[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he Marvel Universe as you know it is coming to an end in 2015.
At a Secret Wars press conference at Midtown Comics in New York City on Tuesday, the announcement to end all announcements was delivered by Marvel Comics’ Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. They explained that in May of this year, the Marvel Universe will collide with the Ultimate Universe to forge a new universe comprised of many different Marvel realities: The Battleworld.
The huge development has been in the works for some time in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers saga, where the heroes have been trying to stop a series of universe-ending “incursions” where two universes collide together. The failure to stop one such incursion serves as the inciting incident for the Secret Wars event, resulting in the new universe, the Battleworld. This event was hinted at in the past by a series of teaser images refrencing past Marvel history. Alonso describes in the best way humanly possible–with a pizza analogy:
[dropcap size=small]“[/dropcap]The Ultimate Universe, the Marvel Universe, they’re going to slap together. Imagine two pizzas: They’re going to combine toppings, some toppings are going to drop off. And that is the Marvel Universe moving forward. It’s more than the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe, it’s all the universes you can imagine. That is the Marvel Universe going forward.”
The previously released teaser images reportedly only represent a fraction of the Battleworld, with more announcements regarding new stories and titles expected in the very near future as both ongoing and limited series.
Regarding the scope of this new revelation, Alonso drives home that this is a game changer in Marvel Comics:
[dropcap size=small]“[/dropcap]This is putting an endcap to decades of stories and starting a new era. When you see the scope of the event, [you will] see what we’re willing to do. This is a place where we’re going to be bringing new pieces onto the board and taking old pieces off. You guys will be yelling and screaming, loving and hating in equal measure.”
It was reiterated at the press event that the Battleworld will be THE Marvel Universe during, through, and after the eight-part Secret Wars event. None of it will be Elseworld, What if, or any other kind of alternate-reality. The Battleworld is it.
For those wanting to read Secret Wars, Marvel will be releasing a free Secret Wars #0 comic on May 3rd for Free Comic Book Day. This issue will serve as a primer to get you ready for the event. Both Secret Wars #1 and #2 will also be released in May, written by Hickman with art by Esad Ribic.
Have you caught your breath yet? Are you excited for Secret Wars and to enter the Battleworld? What upcoming title are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
