Marvel’s Secret Wars Reprints Will Present Classic Crossover Exactly As It Appeared 40 Years Ago

Marvel Secret Wars 1

Marvel is to re-release its classic crossover series Secret Wars as it appeared 40 years ago - complete with original ads.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Facsimile Editions will begin in January 2024, and will be accompanied by other books that were affected by the original crossover series back in 1984.

That includes the origin of Spider-Man’s black costume, which had readers in suspense when it was first revealed in Amazing Spider-Man 252, until its origins were detailed later in Secret Wars issue 7. As we now know, that black costume eventually went on to become Venom, an iconic villain in its own right.

As well as the facsimile editions, Marvel will also release variant covers and foil variant covers for Secret Wars and its supporting titles throughout 2024.

Secret Wars is seen as the original full-scale crossover event, as it took the most popular heroes of the day, including the X-Men, Avengers and Fantastic Four, and dropped them on Battleworld to fight it out with villains including Dr Doom, Galactus, Absorbing Man and Lizard. It also introduced characters such as Volcana and Titania.

Spider-Man and Venom are still two of Marvel’s most popular characters. Both appear in PS5 game Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, a new release that has set tongues wagging as to whether Venom will get his own spin-off game.