“Secret Wars” Will Combine Marvel’s Ultimate Universe and Regular, More

In a just-concluded press conference, Marvel’s Axel Alonso and Tom Brevoort gave a few details on the upcoming Secret Wars storyline that will basically revamp everything company-wide. I’m not sure I fully understood it all – more details are being saved for a slow roll-out – but here’s the gist:

-When universes converge, with the Earth as a nexus, either one world must be destroyed, or both will be. In issue #1, Marvel’s heroes will have eight hours to prevent this…and fail.

-Fragments from both universes – and others – will collide on Battleworld. All the pre-NYCC teases of things like Age of Ultron Vs. Marvel Zombies, Planet Hulk, etc. will be titles set in different countries on Battleworld…I think. (There’s an interactive map up that may reveal more.)

-Moving forward, what remains at the end of all this will be THE Marvel universe.

-Not tied to the films (so they say) – claim is we’ll be surprised by some of the creative risks taken.

-Hasbro, Funko, WeLoveFine and others are onboard as merchandise partners.

–Secret Wars #0, setting everything up, will be available as part of Free Comic Book Day.

-Sorry, original Wars fans – no mention at all of the Beyonder.