Marvel’s Secret Wars #3 Review/Recap

Secret Wars #3 – The disquiet heart of God

 

Marvel’s Secret Wars #3 Recap

Our story begins in Castle Doom.  Sheriff Strange is giving his weekly report to the God King Doom.  No major incident has occurred from the Shield in the last week.  There have been a few minor skirmishes in the kingdoms – Inferno smolders as usual, the Green North rages, and there are scattered reports of a traveller illegally crossing mutant borders.  While Strange discusses the building tension between Higher Avalon and Baron Sinister, Doom interrupts him.  The King wants to know why Stephen bothers with this trivial nonsense.

Strange insists that Doom is all-powerful, but not all knowing.  This is the last world, and they can’t risk anything happening to it.  But Doom remains unconcerned.  Stephen is frustrated, and reveals that he remembers the world like it was, and not just how it is now.  Dr. Strange remembers everything, and how he could have been God instead of Doom.  Victor reminds Stephen that he refused the job, but Strange says it all serves to remind him of the importance of their task.  If Battleworld falls, all of reality goes with it.  Doom restates that is is not worried about this, and has full and complete faith in his Sheriff.

Their walk takes them to a large moment made for Owen Reece, also known as Molecule Man, as Strange thanks Victor for his kind words and faith.  As they move on to other matters, the Sheriff suddenly gets a call about some foreboding news from Doomgard…

Later, in the Kingdom of Utopolis, Strange arrives to investigate the Cabal’s crash site.  They come across a dead Thor and spot the Cabal’s tracks leaving the area.  Strange sends the Thors to track the fugitives down, while he opens the vessel.  The magician detects a presence inside the ship, and demands that it reveal itself.  Miles Morales, alive and well, emerges from the ship.  Miles explains how he sneaked on board during the final incursion, but Strange stops him quickly, shocked to learn that Morales remembers the world as it once existed.

[Related: Marvel’s Secret Wars 2015 Complete Reading Order Checklist]

Back at Castle Doom, Victor comes across Sue Storm, who is watching over her children as they are playing with the Castle’s Galactus.  The two discuss things, and when Doom tries to reprimand her for leaving the Castle without protection earlier, Sue chastises Victor for forgetting that the woman can take care of herself.  Doom apologizes, and the two begin to discuss Johnny Storm.  This world’s Human Torch was unhappy with Doom ruling Battleworld, and tried to foment dissent.  Victor left his punishment with Sue, who decided that rather than have him sent beyond the Shield, it would do her brother more honour to become Battleworld’s sun.  High above, Johnny now burns in orbit of Battleworld, providing light and heat for the sole planet in existence.  Johnny is left in agony, but at least it is a place of honour, and now the people worship him.

Doom then comments how he has changed, and in spite of Susan’s encouragement, Victor states he feels like a poor God.  Doom admits he is still flawed, and can’t even heal his own face.  But Susan encourages Doom, stating that she chose him not because of his looks, but for his mind and heart.  She has Victor take off his mask, so that all may see what she sees… a god with great love for his people.

We next go to the hidden island of Agamotto, to Strange’s Sanctum Santorum.  This is a safe haven from a world of prying eyes, and to remember all that has been lost.  Strange takes a young version of Thor and Miles to a new vessel, similar to the one that Miles came to Battleworld in.  The young Thor opens this vessel, and from it, the surviving 616 heroes emerge.  Miles and Peter are utterly shocked but glad to see one another, while Carol Danvers asks what is going on.

Dr. Strange has trouble confirming these really are the same 616 heroes he once knew, until Cyclops emerges from the vessel, still powered by the Phoenix.  Next, Black Panther and Reed Richards emerge, but Mr. Fantastic is still devastated from the loss of his family.  Dr. Strange warns the heroes that the situation is very… complicated right now, and the heroes have been in stasis for eight years.

Everything died, but in that moment of death, Doom created a new world.  Built from the remnants of collapsed worlds and cobbled together into one remaining planet, Battleworld has existed for eight years.  Stephen reveals that he found the 616 heroes three years ago, but left them in stasis.  Strange says that he needed to consider things and didn’t know what was on board.  Outraged, Reed demands a better explanation, but Dr. Strange only says that Doom is very, very good at playing God.

[Related: Marvel’s Secret Wars 2015 Complete Reading Order Checklist]

Back in the Kingdom of Utopolis, the Cabal discusses their new surroundings.  Maximus is fascinated by this place as the sun appears to orbit the planet, and not the other way around.  The others are frustrated and insist they should have questioned the Thor at the crash site, but as Thanos looks up, he is certain that they don’t need to go anywhere for answers.  The Thors are here…

 

Marvel’s Secret Wars #3 Review

Hello and welcome to Comic Island!  My name is Arden, and this is my recap, and review, of Secret Wars #3!

Alright, so here is another great issue overall.  Yep, I continue to be quite blown away by Secret Wars.  I find our viewers response to this story has varied wildly from “This is the worst thing Marvel has ever done” to “This is the best thing Marvel has ever done,” but personally, I’ve really been enjoying the 2015 Secret Wars on the whole.

Issue number three is particularly interesting.  There isn’t one panel of action in this story and it is entirely driven by dialogue and character development.  But it is so informative and intriguing that I can’t help but be on board with this comic.  We have so much information confirmed here about the origins of Battleworld.  We also learn a bit about what happened to Strange and Doom, while we also find out that this involved Molecule Man’s disappearance or death.  And on top of all that, we get to see the Cabal are set up to have a big confrontation next issue, and that the 616 survivors are back in action too.

[Related: Marvel’s Secret Wars 2015 Complete Reading Order Checklist]

I also like how the tie-ins are nicely mentioned in this comic while not being important to the core story itself, and we got a good look at Doom without his mask, which is rare in comics to say the least.  Victor is an interesting character into himself, shown to have a real bond with and respect for both Sue and Dr. Strange, while also demonstrated to be a flawed human with his own doubt about himself. Sue Storm’s role in this story should also prove very cool, especially when she inevitably meets one or both of the Reed Richards in this story.  What happens there should prove to be quite exciting and will probably have a big influence on what is to come.  And then there’s the Phoenix, now in play on Battleworld and likely to have a major role in all of this as well.

So it was a great comic on the whole, with good writing and art.  I heartily recommend you check out Secret Wars for yourself if you have been enjoying this event so far.  Let me know what you think in the comments section below.  And, as always, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and keep reading comics.