History ComicBook / SecretWars2015

* CListFodder: This trope gets heavily [[ZigZaggingTrope zig-zagged]] during the crossover. The heroes who survive the Final Incursion in Mr. Fantastic's life raft are all A-list and B-list characters, with no minor heroes making the cut, but the survivors in the other life raft include some minor villains introduced in the previous [[Comicbook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman story arc]]. Also, since only a handful of characters are saved by the rafts, the majority of A-list characters are actually killed, while some ([[spoiler:Thor, Iron Man, Captain America]]) had already died in the events leading to ''Secret Wars''. However, almost all of the dead A-list characters appear during the crossover as their alternate universe versions. And at the end of it, [[spoiler:the entire multiverse is created again and every deceased character is brought back to life. So no one in ''Secret Wars'' dies permanently, not even Doctor Doom.]]

*** Alex Ross' [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRC1piXFdZz1xvzb1fih60GToHOFtuJvHlVhMRlKUsc6SAmBzSd cover]] for the final issue (#9)has nods to several moments from Marvel's stories along the years: the explosion of the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Gamma bomb]]; Thanos, [[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet wearing the Infinity Gauntlet while talking to Lady Death]]; [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark's]] worst days as an alcoholic in the "Demon in a Bottle" story arc; The birth of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Franklin Richards]]; Doctor Erskine transforming Steve Rogers into ComicBook/CaptainAmerica; ComicBook/TheVision [[TearJerker/TheAvengers crying]] at the end of his introductory tale; ComicBook/{{Elektra}} [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice being stabbed]] by Bullseye;The rocket of the ComicBook/FantasticFour being hit by cosmic rays; Spider-Man’s crossover with a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} certain hero]] of [[Creator/DCComics another company]] (check LawyerFriendlyCameo below); [[ComicBook/XMen Phoenix]] emerging from the Jamaica Bay.

* DecoyProtagonist: An odd case here. The Avengers [[ComicBook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman story arc]] leading to this crossover obviously had the Avengers as the main protagonists, with particular emphasis put on the ideological conflict between Captain America and Iron Man. But the two don't appear in this story at all (though some of their alternate universe versions do), because [[spoiler:they died when the final incursion began in Avengers #44]]. Some Avengers still play major parts in ''Secret Wars'', but after the creation of Battleworld it undoubtedly becomes a Comicbook/FantasticFour story, with the Richards family members and Doctor Doom taking center stage.

* WholePlotReference: Part of ''Where Monsters Dwell'' is a hilariously twisted and subverted/inverted parody of [[Franchise/WonderWoman another franchise's]] mythos ([[Film/WonderWoman2017 2017 has especially]] made it HilariousInHindsight).

** In #1 of the main series, Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe gives Ultimate Fury a masterful one that completely kills any illusions anyone had about surviving the end of everything: "[[KickTheSonOfABitch Let me assure you. This was always how it was going to end. You bought us no little bit of time. And that was remarkable for one whose time had long passed.]]"

* ShipSinking: ''Secret Love'' promptly torpedoes the Robbie Reyes/Kamala Khan fandom ship with a handshake and Kamala proclaiming "Crossover Buddies 4 Lyfe!" Much to the relief of their respective love interests.

[[center:[[AC:The MarvelUniverse (1961-2015)]] | [[AC:The [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate Universe]] (2000-2015)]]]]

* BollywoodNerd: Franchise/SpiderMan India, who discovered the Great Web and those connected to it via science, ''not'' in some mystical Indian way as Anya assumes.

* AdaptationalSexuality: In ''Siege'', alternate versions of Leah of Hel and Illyana Rasputina, both straight girls on Earth-616, become girlfriends.

* ApocalypseWow: The Incursions destroying Earths. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Along with the Illuminati doing so, too.]]

** The opening fight between the Marvel U and the Ultimate U heroes. The regular Marvel heroes outnumber and outpower the few remaining Ultimate heroes who weren't already dead, and eventually the Maker tells Fury they were never going to win the fight.

* DwindlingParty: This is the basic structure of ''Siege''. It deals with members of The SHIELD, who are the only things protecting Battleworld at large from the AlwaysChaoticEvil [[TheHorde Hordes]] of Ultrons, the Annihilation Wave, and Zombies. Its leader, Abigail Brand, has cope with what is essentially a HopelessWar, where everyone she knows is dying one by one and it's only a matter of time until the Shield falls altogether.

* FateWorseThanDeath: In Siege, getting captured by the Annihilation Wave means being turned into a horrible monster and being sent to kill your friends. This is the fate of Hank Pym, Beast, and [[spoiler: Nick Fury.]]

* AHellOfATime: Invoked by Illyana/Darkchylde after one of her demon minions turns Brooklyn into strawberry cream. Being a Demond's has its perks.

* LaserGuidedKarma:
** In ''Where Monsters Dwell'', the Phantom Eagle flies out on a tribal princess he got pregnant when she tries to get him to marry her (her father will punish any unwed mothers by exiling them to the Island of Dung). At the end of the mini-series - Kaufman manages to escape a world full of prehistoric monsters and blonde amazons, only to have his plane crash into the horrible Island of Dung and the exiled princess finding him and pressganging him into becoming a nuclear family.

* LetsYouAndHimFight:

* MegaCrossover: '''''Excelsior.''''' Not only will the comic cross over pretty much everything that's been written by the company up to this point, but it will also feature crossovers with characters at specific points in time in several major events (plus alternate versions of said events) in the 616 universe, along with several alternate realities - in other words, this means that multiple versions of the same character will be seen at the same time.

* MythologyGag:
** Boss Frost, psi-boss of Mondo City, hits an enemy with "the focused totality of [her] psychic powers!", a phrase Chris Claremont was fond of using for Psylocke of X-Men fame.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** In ''Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars'' #3, it's revealed that Deadpool's the cause of the Venom symbiote going insane and that Doom killing all the heroes was because he got jealous of Deadpool's better looks.

** Also Spider-Man Noir who, while not actually racist, is still rather politically incorrect. (But then again he is from the 1940s so it is somewhat justified.)

** For some reason, some characters (such as those living in the Spider-Verse) retain bits and pieces of their home realities and realize that something is currently "off". Noticibly, Old Man Logan also retains his memories and is very confused when he encounters a Thor (The only Thor in his universe is dead), which only raises more questions in itself.

* SmugSnake: The ENTIRE Cabal. Needless to say, they all perish in relatively anticlimactic ways, including [[spoiler:the Maker/Ultimate Reed, arguably the worst out of the bunch.]]

* TeethClenchedTeamwork:
** The Avengers of Holy Wood and the Guardians of Forest Hills despise one another, but have to make nice for the cameras.

* ToBeLawfulOrGood:
** In ''Secret Wars 2099'', when Captain America and Hercules are given the choice of allowing the Defenders to be arrested, or keeping Cap's word that they can leave Alchemax if they want to, they choose the latter even though it means taking on Alchemax and the rest of the Avengers.

* UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny: Shaping up to be one between Reed and Doctor Doom.

* WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis:
** In the ''Time Runs Out'' and ''Last Days'' arcs, many heroes call out the Illuminati for keeping the incursions secret until it was far too late for ''anyone'' to help.

** The ultimate outcome of the story is that the Marvel Universe will be forever changed, and considering the stakes at hand and the sheer scope of the event, it's not surprising.

** In ''[[Comicbook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman New Avengers]]'', it was revealed that the Black Swan is carrying the genetic code of her entire race inside her, in the hope that she could one day resurrect them. But even though she survives the final incursion, this plot thread is not continued at all in ''Secret Wars'', and she [[spoiler:apparently dies when Groot destroys Doom's castle.]] And at the end of the series, [[spoiler:the Richardses create the multiverse again, presumably with her people included,]] so the whole gene thing didn't amount to anything.

** The crossover debuted a new Comicbook/{{Nova}} named Anwen Bakian, who is a young African-American girl.
** Captain America 2099 is a Latina woman named Roberta, while Comicbook/BlackWidow 2099 is an African-American woman named Tania. Additionally, Iron Man 2099 is a man named Sonny who suffers from dwarfism.

** In the "Last Days" arc of ''Comicbook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' the incursion happens in the second to last issue (#16), so the last logically takes place after the end.

* AmazonBrigade: ''Comicbook/AForce'' follows a new, all-female team of Avengers formed out of the events of the series.

** The Resistance in Hail Hydra! Captain Marvel appears to be a [[NoodlePeople Noodle Person]], Wasp is trapped in a half insect form, and Hank Pym appears to be a misshaped hunchedback with an oversized head, arm and leg.

** The whole story arc leading to ''Secret Wars'' began in ''[[Comicbook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman New Avengers]]'' #1, where the first incursion to hit the 616 Earth resulted in the deaths of three innocent Wakandan teens. In the final issue of this series, T'Challa [[spoiler:uses the Reality Gem to create Wakanda as it was before the incursions]], and we get to see the same scene as in New Avengers #1, except that [[spoiler:this time the incursion never happens, so the teenagers live.]]

** Miles and Earth-616 Peter are relieved to see one another and greet each other warmly, acting as a nod to their prior team-ups during ''Comicbook/SpiderVerse'' and ''Comicbook/SpiderMen''.

** The [[ComicBook/RedHulk Thunderbolt Ross]] in Arcade's arena became a cyborg to hunt down Betty's killer. He's now called Comicbook/WarMachine.

*** Alex Ross' [[https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRC1piXFdZz1xvzb1fih60GToHOFtuJvHlVhMRlKUsc6SAmBzSd cover]] for the final issue (#9)has nods to several moments from Marvel's stories along the years: the explosion of the [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Gamma bomb]]; Thanos, [[ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet wearing the Infinity Gauntlet while talking to Lady Death]]; [[Comicbook/IronMan Tony Stark's]] worst days as an alcoholic in the "Demon in a Bottle" story arc; The birth of [[Comicbook/FantasticFour Franklin Richards]]; Doctor Erskine transforming Steve Rogers into Comicbook/CaptainAmerica; ComicBook/TheVision [[TearJerker/TheAvengers crying]] at the end of his introductory tale; ComicBook/{{Elektra}} [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice being stabbed]] by Bullseye;The rocket of the Comicbook/FantasticFour being hit by cosmic rays; Spider-Man’s crossover with a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} certain hero]] of [[Creator/DCComics another company]] (check LawyerFriendlyCameo below); [[Comicbook/XMen Phoenix]] emerging from the Jamaica Bay.

* DecoyProtagonist: An odd case here. The Avengers [[Comicbook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman story arc]] leading to this crossover obviously had the Avengers as the main protagonists, with particular emphasis put on the ideological conflict between Captain America and Iron Man. But the two don't appear in this story at all (though some of their alternate universe versions do), because [[spoiler:they died when the final incursion began in Avengers #44]]. Some Avengers still play major parts in ''Secret Wars'', but after the creation of Battleworld it undoubtedly becomes a Comicbook/FantasticFour story, with the Richards family members and Doctor Doom taking center stage.

** Karl Kaufman, the Phantom Eagle and a UsefulNotes/WW1 superhero might be a cowardly, womanizing, {{Jerkass}} thief, but even he thinks [[spoiler:the sperm factory the Amazonians have created using captured men is horrible.]]

-->'''Giogo''': Loyalty is the only thing I admire, Yotat. You have none.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In ''Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars'', Doom exclaims "Die, Avengers!" while battling Captain America and Deadpool, which Deadpool claims just about makes him an official Avenger. Once the ''Secret Wars'' crossover ends, Deadpool joins the Comicbook/UncannyAvengers as a main character.

* JustBeforeTheEnd: The events ''Time Runs Out'' and ''Before Time Runs Out'', as well as the first issue of the book deal with the collapse of both the MarvelUniverse and ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Universe, and the desperate scramble to survive.

** Marvel's [[Comicbook/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters1977 limited but still-canon run of Godzilla comics]] is referenced by Shiklah and the Howling Commandos finding Godzilla's skeleton in a monster-filled part of Battleworld.

** The final cover shows a glimpse of famous ''Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'' one-shot from the 1970's. Spider-Man is in the exact same pose as he was on that cover, and Superman's red boot can be seen as well.

*** Also from the All-New All-Different Marvel to follow, Comicbook/{{X 23}} becomes the new Wolverine.

* LooseCanon: This event like DC's ''Comicbook/{{Convergence}}'' allowed Marvel to publish books with the same character in a variety of stories. Some journalists are referring to this combined effort between the two publishers as the possible start of a "Prismatic Age of Comics", where the same character can exist in multiple contexts. The difference in approach, thus far, is that DC seems to have multiple versions of the same person running around (such as two versions of Comicbook/{{Superman}} running around) while Marvel is allowing multiple different characters to use the same name, such as two different Spider-Men, Spider-Women and Hawkeyes.

* NotQuiteDead: The ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' issues reveal that Zombie Venom is still around, despite supposedly having been abandoned by the dying symbiote and finished off by Zombie Spider-Man. Of course, it's highly unlikely that it's that specific Venom, since the Deadlands are full of tons of infected alternate versions of characters, a phenomena Elsa Bloodstone (who at one point fights two zombified [[{{Characters/XMenRoguesGallerySToZ}} Saurons]] at once) and the other Shield personnel refer to as the "dupe effect".

* PoorlyDisguisedPilot: Many of the series are clearly testing the waters for what fans may be interested in. While some, like ''Comicbook/AForce'', were pegged as future ongoings from the start, a few sleeper hits such as ''X-Men '92'' appeared as well.

* ReverseCerebusSyndrome: ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' gives the readers a GutPunch in the aftermath of ''Comicbook/{{AXIS}}'' in advance, with his ''Last Days'' arc being, if anything, a return to the DenserAndWackier awesome magic that the series is known for.

** The early covers mostly highlight characters people know from the movies (Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}, [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Star-Lord, Thanos]], and [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Spider]][[Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries -Man]]) or characters who had movies in the works, if not already released at the time ([[Film/FantasticFour2015 Reed Richards, Doctor Doom]], [[Film/BlackPanther2018 Black Panther]], [[Series/{{Inhumans}} Black Bolt]], [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 Captain Marvel]], and [[Film/XMenApocalypse Jean Grey]]). The exceptions are characters like Miles Morales and Jane Foster, who already garnered mainstream publicity when they were announced.

* AmbiguouslyGay:
** Clementine Franklin-Cox in ''Where Monsters Dwell'', since she shares the same smile as Phantom Eagle when they encounter a tribe of Amazons.
** The version of ComicBook/SpiderGwen from ''A-Force'' is implied to be in a relationship with her MJ, based on her flirty dialogue and the look they share.

* TheWorfEffect: [[spoiler:Cyclops-Phoenix, having god-like power, gets [[NeckSnap killed]] by Doctor Doom to establish his own god-like power. Unlike some examples, Cyclops-Phoenix gets a few good hits in, instead of being [[NoSell No Selled]], and considering how powerful the Beyonders - whose power Doom stole - were, it's fairly respectable.]]

** The Incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610 actually begins in ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' #250, where it becomes the cause of the book's KillEmAll DownerEnding. It also appears in several other comics released just before the event.

* KillEmAll: The event starts out - '''starts out''' - with the entire Multiverse getting killed. Thankfully, it doesn't last, as Battleworld saves the skins of many of those who died in the final Incursion.

* AmbiguouslyGay: Clementine Franklin-Cox in ''Where Monsters Dwell'', since she shares the same smile as Phantom Eagle when they encounter a tribe of Amazons.

* AnyoneCanDie: '''Everyone''' dies in the lead-up to this event - but many come back when Battleworld is forged. The question of if they'll stay alive, of course, is completely open.

** The final cover shows a glimpse of famous ''{{Superman}} vs. The Amazing Spider-Man'' one-shot from the 1970's. Spider-Man is in the exact same pose as he was on that cover, and Superman's red boot can be seen as well.

* BackFromTheDead: The finale of ''Ultimate End'' reveals that [[spoiler: Rio Morales]] is alive once again on the post-Battleworld Earth.

** [[spoiler: ''Ultimate End'' ends with Miles revealing the truth of Battleworld to the assembled heroes of Manhattan. The heroes bid farewell to their loved ones and unite to take on Doom, but the vast majority die in the ensuing battle. Miles then wakes up on the restored post-Battleworld Earth and finds that his mother, Rio, is somehow alive again]].

** The ''Secret Wars (2015)'' tie-in ''ComicBook/UltimateEnd'', chronicling [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the end of the Ultimate Universe]], was written by Bendis and drawn by Bagley-- the two men who ''started'' the Ultimate Universe.

** ''The Ultimate End'' #1 flashes back to the beginning of the ''ComicBook/AllNewXMen'' storyline where they crossover with the Ultimate universe, revealing that not only did Ultimate Amadeus Cho's portal malfunction, it also ended up bringing 616 Tony into the Ultimate universe briefly.

* CosmicPlaything: At the end of ''Ultimate End'', Miles Morales, via Emma Frost and the Greys, shows the heroes in the 616/1610 fusion world their old worlds and that Doom saved them to be put into an endless loop of [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption failure]] and [[LetsYouAndHimFight constant in-fighting]] just because they crossed him.

** The cover of ''Ultimate End'' #4 prominently features Miles Morales, who stands defiantly against the unknown enemy that has apparently defeated the Manhattan heroes. The actual issue features the heroes fighting each other, while Miles doesn't actually appear until ''the last page''.

** The series ''The Ultimate End'' was meant to be this for the Ultimate Universe, until ''All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe'' [[{{Retcon}} retconned]] it into being a universe ''like'' the Ultimate Universe, and not actually the Ultimate Universe.

** ''The Ultimate End'' seems to set up a fight between the "616" and "1610' heroes. So far "Ultimate" Hulk has fought "616" Hulk, and "Ultimate" Punisher has fought "616" Punisher. [[spoiler: "616" Hulk defeats "Ultimate" Hulk, "616" Punisher is killed by "Ultimate" Punisher.]]

** In ''The Ultimate End'' #1, the get-together with the Ultimates and the remaining Avengers and X-Men do indeed catch the attention of the Thors. In the same issue, Spider-Man accidentally blurts out his identity to those who didn't know it, bringing back his "Ultimate" self's horrible problem of keeping his identity secret.

* PoliceBrutality: In ''Ultimate End'' issue 2 the Thors have no problem [[spoiler: brutally murdering Hawkeye, who was not even a danger to them.]]

** The kingdom of Manhattan, depicted primarily in ''Ultimate End'', was, by stated in the main title and ''Ultimate End'' to be the remnants of Earth-616 and Earth-1610 merged together. Unfortunately, there were several significant continuity issues: Ultimate Captain America was alive, despite having died before the Incursion took place (and thus should have stayed dead when the fragment of Earth-1610 was restored to its state before the Incursion); Earth-616 Iron Man was not Superior; and Earth-616 Spider-Man was there, even though he had been saved in the Raft and having not died, not capable of being resurrected. The ''All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe'' guide ultimately resolved these discrepancies by revealing that these universe were ''not'' Earth-616 and Earth-1610, but universes ''like'' them.

* TemptingFate:
** In "Ultimate End", Dr. Doom arranges things to make a big all-out fight between heroes of both the prime universe and the Ultimate one. Sue does not understand the reasons, and tries to get him to explain. She asks what if something unexpected happens, something that changes things. And then... oh, you guessed it? Yes. Something unexpected happens, somethings that changes everything.

** Averted with ''Old Man Logan'', which is just as gory as its original counterpart, to the point of the eponymous character [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath graphically dismembering]] [[EstablishingCharacterMoment his first on-panel foes]].

* TheChosenOne: At the end of ''Old Man Logan'', Emma says that they need a bastard to defeat an even bigger bastard, noting that Logan is who they need to help take out GodEmperor Doom. [[spoiler:This is ''exactly'' what Destiny had foretold in ''ComicBook/{{Wolverines}}''.]]

** ''Old Man Logan'' has Wolverine picking a fight with Storm-Thor and War Machine-Thor for seemingly no reason other than for the writers to [[spoiler: have an excuse to send Logan over the Shield into Zombie territory.]]

** In ''Old Man Logan'' #1, Logan's conversation with Gladiator's son is taken almost word-for-word from [[Film/KillBill the Bride's conversation with Nikki Bell]]. Fitting, considering that that film's NewOldWest aesthetic fits in well with the WeirdWest of ''Old Man Logan''.

* TitleDrop: In ''Old Man Logan'' #2, Wolverine is rescued by the X-Men of ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' and the X-Men are shocked by who he looks like. When asked for a name, Iceman jokingly says "What? Is your name 'Old Man Logan'?", then quickly backtracks as he fears it ''is'' his name.

* WeirdWest: The aesthetic of ''Old Man Logan'', complete with a man in a cowboy hat riding a [[RuleOfSymbolism white horse]] riding across a wasteland.

* BackForTheDead:
** The heroes from ''Comicbook/SupremePower'' return after their apparent deaths at the hands of the Cabal, only to be killed off again by the Squadron Sinister.

* DestructoNookie: Hyperion and Warrior Woman engage in such in ''Squadron Sinister''. Not only are they both [[SuperStrength Super Strong]] and NighInvulnerable, they can both fly. The end result is a room that looks like a two-meter pinball ball bounced around in there.

** The cast of ''ComicBook/SupremePower'' somehow survived their apparent death at the hands of Thanos and the Cabal prior to the event. [[spoiler:They make their debut in ''Squadron Sinister'', where they are promptly (and brutally) dispatched by the titular villains. Nighthawk is left as the only survivor.]]

%%* FiveManBand: The Squadron Sinister.
%%** BigBad: [[FlyingBrick Baron Hyperion]]. Ruthless and definitely the most powerful one on the team, with a fair amount of cunning to boot, but lets his underlings do the dirty work. When he gets involved, he puts a world of hurt on his enemies. [[spoiler: Killed by [[TheStarscream Nighthawk.]] ]]
%%** TheDragon / TheEvilGenius: [[ManipulativeBastard Nighthawk]]. In contrast to Hyperion, he [[BadassNormal uses his cunning and technology to prevail]], fights on the front lines, and handles the Squadron's intelligence network. [[spoiler:Also TheStarscream]]
%%** TheBrute: [[UnskilledButStrong Doctor Spectrum]]. Easily the second most powerful Sinister, but also the dumbest. Uses his [[GreenLanternRing Power Prism]] to create very powerful constructs. Tricked into giving [[spoiler:Nighthawk]] the Prism and fleeing.
%%** TheDarkChick: [[AmazonianBeauty Warrior Woman]]. Almost as physically strong as Hyperion, but mostly relies on her [[ActionGirl martial prowess]] and uses [[FightsLikeANormal her swords more often than her powers.]] Is in a relationship with Hyperion, presumably because [[ManOfSteelWomanOfKleenex they're the only ones who are compatible.]] Also TheMole for the [[ComicBook/TheNewUniverse Nutopians]]. [[spoiler:The last of the Sinisters standing after Nighthawk gets pitched over the Shield.]]

** Hyperion and Warrior Woman (''Squadron Sinister'').

* RaceLift: ''Squadron Sinister'' brings back the original Kenji Obatu version of Doctor Spectrum. However, he is now from Japan instead of Uganda.

** The final battle in ''Squadron Sinister'' involves Nighthawk donning a suit of PoweredArmor to [[Comicbook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns fight against Hyperion]]. There's even an HomageShot to the infamous scene of Batman punching Superman in the face.
*** The Squadron Sinister tie-in has some references/easter-eggs to the [[ComicBook/JusticeLeague Justice League of America]], to emphasize the fact that the Squadron is [[CaptainErsatz based on]] the JLA: The #1 cover has two sidebars with headshots of the Squadron and their opponent team, much like the JLA's covers in the 1970s; The meeting room/[[SuperheroTrophyShelf trophy room]] has very close replicas of ComicBook/{{Batman}}'s ultility belt, ComicBook/GreenArrow's bow and quiver, ComicBook/DoctorFate's cloak, ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'s trident, ComicBook/{{Hawkman}}'s helmet, Franchise/WonderWoman's lasso and bracelets and Franchise/GreenLantern's lantern; The Squadron's headquarters is similar to the [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Hall of Justice]]; Nighthawk's base references the [[ElaborateUndergroundBase batcave]]'s [[CollectorOfTheStrange strange]] [[BattleTrophy trophies]], having a giant dollar bill (a nod to batcave's giant penny), a [[ComicBook/TheJoker giant card]] and an old version of his costume. Some of these easter-eggs can be seen [[http://www.superheroreviews.com/squadron-sinister-1-secret-wars-review/ here]].

* DomesticatedDinosaurs: The ''Planet Hulk'' Universe book stars a post-apocalyptic gladiator Steve Rogers, who must cross a country of Gamma radiated Hulks with his only companion - a domesticated Devil Dinosaur.

** ''Planet Hulk'': [[spoiler:Steve Rogers kills the Red King, then ends up killing the Hulk that lead him there, a manipulative version of himself who embraced the Hulk. Realizing that [[HeWhoFightsMonsters he's become just like them]] and his journey was nothing more than a farce with Bucky dead, he retrieves Devil Dinosaur and walks away a broken man.]]

** [[spoiler: Doc Green in ''Planet Hulk'', who only helps Captain America kill the Red King so he can steal his kingdom.]]

** The new Planet Hulk book contains several nods to the original.

** The back-up story in ''Planet Hulk'' #1 reveals that Greenland was accidentally created when Amadeus Cho tried to diffuse a gamma-powered missile. He managed to stop the explosion from leveling the city and killing everyone, but the resulting gamma leak turned everyone into Hulks.

* UnstoppableRage: In ''Planet Hulk'' [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]] is on a mission to rescue [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]] from the Red King, a [[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Hulk]], who is keeping him prisoner. After a long journey Steve finally makes it to the Red King's throne room [[spoiler:only to learn the Red King killed Bucky a long time ago]]. This enrages Steve to the point where he simply starts whaling on the Red King with his shield -- who tries but doesn't get in as much as a single punch -- and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown doesn't stop bashing in the king's head]] until he is dead. Steve literally beat the king of the Hulks to death with nothing but his shield.

** The ''Mighty Defenders'' book features Faiza Hussain as the new ComicBook/CaptainBritain.

* AsLethalAsItNeedsToBe: In ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', where we find out that Faiza Hussain's version of Excalibur goes blunt against living tissue because Faiza is an ActualPacifist.

* BroughtDownToBadass: Partial example in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', when She-Hulk is stripped of her rank and powers as the Thor of Yinsen City. She's still She-Hulk, though.

** The alternate universe Faiza Hussain/Captain Britain featured in ''Mighty Defenders'' is the same one seen in ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'', according to WordOfGod. Additionally, Yinsen City comes from the alternate universe seen in Al Ewing's ''Iron Man: Fatal Frontier'' mini-series, while Mondo City comes from Jeff Parker's ''ComicBook/DarkAvengers'' series.
** Likewise, the Prowler in ''Mighty Defenders'' apparently somehow remembers his world's Spider-Man being killed by an Inheritor during ''Spider-Verse''.

* FiveTokenBand: The titular ''Captain Britain & the Mighty Defenders'' consist of: Captain Britain (Arab), Kid Rescue (Asian), White Tiger (Hispanic), Spider Hero (Black), and She-Hulk (Green, formerly Caucasian).

** Yinsen City in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'' is from an alternate timeline where Tony Stark performed a HeroicSacrifice to allow Ho Yinsen to escape in the Iron Man armor, rather than vice versa. This trope itself is subtly {{Lampshaded}}.

* IveHeardOfThatWhatIsIt: Thanks to Doom's brainwashing this happened in the ''Mighty Defenders'' series repeatedly. Like Spider Hero commenting that if he "had a spider-sense it'd be tingling" which She-Hulk apparently understood and acknowledged going on about things for some panels until she just asks what a spider-sense is, and Spider Hero admits that he doesn't know, but feels he should. And again later with Captain Britain and She-Hulk about what a "Britain" is.

* IdealHero: Captain Britain (Faiza Hussein) in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders''. She is completely driven to do the right thing, fearless in the face of danger and even torture, possesses a magic sword that always guides her toward the correct goal, avoids unnecessary violence and refuses to kill, can break herself out of captivity with little effort, and manages to turn enemies into allies by being the better person.

** In ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', when the forces of Mondo City invade Yinsen City, Boss Magnicote kills Baron Yinsen. Once the dust is settled, he is deemed to have acted outside the law, and "reassigned" to the Deadlands.

* PastExperienceNightmare: Many if not all of the Defenders and Captain Britain from ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'' have flashback dreams about their worlds before the event (some even dream of the ''Incursion'') despite Doom's brainwashing.

** Heavy on the idealism side in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders''. At the end, the idealistic side wins by having the nicer heroes talk the militaristic ones into a fragile peace. And this was accomplished with minimal casualties on the part of the nice guys.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: A rare GenderInvertedTrope in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', which is made up of a female Captain Britain, female Kid Rescue, female White Tiger, She-Hulk, and Spider-Man aka Spider-Hero. After Baron Yinsen's death, he becomes the ''only'' male on the team.

** At the end of ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', [[spoiler:the survivors of Yinsen City form an alliance with the leadership of Mondo City, after the former conquered and killed many of their citizens (including their baron). Kid Rescue, the new baroness, is not happy to work with her father's killers, but she begrudgingly admits that this option is better than war.]]

** The Defenders of Yinsen City face this decision in ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'' thanks to the arrival of Captain Britain and their already [[PastExperienceNightmare existing doubts]], [[spoiler:when they decide to be good and reject Doom as god and his law]]... he takes it about as well as [[EvilIsPetty you would expect it]].

** In ''Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders'', the members of Yinsen City are upset when they learn that the leaders of Mondo City invaded them because they were running out of resources. Even after being invaded, suffering casualties, and being tortured, they ''still'' offer an alliance, only angry that this wasn't the way things were handled in the ''first place''.

*** The world of ''ComicBook/Inferno1988'' is one where the X-Men failed to stop the invasion and Manhattan became a "Hell on Earth".

* BigBrotherInstinct: ''Inferno'' is about a Colossus who was on an X-Men team that failed to stop demons from claiming Manhattan. His only goal in ''Secret Wars'' is to fight into the HellOnEarth to save his baby sister, Illyana. In contrast, Cyclops seems indifferent about the fate of his own son (a baby during the original ''Inferno''), as well as of his brother, Havok.

* CombatStilettos: A page of ''Inferno'' provides a side-by-side comparison that emphasizes the vastly different boots worn by Jean Grey compared to Maddie Pryor.

** ''Inferno'': Colossus is forced to kill his sister after her forces ambush the X-Men. All the superheroes of New York are killed, except for Colossus, Domino and Boom Boom. The three surviving X-Men then leave for another domain, while evil Madeleine Pryor takes Illyana's power as her own and now reigns supreme over a demon-haunted New York with a demonic Nightcrawler as her pet.

** ''Inferno'' is just another version of "What if the X-Men lost Inferno''.

** One of the universes making up the new Battleworld is one where the Demons of Inferno took over part of the planet. ''Inferno'' follows that universes Colossus as he assembles a team to go into the hell-claimed Manhattan and save his sister.

* HonorBeforeReason: In ''Inferno'', Colossus makes an attempt to rescue his sister from the Inferno dimension every year, on the exact anniversary of the day she was taken. That means not only do the demons know exactly when the attempt will be made, they have all the time in the world to prepare. Sure enough, this bites Colossus and his teammates in the ass several times, as each attempt grows more and more disastrous. Issue #3 has Colossus' lover, Domino, call him out on this. In addition to the terrible leadership decisions he's been making, she states that he needs to start entertaining the possibility that Illyana is a lost cause.

** In ''Inferno #1'', Colossus' attempt to rescue his sister from the demons of Inferno allows the demons to capture Nightcrawler, who is the heroes' only means of getting in or out of Inferno.

** Colossus and Domino (''Inferno'').

* SceneryGorn: The apocalyptic ruins of Manhattan as shown in ''Warzones: Inferno'' are quite something to look at.

** ''Inferno'' #5 ends with the Goblin Queen resembling a [[Film/{{Maleficent}} horned fairy-sorceress]].

* TemptingFate
** In ''Inferno'', the heroes travel into Inferno to fight demons and rescue Colossus's sister. Once they're inside, they happen to mention that Nightcrawler is their only means of escaping from there. Naturally, only a few minutes later, Nightcrawler is captured.

* TooDumbToLive: What good did Johnny Storm think it was giving to do, challenging GodMode Doom? Only his sister's love spared him from death, and [[AndIMustScream right now he probably wishes it hadn't.]] In X-Men Inferno, Colossus makes MANY MANY [[RuleOfThree MANY]] bad decisions as leader of the X-Men, resulting in many deaths.

** In ''Inferno'' #4, after having his domain destroyed by DemonicInvaders, ex-Baron Cyclops angrily beats and berates Colossus after the latter comes to apologize and says he was right all along. Cyclops didn't need him to tell him he was right; he already knew that, and it's far too late for apologies now.

*** ''Future Imperfect'' features a version of Ross who became his world's version of the Thing instead of Ben Grimm.

* LotusEaterMachine: How ''[[spoiler:Future Imperfect]]'' ends. [[spoiler: With the Maestro trapped for the rest of his life in a delusion that he's killed Doom and taken his place as GodEmperor.]]

* UnexplainedRecovery: ''Secret Wars: Future Imperfect'' ends with The Maestro stuck inside a LotusEaterMachine, with no chance or desire to escape it. Come issue 8 of the main series, and he shows up none the worse for wear.

** [[spoiler: ''Civil War'' ends with the Blue and the Iron reunited and the Skrull treachery revealed. However, the heroes are now powerless and Tony and Steve died to stop the war.]]

** Kingpin in Civil War issue 3. Not only is he even fatter than usual, he has been driven insane by Doctor Octopus's tentacles, which essentially lobotomized him after he murdered Doc Ock to steal them. Tony only keeps him around to build weapons for him. [[spoiler:It gets even worse when Venom smashes his head like a melon.]]

** Still being held by both General America and Iron Man in the ''Civil War'' tie-in series, which takes places several ''years'' following the GoneHorriblyWrong alternate ending to that series. The impetus for the continued conflict this time is that both assumes the other was responsible for the destruction of The Raft, and have never come to a mutual conclusion that someone else may be manipulating them. In fact, in the first issue of the series proper, a sniper takes out the only person willing to get the two of them to sit down and talk and they're too busy blaming each other to even ''consider'' a third possibility. [[spoiler:Tony Stark, however, diverts some of his attention to figuring out who the third party is, while General America (and especially his NumberTwo, Peter Parker) is still gung-ho on taking down The Iron. ''Attilan Rising'' reveals that the third party prolonging the war is Doom himself working through the Skrulls.]]

* DividedStatesOfAmerica: This time, ''Civil War'' lives up to its name. In that series, the United States has been split down the middle, with the west called "The Blue" (governed by General America) and "The Iron" governed by President Tony Stark. The West is a far-right libertarian utopia while the East is a far-left benevolent bureaucracy.

** [[spoiler: Zig-zagged in ''Civil War''. It initially ''seems'' like Black Panther is the true BigBad and the mastermind behind the war, but it actually turns out to be the Skrull Queen Veranke posing as him]].

** ''Civil War'' has the final battle GoneHorriblyWrong.

* ForeverWar: The Warzone is a domain where the [[Comicbook/CivilWar Superhero Civil War]] never ended.

** Also in Civil War you have the Anti-Registration heroes lead by General America and the Pro-Registration heroes led by President Stark, who are fighting for control of The Warzone. Who is the more ethical of the two is up to the reader but both are shown to be good in their own ways.

** In Civil War issue 3 [[spoiler: Black Panther is revealed to be manipulating Stark and Rogers to keep them fighting each other. It is promptly subverted in issue 4 when it was revealed that it was actually the Skrull Queen impersonating Black Panther.]]

** President Tony Stark and Jennifer Walters (''Civil War'').

* PresidentEvil: Senator Kelly has became Commander-In-Chief of the Sentinel Territories in Days of Future Past. Norman Osborn was briefly able to conquer the White House in Civil War (an obvious nod to Dark Reign) but Tony killed him with a KillSat before he could take over.

* SpottingTheThread: In ''Civil War'', Iron Man realizes that his captor isn't really [[spoiler: Black Panther after coming to the conclusion that the real Black Panther would never have been [[BondVillainStupidity stupid enough to leave Tony alive after kidnapping him]]. It turns out he's correct; it's actually the Skrull queen Veranke posing as Black Panther]].

** Doctor Octopus gets a lot of this. His zombie-self is virtually limbless and easily dispatched while the Spider-Man in the Regency blows off Ock's assertion that he is his ultimate foe. 1872 Doc Ock gets killed rather easily by Sheriff America, and Civil War Doc Ock gets killed offscreen by Kingpin. In Renew Your Vows Doc Ock is rather brutally mutilated by Peter Parker, since there are no police for Peter to leave Doc Ock for. For some reason, Doc Ock seems to be the resident ButtMonkey for Battleworld.

** Both sides in ''Civil War'' consider their territory to be this. Iron Man's "The Iron" is a heavily-regulated state where certain personal freedoms (such as superpowers) are [[SuperRegistrationAct forbidden without training]]. However, it is extremely safe and recognized by foreign nations as a legitimate state. General America's "The Blue" is a wide expanse that's sparsely populated and where personal freedoms are protect first and foremost. The Blue only has two laws: don't hurt anyone, and don't be a deadbeat. It's stated that both sides are run so well that individuals can freely come and go as they decide which place they'd rather live in and the citizens of both are satisfied enough that neither has any desire to reunify. However, both have their problems: The Iron has extremely limited space but a rapidly growing population while The Blue has more space than they could ever use, but very little means of getting by since the land is mostly barren and foreign states won't trade with them since they're considered a rogue state.

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler: At the end of ''Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps,'' we don't know if the women found anything outside of Battleworld, or if they all just died]].

* BolivianArmyEnding

** [[spoiler: ''Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps'' ends with Captain Marvel and the ladies of Banshee Squadron flying off into the unknown void outside of Battleworld. Carol is unsure if there's anything out there or if they'll simply all die as soon as they leave the planet, but the women all decide that not knowing is an even worse fate. We don't know what happens, but the final panel shows Carol's eyes reacting in shock as she sees what's beyond the clouds]].

** The story behind ''Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps'' has the titular heroine struck with a bit of amnesia and has to figure out how she ended up in Hala Field.

* TheUnreveal: ''Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps'' ends this way. We get to see Carol's face in reaction to what she sees after breaching the atmosphere, but not the view in front of her.

* TheAce: The reason behind [[MythologyGag Ultimate Thor's]] nickname, as he is the best on the homicide beat.

** [[spoiler: Ultimate Thor]] was last seen trapped in the Negative Zone at the end of ''Comicbook/CataclysmTheUltimatesLastStand''. He returns here as the main character of ''Thors'', only to perish in the final issue.

* BigDamnHeroes:
** Just when Magneto thinks he is going to be killed by the Marvel Zombies, [[spoiler: Red Skull, of all people, shows up to save him and restore his powers so they can escape the Deadlands.]]
** [[spoiler:Thor the Unworthy rescues Ultimate Thor in the Deadlands when he's betrayed by Rune Thor and Destroyer Thor.]]

** [[spoiler: ''Thors'' ends with the members of the Thor Corps joining in the final battle against God Doom. Ultimate Thor fights valiantly to the bitter end but is eventually overwhelmed and apparently killed. The last shot is of his hammer crashing on Earth-616's version of Asgard.]]

** Several member of the Thor Corps are versions of separate characters, who combine their original powers with those bequeathed by their hammer. Examples include ComicBook/{{Storm}}, Comicbook/WarMachine, ComicBook/{{Groot}}, ComicBook/TheFalcon, and ComicBook/{{Angela|AsgardsAssassin}}.

* CrazyHomelessPeople: The Loki of ''Thors'' plays into this trope. [[spoiler:Operative word being ''[[ExploitedTrope plays]]'' as at least half of the crazy is just ObfuscatingStupidity.]]

* DaChief: The Lawspeaker for the Thors, who is Battleworld's version of the future's King Thor.

** [[spoiler: Tony Stark in Armor Wars, who is revealed to be Spyder-Man's murderer.]]
** [[spoiler: Rune Thor turns out to be the murderer, aided by the Destroyer Thor in ''Thors'' #3. He leaves Ultimate Thor in the Deadlands to die.]]
** [[spoiler: Doc Green in Planet Hulk, who only helps Captain America kill the Red King so he can steal his kingdom.]]

* HeroWithBadPublicity: ''Thors'' has the "original" version of the character, "Thor the Mighty", who falls into this trope. No longer worthy of a hammer (much like his mainstream status quo at the time), he tries to warn "Ultimate Thor" (the central character of the book) that he is on the same path to unworthiness, if he continues to try seeking the truth.

* PerpSweating: Ultimate Thor tries this instead of torture against a suspect. Unfortunately [[spoiler:Loki]] is at best mildly bemused by this and for example outright asks if they are at the [[GoodCopBadCop Good Thor/Bad Thor]] already.

** Rune Thor of the Thor Corps is openly bigoted against mutants, despite working alongside a talking frog and an Alien-Tree. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in the [[spoiler: "hero" part. He's revealed to be the BigBad in the sory arc he's in. He's the serial killer who killed Beta Ray Bill and several versions of Jane Foster and Donald Blake. So, he's acatually a case of PoliticallyIncorrectVillain.]]

* PoliceBrutality:
** When [[spoiler:Beta Ray Bill]] is killed, the other Thors go hunt down everyone else it could be (Hulks, Mr. Sinisters, Ultrons, zombies, mutants, etc.) and beat them senseless in looking for answers.
** In Ultimate End issue 2 the Thors have no problem [[spoiler: brutally murdering Hawkeye, who was not even a danger to them.]]

** So does ''Thors''. [[spoiler:The Ultimate Thor flings his hammer so hard that it enters the All-New All-Different universe and crash lands on the abandoned Asgard, waiting for someone else to become Ultimate Thor.]]

* SpacePolice: In the Jason Aaron penned ''Thors'', the various Thor and similarly powered heroes (like Beta Ray Bill) across the multiverse come together to form what is described as "''Homicide: Life on the Street'' with lots of cosmic cops". Aaron elaborates that "It’s every version of Thor you can imagine, all walking beats, solving murders, getting yelled at by their commissioner and blowing off steam at their local Thor-cop bar."

** The Thors believe that the stars were plucked out of the sky to create their Mjolnirs.

* TortureAlwaysWorks: Averted in ''Thors''. Ultimate Thor refuses to let [[CowboyCop Rune Thor]] "interrogate" a suspect because he wants to know that whatever he gets out of them is the truth, not just whatever will stop the pain.

** [[spoiler:Jane Foster]], who is hunted by the serial killer in Thors, doesn't seem to exist (nobody can identify her, no files etc.) which makes the investigation that much harder.

** The end of Thors, [[spoiler:Ultimate Thor's hammer falls to Old Asgard in the new 616.]]

** In ''Master of Kung Fu'', [[Characters/IronManEnemies The Mandarin]] is merged with Shang-Chi's father, Literature/FuManchu, to create Emperor Zheng Zu. Currently, Zheng Zu is the real name of Shang-Chi's father, who would have usurped the name of Fu Manchu.

* RaceLift:
** ''Master of Kung Fu'' has a few Marvel characters reimagined as Asian, in keeping with the old school wushu film aesthetic.
** ''Squadron Sinister'' brings back the original Kenji Obatu version of Doctor Spectrum. However, he is now from Japan instead of Uganda.

* AcademyOfEvil: The setting of the ''Runaways'' series is revealed to be this when the kids discover that their headmaster is actually a super villain.

* AdaptationalSexuality: The version of Pixie in ''Runaways'' is bisexual. Her ex-girlfriend, ComicBook/{{Jubilee|MarvelComics}}, is also not straight, but her exact orientation isn't stated.

* BadassCrew:
** According to solicits for the continuation of ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'', Mainstream Spider-Girl, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man India, Spider-Ham, Spider-UK, and Spider-Gwen will be teaming up.
** The Runaways is this as well, with the likes of Molly, Valeria, Skaar, Cloak and Dagger and others as part of the group.

* LittleMissBadass:
** ''Runaways'' not only has classic member Molly Hayes, but also [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed and Sue Richards' daughter Valeria]].
** In ''Renew Your Vows'' #4, little Annie May Parker stops running and hiding, and starts wailing on most of Regent's Sinister Six.

** As does ''Runaways''. [[spoiler:The school is pretty much destroyed, and the way it worked means there are now a lot of very talented children free, without homes, and on the run once more.]]

** Oddly enough, in Ghost Racers issue 1 Alejandra Jones is referred to as being "Nicaraguan" despite the fact that the country of Nicaragua almost certainly doesn't exist in Battleworld, however no one comments on this.

* ImprobablyCoolCar: The Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider gets an upgraded version of his old car for the Ghost Rider Death Race featured in ''Ghost Racers'' - it's now not only a hellfire powered sports car, but one with mounted machine gun turrets and cannons. Some of the other contestants drive similarly cool Hellfire Cars.

* NiceGuy: Sheriff Rogers (the Captain America of Marvel: 1872), Robbie Reyes of Ghost Racers, who just wants to protect his brother, pretty much every She-Hulk, and most Spider-Men, Women, Girls, etc. count.