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Secret Wars (1984) (Single Issues) #1
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984-1985) #1
THE WAR BEGINS Earth's heroes have been whisked away to a mysterious construct in space, but they are not alone. Earth's villains have also appeared. Who is to blame for this meeting of good and evil?
23 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 1984
17 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Jim Shooter
1,029 books85 followersJames Charles Shooter was an American writer, editor and publisher in the comics industry. Beginning his career writing for DC Comics at the age of 14, he had a successful but controversial run as editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, and launched comics publishers Valiant, Defiant, and Broadway.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 30, 2023
Regardless of the fact that Marvel’s first and biggest event was birthed from the shameless promotion for their new action figure line, Secret Wars by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck is the quintessential cross-over that ushered Marvel out of the bronze age and into the modern age. All the big heroes would participate in this year-long event, set on an inter-dimensional planet simply named Battle World. Lured into a gigantic ship that materializes in the middle of Central Park, then transported to the dark corners of space. Amidst the confusion, the parameters are put forth by the godlike being, the Beyonder. The ultimate contest the battle between good and evil. The ultimate prize: a wish.
For how every hero and villain have a contrasting end game that define the philosophies for which they live by; both are equally driven by an ego that is exacerbated by the intensity of their unique abilities—the ability to produce a great amount violence within a short amount of time. Neither side trusts each other, clouded by disparate agendas that form alliances amongst their own ranks. Every point of conflict ends with some sort of fight.
From the start we see how quickly any semblance of order dissolves when high stakes are further arraigned by a lack of preparedness. Ultron goes rogue. The universe’s most powerful being, Galctus, destroys him. Who then comes comes to face his own fate as he chases down the Beyonder with a violent desire to quench himself of his eternal lust to consume worlds. But as the Beyonder puts on a display, for it is he the universes’ most powerful being not Galactus or Doom, Doom thirsts for his godlike power.
For the good guys, no hero trusts Magneto, further enraging the master of magnetism. The X-Men are weary of the Avengers as Avengers are weary of them. Reed Richards is distracted by the absence of his wife; Hulk can’t deal with his intellect, the Thing can’t deal with himself; while in this status quo, Iron Man isn’t even Tony Stark, but rather James Rhodes. A mess of a situation made worse by more than just the seemingly random circumstance, but by the bloody history they share with one another. The winner will be who is more willing to let down their ego and do what is the best for the team. And as the villains can seldom ever work together—bogged-down by an extraordinary amount of machismo— the typical comic book villain will end up the same position he was before this event; beaten down, defeated, and still filled with anguish and hate.
Marvel’s Secret Wars is a story defined by the moments in between the delightful, appropriately mapped-out action. For where else can you see X-men fight an eavesdropping Spider-man. Where Wasp crosses a love-struck Magneto. Where the Lizard falls in love with Janet. Where Jonny Storm and Colossus fall in love with the same alien lady. Where the city of Denver is transported to Battle World, and where Hulk redeems himself by holding up a gigantic rock through the shear-force of hatred he has for his own teammates. Only in Battle World. And what stands out the most is that not only each side has to deal with the ridiculous challenge in front of them, but also have to surmount the challenge that surrounds them: The ever-ominous presence of the world-eater who constantly stares off into the distance.
What move will Galactus make next?
Secret Wars first main antagonist is not the cacophony of villains, Magneto, Doom, or even the Beyonder, but the planet-eating machine. So much of the action involves making the battle world unappetizing. Not much really progresses on that front—most of the fights end in a stalemate—until Janet dies (who is eventually revived by Zsaji) and, subsequently, when She-Hulk goes after her killers. X-Men and the Avengers lay tensions aside and finally work together. The X-Men stay back to watch Galactus. Steve Rodgers and the rest of the gang attacks Doom’s base, rescue She-Hulk, and defeat the Wrecking Crew.
With Doom and crew finally imprisoned, Reed can finally focus on Galactus who is in the midst of consuming the planet. But after forcing Galactus off of Battle World, Galactus, faced with extreme hunger, attempts to consume his own ship. However, unbeknownst to everyone, Doom breaks out of his cell, dissects Klaw, and uses the sonic emitters to form a sound machine that uses the energy lenses to transfer Galactus’ cosmic power onto himself. Granted with the power of a god, Doom takes on the Beyonder.
“The supreme being in the universe is Doom.”
A gift of omnipotence uncontrollable for one man. His obsession, his unwillingness to sleep; terrorized by the thought of his mother’s spirit caught in the grip of Mephisto. In surprising turn, even for Doom, with newly discovered empathy he offers to take the heroes home. They refuse his offer. As the heroes plan for their next move, Emperor Doom kills them with one giant strike. But in the greatest scene in all the event, Klaw, playing the role of the jester, foretells of the little alien woman whom sacrifices her life to bring back her lover, Colossus. Her sacrifice will cause a chain reaction that involves Colossus healing Reed Richards. Then Reed Richards will find a way to resurrect the men who have fallen besides him. Klaw, just by putting these thoughts into Doom’s head, forces these essentially made-up events to come to fruition. Boom! Thor’s Hammer enters the splash page. Doom and Klaw, and what power of omnipotence split between the two, are the only ones left to defend the throne, for the Molecular Man had lifted the rest of the villains on Denver back to earth. The heroes engage in the battle of all battles, ending the reign of a god who was simply unmasked to be a prototypical madman who, deep down inside, didn’t have the confidence to handle all the power he stole. Facing off against an infinite amount of resurrections, Beyonder gets the last laugh as it turns out it was he who was controlling Klaw the whole time. He defeats Doom and takes back the power that Doom stole from him, leaving the universe in perfect order.
Shooter’s and Zeck’s Secret Wars is the first and best crossover in 616 history. It’s fun, but takes its ideas seriously. Shooter does a great job writing almost 30 different voices. Spidey ‘imagining’ the black suit is one of the both enjoyable and impactful moments you will see in Marvel’s event history. The battle world, itself, is simple but imaginative; as it allows the characters to flourish in action amongst a wonderful design of a world that looks much like the set of Star Trek: TOS. It's amazing how well this event has aged, even if the reason for its publication was simply to sell toys.
For how every hero and villain have a contrasting end game that define the philosophies for which they live by; both are equally driven by an ego that is exacerbated by the intensity of their unique abilities—the ability to produce a great amount violence within a short amount of time. Neither side trusts each other, clouded by disparate agendas that form alliances amongst their own ranks. Every point of conflict ends with some sort of fight.
From the start we see how quickly any semblance of order dissolves when high stakes are further arraigned by a lack of preparedness. Ultron goes rogue. The universe’s most powerful being, Galctus, destroys him. Who then comes comes to face his own fate as he chases down the Beyonder with a violent desire to quench himself of his eternal lust to consume worlds. But as the Beyonder puts on a display, for it is he the universes’ most powerful being not Galactus or Doom, Doom thirsts for his godlike power.
For the good guys, no hero trusts Magneto, further enraging the master of magnetism. The X-Men are weary of the Avengers as Avengers are weary of them. Reed Richards is distracted by the absence of his wife; Hulk can’t deal with his intellect, the Thing can’t deal with himself; while in this status quo, Iron Man isn’t even Tony Stark, but rather James Rhodes. A mess of a situation made worse by more than just the seemingly random circumstance, but by the bloody history they share with one another. The winner will be who is more willing to let down their ego and do what is the best for the team. And as the villains can seldom ever work together—bogged-down by an extraordinary amount of machismo— the typical comic book villain will end up the same position he was before this event; beaten down, defeated, and still filled with anguish and hate.
Marvel’s Secret Wars is a story defined by the moments in between the delightful, appropriately mapped-out action. For where else can you see X-men fight an eavesdropping Spider-man. Where Wasp crosses a love-struck Magneto. Where the Lizard falls in love with Janet. Where Jonny Storm and Colossus fall in love with the same alien lady. Where the city of Denver is transported to Battle World, and where Hulk redeems himself by holding up a gigantic rock through the shear-force of hatred he has for his own teammates. Only in Battle World. And what stands out the most is that not only each side has to deal with the ridiculous challenge in front of them, but also have to surmount the challenge that surrounds them: The ever-ominous presence of the world-eater who constantly stares off into the distance.
What move will Galactus make next?
Secret Wars first main antagonist is not the cacophony of villains, Magneto, Doom, or even the Beyonder, but the planet-eating machine. So much of the action involves making the battle world unappetizing. Not much really progresses on that front—most of the fights end in a stalemate—until Janet dies (who is eventually revived by Zsaji) and, subsequently, when She-Hulk goes after her killers. X-Men and the Avengers lay tensions aside and finally work together. The X-Men stay back to watch Galactus. Steve Rodgers and the rest of the gang attacks Doom’s base, rescue She-Hulk, and defeat the Wrecking Crew.
With Doom and crew finally imprisoned, Reed can finally focus on Galactus who is in the midst of consuming the planet. But after forcing Galactus off of Battle World, Galactus, faced with extreme hunger, attempts to consume his own ship. However, unbeknownst to everyone, Doom breaks out of his cell, dissects Klaw, and uses the sonic emitters to form a sound machine that uses the energy lenses to transfer Galactus’ cosmic power onto himself. Granted with the power of a god, Doom takes on the Beyonder.
“The supreme being in the universe is Doom.”
A gift of omnipotence uncontrollable for one man. His obsession, his unwillingness to sleep; terrorized by the thought of his mother’s spirit caught in the grip of Mephisto. In surprising turn, even for Doom, with newly discovered empathy he offers to take the heroes home. They refuse his offer. As the heroes plan for their next move, Emperor Doom kills them with one giant strike. But in the greatest scene in all the event, Klaw, playing the role of the jester, foretells of the little alien woman whom sacrifices her life to bring back her lover, Colossus. Her sacrifice will cause a chain reaction that involves Colossus healing Reed Richards. Then Reed Richards will find a way to resurrect the men who have fallen besides him. Klaw, just by putting these thoughts into Doom’s head, forces these essentially made-up events to come to fruition. Boom! Thor’s Hammer enters the splash page. Doom and Klaw, and what power of omnipotence split between the two, are the only ones left to defend the throne, for the Molecular Man had lifted the rest of the villains on Denver back to earth. The heroes engage in the battle of all battles, ending the reign of a god who was simply unmasked to be a prototypical madman who, deep down inside, didn’t have the confidence to handle all the power he stole. Facing off against an infinite amount of resurrections, Beyonder gets the last laugh as it turns out it was he who was controlling Klaw the whole time. He defeats Doom and takes back the power that Doom stole from him, leaving the universe in perfect order.
Shooter’s and Zeck’s Secret Wars is the first and best crossover in 616 history. It’s fun, but takes its ideas seriously. Shooter does a great job writing almost 30 different voices. Spidey ‘imagining’ the black suit is one of the both enjoyable and impactful moments you will see in Marvel’s event history. The battle world, itself, is simple but imaginative; as it allows the characters to flourish in action amongst a wonderful design of a world that looks much like the set of Star Trek: TOS. It's amazing how well this event has aged, even if the reason for its publication was simply to sell toys.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2025
Coming in from the main X-Men series, this is a great first issue to the event. I can only imagine what a thrill this crossover must have been at the time.
Some of the characters feel a bit 2D, with quick one-liners to express one facet of who they are, but the overall voice of the groups comes through very clearly. The priorities and mindset of the teams comes into conflict, with the X-Men seeking to ally with Magneto, while the Avengers are quick to attempt to take him out, even as the X-Men are asking them not to. To the Avengers, Magneto is just another killer, to the X-Men, he’s a misguided mutant. And when they stick up for him, Hawkeye is quick to play the race card - mutants defending mutants. It was an excellent sequence that really gives us the contrast between what the X-Men stand for compared to other heroes. I’m sure Claremont approved.
The ‘there is always someone stronger’/‘always a bigger fish’ trope plays out on the villains side as Doom tells Molecule Man how none of them can stand up to Ultron, then Ultron is vaporised by Galactus. And then Galactus is swatted away by Beyonder. The inception of the universe/multiverse/omniverse, layers of magnitude, and the frustration of knowing we are so very small and powerless in the grander machinations of reality. Doom basically freaks out, but in the end defaults to wanting the power for himself after briefly cowing to the prospect of insignificance.
Some of the characters feel a bit 2D, with quick one-liners to express one facet of who they are, but the overall voice of the groups comes through very clearly. The priorities and mindset of the teams comes into conflict, with the X-Men seeking to ally with Magneto, while the Avengers are quick to attempt to take him out, even as the X-Men are asking them not to. To the Avengers, Magneto is just another killer, to the X-Men, he’s a misguided mutant. And when they stick up for him, Hawkeye is quick to play the race card - mutants defending mutants. It was an excellent sequence that really gives us the contrast between what the X-Men stand for compared to other heroes. I’m sure Claremont approved.
The ‘there is always someone stronger’/‘always a bigger fish’ trope plays out on the villains side as Doom tells Molecule Man how none of them can stand up to Ultron, then Ultron is vaporised by Galactus. And then Galactus is swatted away by Beyonder. The inception of the universe/multiverse/omniverse, layers of magnitude, and the frustration of knowing we are so very small and powerless in the grander machinations of reality. Doom basically freaks out, but in the end defaults to wanting the power for himself after briefly cowing to the prospect of insignificance.
March 2, 2024
Though not the first ever comic crossover event, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars definitely seems the normalization of the concept to the mainstream comics crowd. Spearheaded by Marvel's Editor-in-Chief, Jim Shooter, with artwork from Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, "Secret Wars" takes many of the popular superheroes like Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Avengers and pits them against their major supervillains like Doom, Enchantress, Absorbing Man, Kang, Ultron and the Wrecking Crew. The two factions find themselves on a construct in space where the mysterious Beyonder tells them that they are to fight for victory with the reward being "whatever they want". Surprisingly, Magneto is placed in the heroes faction which puzzles the heroes but Magneto asserts that his villainous goals are not self-serving, but rather a result of his own determination to keep mutantkind safe. While the villains bicker amongst themselves, Captain America is the hero around which the other heroes rally around. The fighting kicks off soon after.
The story is easy to follow for having so many characters all at once, but it also pretty much reads like action figures being mashed together. It's a simplistic premise that isn't enriched by the actual narrative, so really one's enjoyment of this comes from seeing their favorite characters all in one book.
The story is easy to follow for having so many characters all at once, but it also pretty much reads like action figures being mashed together. It's a simplistic premise that isn't enriched by the actual narrative, so really one's enjoyment of this comes from seeing their favorite characters all in one book.
October 18, 2021
Ini barangkali salah satu crossover besar pertama yang terjadi di jagat Marvel. Secret Wars I ini menggabungkan Avengers, X-Men, dan Fantastic Four, berikut musuh-musuh mereka. Satu hal yang jelas adalah banyaknya tokoh dalam kisah ini. Ibarat anak kecil yang sedang melakukan perang-perangan, maka hal pertama yang dilakukan adalah membagi kubu. Di Secret War ini, kubu pertama adalah kubu para pahlawan dan di kubu kedua adalah kubu para penjahat. Masalahnya, kenapa Magneto ada di kubu pahlawan?
Si "anak" yang sedang menyiapkan adegan perang-perangan di cerita ini adalah Beyonder dan dari semua tokoh yang ada di sini, hanya Galactus yang mengenal dia. Sayangnya, Galactus sudah dibikin K.O. oleh Beyonder di nomor pertama ini. Berhadapan dengan kekuatan yang tidak mereka ketahui, apa yang akan dilakukan oleh semua tokoh yang ada di situ? Sisi ini yang menarik dari Secret Wars.
Si "anak" yang sedang menyiapkan adegan perang-perangan di cerita ini adalah Beyonder dan dari semua tokoh yang ada di sini, hanya Galactus yang mengenal dia. Sayangnya, Galactus sudah dibikin K.O. oleh Beyonder di nomor pertama ini. Berhadapan dengan kekuatan yang tidak mereka ketahui, apa yang akan dilakukan oleh semua tokoh yang ada di situ? Sisi ini yang menarik dari Secret Wars.
October 4, 2022
About a 10 year jump for me since She-Hulk and X-Men take place in the mid 70's where I currently am reading them.
Apparently the Wrecking Crew was popular in the 80's as this was supposed to be Marvel's best heroes and villains. She-Hulk is also a part of the Avengers. Also Bruce has found a way to stay as Hulk but retain his Bruce intelligence and mind. Magneto starts getting closeups and facial expressions instead of straight maniacal tendencies.
Doom gets things rolling this ish. He doesn't want to play games like everyone else. But everyone else does and the first clash between the villains and heroes kicks off next issue.
Apparently the Wrecking Crew was popular in the 80's as this was supposed to be Marvel's best heroes and villains. She-Hulk is also a part of the Avengers. Also Bruce has found a way to stay as Hulk but retain his Bruce intelligence and mind. Magneto starts getting closeups and facial expressions instead of straight maniacal tendencies.
Doom gets things rolling this ish. He doesn't want to play games like everyone else. But everyone else does and the first clash between the villains and heroes kicks off next issue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2018
The Secret Wars starts off with a bang. While the whole concept seems more than a little contrived, I can't help but feel excited to see this assortment of heroes and villains face off against one another, even if the interpersonal and inter-team tensions irk me somewhat. Surely these heroic characters can set aside their differences when faced with such an outrageous, perilous situation? Right?
Doctor Doom's little moment of existential was by far my favourite. Good stuff.
Doctor Doom's little moment of existential was by far my favourite. Good stuff.
September 29, 2024
I remember, as a child, watching a tv commercial for various superhero toys to promote this comic book. I was instantly hooked. Secret Wars might not hold up today, but it's story has lasting ramifications that can b felt in 2024. I thought this mini-series was such a wonderful read. It tells stories of heroes and villains and their cosmic odyssey when they get thrown into a created world designed for them to fight.
September 20, 2025
Bareky git 4. I think there’s less action, more characters and too much talking rather than present day comics. I know i’ll get used to it bcz the storyline is amazing. I’m just watching Avnegers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars b4 they’re released. Marvellous books! Def my fav comic book artist here.. tho everything is like it’s being explained to 5 year olds but i guess thats what it’s supposed to be since i didnt know it too like those characters. How can i possibly know them?
3.86 ⭐️
3.86 ⭐️
October 22, 2024
[My review is for all 12 issues] - There's something so wonderfully wholesome about this event. A blast from beginning to end filled with old-school comic zaniness. While I adore Jonathan Hickman's modern reinterpretation, there is something...irresistibly innocent about this '80s mega crossover. A moment that I don't know can ever truly be replicated.
March 14, 2022
Does a great job of setting up the pieces and establishing the needed information on most of the expansive cast. It’s dialogue dense, but that’s to be expected with the first issue of a huge event comic like this. Looking forward to what’s to come!
May 27, 2024
I've only read a few of the early issues when I was young so there is a strong nostalgia factor in play here. In general I can say that it's fun to see the setup. The art is occasionally excellent. The story is expository and relies heavily on interior monologue, or blatant voiced monologue, but it is still a fun setup.
February 6, 2018
The lines of good and evil have been drawn so commences the Secret War.
May 28, 2018
I have read this series several times, and I enjoy it very much. The first book kicks right off into the action, and does its best to keep track of the many characters introduced.
March 2, 2022
Great stuff
What's not to like about it! It's the whole gang together for a war. What could possibly be better than that ?
What's not to like about it! It's the whole gang together for a war. What could possibly be better than that ?
September 15, 2022
Dr Doom solos
August 26, 2025
Its a classic for a reason. The reason? It's classic.
August 9, 2024
Actually very good. It's wild how much better Marvel Comics got after a couple decades.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews