Following the glowing success of the first Secret Wars, Marvel’s then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter decided to repeat the experience with a bit more ambition. Published from 1985 to 1986, Secret Wars II is a nine-issue comic book limited series completed with tie-ins.
Historically, this was the first time Marvel published an event crossover following that model, asking the readers to purchase multiple titles in order to read the entire story. It certainly was not the last time.
Here is the official synopsis: Last time Earth’s heroes encountered the Beyonder, they fought for their lives. This time, they fight for all existence! A year after kidnapping the most powerful beings on Earth and pitting them against one another in a “Secret War” on a distant world, the omnipotent Beyonder comes to Earth to continue his study of humanity.
However, a being so powerful and so naïve is a dangerous combination. As the Beyonder’s understanding slowly grows, so too do his own desires – and even the lord of lies, Mephisto, fears what the Beyonder might finally decide he desires. Because if the Beyonder decides he wants to end all that is, even the combined might of the universe’s cosmic powers might not be enough to stop him!
What to read before Secret Wars II?
The series was a sequel to the original Secret Wars miniseries, you can take a look at it:
- Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars Omnibus
Collects Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12, Thor (1966) #383, She-Hulk (2004) #10, and WHAT IF? (1989) #4 and #114.
Secret Wars II Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Secret Wars II
Collects Secret Wars II (1985) #1-9.
- Secret Wars II Omnibus
Collects Secret Wars II #1-9, New Mutants #30 And #36-37, Captain America #308, Uncanny X-Men #196 And #202-203, Iron Man #197, Fantastic Four #282, #285, #288 And #316-319, Web Of Spider-Man #6, Amazing Spider-Man #268 And #273-274, Daredevil #223, Incredible Hulk #312, Avengers #260-261 And #265-266, Dazzler #40, Alpha Flight #28, Thing #30, Doctor Strange #74, Cloak And Dagger #4, Power Pack #18, Thor #363, Power Man And Iron Fist #121, Peter Parker, Spectacular Spider-Man #111, Defenders #152, Deadpool Team-Up #1, and Quasar #8.
Secret Wars II Reading Order: Issue by Issue
- Secret Wars II #1
- New Mutants #30
- Iron Man #197
- Captain America #308
- Uncanny X-Men #196
- Secret Wars II #2
- Web of Spider-Man #6
- Amazing Spider-Man #268
- Fantastic Four #282
- Secret Wars II #3
- Avengers #260
- Daredevil #223
- Fantastic Four #285
- Incredible Hulk #312
- Secret Wars II #4
- Dazzler #40
- Alpha Flight #28
- Avengers #261
- ROM #72
- Secret Wars II #5
- The Thing #30
- Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #74
- Secret Wars II #6
- Power Pack #18
- Thor #363
- Cloak and Dagger Vol. 2 #4
- Micronauts Vol. 2 #16
- Power Man and Iron Fist #121
- Secret Wars II #7
- Defenders #152
- New Mutants #36
- Amazing Spider-Man #273
- Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #111
- Uncanny X-Men #202
- Secret Wars II #8
- New Mutants #37
- Amazing Spider-Man #274
- Avengers #265
- Fantastic Four #288
- Uncanny X-Men #203
- Secret Wars II #9
- Avengers #266
After Secret Wars II
An informal sequel to Secret Wars II took place in the pages of the Fantastic Four series – that’s why #316-319 are collected in Secret Wars II Omnibus.
If there was not a Secret Wars III, the concept was reused in 2015 by Jonathan Hickman with the other Secret Wars (see reading order), the one that rebooted the Marvel Universe.