Evolutionary War

Universe

Marvel Universe

Key Characters

High Evolutionary, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thor, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Punisher, Silver Surfer, X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, West Coast Avengers, Apocalypse, Eternals, Inhumans, Terminus, Man-Thing, Black Panther, Giant-Man, Young Gods, Attuma, Kro

The High Evolutionary intends to help humanity reach the next stage of its evolution, regardless of the consequences, and embarks on a series of plans to attain his goal.

Civil War

Universe

Marvel Universe

Key Characters:  

Avengers, Fantastic Four, Illuminati, New Warriors, Thunderbolts, X-Men

During a televised raid of a house containing select villains that had recently escaped from the super villain facility at Ryker's Island prison during a massive breakout, the escaped villain Nitro let off a massive explosion that killed the majority of the New Warriors, as well as the children at a nearby elementary school. In the wake of the tragedy, the U.S. Government proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, intending to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards.

This event triggered negative public opinion against the super-heroes, resulting in the assault of Human Torch (Johnny Storm) by a mob and the request by S.H.I.E.L.D. for Captain America to become part of the enforcement of super heroes to register. When Cap refused, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill ordered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Anti-Superhuman Response Unit to tranquilize him, but Rogers escaped and went underground.

When the super-heroes met to discuss the best course of action, Uatu the Watcher appeared. As Watchers only appear to monitor key events throughout history, it was noted that his presence did not bode well for the heroes.

In a secret meeting with the President, Iron Man suggested that the President proceed and push the registration act while he, Mr. Fantastic, and Yellowjacket vowed to bring Captain America to the ground.

The Superhero Registration Act became law. Some of the first unregistered heroes to be captured were the Young Avengers. Captain America and the Falcon were undercover, and with the help of Wiccan were able to rescue the Young Avengers and rendezvous to their base. The Young Avengers were recruited into the Resistance.

At a press conference in Washington D.C., Iron Man gave a speech introducing Spider-Man to the podium. Spider-Man then talked about how over the past years, he had kept his identity a secret, then talked about the registration act and how it gave superheroes a choice: to continue the trend Captain America advocated and have people with powers completely unchecked, or that superheroes could go legitimate and earn back a little public interest. To demonstrate his support of the Act, Spider-Man unmasked himself and revealed to the world that he was Peter Parker.

Iron Man traveled to the X-Men Mansion, asking Emma Frost if the X-Men would sign the registration act and join his side. Miss Frost explained to Stark that the X-Men would not sign the registration act because they viewed hunting down other heroes would violate everything they stood for explaining that they know what it's like to fight the good fight while being persecuted. Frost said that as long as the pro-registration side left the X-Men alone, they would not join Captain America's resistance. While Stark left the mansion, he was approached by Bishop, who asked for a word with Iron Man.

As Captain America, Hercules, Daredevil, and Goliath were discussing their new secret identities, they received news of a petrochemical plant fire with three or four hundred workers trapped inside. Uniting the Secret Avengers, they headed to the plant only to discover that it was a trap set by Iron Man. Iron Man gave Captain America one last chance to register, offering a chance to explain things. Captain America answered by striking the first blow and disabling Iron Man's armor. A battle ensued, ending with Iron Man savagely beating Captain America, and the apparent return of the long-absent thunder god Thor lashing out against Captain America's Secret Avengers. As the Secret Avengers attempted to escape, Thor used his hammer to subdue them, blasting a hole through Goliath’s chest when he was attacked. Thor continued his assault until the Invisible Woman used her powers to protect the Secret Avengers and allow them to escape. Thor, who had just killed Goliath, was revealed to be a clone. He, and his mechanical hammer, had been engineered to serve the government. His violent murder of Goliath was an unforeseen error in his programming.

The death of Goliath opened the eyes of many and put things in a different perspective, causing several members to leave both sides for the other. The Pro-Registration side ended up losing more members than anticipated, causing operations to be put in action faster than planned. Iron Man assembled a new group of Thunderbolts in order to hunt down the Secret Avengers, consisting of several very brutal villains.

Eventually, the resistance mounted an attack against the pro-registration's holding facility in the Negative Zone, releasing the prisoners. The fighting between many of Earth's heroes led to the middle of Times Square. At the climax of the battle, as Cap was about to deliver a finishing blow to Iron Man, he was tackled by several emergency workers. Realizing the damage the war was doing to the city and its civilian population, Captain America unmasked and surrendered. Before his arraignment, Cap was shot multiple times on the steps of a Federal Courthouse and killed.

Avengers Disassembled

Universe:

Marvel Universe

Key Characters: 

Avengers, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, Iron-man, Scarlet Witch, Spider-man, Thor

In possibly the worst day in Avengers history, an unknown assailant caused catastrophic events that would bring about the end of the Earth’s mightiest heroes. These actions left some critically injured while others would die at the hands of their enemies. If not for the aid of Doctor Strange, who uncovered that the attacks were magic based, the Avengers might never have revealed, or defeated, their true enemy- an insane Scarlet Witch.

Age of Apocalypse

Universe:

Earth-295 (Age of Apocalypse)

Key Characters:  

Bishop, Apocalypse, X-men

In a twisted version of the world they knew, the X-Men battle against the eternal mutant Apocalypse as Bishop seeks to repair the timeline. Legion, Xavier's own son, attempts to kill off all of Xavier's enemies; however, when Legion attempts to murder Magneto, Xavier sacrifices his own life to save Magnus. As a result, Magneto casts off his anti-human sentiments and carries on Xavier's dream of peaceful co-existence, thereby founding the X-Men.

Rhino

Aleksei Sytsevich was just another thug in the Russian Mafia, grasping at dreams of easy money, and headed for a short brutal life. Seduced by promises of wealth and power, Aleksei underwent a life-threatening series of chemical and radiation treatments to transform him after several months into the superhumanly strong agent for a collective of professional spies - in part, to support his family. Aleksei's powerful armor permanently bonded to his form, was modeled after the hide of a rhinoceros. Two scientists named Igor and Georgi chose this form, both for its visual impact and in recognition of the fact that the rhino is the result of countless generations of evolution towards the ultimate form for armored assault. They selected Aleksei for his muscular physique and low intelligence, which they believed would insure his loyalty.

Given the code-name Rhino, his first mission was to kidnap astronaut John Jameson, son of Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson, and sell him to the highest bidder. He received intensive sub-hypnotic training in American English and false citizenship papers bearing the name Alex O'Hirn. Feeling cocky, he turned on his benefactors, destroying their headquarters, and attempted to abduct Jameson under his own initiative. As the Rhino made his way towards New York City, Spider-Man began to formulate how to defeat this apparently unstoppable foe. His discovered two key factors: once charging, the Rhino cannot change directions or easily halt his advance. Second, Aleksei is rather dumb. Spider-Man deduced that if he could avoid a direct hit from the Rhino's horn, his superior tactical skills and agility would always leave him the final victor in any fair fight.

Spider-Man defeated the Rhino sending the villain to a special state correctional hospital where he was kept under heavy sedation. After a few weeks, the Rhino broke out of the hospital and escaped, seeking revenge of Spider-Man. This time, Spider-Man defeated him using a specially-formulated version of his web fluid, devised with the aid of Dr. Curt Connors, that contained encapsulated acid pellets whose containers dissolved upon contact with air. The special webbing rendered the Rhino's costume weak and brittle, which deprived him of needed impact resistance. The Rhino was recaptured, tried, and convicted.

The Rhino served a commuted sentence and was discharged. When he was released, the spies who had transformed him, apparently showing no sign of malice towards his betrayal, approached him with the offer to strengthen him using a gamma-ray process. They had also devised an improved, acid-resistant material rhinoceros suit. Having no other prospects of gainful employment, the Rhino accepted the offer. The new series of radiation treatments were successful and doubled the Rhino's previous strength level. The augmented Rhino's first mission was to abduct Dr. Bruce Banner, an authority on biochemical gamma-ray experimentation, also known as the Hulk. The spies planned to coerce Banner into developing an army of gamma-ray treated superhuman assassins. When the Rhino tried to abduct Banner, Banner transformed into the Hulk and overpowered the Rhino. Again, Rhino was sent to a state facility under heavy sedation and high security.

The Rhino's battle with the Hulk came to the attention of the Leader, one of the Hulk's foremost enemies, who decided that further gamma-ray treatments would give the Rhino enough power to overcome the Hulk. The Leader freed the Rhino from the state facility, and further increased his strength by gamma-ray bombardments. The Leader then dispatched the Rhino to crash the wedding of Bruce Banner and Betty Ross. Succeeding in interrupting the wedding, the Rhino engaged in battle with the Hulk when the Leader accidentally shot him with a radiation blast intended for the Hulk. The Rhino turned on the Leader and caused the Leader's escape module to explode. (Banner's wedding to Ross was subsequently delayed for several years.) The Rhino was left comatose but otherwise unharmed and taken to a state hospital. The Leader used his mental energies to revive him, and reoutfitted him to battle the Hulk once again - this time with the Leader's mind controlling his every move. When the Leader released the Rhino, Aleksei was aboard a space shuttle battling the Hulk. The fight continued until the shuttle crash landed on the High Evolutionary's artificial planet on the opposite side of the sun called Counter-Earth. While the ship automatically repaired its damage, the Leader telemetrically signaled for it to return. The Hulk fought his way back on, the Rhino in tow. When the ship crash landed back on Earth, the Rhino lay buried in the wreckage for some time until he revived.

Luke Cage

Born and raised in Harlem, Carl Lucas spent his youth in a gang called the Bloods. With his friend Willis Stryker, he fought the rival gang the Diablos and committed petty thefts, often on behalf of deformed crimelord Sonny Caputo, a.k.a. Hammer. In and out of juvenile homes throughout his teens, Lucas dreamed of becoming a major New York racketeer until he finally realized how his actions were hurting his family; he sought to better himself as an adult, finding legitimate employment. Meanwhile, Stryker rose through the ranks of crime, but the two men remained friends. When Stryker's activities angered the Maggia (a.k.a. the Syndicate), he was badly beaten in a mob hit, saved only by Lucas's intervention. When Stryker's girlfriend, Reva Connors, broke up with him in fear of his violent work, she sought solace from Lucas. Convinced that Lucas was responsible for the breakup, Stryker planted heroin in Lucas's apartment and tipped off the police. Lucas was arrested and sent to prison; contact with his family was sparse due to the resentment of his brother James, Jr., who intercepted Lucas's letters to their father James and eventually led each to believe the other was dead.

In prison, Lucas was consumed by rage over Stryker's betrayal and his father's supposed death, engaging in frequent brawls and escape attempts. Eventually transferred to Seagate Prison off the coast of Georgia, he became the favorite target of sadistic guard Albert "Billy Bob" Rackham, whose brutality ultimately led to a demotion that he blamed on Lucas. Later, research scientist Dr. Noah Burstein recruited Lucas as a volunteer for experimental cell regeneration based on a variant of the Super-Soldier process he had previously used to empower Warhawk. Burstein immersed Lucas in an electrical field conducted by an organic chemical compound; when he left Lucas unattended, Rackham misused the experiment's controls, hoping to maim or kill Lucas. Lucas's treatment was accelerated past its intent, inducing body-wide enhancement that gave him superhuman strength and durability. He used his new power to escape Seagate and made his way back to New York, where a chance encounter with criminals inspired him to use his new powers for profit.

Adopting the alias Luke Cage and donning a distinctive costume, he launched a career as a Hero for Hire, helping anyone who could meet his price. He soon established an office in Times Square's Gem Theater, where he befriended film student D.W. Griffith. Burstein, aware of his friend's innocence, also relocated to New York and opened a medical clinic, assisted by Dr. Claire Temple, whom Cage began dating. Although Cage would have been content to battle strictly conventional criminals, he soon learned that New York was hardly the place to do so. Stryker himself had become a Maggia agent as Diamondback and died battling Cage. Subsequent opponents included Gideon Mace, an embittered veteran seeking a U.S. takeover who would become a frequent foe; Chemistro (Curtis Carr), whose Alchemy Gun would be a weapon later used by others, including his own brother after Curtis reformed; and Discus, Stiletto, Shades, and Commanche, all criminals with ties to Cage's prison days who would face him repeatedly over the years.

Although Cage seemed to have little in common with most of New York's other superhumans, an ill-conceived attempt to collect a fee from a reneging Doctor Doom led him to befriend the Fantastic Four. He was subsequently hired by Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson to capture Spider-Man, the wisecracking adventurer who doubled as Jameson's personal demon, but Cage came to sympathize with Spider-Man and forcibly returned Jameson's deposit, earning a place on the publisher's lengthy list of superhuman personas non grata. Cage also befriended Jessica Jones, a.k.a. Jewel, a young woman whose super-strength and unconventional style matched his own. During a mission in which Orville Smythe duped him into stealing an experimental starsuit from Stark International, Cage followed the example of his new peers and took the codename of Power Man.

Shortly afterward, Cage began associating with the loose-knit super-team known as the Defenders, alongside whom he fought the super-strong Wrecking Crew and the racist subversives known as the Sons of the Serpent. When the Thing temporarily lost his superhuman powers, Cage was hired to replace him in the Fantastic Four, but his tenure proved brief after the Puppet Master took control of him to fight his new teammates. Meanwhile, Cage continued in solo action against an odd assortment of villains, including the maddened professional wrestler X the Marvel, the uninspired Maggia agent Mister Fish, mobsters Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton and Ray "Piranha" Jones, the racist Wildfire, the vengeance-seeking Mangler and Spear (whose brother had died under Dr. Burstein's treatment), rival crimelords Baron and Big Brother, the obsessive Goldbug, and Zzzax the Living Dynamo.

Ultimate X-men

Leaving the radical Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and obtaining secret financial backing from the Hellfire Club, Charles Xavier established the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children in New York. He gathered Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Colossus, Storm and Beast as his X-Men, defending mutants while promoting peaceful co-existence with humanity. Ice-man joined them after being saved from Sentinels, and Wolverine after the X-Men rescued him from Weapon X.

When the Brotherhood kidnapped the U.S. President’s daughter, the X-Men freed her, gaining the President’s favor and ending Sentinel attacks on innocent mutants. Cyclops briefly defected to the Brotherhood, unhappy Xavier was dealing with “the Evil Empire,” but when Magneto attempted to destroy Washington with reprogrammed Sentinels, Cyclops returned to the fold. Weapon X soon abducted all the X-Men except Wolverine, coercing them to become operatives until the Brotherhood freed them.

When the X-Men were called in to hunt down Xavier’s murderous mutant son David, Iceman was badly injured and Colossus was forced to kill David. Iceman’s parents removed him from the school and tried to sue Xavier, pressured by an anti-mutant senator; however, Iceman refused to co-operate, and dropped the suit. Shortly after Kitty Pryde joined the X-Men, Xavier sent Wolverine and Cyclops on a mission to the Savage Land; while there, Wolverine deliberately left Cyclops to die, jealous of his relationship with Marvel Girl. Meanwhile, the Hellfire Club revealed their true motivations when they tried to merge Marvel Girl with a hostile extradimensional entity, the Phoenix Force.

Magneto returned and the Brotherhood resumed its anti-human terrorism. Implicated as Magneto’s allies since they had falsified reports of his death, the X-Men became fugitives, battling the Ultimates and escaping only due to the surprise return of Iceman. The X-Men located Magneto thanks to Cyclops, who had been found and healed by the Brotherhood. Defeating Magneto and saving Florida from nuclear destruction, the X-Men became national heroes; the White House pardoned them but placed them under the supervision of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the wake of this adventure, Nightcrawler and Rogue were recruited into the X-Men, and Cyclops fired Wolverine. Cyclops later relented, feeling Wolverine’s best chance of redemption was with the X-Men.

The next few months saw a visit to the mansion from Spider-Man, an incursion by remnants of Weapon X, and the addition of Angel to the group. Beast left to join Emma Frost’s rival mutant educational program, but was killed in a Sentinel attack; Dazzler, one of Frost’s other recruits, joined the X-Men, though her rock chick ways irritated Xavier. The serial killer Sinister nearly slew Xavier and Iceman before Rogue defeated him. Believing a worldwide spate of horrendous nightmares might be a telepathic mutant’s distress call, Xavier sent several X-Men to Siberia, where they encountered the Ultimates and learned of the coming of Gah Lak Tus; Xavier subsequently helped oppose the world destroyer.

After Rogue left the team to be with mutant thief Gambit, Xavier sent several X-Men to Genosha to find out if convicted murderer Longshot had been framed by the anti-mutant regime. They learned he was guilty, but not before an unauthorized mission led by Dazzler freed him. The X-Men recently tried to prevent some of Emma Frost’s new students from breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Triskelion, bringing them into conflict with the Ultimates and Magneto once more.