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ACBC 2015: After Secret Wars – Marvel Reveals Characters, Locations To Watch

By Nick Tylwalk

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Peter David almost didn’t make it to the Secret Wars & Aftermath panel at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Con on Saturday. It seems no one told the longtime Marvel writer just how far away Room 303 was from the show floor, nor how many different escalators were in the portion of the Atlantic City Convention Center that hold its meeting rooms.

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Once he arrived, he quickly joked about how he wasn’t going to be able to say anything interesting anyway, because he had received an email from Marvel a few weeks prior asking him not to say anything about Secret Wars or what might come next. It was going to be the shortest panel, ever, no?

Fortunately, the assembled Marvel talent, including fellow writer Charles Soule, Content Development Director Sana Amanat and Editor Katie Kubert did more than just promote the Secret Wars tie-ins (though they did plenty of that). They also provided multiple hints about characters and locations that will not only prove important during the event, but will be sticking around in the new Marvel Universe going forward.

Intrigued? Here’s who and where you should watch this summer and into the fall.

The Maestro

David admitted that when he wrote Future Imperfect, the Hulk tale that introduced the world to this tyrannical alternate future version of the Green Goliath, he figured that would be the end of him. Of course this is comics, so the writer figures he should have known better.

When Secret Wars opens, not only is Maestro ruling one of the domains on Battleworld, he’s actually considering challenging its god for control of the whole planet. If you’ve read the first two issues, you not only know who that ruler is, you’re aware how completely dominant he appears to be.

Still, it’s very much in character for the Maestro to want even more than he already has. Thanks to Marvel, we know he’ll be sticking around afterward too. That’s not really a spoiler — we already know he’s not easy to kill.

A-Force

The panelists asked who in the audience had been reading and enjoying A-Force so far, which was a trick question, since the all-female team of Avengers only soar into their own Secret Wars tie-in later this month. But did you really think Marvel went to the effort to publicize this group with plans to put it on the shelf right after the event? Perish the thought. As Marvel Event Coordinator Jake Friedfeld put it, “A-Force is going to be around.”

New Team of Survivors From Dead Universes

Soule mused that someone in the crowd asked if this would be the book’s actual title. Uh. no.

“There will be survivors, when this is over, and they will be in their own books and other people’s books,” Friedfeld said. He declined to say who they would be or what the series in question would be called. A new team of Exiles, maybe? That would make sense.

The Howling Commandos

One of the things the Marvel team put over repeatedly is that Secret Wars is allowing creators to tell other stories other than just straight super hero fare. Among the other genres is horror/monsters, as evidenced by Mrs. Deadpool & the Howling Commandos. These aren’t the World War II-era compatriots of Nick Fury we’re talking about, but Man-Thing, Frankenstein’s monster and other creatures of the night.

They’re going to be around after the event ends in some form or another.

Weirdworld

What is Weirdworld? It’s a unique zone of Battleworld that is like every form of fantasy mashed together on one floating island. Friedfeld, Amanat and company couldn’t stop raving about the Secret Wars tie-in series of the same name, particularly the art by Mike Del Mundo. The word “hallucinogenic” was used to describe it, in a complimentary fashion.

“This place is going to be around, and we’re going to be going back to it,” Friedfeld said. “And you’ll just have to wait and see what that means.” Alright then.

Battleworld

The composite planet made up of slivers from destroyed realities is going to survive the event, or so it seems. This should allow Marvel talent to continue to tell stories outside of the normal continuity — whatever that’s going to look like going forward — while still doing away with the idea of the multiverse. Sort of like the creative equivalent of having your cake and eating it too.

If that is indeed the case, it’s a pretty clever way for Marvel to see which of the tie-in series really catch on and give them a place to continue on if need be. There’s definitely a lot to consider here as you read the remainder of Secret Wars, and if you’re enjoying the ride, it’s nice to know it doesn’t necessarily have to end after issue #8.

Next: More ACBC 2015: a photo gallery

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