The Evolutionary War
"The Evolutionary War" | |||
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Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
Publication date | 1988 | ||
Genre |
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Main character(s) |
"The Evolutionary War" was a
The storyline was the first of its kind. While there had been previous extended crossovers over multiple titles before it, "The Evolutionary War" was the first to take place exclusively in annuals. This format of crossover annuals was to be repeated by Marvel for the next four years, most notably with 1989's "Atlantis Attacks."
Background
One of the world's premiere geneticists, the
Plot
The High Evolutionary is revealed to have survived his suicide attempt, and has rededicated himself to guiding and enhancing the evolution of humanity so that his race may one day be supreme to all others, including the Beyonders. To this end he initiates several concurrent efforts to accelerate
He sends his Purifier troops into
In
Meanwhile, the High Evolutionary visits the Eternals and persuades them aid his cause by mapping the genetic code of the Silver Surfer. The Surfer refuses to cooperate, and convinces the Eternals to let him be.[5]
The Purifiers set about removing the powers of mutants deemed to pose a threat to humanity. When they capture Magma from Nova Roma, the inner circle of the Hellfire Club and the New Mutants storm the Purifier base in Wyoming to rescue her. During the struggle, Mirage inadvertently has her powers enhanced, allowing her to physically manifest the illusions she casts.[6]
With the supply of drugs cut off by events in Bogotá, a drug war escalates in
While the royal family of the
The High Evolutionary next travels to the site of the
The Exterminators attempt to seal off the Nexus of All Realities in the
In the broadest part of his plans, the High Evolutionary plots to construct a bomb that will genetically alter all life on Earth. He sends the Gatherers and a superhuman team known as the Sensors to
Before completion of the genetic bomb, the High Evolutionary sends Gatherers to capture a rogue
The Evolutionary's researchers reassemble
Backup stories
Each chapter of the crossover features a short back up
In the course of the story, it is revealed that the High Evolutionary received help from a mysterious benefactor, who provided him with the secrets of the human genetic code and access to Moloids to build his base on
The backup stories were intended to be read in the same order as the lead stories. However, the backups in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 and Fantastic Four Annual #21 are transposed, creating some confusion. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 contains part 5 of the lead story and part 6 of the backups; Fantastic Four Annual #21 contains part 6 of the lead story and part 5 of the backups. This can be confirmed by reading the relevant stories: In the lead story of Fantastic Four Annual #21, the Watcher refers to events in the lead story of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22; whereas in the backup of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 the High Evolutionary has subdued the werewolf he fought in the backup of Fantastic Four Annual #21.
Related stories
At the time of the crossover, Marvel was publishing a comic book based on the TV series ALF, and so ALF Annual #1 served as a tongue-in-cheek unofficial tie-in to the story in which the High Evolutionary meets ALF.[16] Years later, the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe confirmed the canonicity of this story.
In
Thor #407 follows up on the events of Avengers Annual #17 to reveal the fates of Hercules and the High Evolutionary.
Alternate Versions
What If?
A postscript of sorts to the series came with What If...? vol. 2 #1 (July, 1989) written by Roy Thomas, which explores the question "What if the Avengers lost the Evolutionary War?". In this version of the story, the reserve Avengers are unable to stop the High Evolutionary from detonating his bomb. As a result, the evolution of all human life on earth is hyper-accelerated. This process causes humanity to evolve beyond conflict with each other, and between humans and mutants. When Celestials eventually arrive to destroy the Earth, the combined powers of humanity's minds destroy one of them, forcing the remainder to retreat. Mutants, already one step ahead of homo sapiens on the evolutionary scale, ascend to the next level and join together to form a combined group which leaves for space, ultimately destroying Galactus and merging with Death and Eternity to form a being so powerful that it enables the Big Bang of another universe.
Bibliography
The Evolutionary War
- Part 1: X-Factor Annual #3[3]
- Part 2: The Punisher Annual #1[4]
- Part 3: Silver Surfer Annual #1[5]
- Part 4: New Mutants Annual #4[6]
- Part 5: Fantastic Four Annual #21[8]
- Part 6: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22[7]
- Part 7: X-Men Annual #12[9]
- Part 8: Web of Spider-Man Annual #4[10]
- Part 9: West Coast Avengers Annual #3[11]
- Part 10: The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #8[12]
- Part 11: The Avengers Annual #17[13]
Related issues
- ALF Annual #1 (1988)[16]
- What If...? volume 2 #1 (July, 1989)
References
- ^ Gruenwald, Mark (w), Bingham, Jerry (p), Day, Gene (i). "Suffer Not a Warlock to Live" Marvel Two-in-One, no. 63 (May 1980).
- ^ Mantlo, Bill (w), Buscema, Sal (p), Buscema, Sal (i). "Devolution" The Incredible Hulk, vol. 2, no. 266 (December 1981).
- ^ a b Simonson, Louise (w), Shoemaker, Terry (p), Milgrom, Al (i). "Unnatural Selection" X-Factor Annual, no. 3 (1988).
- ^ a b Baron, Mike (w), Texeira, Mark (p), Williams, Scott (i). "Evolutionary Jihad" The Punisher Annual, vol. 2, no. 1 (1988).
- ^ a b Engelhart (w), Staton, Joe (p), Rubinstein, Josef (i). "Adam" Silver Surfer Annual, vol. 3, no. 1 (1988).
- ^ a b Simonson, Louise (w), Brigman, June (p), McLeod, Bob (i). "Mind Games" New Mutants Annual, no. 4 (1988).
- ^ DeFalco, Tom; Michelinie, David (w), Bagley, Mark (p), Esposito, Mike (i). "Drug War Rages" The Amazing Spider-ManAnnual, no. 22 (1988).
- ^ a b Englehart, Steve (w), Dwyer, Kieron (p), Sinnott, Joe (i). "Crystal Blue Persuasion" Fantastic Four Annual, no. 21 (1988).
- ^ a b Claremont, Chris (w), Adams, Arthur (p), Wiacek, Bob (i). "Resurrection" X-Men Annual, no. 12 (1988).
- ^ a b Gerber, Steve (w), Martin, Cynthia (p), Martin, Cynthia (i). "Sweet Poison" Web of Spider-Man Annual, no. 4 (1988).
- ^ a b Englehart, Steve (w), Milgrom, Al (p), Talaoc, Gerry (i). "Heads You Lose..." West Coast Avengers Annual, vol. 2, no. 3 (1988).
- ^ a b Conway, Gerry (w), Bagley, Mark (p), Williams, Keith (i). "Return to Sender" The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual, no. 8 (1988).
- ^ a b Simonson, Walt (w), Bright, M. D. (p), Gustovich, Mike (i). "Prometheus Mutans" The Avengers Annual, no. 17 (1988).
- ^ "Phaeder (Maelstrom's father)".
- ^ FF: 50 Fantastic Years #1 (2012)
- ^ a b Gallagher, Michael (w), Manak, Dave (p), Severin, Marie (i). "You Say You Want an Evolution?" ALF Annual, no. 1 (1988).