SDCC 2023: Mysteries Revealed in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld

In 1984, Marvel’s greatest heroes and deadliest villains were pit against each other on Battleworld by the unbelievably powerful Beyonder in Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton’s SECRET WARS! Regarded as the pioneer Marvel Comics crossover event, Secret Wars had an undeniable impact on comic book storytelling and to celebrate this landmark series’ 40th anniversary, Marvel will return to Battleworld this November in an all-new four-issue limited series: MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD!

Announced this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD is written by industry icon Tom DeFalco, former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief and the editor of the original Secret Wars. Joined by acclaimed artist Pat Olliffe, DeFalco will expose never-before-told secrets behind one of the significant conflicts in Marvel history. Fans can expect revelations beyond the Beyonder’s true motives, shocking appearances by characters that you didn’t even know fought in the Secret Wars, and more. Starring iconic super hero best friend duo Spider-Man and the Human Torch, MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD will fit seamlessly between the pages of the beloved original series and hold the answers to questions you never knew you had!

The Original Secret Wars: Battleworld Boxed Set

Before the all-new Secret Wars takes the comic world by storm in just over a month, relive the complete Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars legacy in one complete, stunning package. Today, Marvel is proud to present your first look at the MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD BOX SET SLIPCASE, a deluxe collection of 11 hardcovers chronicling the history of one of Marvel’s most storied events!

Available in June, readers will be transported to Battleworld and back as they experience over 30 years of Secret Wars stories in one of the most comprehensive collections we’ve ever released! Plus, each of these extremely limited box sets comes complete with a full-size poster: legendary painter Alex Ross's rendition of the cover to Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1!

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Activity Book Returns

Love Marvel’s influential 1980s classic Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars? Do you enjoy puzzles and games? Do you like FUN?! If you said yes to any of the above, have we got a book for you! Relive the unbridled joy of being a child of the 1980s with the MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS ACTIVITY BOOK as it makes its triumphant return in 2015!

Time travel back to a simpler time and discover – or rediscover – the magic of the 1980s with this radical replica collection of coloring books, activities, and sticker albums and stamp books! It’s got games, it’s got adventures, it’s got posters – it’s even got stickers! All it needs now is you!

Back in the 1980s, Marvel produced a number of totally tubular activity and coloring books to coincide with the release of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. With a brand-new Secret Wars on the horizon for 2015, there’s never been a better time to bring back these action-packed adventures where YOU CONTROL THE ACTION!

Gentle Giant Dives Into Marvel's Secret Wars with Jumbo Retro Action Figures

While Marvel Comics is about to blast headlong into yet another Secret War, Gentle Giant prefer to remember the original event that introduced Spider-Man's black costume, birthed a new baddie for She-Hulk to pound on and answered the question....what would happen if you dump a mountain on top of The Hulk? Marvel's Secret Wars was crazy fun for me as a kid and now, our statue making friends will rekindle that love with jumbo 12 inch reproductions of what were really the first straight up Marvel action figures for most of us! The line kicks off with Black Suited Spider-Man, due out the third quarter of 2015. Here's the skinny...

Mystery of the Toys R Us Timewarp

While browsing ToysRUs.com, utilizing their wish list to earmark some awesome things I wanted to keep an eye on as they drop in price, I stumbled across something seriously strange.

Back in the 80's, the only action figure line to feed my frenzy for Marvel Comics collectibles (post-Mego) was a little line called Secret Wars. Like most figures of its time, the figure line was mainly the same sculpt painted over repeatedly with a new head popped on top. Though such practices are all but gone now (flashes a look at Mattel and Hasbro), the line still has a firm hold on my heart strings.

Fast forward to 2010 and I'm all growed up, killing some down time by looking over the Marvel toy section on TRU.com and as I reach the end of the list, I find this.

Vintage 1984 Marvel Doom Roller - $59.99

I scratched my head and re-read the description about 17 times before clicking "order" to see what would happen. It was like the site was taunting me as I had to re-enter my info 3 times to complete my order due to standard suckage of their website, but in the end, the order was placed with a $10 dollar off coupon used to boot! I figured I'd wait and see what shows up in the mail, then possibly return it to my local Toys R Us to take camera phone pics of them going cross eyed in disbelief. Then I got another idea.

Heading back to the front page, I decided to enter the word "Vintage". Up came several pages of clothing and a couple of cute little RC Robots I didn't know existed and then...

Star Wars 1982 Empire Strikes Back Vintage Loose Action Figure- C-3PO with cape in Kenner Sealed Baggie - $14.99


WTF??!! One item could be a disgruntled website worker deciding to play a joke on the geeks of the world and maybe even follow through with the order to put a gold cap on the laugh, but two items from the 80's just sitting there waiting for purchase, in stock?! I'm not even going to joke over them calling the accessory a cape..because..that's just tru.com, ya know? Part of their charm. I took a quick detour over to ebay and noticed the C3PO with removable limbs in the baggie is fairly common, in mint condition, and going for close to this price, so apparently people have come across caches of this gem before... So that lead me to my next question...

Just how many of these items can Toysrus.com possibly have?? In stock, right now, are 24 Doom Rollers and 29 3POs!! Someone could clean then out of this stock for under 2 grand, so if this interests you, I suggest you pounce NOW and we'll consider ourselves part of the most ridiculous club ever. Stay tuned for more on this story when TRU gets back to me and when the Doom Roller arrives here!

P.S...for the Star Wars freaks..the site also has the Disney Star Tours figures up for sale as well as a Galactic Hunt 30th anniversary 2 pack with Concept Chewie and Biggs, Concept 3po and R2 (which I never saw in a store), the 2008 SDCC Clone Trooper, 2007 Shadow Scout Speeder AND the Holiday Jawas! They've even got Jorg Sacol, an 89 Hotwheels Batmobile...and an 86 Mets autographed baseball. Oddsville.

FIRE SALE: Amazon Comics Hardcovers

HOLEEE CRAP. I was just talking to a friend the other day who mentioned I haven't done a fire sale article in ages. I remarked that there haven't been any fantastic deals that enough people could get on top of...until today!! Bleeding Cool reported on the insanity over at Amazon.com where select Marvel hardcovers are going for 9 dollars to 14.99!! Not a big deal you say? What if I mentioned some of the 8 dollar ones bear the name OMNIBUS!! 800 pages of comicy goodness for 8 dollars. MADNESS. There are also some other fantastic bargains, so I'll do my best to lay out the greatest deals, so click and buy FAST before it's all gone..or Amazon comes to their senses.

Madman Gargantua
The Complete Invincible Library, Vol. 1
The Ultimates Omnibus
Wolverine Omnibus, Vol. 1
The X-Men Omnibus, Vol. 1
The Incredible Hulk Omnibus, Vol. 1
Iron Man Omnibus, Vol. 1
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Omnibus, Vol. 2
Criminal (Deluxe Edition)
Fantastic Four Omnibus, Vol. 1
Secret Wars Omnibus
Secret Wars II Omnibus
Golden Age Marvel Comics Omnibus Volume 1 HC
The Walking Dead Hardcovers 50% off
Amazing Fantasy Omnibus HC
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume

Update: Bleeding Cool says this was a glitch and it is being fixed now..so the question is, will we get our books at those prices? I expect any pre-orders will immediately get cancelled, but will the rest go through? And who will foot the bill? Would Amazon blame Diamond for the error and make them eat the cost? This could turn into a big deal. Stay tuned!

New Marvel Universe Pics

I'll get the moaning out of the way first. OH GOD WHYYYYY CAN'T WE GET NEW MARVEL LEGENDS FIGURES??!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

It really is sad...and I know it's sad...but I love the 6 inch figures so. I finally found Dum Dum Dugan the other day and almost cried in the middle of Times Square Toys R Us. Hasbro must deny me, like a super hot starlet who refuses to show off her goods. Our meeting at this year's Toyfair should be comical if they've been reading this blog.

At any rate, we told you about wave 3 and 4 of the Marvel Universe Secret Wars 2 packs HERE. We were only able to show you half the pictures then. NOW, we've got the rest. Check out Absorbing Man (with a lil tiny Wasp) & Dr. Doom, Thing and Bulldozer and Mohawk Storm and Nightcrawler. Click to make with the biggie.















We also thought we'd show off the newest characters to grace the abysmal 4 inch Spider-Man line. I'm refraining from posting half a dozen pictures of Spider-Man in his swim trunks, samurai gear, electrician's gauntlets and bee keepers getup. The funny thing is, if Hasbro would paint Spider-Man in his classic outfit choices under all that silly armor instead of these suits they are making up, I'd probably be out to buy them. Here's Rhino, Doc Ock in two awesome outfits and Hobgoblin. Rhino and Reg Armed Ock appear in series 2 while Hobgoblin and dayglo armed Ock will come in series 3. Welcome back, 90's.

More Highly Requested Marvel Figures Headed Our Way

...though most of them aren't in the scale we've been crying for. First up, here's a new pic of Marvel Select's Deadpool figure, due out the second quarter of 2010. Note that this is Diamond's 7 inch line, putting him out of scale with Marvel Legends.






Hasbro continues their 3.75" onslaught with more Secret Wars 2 packs. The newest waves include:

Thor and The Enchantress
Hawkeye and Piledriver
Mr. Fantastic and Ultron
Absorbing Man and Doctor Doom
Storm and Nightcrawler
Thing and Bulldozer
































Back to Diamond we go with their new Marvel Select Cyclops with an X-Factor uniform variant and a Danger Room base! The sides of the base are slotted to allow for possible future basses to connect to it. Diamond alluded to the fact that Colossus might be next up in this series in their Art Asylum blog. Look for him the second quarter of 2010.