Is there a Secret Wars coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It seems so, with the announcement that Avengers: Secret Wars will hit theaters on May 7, 2027! Marvel readers know there have already been multiple Secret Wars events in the comic book world, starting with the iconic 1985 series.
But today, we’re not talking about the 1985 Secret Wars—considered the first modern Marvel event!—rather, we’re focusing on the 2015 version, which marked the collapse of the Marvel comic book universe! As the conclusion of Jonathan Hickman’s Marvel saga, the 2015 Secret Wars saw the destruction of the multiverse as we knew it.
As the official synopsis explained “The interdimensional Incursions have eliminated each and every alternate universe one by one. And now – despite the best efforts of scientists, sages, and superhumans – the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe have collided…and been destroyed! All that exists in the vast empty cosmos is a single, titanic patchwork planet made of the fragmented remains of hundreds of devastated dimensions: Battleworld! And the survivors of this multiversal catastrophe all bend their knees to Battleworld’s master: Doctor Doom!
What strange creatures inhabit this world? Which familiar faces will return? And what happens when Battleworld’s various domains go to war? The Marvel Universe is dead – and the victors of the Secret Wars will determine what comes next!”
Let’s explore the different formats available to read this Secret Wars event, including the Omnibus, classic trade paperbacks, and an issue-by-issue reading order!
What to read Before Secret Wars?
Secret Wars is the conclusion to Jonathan Hickman’s Marvel Saga and we don’t have a reading order for it yet! As always, you can simply read the main event, though we should take the time to specify that it was more about the journey than the destination. So, we invite you to check out his two previous runs that has ties with Secret Wars:
- Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four
- Jonathan Hickman’s The Avengers (including the Infinity Event) – The Omnibus Edition of Secret Wars collects the Time Runs Out arc of this run!
Want to take a little shortcut but still some background information? Marvel thought of you with a book collecting issues with relevant information
- Secret Wars Prelude
Collects New Avengers (2013) #1-3, Secret Wars (1984) #10-12, Fantastic Four #611, Ultimate Comics Spider -Man (2011) #1, Ultimate Comics Ultimates #4.
Secret Wars Omnibus Collection
Despite being one of the most important Marvel events, the publisher hadn’t released a Secret Wars Omnibus until… now! The Company has made the odd decision to add the last arc of Hickman’s run on the Avengers to the Omnibus as this story led to Secret Wars (though, you can normally read the event without it). Those issues were already collected in Avengers By Jonathan Hickman Omnibus Vol. 2. A second Omnibus has been announced and collects all the ties-ine (this part is totally optional):
- Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman Omnibus
Collects Avengers (2012) #35-44, New Avengers (2013) #24-33, Secret Wars (2015) #1-9 And Material From Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) #0. - Secret Wars: Battleworld Omnibus
Collects 1602: Witch Hunter Angela (2015) #1-4; 1872 (2015) #1-4; A-Force (2015) #1-5; Age Of Apocalypse (2015) #1-5; Age Of Ultron Vs. Marvel Zombies (2015) #1-4; Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2015) #1-5; Armor Wars (2015) #1/2, 1-5; Captain Britain And The Mighty Defenders (2015) #1-2; Captain Marvel And The Carol Corps (2015) #1-4; Civil War (2015) #1-5; Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars (2015)# 1-4; E Is For Extinction (2015) #1-4
Secret Wars: Collected Editions
Secret Wars, The Main Event! Of course, it’s the only book you really need to read!
- Secret Wars
Collects Secret Wars #0,#1-9, Free Comic Book Day 2015.
Battleworld, The Secret Wars Tie-ins! With the end of the Marvel Multiverse came the birth of a volatile patchwork of realities known as Battleworld! This is the setting of 59 tie-ins stories! None are necessary to read for the main event.
- Secret Wars Journal: Battleworld
Collects Secret Wars Journal #1-5, Secret Wars: Battleworld #1-4, Howard The Human #1, Secret Wars: Agents Of Atlas #1. - Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies
Collects Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies #1–4, Age of Ultron #1 - Ghost Racers
Collects Ghost Racers #1–4, Ghost Rider (1973) #35, material from Secret Wars: Secret Love #1 - Inhumans: Attilan Rising
Collects Inhumans: Attilan Rising #1–5 - Marvel Zombies: Battleworld
Collects Marvel Zombies (2015) #1–4, Marvel Zombies (2006) #1 - Master of Kung Fu: Battleworld
Collects Master of Kung Fu (2015) #1–4, 5 Ronin #2 - Red Skull
Collects Red Skull #1–3, Captain America (1968) #367, Captain America (1998) #14 - Runaways: Battleworld
Collects Runaways (2015) #1–4, Secret Wars: Secret Love #1 - Siege: Battleworld
Collects Siege (2015) #1–4, Uncanny X-Men (2011) #9–10 - Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde
Collects Star-Lord & Kitty Pryde #1–3, Generation Next #1, Guardians of the Galaxy & X-Men: The Black Vortex Omega #1 - Thors
Collects Thors #1–4, Thor (1966) #364–365 - Ultimate End
Collects Ultimate End #1–5 - 1602: Witch Hunter Angela
Collects 1602: Witch Hunter Angela #1–4, 1602 #1 - Marvel 1872
Collects 1872 #1–4, Avengers (1963) #80, Marvel Comics Presents #170 - A-Force Vol. 0: Warzones
Collects A-Force #1–5 - Age of Apocalypse: Warzones
Collects Age of Apocalypse (2015) #1–5
- Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
Collects Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1–5, material from Spider-Verse #2 - Armor Wars: Warzones
Collects Armor Wars #1–5, #1/2 - Captain America and the Mighty Avengers Vol. 2: Last Days
Collects Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #8–9, Captain Britain & the Mighty Defenders #1–2, Avengers Assemble #15AU - Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps
Collects Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1–4, Captain Marvel (2012) #17 - Civil War: Warzones
Collects Civil War (2015) #1–5 - Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars
Collects Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1–4, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1 - E Is for Extinction: Warzones
Collects E Is for Extinction #1–4, New X-Men (2001) #114 - Future Imperfect: Warzones
Collects Future Imperfect #1–5, Secret Wars: Battleworld #4 - Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX
Collects Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #1–4, A-Babies vs. X-Babies #1 - Guardians of Knowhere
Collects Guardians of Knowhere #1–4, New Avengers: Illuminati (2007) #3 - Hail HYDRA
Collects Hail HYDRA #1–4, Hank Johnson, Agent of HYDRA #1 - House of M: Warzones
Collects House of M (2014) #1–4, House of M (2005) #1 - Inferno: Warzones
Collects Inferno #1–5 - Infinity Gauntlet: Warzones
Collects Infinity Gauntlet (2015) #1–5 - Korvac Saga: Warzones
Collects Guardians 3000 #6–8, Korvac Saga #1–4 - M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin
Collects M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #1–5 - Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos
Collects Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #1–4, Werewolf by Night (1972) #1 - Old Man Logan Vol. 0 – Warzones
Collects Old Man Logan #1–5 - Planet Hulk: Warzones
Collects Planet Hulk #1–5 - Secret Wars 2099
Collects Secret Wars 2099 #1–5 - Spider-Island: Warzones
Collects Spider-Island (2015) #1–5 - Spider-Verse: Warzones
Collects Spider-Verse (2015B) #1–5 - Squadron Sinister
Collects Squadron Sinister #1–4, Avengers (1963) #69–70 - Weirdworld Vol. 0: Warzones
Collects Weirdworld #1–5 - Where Monsters Dwell: Phantom Eagle Flies the Savage Skies
Collects Where Monsters Dwell #1–5 - X-Men ’92
Collects X-Men ’92 #1–4 - X-Tinction Agenda: Warzones
Collects X-Tinction Agenda #1–4, Uncanny X-Men (2001) #270 - X-Men: Years of Future Past
Collects Years of Future Past #1–5 - Secret Wars Too
Collects Secret Wars, Too #1; Wha…Huh? #1; Ultimate Civil War: Spider-Ham #1; Captain America: Who Won’t Wield the Shield #1; Shame Itself #1; Marvel Now What?! #1; material from World War Hulk: Front Line #2–5, Original Sins #5, Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration #1.
2015 Secret Wars Comics Reading Order: Issue by Issue
The best way to go is to read the main series first, then come back for the rest, picking up the stories with the characters you like. For those who wants to read everything, issue by issue, here’s a guide:
- Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #8
- Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) #1
- Secret Wars #0-1
- Black Widow (2014) #19–20
- Loki: Agent of Asgard #14-15
- Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #9
- Ms. Marvel (2014) #16-19
- Punisher (2014) #19-20
- Magneto (2014) #18–21
- Ant-Man: Last Days #1 (2015)
- Silk #7
- Silver Surfer (2014) #13-14
- Loki: Agent of Asgard #16-#17
- Secret Wars #2
- Secret Wars: Battleworld #1-4
- Secret Wars Journal #1-5
- Secret Wars #3
- Master of Kung Fu (2015) #1-4
- A-Force #1-4 (#5 serves an epilogue to SW #9)
- Planet Hulk #1-5
- Spider-Verse (2015B) #1-5
- M.O.D.O.K.: Assassin #1-5
- Old Man Logan #1-4 (#5 serves an epilogue to SW #9)
- Infinity Gauntlet (2015) #1–5
- Inferno #1-5
- Secret Wars 2099 #1-5
- Where Monsters Dwell #1-5
- X-Men ‘92 #1-4
- Years of Future Past #1-5
- X-Tinction Agenda #1-4
- Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #1-4
- Future Imperfect #1-4
- Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1-5
- Armor Wars #½-#5
- Marvel Zombies (2015) #1–4
- Weirdworld #1-4 (#5 serves an epilogue to SW #9)
- 1602: Witch Hunter Angela #1-4
- Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1-4
- Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #1-4
- 1872 #1-4
- Runaways (2015) #1-4
- Squadron Sinister #1-4
- Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies #1-4
- E for Extinction #1-4
- Korvac Saga #1-4
- Guardians of Knowhere #1-4
- Civil War (2015) #1-5
- Secret Wars #4
- Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #1-3
- Red Skull #1-3
- Spider-Island #1-5
- Inhumans: Attilan Rising #1-5
- Future Imperfect #5
- Secret Wars: Secret Love #1
- Ghost Racers #1-4
- Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1-2
- Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2 #1-5
- Hail Hydra #1-4
- Howard the Human #1 (2015)
- Ultimate End #1-4 (#5 serves an epilogue to SW #9)
- House of M (2014) #1-4
- Hank Johnson: Agent of Hydra #1 (2015)
- Secret Wars #5
- Secret Wars #6
- Siege Vol. 2 #1-4
- Secret Wars: Agents of Atlas #1
- Thors #1-4
- Secret Wars #7
- Secret Wars #8
- Secret Wars #9
- Ultimate End #5
- A-Force #5
- Old Man Logan #5
- Weirdworld #5
- Silver Surfer (2014) #15
- Secret Wars Too #1
After Secret Wars
When Secret Wars ended, everything was reset. The Marvel Universe underwent a soft reboot, with around 60 series relaunched under the banner All-New, All-Different Marvel, set eight months after the event. You can jump into most titles with a #1 on the cover, which were published in late 2015.
However, some story threads were left hanging, and a few titles serve as follow-ups to the event. Most notably:
But there were some threads left hanging, if we can say, and some stories can serve as follow-up to this event. Most specifically:
- Ultimates by Al Ewing – A newly refreshed cosmos brings new challenges, and the Ultimate team is here to handle them, including the threat of Thanos. This story can be followed by Defenders (2019) and Defenders: Beyond
- Infamous Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev – Follow Victor Von Doom in a post-Secret Wars world as he attempts to redeem himself and step into the role of a hero.
- Marvel Two-In-One by Chip Zdsarky – After some separate adventures (see our Fantastic Four Reading Guide!), Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm are reunited in a quest to find their family.
