universe today. Since we share a kinship with a certain web-swinger (and his family), we were also compelled to do a story that ripped to his core and defined his unique place in the Marvel Universe while examining the budding relationship with his new black costume. With the aid of editors Mark Basso and Drew Baumgartner, Pat and I constructed a tale that we believe has repercussions for today’s readers and creative ripples that we hope will still be felt 40 years from now.”
Editor Mark Basso adds, “The original Secret Wars was so multi-dimensional, it’s been thrilling to add new dimensions to the saga! While the new story fully stands alone, I can tease that the connection to the original Secret Wars goes even further than just the comics pages…Old-school fans will know what I’m talking about…!”
Secret Wars: Battleworld #1 goes on sale on November 22nd. See covers to the issue, including an homage variant by Ryan Stegman, the first in a series of connecting covers by Todd Nauck, and a cover by Olliffe above.
MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 (OF 4)
- Written by TOM DEFALCO
- Art by PAT OLLIFFE
- Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
- Variant Cover by PAT OLLIFFE
- Variant Cover by FRANCESCO MOBILI
- Homage Variant Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
- Virgin Homage Variant Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
- Connecting Variant Cover by TODD NAUCK
- On Sale 11/22
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
