Navigating Marvel's Secret Path to "Secret Wars"

[Moose100]

I can't believe this article left out the murder of the Living Tribunal. Which is quite possibly the biggest piece of the puzzle.

[Montressor]

The more excellent write-ups and excellent fan theories I keep seeing regarding Secret Wars speculation makes me insanely excited about it. This is one of those times when I think comic books are simply fantastic. I only hope all this build up doesn't end in a disappointing story.

This is exactly how I feel.

This entire thing is very exciting and I LOVE articles like this one, trying to tie together all the clues and hints...I'm only hoping for a tremendous payoff. I haven't been this amped for Marvel since the Shooter days.

[RynBishop]

This is exactly how I feel.

This entire thing is very exciting and I LOVE articles like this one, trying to tie together all the clues and hints...I'm only hoping for a tremendous payoff. I haven't been this amped for Marvel since the Shooter days.

Definitely felt this build up from the XMen side, right after age of Ultron and BotA... with the introduction of new mutants with time/reality powers; Matthew Malloy and ?.. Tempus! --

[jphamlore]

Definitely felt this build up from the XMen side, right after age of Ultron and BotA... with the introduction of new mutants with time/reality powers; Matthew Malloy and ?.. Tempus! --

Is Molecule Man one of the few non-mutant reality warpers? I wonder if we can get in a Secret Wars spinoff some sort of final clash of the reality warpers such as Mad Jim Jaspers, Clyde Wyncham, future Franklin Richards, Matthew Malloy, etc.

[berserkerclaw]

about the x-men, in one of the last avengers (or NA) issues there is mention to a X-nation, where Beast hides and cannot be reached by shield... so some sort of X-nation is also happening before Time runs out and after AXIS, right?

Yes the X-nation is a result of Axis appearently and will be del with in uncanny starting in January #30

Also someone mentioned the all new x-men. They are not alternate like you said. They are the past versions. The reason I think that thier memories are not resetting is time is broken, there fore them being in the present isn't changing the past. The incident with cyclops confirms this. While old cyke will die if young cyke does, them not going back doesn't change anything because presumely if time is broken the rules don't count

[Bafflement]

Also someone mentioned the all new x-men. They are not alternate like you said. They are the past versions. The reason I think that thier memories are not resetting is time is broken, there fore them being in the present isn't changing the past. The incident with cyclops confirms this. While old cyke will die if young cyke does, them not going back doesn't change anything because presumely if time is broken the rules don't count

Those two points are inconsistent with each other. That said, the whole thing fails to match up with any of Marvel's established time-travel rules, or with any other logical implementations of time-travel in fiction for that matter.

[davew128]

And I wonder if Marvel will ever address why Namor was the only member of the Phoenix 5 not to be changed at all by the force.

Well that would be because his mutant power is his wings and flight. Everything else is due to being a human/atlantean hybrid.

[MarvelMaster616]

Nice overall breakdown of the current and previous state of 616, but I think it's still too early to start crafting theories about how they'll all fit together for Secret War. I think if Marvel is serious about making this their biggest event to date, this will lead into what might end up being another Marvel NOW! style relaunch. There's no way they'll reboot, but I can definitely see Marvel trying to streamline their books. They set the precedent to an extent with Age of Ultron, which began breaking down the barriers of the multiverse. It's led to some exploration and crossover events, but none have had any far-reaching implications. I think it really depends on how bold Marvel is willing to be. We know they won't reboot, but what will they do to give Secret Wars the impact they want? I'm not ready to start formulating theories yet, but I think there's a concerted effort to start streamlining everything and this is Marvel's way of going about it.

[Moose100]

I agree with this

[RockyBanks]

I think if Marvel is serious about making this their biggest event to date, this will lead into what might end up being another Marvel NOW! style relaunch. There's no way they'll reboot, but I can definitely see Marvel trying to streamline their books.

My thoughts exactly. It makes sense to me for Marvel to set up a big blowout celebration of its multiverse, then kick off a soft relaunch with a back-to-basics approach.

[tusko]

Not just back to basics, but in line and in support of the Movie Versions of greater Marvel Universe.

[Hariel0079]

Reading this just now, I wonder... has the earth/timeline of the all new xmen been destroyed? And that is why they cannot go back?

All the x-men 2015 covers suggest to me that the x-men timeline of the past will get destroyed. In others words no more DPS as it never existed/never happen since the O5 never went back.

[jackolover]

Those two points are inconsistent with each other. That said, the whole thing fails to match up with any of Marvel's established time-travel rules, or with any other logical implementations of time-travel in fiction for that matter.

And that makes sense to the suggestion that Marvel tells their writers to go nuts on time travel and Multiversal stories, because they are going to clear house in a year. Time-travel rules ARE messed up because Age of Ultron broke Space-Time. There as a whole arc of Avengers in Original Sin that dealt with Steve Rogers visiting different times in the future until he met the Kangs, and Steve broke a power gem. What Franklin Richards said to Steve still has to play out as well, and since then, Steve was aged by Zola. There is something strange going on with the Time gem and Steve Rogers, because after Steve used the Infinity Glove and it was destroyed, only the time gem recreated itself, and made itself available during Original Sin and not any other time.

So if Hickman went back to 1959 in his SHIELD series to set up a crunch that is felt in 2015, with interference happening in the FF series he wrote up into the Avengers series as well, then this has been layed out a long time ago and it's just coming to fruition next year. What's interesting is Jason Aarons Man on the Wall from Original Sin, which started with Nick Fury taking over the role in 1957, and Fury being in competition to the Watcher all this time. If the Watcher is all that essential to the What If?s constitution, then Uatu killing himself in OS is he's way of saying the Multiverse is dead, and it's time to leave. The Watcher will be another one to watch as Secret Wars 111 plays out. If old Franklyn Richards doesn't resolve this, then maybe Michelangelo will, Leonardo Da Vinci, or the Star child from that SHIELD series by Hickman. There are a few candidates that could fill the role of saviour of the MU when this comes full circle.

There is also that wall map from Heroic Age Avengers #5 showing a barrier in the time line after which it states, "Infinite Futures". Nothing is know about what comes after that point.

[Disco_Magic]

An interesting theory just occurred to me. What if they are ending the Marvel line, "as we know it." But "as we know it" isn't the real Marvel Universe? What if it diverged at some point over the last several years and the "real" MU is out there waiting to be saved or re-discovered? Kind of like Age of Apocalypse, but much, much sneakier.

[jackolover]

An interesting theory just occurred to me. What if they are ending the Marvel line, "as we know it." But "as we know it" isn't the real Marvel Universe? What if it diverged at some point over the last several years and the "real" MU is out there waiting to be saved or re-discovered? Kind of like Age of Apocalypse, but much, much sneakier.

I know the current MU is not in a state to continue with. It wouldn't be surprising if some mixture version of the MU takes hold when this is through.