Evolutionary War
Encyclopedia
The Evolutionary War was a comic book
crossover
which ran through most of the Summer annuals
published by Marvel Comics
in 1988
. Principal writers included Gerry Conway
, Steve Englehart
, Louise Simonson
, Chris Claremont
, and Steve Gerber
.
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 was to be repeated by Marvel a year later in 1989
's "Atlantis Attacks
" and was imitated by DC Comics
for the first time three years later with their Armageddon 2001
crossover in 1991
.
had devoted his life to unlocking the mysteries of life and creating new forms of intelligent beings for his research. His crowning achievement was the creation of Counter-Earth
; however this was viewed as little more than a trivial matter by the Beyonders
, who captured the planet for display in a cosmic museum of curiosities. Realizing that his own aspirations to godhood were dwarfed by the Beyonders, the Evolutionary succumbed to madness and depression. He goaded the Hulk
into damaging the defense mechanisms in his armor, so that he could commit suicide.
and eliminate perceived threats to mankind's genetic purity.
He sends his Purifier troops into Subterranea
to sterilize the simple-minded races that dwell there. However, the discovery of a mutant Moloid attracts the intervention of X-Factor
and Apocalypse
. The Evolutionary is ultimately convinced that the Subterraneans indeed have genetic potential and ceases his operations there.
In Bogotá
, the Evolutionary's Eliminators are dispatched to exterminate a drug cartel. The Punisher
discovers the battle and dispatches with both sides.
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 the cooperate and convinces the Eternals to let him be.
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.
With the supply of drugs cut off by events in Bogotá, a drug war escalates in New York City
, made worse by the Purifiers murdering drug dealers. Seeking to retaliate against the ones who disrupted his drug trade, the Kingpin
learns about the High Evolutionary's scheme and allows the information to reach Spider-Man
and Daredevil
. Along with Speedball
, they defeat the Purifiers before they can enact the High Evolutionary's plan to sterilize all undesirable individuals in the city.
While the royal family of the Inhumans
is on Earth demanding that Crystal
leave the Fantastic Four
, The High Evolutionary leads a squad of Gatherers and Eliminators to the Blue Area of the Moon to obtain the Inhumans' Terrigen Mist
. Quicksilver
leads the Inhumans in defending Attilan
until the royal family and the Fantastic Four arrive to repel the invaders.
The High Evolutionary next travels to the site of the Savage Land
, hoping to restore the damage wrought by Terminus. The X-Men
are drawn to the scene as well and aid the Evolutionary in freeing Garokk the Petrified Man
from Terminus's power armor. Garokk and the Evolutionary succeed in restoring the Savage Land, and the survivors of Terminus's original attack return from the extradimensional realm in which they had taken refuge.
The Exterminators attempt to seal off the Nexus of All Realities in the Everglades
to prevent extradimensional entities from polluting humanity's genetic stock. One such entity known as Ylandris takes possession of Cecilia Cardinale, transforming her into Poison in order to stop the Evolutionary's plan, while Spider-Man and the Man-Thing
defeat the Exterminators.
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 Wakanda
to obtain vibranium necessary for completion of the bomb. Unbeknownst to the Evolutionary, one of the scientists he has forced into his service is Bill Foster
, who surreptitiously alerts the Black Panther
to the situation. The Panther and the West Coast Avengers
defend Wakanda but are unable to prevent the theft of the vibranium. Coincidentally, estranged Avengers Moon Knight
, Tigra
, and Mockingbird
happen upon the High Evolutionary's citadel in the Savage Land and rescue Foster, who recovers his Giant-Man powers. With the security of his base compromised, he relocates his base to the floor of the Pacific Ocean.
Before completion of the genetic bomb, the High Evolutionary sends Gatherers to capture a rogue clone of Gwen Stacy for further study, while he visits the Young Gods
. Some of the Young Gods decide to interfere with the Evolutionary's master plan, and encounter Spider-Man trying to rescue the clone. The High Evolutionary claims that "Gwen" is not in fact a clone but someone genetically altered to resemble the original Gwen Stacy, and returns her and Spider-Man to Manhattan. Daydreamer of the Young Gods restores the woman's original memories and appearance.
The Evolutionary's researchers reassemble Jocasta
, who immediately turns on her captors and attempts to contact the East Coast Avengers
about the genetic bomb. However, the team has disbanded and abandoned their headquarters, leaving its computers to assemble an ad hoc team of inactive reservists: The Captain
, the Falcon
, Hercules, the Beast
, and the Hulk. Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
answers the summons (which she received via the communications equipment she stole from her predecessor) and is allowed to join the team. Using the High Evolutionary's own equipment, the Avengers hyper-evolve Hercules until he is able to match the Evolutionary's power in combat. Both Hercules and the High Evolutionary are apparently destroyed in the battle, leaving the Avengers free to stop the genetic bomb and save the world.
titled "The High Evolutionary" which was written by Mark Gruenwald
with pencil
art by Ron Lim
. This 11 part story details the origins of the High Evolutionary, his previous storylines, and key events in which he participated (such as the origins of Spider-Woman
, Quicksilver
, and the Scarlet Witch
. The series concludes by revealing how the High Evolutionary survived his apparent suicide and began plotting the Evolutionary War.
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 Wundagore Mountain. The story never reveals the identity of the benefactor, although it has been speculated to be Phaeder
of the Inhumans.http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/phaedr.htm
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.
, and so ALF Annual #1 served as a tongue-in-cheek unofficial tie-in to the story in which the High Evolutionary meets ALF.
In Avengers West Coast Annual #4 the U.S. Agent
discovers one of the High Evolutionary's storm troopers on an unpopulated Pacific atoll
, who is unaware that the Evolutionary War has ended.
Thor
#407 follows up on the events of Avengers Annual #17 to reveal the fates of Hercules and the High Evolutionary.
#1 (July, 1989) written by Roy Thomas
, which explores the question "What if the Avengers lost the Evolutionary War?".
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
which ran through most of the Summer annuals
Annual publication
An annual publication, more often called simply an annual, is a book or a magazine, comic book or comic strip published yearly. For example, a weekly or monthly publication may produce an Annual featuring similar materials to the regular publication....
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in 1988
1988 in comics
-Events and publications:* Jack Binder, creator of the original Daredevil, dies at c. age 86.* Tarpé Mills, creator Miss Fury, dies at c. age 73....
. Principal writers included Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
, Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart
Steve Englehart is an American novelist. In his earlier career he was a comic book writer best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics, particularly in the 1970s...
, Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson
Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...
, Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
, and Steve Gerber
Steve Gerber
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber was an American comic book writer best known as co-creator of the satiric Marvel Comics character Howard the Duck....
.
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 was to be repeated by Marvel a year later in 1989
1989 in comics
-Year overall:* "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles...
's "Atlantis Attacks
Atlantis Attacks
Atlantis Attacks was a comic book super-hero crossover storyline which ran through most of the summer annuals published by Marvel Comics in 1989....
" and was imitated by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
for the first time three years later with their Armageddon 2001
Armageddon 2001
"Armageddon 2001" was a 1991 crossover event storyline published by DC Comics. It ran through a self titled, two issue limited series and most of the annuals DC published that year from May through October...
crossover in 1991
1991 in comics
-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
.
Background
One of the world's premiere geneticists, the High EvolutionaryHigh Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
had devoted his life to unlocking the mysteries of life and creating new forms of intelligent beings for his research. His crowning achievement was the creation of Counter-Earth
Counter-Earth (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Universe, there have been three versions of the hypothetical planet known as Counter-Earth, each one a near-duplicate of Earth.-Publication history:...
; however this was viewed as little more than a trivial matter by the Beyonders
Beyonders
The Beyonders are an enigmatic and virtually omnipotent extradimensional race in the fictional Marvel Universe.-Publication history:The Beyonders were first mentioned in the team-up comic Marvel Two-in-One #63 , by Mark Gruenwald and Jerry Bingham...
, who captured the planet for display in a cosmic museum of curiosities. Realizing that his own aspirations to godhood were dwarfed by the Beyonders, the Evolutionary succumbed to madness and depression. He goaded the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
into damaging the defense mechanisms in his armor, so that he could commit suicide.
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 human evolutionEvolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and eliminate perceived threats to mankind's genetic purity.
He sends his Purifier troops into Subterranea
Subterranea (comics)
Subterranea is a fictional realm far beneath the Earth's surface in the Marvel Comics universe. Subterranea is a network of massive caves, passages, and tunnels, some large enough to hold cities, that are inhabited by the various races of Subterraneans. The first recorded entrance to Subterranea...
to sterilize the simple-minded races that dwell there. However, the discovery of a mutant Moloid attracts the intervention of X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
and Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
. The Evolutionary is ultimately convinced that the Subterraneans indeed have genetic potential and ceases his operations there.
In Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, the Evolutionary's Eliminators are dispatched to exterminate a drug cartel. The Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
discovers the battle and dispatches with both sides.
Meanwhile the High Evolutionary visits the Eternals
Eternals (comics)
The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
and persuades them aid his cause by mapping the genetic code of the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
. The Surfer refuses the cooperate and convinces the Eternals to let him be.
The Purifiers set about removing the powers of mutants deemed to pose a threat to humanity. When they capture Magma
Magma (comics)
Magma is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series New Mutants, also associated with various X-Men-related comics. She was created by author Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod, and debuted in New Mutants #8...
from Nova Roma, the inner circle of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club
The Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
and the New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
storm the Purifier base in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to rescue her. During the struggle, Mirage
Danielle Moonstar
Danielle "Dani" Moonstar, originally codenamed Psyche and later Mirage, is a fictional Marvel Comics superheroine associated with the X-Men....
inadvertently has her powers enhanced, allowing her to physically manifest the illusions she casts.
With the supply of drugs cut off by events in Bogotá, a drug war escalates in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, made worse by the Purifiers murdering drug dealers. Seeking to retaliate against the ones who disrupted his drug trade, the Kingpin
Kingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
learns about the High Evolutionary's scheme and allows the information to reach Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
. Along with Speedball
Speedball (comics)
Robert "Robbie" Baldwin is a comic book superhero character, appearing in books published by Marvel Comics.Originally known as Speedball, the character was created by artist Steve Ditko and writer Tom DeFalco, initially as a candidate for Marvel's separate New Universe imprint.Baldwin first...
, they defeat the Purifiers before they can enact the High Evolutionary's plan to sterilize all undesirable individuals in the city.
While the royal family of the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
is on Earth demanding that Crystal
Crystal (comics)
Crystal is a fictional character, a superhero in the . She is a member of the Inhumans and the younger sister of Medusa....
leave the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, The High Evolutionary leads a squad of Gatherers and Eliminators to the Blue Area of the Moon to obtain the Inhumans' Terrigen Mist
Terrigen Mist
The Terrigen Mist is a fictional substance from the Marvel Comics universe. It plays a prominent role in the stories of the Inhumans, a fictional race of super-humans...
. Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
leads the Inhumans in defending Attilan
Attilan
Attilan is a fictional city in the that houses the Inhumans. It first appeared in Fantastic Four #47 . It has also been known as the Great Refuge and New Attilan.-Fictional history:...
until the royal family and the Fantastic Four arrive to repel the invaders.
The High Evolutionary next travels to the site of the Savage Land
Savage Land
The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land within the fictional Marvel Comics Universe. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in X-Men #10...
, hoping to restore the damage wrought by Terminus. The X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
are drawn to the scene as well and aid the Evolutionary in freeing Garokk the Petrified Man
Garokk
Garokk, also known as the Petrified Man, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Astonishing Tales vol. 1 #2 and was created by Roy Thomas and Jack Kirby....
from Terminus's power armor. Garokk and the Evolutionary succeed in restoring the Savage Land, and the survivors of Terminus's original attack return from the extradimensional realm in which they had taken refuge.
The Exterminators attempt to seal off the Nexus of All Realities in the Everglades
Everglades
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large watershed. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee...
to prevent extradimensional entities from polluting humanity's genetic stock. One such entity known as Ylandris takes possession of Cecilia Cardinale, transforming her into Poison in order to stop the Evolutionary's plan, while Spider-Man and the Man-Thing
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 , and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including...
defeat the Exterminators.
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 Wakanda
Wakanda (comics)
Wakanda is a fictional nation in the Marvel Universe. It is the most prominent of several fictional African nations in the Marvel Universe. Wakanda is located in Northeastern Africa, although its exact location has varied throughout the nation's publication history: some sources place Wakanda in...
to obtain vibranium necessary for completion of the bomb. Unbeknownst to the Evolutionary, one of the scientists he has forced into his service is Bill Foster
Bill Foster (comics)
Dr. Bill Foster, also known as Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man, and the fourth Goliath, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:...
, who surreptitiously alerts the Black Panther
Black Panther (comics)
The Black Panther is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and penciller-co-plotter Jack Kirby, he first appeared in Fantastic Four #52...
to the situation. The Panther and the West Coast Avengers
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
defend Wakanda but are unable to prevent the theft of the vibranium. Coincidentally, estranged Avengers Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
, Tigra
Tigra
Tigra is a fictional American comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Introduced as the non-superpowered crime fighter The Cat in Claws of the Cat #1 , she was co-created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Linda Fite, and penciller Marie Severin...
, and Mockingbird
Mockingbird (Marvel Comics)
Mockingbird is a fictional character, a superhero in the who first appears in the Ka-Zar story in Astonishing Tales #6 written by Gerry Conway and pencilled by Barry Smith...
happen upon the High Evolutionary's citadel in the Savage Land and rescue Foster, who recovers his Giant-Man powers. With the security of his base compromised, he relocates his base to the floor of the Pacific Ocean.
Before completion of the genetic bomb, the High Evolutionary sends Gatherers to capture a rogue clone of Gwen Stacy for further study, while he visits the Young Gods
Young Gods (comics)
The Young Gods are a fictional group in the Marvel Comics universe. They are a group of twelve young human beings who were chosen by the major pantheons of Earth's goddesses to represent the finest qualities of humanity and the pinnacle of mankind's genetic potential and cultural...
. Some of the Young Gods decide to interfere with the Evolutionary's master plan, and encounter Spider-Man trying to rescue the clone. The High Evolutionary claims that "Gwen" is not in fact a clone but someone genetically altered to resemble the original Gwen Stacy, and returns her and Spider-Man to Manhattan. Daydreamer of the Young Gods restores the woman's original memories and appearance.
The Evolutionary's researchers reassemble Jocasta
Jocasta (comics)
Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published by Marvel Comics. A member of the Avengers, the character is a robot created by the villain Ultron.-Publication history:Jocasta first appears in The Avengers Jocasta is a fictional, comic book superhero appearing books published...
, who immediately turns on her captors and attempts to contact the East Coast Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
about the genetic bomb. However, the team has disbanded and abandoned their headquarters, leaving its computers to assemble an ad hoc team of inactive reservists: The Captain
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
, the Falcon
Falcon (comics)
The Falcon is a fictional comic book superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics.Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan, and introduced in Captain America #117 , the character is mainstream comics' first African-American superhero...
, Hercules, the Beast
Beast (comics)
Beast , Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy, is a comic book character, a Marvel Comics superhero and a member of the mutant team of superheroes known as the X-Men...
, and the Hulk. Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
Yellowjacket is a fictional character, as initial reluctant supervillainess and later superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe...
answers the summons (which she received via the communications equipment she stole from her predecessor) and is allowed to join the team. Using the High Evolutionary's own equipment, the Avengers hyper-evolve Hercules until he is able to match the Evolutionary's power in combat. Both Hercules and the High Evolutionary are apparently destroyed in the battle, leaving the Avengers free to stop the genetic bomb and save the world.
Backup stories
Each chapter of the crossover features a short back up stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
titled "The High Evolutionary" which was written by Mark Gruenwald
Mark Gruenwald
Mark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
with pencil
Penciller
A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase...
art by Ron Lim
Ron Lim
Ronald "Ron" Lim is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California.-Biography:Ron Lim's first published work was an independent comic book entitled Ex-Mutants, which he worked on from 1986-1988....
. This 11 part story details the origins of the High Evolutionary, his previous storylines, and key events in which he participated (such as the origins of Spider-Woman
Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)
Spider-Woman is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #32 , and 50 issues of an ongoing series titled Spider-Woman followed...
, Quicksilver
Quicksilver (comics)
Quicksilver is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
, and the Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is a fictional comic book character that appears in books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in X-Men #4 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
. The series concludes by revealing how the High Evolutionary survived his apparent suicide and began plotting the Evolutionary War.
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 Wundagore Mountain. The story never reveals the identity of the benefactor, although it has been speculated to be Phaeder
Phaeder
Phaeder is a fictional supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He is the father of Maelstrom.Phaeder, with or without Maelstrom, has been attributed as providing secrets of human genetics to Magneto, the High Evolutionary, Arnim Zola, the Jackal, the Enclave , and Doctor Hydro .-Fictional...
of the Inhumans.http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/phaedr.htm
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 ALFALF (TV series)
ALF is an American science fiction sitcom that originally aired on NBC from 1986 to 1990, created by Paul Fusco. The title character was Gordon Shumway, a friendly extraterrestrial nicknamed ALF , who crash lands in the garage of the suburban middle-class Tanner family.The series starred Max...
, and so ALF Annual #1 served as a tongue-in-cheek unofficial tie-in to the story in which the High Evolutionary meets ALF.
In Avengers West Coast Annual #4 the U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those starring Captain America and the Avengers. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary in Captain America vol...
discovers one of the High Evolutionary's storm troopers on an unpopulated Pacific atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, who is unaware that the Evolutionary War has ended.
Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
#407 follows up on the events of Avengers Annual #17 to reveal the fates of Hercules and the High Evolutionary.
What If?
A postscript of sorts to the series came with What If...?What If (comics)
What If, sometimes rendered as What If...?, is the title of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics, exploring "the road not traveled" by its various characters...
#1 (July, 1989) written by Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, which explores the question "What if the Avengers lost the Evolutionary War?".
The Evolutionary War
- Part 1: X-Factor Annual #3
- Part 2: The Punisher Annual #1
- Part 3: Silver SurferSilver SurferThe Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
Annual #1 - Part 4: New Mutants Annual #4
- Part 5: The Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-ManThe Amazing Spider-Man is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the adventures of the fictional superhero Spider-Man. Being the mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a monthly periodical and was published continuously until it was...
Annual #22 - Part 6: Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
Annual #21 - Part 7: X-MenUncanny X-MenUncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
Annual vol 1, #12 - Part 8: Web of Spider-ManWeb of Spider-ManWeb of Spider-Man is the name of two different monthly comic book series starring Spider-Man that have been published by Marvel Comics since 1985, the first volume of which ran for 129 issues between 1985 and 1995, and the second of which ran for 12 issues between 2009 and 2010.-Volume 1:The first...
Annual #4 - Part 9: West Coast AvengersWest Coast AvengersThe West Coast Avengers is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. The team first appear in The West Coast Avengers #1 and was created by Roger Stern and Bob Hall.- Publication history :...
Annual #3 - Part 10: The Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-ManThe Spectacular Spider-Man is the name of several comic books and one magazine series starring Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.The character's main series, The Amazing Spider-Man, was extremely successful, and Marvel felt the character could support more than one title. This led the company in 1968 to...
Annual #8 - Part 11: Avengers Annual #17
Related issues
- ALF Annual #1 (1988)
- Avengers West Coast Annual #4 (1990)
- What If...? volume 2 #1 (July, 1989)
- Thor volume 1 #407 (September, 1989)