Marvel’s Secret Wars: The Definitive Reading Order
A comprehensive reading guide outlines comic storylines connected to Marvel’s Secret Wars, spanning from the original 1984 series to Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 run. It highlights essential background material, character origins, and multiverse incursions that establish the narrative foundation for the event.
The guide organizes core comic issues, optional tie-in titles, and crossover series into a recommended chronological order. It also summarizes the narrative aftermath across subsequent comic reboots, offering context for readers following comic continuity or upcoming film adaptations.
The Definite Reading Order of Marvel’s Secret Wars
With the MCU introducing Dr. Doom and setting up Secret Wars, I thought would be good to throw together the essential reading order. This one has everything going back to 1984.
We’re assuming the movie will pull from the 2015 Jonathan Hickman Secret Wars; since the MCU has set up incursions and that was a big deal in the Hickman story, it seems like this is how they are going to go. A majority of this list is Hickman’s work leading up to the crossover event.
There are a lot of books that aren’t required reading but still included for story context; the 1984 Secret Wars and the follow-up series have almost nothing to do with the 2015 event. I’ve included them for 2 reasons: We don’t know which version the 2027 movie will pull from and they introduce characters that Hickman used.
It’s all broken up in sections and gives the individual issue numbers; reading it in this format is best for storytelling purposes, but will be annoying for those that are going to read it in trade format or on Marvel Unlimited (for now; they are moving to a new platform in November).
Secret Wars I: This is the original Secret Wars, where the Beyonder pulls heroes and villains onto the original Battleworld. While the 1984 and 2015 share a name, they are not directly related. This one does establish the Beyonder and sets up Dr. Dooms powerset for the 2015 version.
Secret Wars #1-12 (1984)
Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1-4 (2015): Not essential reading; this adds Deadpool to the original Secret Wars series.
Secret Wars II: The sequel series brings the Beyonder to Earth and give more details into the Molecule Man, who plays a role in the 2015 story. There are 30 tie in issues in the monthly books; most aren’t really key for the greater narrative. Read the bolded issues.
Secret Wars II #1 (1985)
Captain America #308 (1968), Uncanny X-Men #196 (1963), Iron Man #197 (1968)
Secret Wars II #2 (1985)
Web of Spider-Man #6 (1985), Amazing Spider-Man #268 (1963), Fantastic Four #282 (1961)
Secret Wars II #3 (1985)
New Mutants #30 (1983), Avengers #260 (1963), Avengers #261 (1963), The Thing #30 (1983), Doctor Strange #74 (1974), Daredevil #223 (1964)
Secret Wars II #4 (1985)
Alpha Flight #28 (1983), Dazzler #40 (1981), Rom #72 (1979)*
Secret Wars II #5 (1985)
The Defenders #152 (1972), Fantastic Four #285 (1961), The Incredible Hulk #312 (1962)
Secret Wars II #6 (1985)
Cloak and Dagger #4 (1985), Micronauts: The New Voyages #16 (1984)*, Power Pack #18 (1984), Thor #363 (1966), Power Man and Iron Fist #121 (1974)
Fantastic Four #288 (1961): This expands on the Molecule Man’s origin and is later brought up in Hickman’s Fantastic Four run.
Uncanny X-Men #203 (1963)
Secret Wars II #9 (1985)
Avengers #266 (1963)
*Rom and The Micronauts are not available on Marvel Unlimited.
S.H.I.E.L.D
S.H.I.E.L.D. 1-6 (2010)
S.H.I.E.L.D. 0-6 (2011)
Secret Warriors
Mighty Avengers #13 (2007): Not a Hickman book, but adds depth to the overall story.
Mighty Avengers #18 (2007): Not a Hickman book, but adds depth to the overall story.
Dark Reign: New Nation #1 (2008)
Secret Warriors #1-9 (2009)
Dark Reign: The List #1 (2009)
Secret Warriors #10-16 (2009)
Siege: Secret Warriors #1 (2010)
Secret Warriors #17-28 (2009)
Fantastic Four
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1-5 (2009)
Fantastic Four #570-588 (1998)
FF #1-11 (2011)
Fantastic Four #600 (1998)
FF #12 (2011)
Fantastic Four #601 (1998)
FF #13 (2011)
Fantastic Four #602 (1998)
FF #14 (2011)
Fantastic Four #603 (1998)
FF #15 (2011)
Fantastic Four #604 (1998)
FF #16 (2011)
Fantastic Four #605-606 (1998)
FF #17-18 (2011)
Fantastic Four #607-608 (1998)
FF #19-21 (2011)
Fantastic Four #609-610 (1998)
FF #22 (2011)
Fantastic Four #611 (1998)
FF #23 (2011)
The Ultimate Universe
Ultimate Thor #1-4 (2010)
Ultimate Fallout #1-6 (2011): Only the Hickman stories tie into the greater narrative, but it’s all worth reading.
Ultimate Comics: Hawkeye #1-4 (2011)
Ultimate Comics: Ultimates #1-12 (2011)
Avengers World
New Avengers: Illuminati #1 (2006): This is the stand alone issue by Brian Michael Bendis, not the limited series that starts December 2006. I’d recommend this for the history of the Illuminati.
Avengers #1-3 (2012)
New Avengers #1-3 (2013)
Avengers #4-5 (2012)
New Avengers #4-6 (2013)
Avengers #6-13 (2012)
New Avengers #7 (2013)
Infinity
Avengers #14-17 (2012)
New Avengers #8 (2013)
Infinity #1 (2013)
Avengers #18
New Avengers #9 (2013)
Infinity #2 (2013)
Avengers #19 (2012)
New Avengers #10 (2013)
Infinity #3 (2013)
Avengers #20 (2012)
Infinity #4 (2013)
Avengers #21 (2012)
New Avengers #11 (2013)
Infinity #5 (2013)
Avengers #22-23 (2012)
New Avengers #12 (2013)
The Incursions
Avengers World #1-14 (2014)
Avengers #24 (2012)
New Avengers #13-15 (2013)
Avengers #25-28 (2012)
New Avengers #16-17 (2013)
Avengers #29-34 (2012)
New Avengers #18-23 (2013)
New Avengers Annual #1 (2014)
Avengers #34.1-34.2 (2012): Not a Hickman book, but adds depth to the overall story.
Avengers World #15-16 (2014): Not a Hickman book, but adds depth to the overall story.
Spider-Verse: While not a direct tie into Secret Wars, Spider-Verse sets up the different Spider-People on Battleworld. The full reading order can be found here.
Time Runs Out
Avengers #35 (2012)
New Avengers #24 (2013)
Avengers #36 (2012)
New Avengers #25 (2013)
Avengers #37 (2012)
New Avengers #26 (2013)
Avengers #38 (2012)
New Avengers #27 (2013)
Avengers #39 (2012)
New Avengers #28 (2013)
Avengers #40 (2012)
New Avengers #29 (2013)
Avengers #41 (2012)
New Avengers #30 (2013)
Avengers #42 (2012)
New Avengers #31-32 (2013)
Avengers #43 (2012)
New Avengers #33 (2013)
Avengers: Rage of Ultron (2015): An original graphic novel that shows the 616 before the final incursion hits and sets up Last Days.
Avengers #44 (2012)
Avengers World #17-21 (2014): Not a Hickman book, but adds depth to the overall story.
Last Days: These are concurrent stories that deal with the final days on Earth-616 running up to issue #1 of Secret Wars; they are not essential to the story, nor are they written by Hickman (except the Secret Wars issues). There is a trade that collects Captain America & The Mighty Avengers, Loki: Agent of Asgard, and Magneto; all the other stories are collected in their title’s trade.
Some believe that reading Secret Wars #1 before the Last Days books is better for the flow of the story; you could also slot it into the Secret Wars section. The rest can be read in any order.
Secret Wars: Free Comic Book Day #0 (2015)
Secret Wars #1 (2015)
Ant-Man: Last Days #1 (2015): Scott Lang tries to do right by Cassie one last time.
Black Widow #19-20 (2014): Natasha looks back at her life as the sky turns red during the incursion.
Captain America And The Might Avengers #8-9* (2014): How everyday citizens and street-level heroes cope with the end of days.
Loki: Agent of Asgard #14-17 (2014): Asgard faces its literal Ragnarok alongside the cosmic Incursion.
Magneto #18-21 (2014): Magneto attempts to use his magnetic powers to literally hold the colliding planets apart.
Ms. Marvel #16-19 (2014): Kamala teams up with Captain Marvel to protect Jersey City during the panic.
The Punisher #19-20 (2014): Frank uses the apocalypse as an excuse to launch one last massive raid on supervillains.
Silk #7* (2015): Silk spends her final hours searching for her missing family
Silver Surfer #13-15 (2014): The Silver Surfer and Dawn Greenwood survive the collapse in a void, remaking their own corner of reality, with issue #15 acting as a perfect epilogue to read after the main Secret Wars event.
Secret Wars: There is the core Secret Wars series, with 48 tie in series that deal replaced specific books during the event. They are not essential to the main story, but give little bits that do tie into the main book.
There are 2 different categories for these books: Battleworlds and Warzones. The Battleworld books are the core infrastructure and law for the event; the Warzones are the different realities pulled into Battleworld. They can be read in any order.
The bolded books are the more essential ones for the main story to understand the fundamentals of Battleworld. I’ve listed them after issue #2, but most can be slotted in anywhere between issue #2 and #6.
Secret Wars #2 (2015)
Battleworld:
Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies #1-4 (2015)
Ghost Racers #1-4 (2015)
Inhumans: Attilan Rising #1-5 (2015)
Korvac Saga #1-4 (2015)
Marvel Zombies #1-4 (2015)
Master of Kung Fu #1-4 (2015)
Red Skull #1-3 (2015)
Runaways #1-4 (2015)
Secret Wars: Battleworld #1-4 (2015)
Secret Wars Journal #1-5 (2015)
Secret Wars: Secret Love #1 (2015)
Siege #1-4 (2015)
Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde #1-3 (2015)
Thors #1-4 (2015)
Ultimate End #1-5 (2015)
Weirdworld #1-5 (2015)
Warzones:
1602: Witch Hunter Angela #1-4 (2015)
1872 #1-4 (2015)
A-Force #1-5 (2015)
Age of Apocalypse #1-5 (2015)
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1-5 (2015)
Armor Wars #1-5 (2015)
Captain Britain and the Mighty Defenders #1-2 (2015)
Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps #1-4 (2015)
Civil War #1-5 (2015)
E Is for Extinction #1-4 (2015)
Future Imperfect #1-5 (2015)
Giant-Size Little Marvel: AvX #1-4 (2015)
Guardians of Knowhere #1-4 (2015)
Hail Hydra #1-4 (2015)
Hank Johnson, Agent of Hydra #1 (2015)
House of M #1-4 (2015)
Inferno #1-5 (2015)
Infinity Gauntlet #1-5 (2015)
M.O.D.O.K. Assassin #1-5 (2015)
Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos #1-4 (2015)
Old Man Logan #1-5 (2015)
Planet Hulk #1-5 (2015)
Secret Wars 2099 #1-5 (2015)
Secret Wars, Too #1 (2015)
Spider-Island #1-5 (2015)
Spider-Verse #1-5 (2015)
Squadron Sinister #1-5 (2015)
Where Monsters Dwell #1-4 (2015)
X-Men ’92 #1-5 (2015)
X-tinction Agenda #1-4 (2015)
Years of Future Past #1-5 (2015)
Secret Wars #3-9 (2015)
Aftermath
Where should you go after reading Secret Wars? Marvel kicked off the All-New, All Different era of comics, where a lot of titles were rebooted. There are a couple of titles that you should note from this era and their ties to Secret Wars.
Invincible Iron Man (2105) is the anchor for the All-New, All Different Marvel and reintroduces a “better” version of Dr. Doom.
The Ultimates (2015) tries to fix the current version of the multiverse (the 8th Cosmos).
Spider-Man (2016) deals with Miles Morales coming to the 616-universe after his 1610-universe is destroyed in an incursion.
Old Man Logan (2016) also joins the 616 straight out of his Warzone series; he’s determined to take out the villains responsible for his timeline. It’s also worth noting that the 616 Logan is dead at this point.
Amazing Spider-Man (2015) updates Peter’s life by having him run Parker Industries while trying to balance his life as a Spider-Man.
Vision (2015) comes out of the event with a family living in Washington D.C. This is one of my favorite books to come out of the event.
Further down the line, Hickman started a new Ultimate Universe that lasted for 2 years; Hickman launched Ultimate Spider-Man with a middle aged Peter Parker. Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Black Panther launched with it, followed by Ultimate Wolverine and the Ultimates, along with a few one-shots throughout the 2 years.
There was also a What If?… this past summer: Secret Wars #1. The plot revolves around the 616 Peter Parker ending up in the Ultimate Universe and finding out the 616 was destroyed. It was a fun issue.
I’ll be back with more reading lists; if you have one you want to see, throw it in the comments.
