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Rereading Marvel Comics’ iconic 1985 comic book miniseries Secret Wars could lead to the discovery of a few harsh realities longtime readers won’t enjoy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is entering its fifth phase, and the so-called Multiverse Saga is soon going to transition into an adaptation of the Secret Wars narrative within the movie Avengers: Secret Wars. With anticipation building for such a massive crossover event involving different incarnations of Marvel’s famous characters from across their previous movie and TV appearances, it makes complete sense to return to the comic book narrative that started it all.
Secret Wars, which could be the Avengers’ final MCU movie, was first introduced as a significant crossover arc in 1984 and 1985. Written by Jim shooter, with art from Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, the series saw the Marvel Universe collide within a narrative that would completely reshape the future of the continuity. Despite it being a massive hit in the comic book company’s history and a notable point of the timeline, a few harsh realities continue to date the piece. The project might feel slightly of its era, perhaps not quite measure up to today’s standards or might be a far cry from what’s going to be happening on the big screen.
10 Spider-Man Overshadows The Story
The Venom and Spider-Man rematch has taken place consistently throughout Marvel Comics, but it all began with Secret Wars. After all, it was this major crossover event that led to Peter Parker gaining his now iconic black suit, which in turn was revealed to be a Symbiote. It’s a significant piece of the puzzle and the image of Spider-Man emerging with his new look continues to be an iconic moment from the run.
However, that’s also the way that Secret Wars is mostly remembered. Without that moment, the cultural impact of the story might not be quite as powerful. The harsh reality is, despite so many other beats that should still be iconic, Spider-Man’s own personal story overshadows them all, with the long-term storytelling of that Symbiote suit becoming even more important than Secret Wars itself.
9 Battleworld Is An Uninspired Premise
Battleworld is the presumed location for where the Multiverse Variants could be summoned in the MCU version of Secret Wars. It’s also the area where the heroes of Earth-616 and beyond did battle in the Secret Wars narrative in the comics. The location was designed as an inhospitable arena, which had one purpose; to pit these famous characters against one another and determine who would emerge victorious.
As a premise it’s not very imaginative. There are multiple ways that these characters could have crossed over and have been given a genuinely intriguing and complex conflict to work around. Civil Waris a perfect example of that. While it is a fun premise, the harsh reality is that it’s not actually that original or creative, with Battleworld never getting developed beyond its two-dimensional purpose.
8 The Art Style Is Dated
There have been plenty of failed superhero adaptations but Avengers: Secret Wars will be hoping to modernize that initial run for the screen. One element that certainly feels dated from the original run, that the MCU will take some inspiration from, is the art style. While the imagery of Secret Wars is certainly stunning, the harsh reality is that it’s also very much of its era.
This is an issue not only for Secret Wars but many of Marvel’s older projects. The art styles of the modern era don’t quite compare to how comics used to look. Depending on the variation of Secret Wars as well, sometimes the colors chosen feel slightly washed out, and a few character designs do not feel as familiar when looking at the current interpretations of those figures. But art must always evolve.
7 It’s A Dense Read
The most recent incarnation of Secret Wars left quite the continuity mess thanks to its complexity, but the original Secret Wars is perhaps just as dense a read, thanks to the many different comic book runs it ties in together alongside the multiple characters it had to juggle. There were very few crossover events of this scale before Secret Wars, so many of the rules were being written as it developed.
The density doesn’t just come with how stacked the roster of famous faces is. The harsh reality is that there is just so much text to get through, with all of these characters needing significant moments that speak to their personality types while also trying to move this scaled-up plot forward. It was a tough ask and while it does still hold up, it’s not quite as smooth-sailing as more recent hits.
6 The Beyonder Has Been Used Poorly Since
The Secret Wars’ Beyonder is a long-time Marvel villain who made his biggest impact in the crossover narrative itself. It was The Beyonder, who is part of the Beyonder species, who brought these heroes together to do battle, and it’s likely that the character will return for the big screen incarnation as well. But for such a massive threat, he has barely been capitalized on since.
Despite the role he plays in Secret Wars, the harsh reality is that over time the star-power of The Beyonder has very much diminished. While villains like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Thanos, and Loki are now more mainstream than ever, even though he has such a huge part to play in the Multiverse, The Beyonder isn’t seen as a threat on the same scale, or isn’t that well-known by many. Perhaps he wasn’t established enough.
5 The Deaths Aren’t Impactful
Comic books fan know that even in the ultimate battles for the Multiverse deaths are just never that impactful. The truth is, whenever anyone dies on the page, they are likely to come back at some stage in the future. That’s certainly the case with Secret Wars. Most of the losses that take place throughout the narrative are reversed at some stage, which nullifies the impact of the deaths on a reread.
But the concept of coming back from the afterlife extends beyond that. The harsh reality is that within the context of the arc itself, there are multiple heartbreaking deaths that are immediately reversed, on a massive scale. It somewhat diminishes the emotional response to those losses further, when the status quo is reverted to by the time the final page is turned.
4 Less Important With Long-Term Knowledge
While the Marvel Comics war event felt impactful at the time, the ramifications would not have been known without long-term knowledge of how the Marvel Universe would develop afterwards. The harsh reality of a reread is the knowledge how things escalated from there and how the narrative conflicts of that first crossover event in the Secret Wars line would eventually play out.
Some threads would be left completely hanging, or insignificant long-term. Others, like She-Hulk teaming up with The Fantastic Four would only be temporary, while very few would reshape Marvel itself, as was the case with the introduction of Venom and the Symbiotes in Spider-Man’s world. It’s still a fun read, but it might not land the same way with further context.
3 Designed To Sell Toys
Marvel has openly admitted that the original Secret Wars was a stunt to sell toys. The harsh reality is, as is the case with many comic book narratives especially from the time period, the very concept of sending these famous characters into battle against one another was as a marketing ploy to get young readers to purchase the tie-in action figures so they could reenact the moments from the comics themselves. That’s obvious on a reread.
Comics were perfect for selling toys as they were such a visual medium. Multiple heroes even got costume changes or upgrades, so that further designs could be established and sold, ensuring a continuous market of buyers that wanted the latest variation of their favorite vigilantes. It’s a cynical reason to tell a story, but it’s a tradition that continues to this day.
2 The 2015 Iteration Doesn’t Measure Up
Decades after the original, there was a version of Secret Wars in 2015, and it’s probable that this iteration will be adapted to the MCU, beating the scale of the previous portal scenes. That version of Secret Wars was more grounded in the Multiverse and the alternative Variants of Earth’s mightiest heroes, with the story also shifting up Marvel’s continuity.
The harsh reality is, when reading these stories side-by-side, the latest incarnation doesn’t quite measure up to the original. Despite criticisms, the first Secret Wars is still a classic with a number of notable contributions to the Marvel Universe. The 2015 variation is too recent to fully judge with the same objective stance as the first installment, but they do not parallel as much as they might have.
1 The MCU Adaptation Isn’t The Same
With fake casting announcements and all sorts of rumors swirling, interest in how Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is at a fever pitch. Avengers: Secret Wars is of course inspired by the narrative in the comics as previously discussed, but upon a reread, the harsh reality is that the arc of the original just doesn’t match up to what the MCU is doing.
Indeed, it appears that it’s the Secret Warsof 2015 fame, which involves the Multiverse far more, that will ultimately provide the inspiration for the big screen adaptation. That’s a genuine shame for fans of the first crossover events and for how it can be honored in the history of the Marvel Universe, but there are sure to be some connective elements for those paying attention.
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