Secret Wars #2: Review

May 2015

Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic

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Story Name:

Doom Messiah

Review & Comments

Rating:

Secret Wars #2 Review by Peter Silvestro (May 19, 2015)

Review: Clearly this epic event can only be judged in its entirety so I won’t waste your time and ours by trying to review something this strange. Catch me when it’s over.

Secret Wars #2 Review by Rob Johnson (May 19, 2015)

BATTLEWORLDS tie-ins so far:- AGE OF ULTRON VS MARVEL ZOMBIES #1-4 There's conflict between the Ultron robots of Perfection and the zombies of the Deadlands, both south of the Shield. Vision, Wonder Man and android Human Torch of the human enclave Salvation have brought in Hank Pym from the 1872 zone to kill Ultron (seems the HP least likely to succeed). And a Punisher from the 1602 zone is here too. Then Ultron creates AI zombies to attack Salvation. And Pym's plan involves sacrificing the lives/minds of Human Torch, Vision and Wonder Man. it works, except Iron Cross takes Human Torch's place. (I don't know how this squares with the successful robot/zombie invasion of the Wall in Siege #4) GHOST RACERS #1-4 All the different Ghost Riders, including the cowboy Carter Slade version, stage races in Arcade's Killiseum. This title centres on (a version of) the newest GR Robbie Reyes, who is singled out for the attention of Arcade and Zadkiel. He escapes into Doomstadt with the Thor Corps and the other GR's after him. Then he returns to the Killiseum to rescue his brother who's replaced him. INHUMANS: ATTILAN RISING #1-5 Medusa rules the Manhattan Zone from Attilan. Dr Doom tells her to uncover a multi-Zone rebellion, which turns out to be led by Black Bolt - who can now talk because he never underwent Terrigenesis which would give him his dangerous vocal power. He runs the Quiet Room, where characters from various Battleworld zones (and the Resistance) can meet in privacy. An adult version of Kamala Khan (Ms Marvel) is among the Inhumans working for Medusa. In the end Medusa sides with Black Bolt, who gets his voice power. But this all turns out to be part of an ongoing experiment by Doom, who uses his god-power to change reality and restart the story with a different beginning.

MARVEL ZOMBIES #1-4 Elsa Bloodstone is 1 of the guardians on the Shield, but now she finds herself protecting an amnesiac kid in the Badlands zone full of zombiefied villains, while also battling the demons in her own memory. Along the way she meets up with Deadpool, her zombiw dad Ulysses, and her brother Cullen. MASTER OF KUNG FU #1-4 The K'un L'un area of Battleworld contains versions of all the Marvel martial artists organised into in clans, plus some surprises like Shang-Chi's allies Shadowcat and the Morlocks. They face the domain's ruler, his father Zheng Zu (they can't call him Fu Manchu for copyright reasons), and his minions including Iron Fist and the Laughing Skull (who seems to Taskmaster). But what's Silver Surfer doing here? SC, IF and Red Sai (Elektra) enter martial arts contest, competing for the chance to supplant Zheng Zu. SC wins and defeats his father. RUNAWAYS #1-4 We meet some of the students (including only 1 of the original Runaways) at the Victor Von Doom Institute for Gifted Youths, run by Valeria, who are working towards their final exams - Trial by Combat. To escape this they run away, pursued by Winter Soldier. They traverse zones such as that of 1872. They return to the school to rescue some friends. Bucky dies protecting them, and shaken Valeria lets them go. SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1-4 This series has 2 stories per issue. In #1 an amalgam of Dr Strange and Punisher (in the 2099 Zone(?) but not the 2099 character) fights a demon(?) version of Art Adams' New Fantastic Four from FF#347-349. Then the real Dr Strange turns up! The 2nd story has MODOK calling in alternate versions of himself to fight Dr Doom, but they just fight amongst themselves. Then the Thors arrive.

In #2 in New Quack City human Blade and Howard the Duck team-up (in the typical Marvel way by fighting each other) against Duck Dracula. Until Duck Blade does the job for them. The 2nd story is in Arcade's Killiseum where cyborg War Machine Thunderbolt Ross is a gladiator in order to find out who killed daughter Betty. Arcade tricks him into killing arena boss Taskmaster who's been rigging the games for gambling purposes. There are 3 stories in #3. Lots of Wolverines fight each other. 1 page with Ant-Men fighting each other. Deadpool 1872 tries to ride Devil Dinosaur. #4 has Silver Surfer in Egyptia hunting Fin Fang Foom for Galactus' (reduced) hunger. Then its the Defenders 2099 SS vs Maestro. SECRET WARS JOURNAL #1-5 Another 2-story anthology. In #1 Kate Bishop and the original Young Avengers play Robin Hood in the 1602/King James' England Zone. And X-Men fight Khonshu-werewolves in ancient Egyptia. In #2 in Killville Misty Knight and Paladin run a gauntlet of other supercharacters to gain a prize. And in Bar Sinister Daredevil is Mr Sinister's chef, but plans to free his girlfriend Elektra. In #3 The Noir versions of Punisher and Wolverine team up to solve the murder of Old Town's Baron Tony Stark - which doesn't seem to correspond to any zone on the Battleworld map. The 2nd story has Doc Samson as psychiatrist to the hulkified inhabitants of Greenland. In #4 Egyptia's Punisher and Apocalypse's Iron Fist fight Ultrons and others on the Shield Wall. And Kyle Jinadu recruits Psylocke to help rescue his husband Northstar from a Days Of Future Past concentration camp. In #5 Night Nurse travels Battleworld fighting monsters and disease. And robot Mill-E has the unenviable task of Dr Doom's PR. BATTLEWORLDS tie-ins continued in #3.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Secret Wars #2 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The last remaining universes collided and vanished. What is there now?

A world of a multitude of smaller kingdoms where the God-Emperor is Doctor Doom, his consort is Sue Storm, their child Valeria.

The Thors enforce all the laws for Doom’s world; as the tale opens we see them welcoming a new recruit to their ranks in their headquarters in Doomgard. The new Thor and his older mentor are sent to Bar Sinister to bring its ruling Baron (Mr.) Sinister to Doom’s court for judgment. As the Sheriff of Agamotto (Stephen Strange) presides over the case beneath the gaze of Doom, Sinister is accused to supporting Hyperion, Baron of Utopolis in his wicked schemes toward Higher Avalon whose ruler is Baron (James) Braddock. Sinister is judged guilty but claims the right of combat against his accuser: Brian Braddock. Armed with stun sticks, Brian quickly decapitates Sinister—whose headless body then defeats his foe. Doom questions James Braddock about the reports that his realm hides the Silent Chambers, a gathering place for rebels. Braddock denies any such knowledge which makes him a poor vassal in Doom’s sight. Doom condemns the entire Braddock family to death but Sue pleads for mercy. Therefore, Doom scales it back to deposing James from his position, the Baronetcy is transferred to Brian; James is sentenced to “The Shield.” Later we see him taken out to the huge wall surrounding the kingdom and, with his armor and sword, thrown over the side where he is immediately beset by monsters which include Marvel Zombies, the Annihilation Wave, and Ultron….

Valeria confers with Stephen Strange about explorer Alex Powers and his survey team and their amazing discovery of a craft in the desert. The craft resembles the FF life raft from issue #1 and it is clearly older than this world’s creation, which thought is heretical. Strange summons the older Thor who is mentor to the newest one and dispatches him to quarantine the new discovery. As the Thors set up a barrier around the ship, a curious Moloid worker touches it and the door opens. Projectile weapons come out, mortally wounding the older Thor; he orders the new man to inform the Sheriff immediately. From the ship emerge the Cabal, led by Thanos; he seizes the worker and demands to know what this world is called. He is told…Battleworld.

An epilogue gives a map of Battleworld with the names and locations of all its realms.

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