Chaos War (comics)
Encyclopedia
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics
storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book
series: the five-issue miniseries
Chaos War, written by Greg Pak
and Fred Van Lente
, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks
, a temporary iteration of the long-running series The Incredible Hulk vol. 2. It follows the "Incredible Hercules" storyline written by Pak and Van Lente.
The plot concerns a group of mythological
gods and others assembled by the Greek god superhero
Hercules
to battle the Chaos King
, the embodiment of the chaos and nothingness that preceded creation, which wants to wipe out all existence.
announced the storyline in June 2010, with editor Jordan White saying that the Chaos King, "the living embodiment of the void before time and space began, has decided he liked things better before everything was" and is "on a mission to wipe out all of existence [by using] an army of alien space gods...." The primary opposition is the Greek god superhero
Hercules
leading the God Squad
, an informal alliance of heroic characters. The Chaos King is in actuality Amatsu-Mikaboshi
, a demonic god of evil.
The storyline began in Chaos War #1, the first issue of a core miniseries
scheduled to run five issues (cover dates early Dec. 2010 - March 2011). It is written by Greg Pak
and Fred Van Lente
, with art by penciler Khoi Pham and inker Tom Palmer
.
In addition, the story continues through the one-shot Chaos War: Alpha Flight
#1 (Jan. 2011), by writer Jim McCann
and penciler Reilly Brown, starring the titular Canadian superhero team; Chaos War: Chaos King #1 (Jan. 2011), by writer Brandon Montclare and artist Mike Kaluta; Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3 (Jan.-March 2011), by Van Lente and penciler Tom Grummett
, featuring deceased and resurrected members of the superhero
team the Avengers
; Chaos War: Thor
#1-2 (Jan.-Feb. 2011), by writer J. M. DeMatteis
and penciler Brian Ching
, starring the Norse god superhero; Chaos War: Ares
, by writer Michael Avon Oeming
and co-pencilers Stephen Segovia, starring the Greek god antihero Ares; Chaos War: God Squad #1 (Feb. 2011), by writer Marc Sumerak
and penciler Daniel Panosia; Chaos War: X-Men
#1-2 (Feb.-March 2011), by writers Chris Claremont
and Louise Simonson
and artist Doug Braithwaite
, featuring the titular mutant superheroes; and the biweekly Incredible Hulks
#618-619 (early and mid Feb. 2011), by Pak and Paul Pelletier
.
is killed by the Chaos King, an identity of the evil god Amatsu-Mikaboshi
, humanity is rendered unconscious.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #1, Marvel Comics
, October 2010. Writer Fred Van Lente
said Mikaboshi is based on the Shintoism concept of the same name
, "who[m] some see as the Japan
ese god of evil, but he really is a being that represents the polar opposite of the core values in the Shinto religion."
Mikaboshi's army of enslaved alien deities then invades the underworld realms of the gods Hades and Hela
, resulting in all the dead having to fight for their existence. The demon-lord Daimon Hellstrom
finds that the personification of Death
has fled, unleashing the souls of the deceased on Earth.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #2, Marvel Comics, October 2010.
The Greek god superhero
Hercules
, who had died but been resurrected with enhanced powers, assembles a group of heroes including the Norse god superhero Thor
, the Silver Surfer
, the siren
named Venus, the planet-eater Galactus
, and Sersi
, a member of the evolutionarily advanced human race known as the Eternals
. This informal alliance is dubbed the God Squad
.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #3, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
While the Chaos King/Mikaboshi destroys the various pantheons of the mythological
gods, Thor engages in battle with its servant Glory. Thor barely survives, reverting to an amnesia
c form of his human identity, Dr. Donald Blake, and is cared for by a new character, Rebecca Steinhardt.Dematteis, Chaos War: Thor #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
The Impossible Man
and the demon lord Marduk Kurios (in the guise of Satan) individually confront Mikaboshi and are consumed.Monteclare, Chaos War: Chaos King #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010. Several dead members of the superhero team the Avengers
, including the Vision
, Doctor Druid
, Deathcry
, Swordsman and the Rita DeMara Yellowjacket
, led by the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel, return to Earth and defeat Mikaboshi's supervillain accomplice known as the Grim Reaper
and the supervillain Nekra
with most of the group being killed in the battle.Lente, Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3, Marvel Comics, November - December 2010. Deceased members of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight
similarly return to Earth, and with living members fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi and the Great Beasts
.McCann, Chaos War: Alpha Flight #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
The mystic Doctor Strange
, formerly Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, tasks the Hulk
and others to find the dead Marlo Chandler
, who contains part of the essence of the personification of Death. Brian Banner
, the dead father of the Hulk's original self, Dr. Bruce Banner, is resurrected, becomes a Devil Hulk
/Guilt Hulk creature and fights his son.Pak, Incredible Hulks #618-620, Marvel Comics, December 2010 - January 2011. A number of dead members of the mutant superhero team the X-Men
also return, seeking a prophetic diary that holds information for defeating Mikaboshi. The Dead X-Men managed to prevent Carrion Crow from claiming the diary at the cost of the lives of some of them.Claremont, Simonson & Braithwaite, Chaos War: X-Men #1-2, Marvel Comics, December 2010 - January 2011.
Hercules' sister, the Greek goddess Athena
, believing the current reality is irreparably metaphysically corrupt, and wishing to start fresh with a new Big Bang
, is revealed as Mikaboshi's accomplice. The primeval Earth goddess Gaea and her daughter Pele, the goddess of fire, summon the surviving gods to Hawaii
. The young genius Amadeus Cho
calculates that Mikaboshi by now has consumed most of the multiverse
, and Cho urges humanity to escape to an unpopulated and sealed-off continuum of which he knows. Hercules argues to go down fighting, and is confronted by Athena. But Gaea and Pele destroy and recreate Hercules as a maintainer of the cycle of life, and Hercules annihilates his sibling.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #4, Marvel Comics, December 2010.
While the Hulk and his allies, the God Squad, Alpha Flight, and the surviving Dead Avengers fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi's forces, Amadaeus Cho and Galactus work on a machine that will transfer Earth to the sealed-off continuum. Hercules throws Mikaboshi inside it, sealing the entity off. He then restores all that Mikaboshi had destroyed by expending his entire power, turning into a "regular" mortal.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #5, Marvel Comics, January 2011.
gave it four stars out of five, saying it "could only be made better if it were extra-sized". IGN
rated in 7.0 out of 10, calling it "a fine read that has its problems. If you're a fan of [Hercules] then you'll love this escalated continuation of Hercules' story. And for those new to it all, I still recommend giving it a chance [since] the epic nature of the story may sway you to read Herc's quality back catalog".
Zawisza was equally impressed with issue #2, and IGN, though critical of the artwork, rated it 8.0, remarking, "While I am still not a fan of Khoi Pham's artwork in this series, the story is being told well enough in every aspect that it is hard not to recommend the book".
The third issue met with mixed reactions. Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources gave it two of five stars, saying, "A book involving Hercules and the other pantheons of gods fighting off the Chaos King should have been a lot of fun, but this is just a mish-mash", and that, "It doesn't help that Khoi Pham and Thomas Palmer's art is looking equally uninspired here". IGN, conversely, gave it another 8.0 and bringing up a heretofore unmentioned "pacing problem" with the previous issues, and calling it artist Pham's "strongest issue so far".
Reception for the fourth issue was somewhat better with Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources giving it three and half out of five stars, stating "Chaos War story started off with a really loud crash, a deafening noise that threatened all who heard it, but the story since has slowed considerably". Jesse Schedeen of IGN was less impressed giving the issue a 6.5 out of 10, commenting that "Chaos War has had its ups and downs so far. Sadly, it doesn't appear to be shaping up to be the fitting conclusion to the Incredible Hercules saga it should have been".
The fifth and final issue was also meet with mixed reactions. Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave it another four out five stars stating, "This book was big, loud, comic book fun. Sure, it may not have warranted all of the tie-ins, crossovers, and pop-outs it got, but at its core, it provided a wild adventure that changed the landscape of the Marvel Universe". However Dan Iverson of IGN gave the issue its lowest rating, a 5.5 out of 10 remarking, "If anything can be said for Chaos War #5 it is that it truly felt like the end of the Herc and Cho story, with both fulfilling their destinies. Fans of The Incredible Hercules will at least be able to glean some sort of nostalgia from the ending... but it isn't enough to justify the picking the book up at the $3.99 price point".
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...
storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book
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...
series: the five-issue miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Chaos War, written by Greg Pak
Greg Pak
Greg Pak is an American New York-based film director/comic book writer, known for his work on such books featuring the Hulk.-Early life:Pak is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of the Purple Crayon improv group, and studied history at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and film at...
and Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks
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 ....
, a temporary iteration of the long-running series The Incredible Hulk vol. 2. It follows the "Incredible Hercules" storyline written by Pak and Van Lente.
The plot concerns a group of mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
gods and others assembled by the Greek god superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
to battle the Chaos King
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
, the embodiment of the chaos and nothingness that preceded creation, which wants to wipe out all existence.
Publication history
Marvel ComicsMarvel 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...
announced the storyline in June 2010, with editor Jordan White saying that the Chaos King, "the living embodiment of the void before time and space began, has decided he liked things better before everything was" and is "on a mission to wipe out all of existence [by using] an army of alien space gods...." The primary opposition is the Greek god superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
leading the God Squad
God Squad (comics)
God Squad is the name fictional comic book character Amadeus Cho gave to a team of gods brought together in the Marvel Universe to face the oncoming Secret Invasion...
, an informal alliance of heroic characters. The Chaos King is in actuality Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
, a demonic god of evil.
The storyline began in Chaos War #1, the first issue of a core miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
scheduled to run five issues (cover dates early Dec. 2010 - March 2011). It is written by Greg Pak
Greg Pak
Greg Pak is an American New York-based film director/comic book writer, known for his work on such books featuring the Hulk.-Early life:Pak is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of the Purple Crayon improv group, and studied history at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and film at...
and Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
, with art by penciler Khoi Pham and inker Tom Palmer
Tom Palmer (comics)
-Biography:Although Palmer has done a small amount of pencilling work , the vast majority of his artistic output since the 1960s has been as a comic book inker...
.
In addition, the story continues through the one-shot Chaos War: Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
#1 (Jan. 2011), by writer Jim McCann
Jim McCann (writer)
James Andrew "Jim" McCann, II is an American writer of comic books, theater and television programs. Jim has worked on several films and music videos before entering the ABC Daytime Writer Development Program, during which time he wrote for the popular ABC daytime drama One Life to Live...
and penciler Reilly Brown, starring the titular Canadian superhero team; Chaos War: Chaos King #1 (Jan. 2011), by writer Brandon Montclare and artist Mike Kaluta; Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3 (Jan.-March 2011), by Van Lente and penciler Tom Grummett
Tom Grummett
Thomas "Tom" Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.During his run on The Adventures of Superman, Grummett and...
, featuring deceased and resurrected members of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team the 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...
; Chaos War: 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....
#1-2 (Jan.-Feb. 2011), by writer J. M. DeMatteis
J. M. DeMatteis
John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...
and penciler Brian Ching
Brian Ching
Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, starring the Norse god superhero; Chaos War: Ares
Ares (comics)
Ares, in comics, may refer to:* Ares , a Marvel Comics character who started as a Thor and Avengers villain but has recently become an anti-hero* Ares , a DC Comics character and enemy of Wonder Woman...
, by writer Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...
and co-pencilers Stephen Segovia, starring the Greek god antihero Ares; Chaos War: God Squad #1 (Feb. 2011), by writer Marc Sumerak
Marc Sumerak
Marc Sumerak is a freelance comic book writer from Cleveland, Ohio.Mr. Sumerak is currently best known for his work on Marvel Comics' all-ages Power Pack series , as well as the Eisner Award & Harvey Award nominated Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius...
and penciler Daniel Panosia; Chaos War: 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...
#1-2 (Feb.-March 2011), by writers 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 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...
and artist Doug Braithwaite
Doug Braithwaite
-Career:Braithwaite started out working on British comics, like 2000 AD and A1, but is best known for his Marvel Comics work on the Earth X sequels, Universe X and Paradise X , as well as for The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe and Punisher: MAX #13-18, with Garth Ennis...
, featuring the titular mutant superheroes; and the biweekly Incredible Hulks
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 ....
#618-619 (early and mid Feb. 2011), by Pak and Paul Pelletier
Paul Pelletier
Paul Pelletier is an American comic book penciller.-Career:Pelletier began working as a professional comic artist in the late 1980s. His first work appeared in Zen: Intergalactic Ninja. He has worked for renowned comics publishers DC Comics and Marvel Comics as well as for the now out of business...
.
Plot summary
After the demonic dream-being NightmareNightmare (Marvel Comics)
Nightmare is a fictional character, a supernatural being who has appeared in many Marvel Comics stories, most commonly as one of Doctor Strange and Ghost Rider's major enemies.-Publication history:...
is killed by the Chaos King, an identity of the evil god Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
, humanity is rendered unconscious.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #1, 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...
, October 2010. Writer Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente
Fred Van Lente is an American writer, primarily of comic books and graphic novels.-Career:Van Lente is the co-founder, along with artist Ryan Dunlavey, of Evil Twin Comics, which produces his and Dunlavey’s non-fiction comic books, the first and most famous of which is Action Philosophers.Recent...
said Mikaboshi is based on the Shintoism concept of the same name
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
In Japanese mythology, Amatsu-Mikaboshi , also called Ame-no-Kagaseo , is a god of evil and of the stars, specifically the pole star...
, "who[m] some see as the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese god of evil, but he really is a being that represents the polar opposite of the core values in the Shinto religion."
Mikaboshi's army of enslaved alien deities then invades the underworld realms of the gods Hades and Hela
Hela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...
, resulting in all the dead having to fight for their existence. The demon-lord Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom
Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:He first appeared in Ghost Rider Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics...
finds that the personification of Death
Death (Marvel Comics)
Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain Marvel #27 Death is a fictional...
has fled, unleashing the souls of the deceased on Earth.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #2, Marvel Comics, October 2010.
The Greek god superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, who had died but been resurrected with enhanced powers, assembles a group of heroes including the Norse god superhero 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....
, 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 siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
named Venus, the planet-eater Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
, and Sersi
Sersi
Sersi is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine and an Eternal.-Publication history:Sersi was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Eternals #3 . Although the comic book was published by Marvel Comics, the Eternals were not treated as part of the Marvel universe, but as a...
, a member of the evolutionarily advanced human race known as 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...
. This informal alliance is dubbed the God Squad
God Squad (comics)
God Squad is the name fictional comic book character Amadeus Cho gave to a team of gods brought together in the Marvel Universe to face the oncoming Secret Invasion...
.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #3, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
While the Chaos King/Mikaboshi destroys the various pantheons of the mythological
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
gods, Thor engages in battle with its servant Glory. Thor barely survives, reverting to an amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
c form of his human identity, Dr. Donald Blake, and is cared for by a new character, Rebecca Steinhardt.Dematteis, Chaos War: Thor #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
The Impossible Man
Impossible Man
The Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #11 The Impossible Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four...
and the demon lord Marduk Kurios (in the guise of Satan) individually confront Mikaboshi and are consumed.Monteclare, Chaos War: Chaos King #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010. Several dead members of the superhero team the 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...
, including the Vision
Vision (Marvel Comics)
The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The first Vision was created by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Marvel Mystery Comics #13 The Vision is the name of three fictional characters that...
, Doctor Druid
Doctor Druid
Doctor Druid, also known as Doctor Droom and Druid, is a fictional character, a supernatural monster-hunter in the Marvel Comics universe....
, Deathcry
Deathcry
Deathcry is a fictional Marvel Comics character and a former member of the Avengers team. She is an alien Shi'ar and first appeared in Avengers #363 and was created by Bob Harras and Steve Epting....
, Swordsman and the Rita DeMara Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket (Rita DeMara)
Yellowjacket is a fictional character, as initial reluctant supervillainess and later superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe...
, led by the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel, return to Earth and defeat Mikaboshi's supervillain accomplice known as the Grim Reaper
Grim Reaper (comics)
Grim Reaper is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in The Avengers #52 May , by Roy Thomas and John Buscema.-Fictional character biography:...
and the supervillain Nekra
Nekra
Nekra is a fictional mutant supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe.-Publication history:Nekra first appeared in Shanna the She-Devil #5 , and was created by Steve Gerber and Ross Andru....
with most of the group being killed in the battle.Lente, Chaos War: Dead Avengers #1-3, Marvel Comics, November - December 2010. Deceased members of the Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
similarly return to Earth, and with living members fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi and the Great Beasts
Great Beasts
The Great Beasts are fictional villains of supernatural origin, originally created as antagonists for the heroes of the Marvel Comics series Alpha Flight.-Publication history:...
.McCann, Chaos War: Alpha Flight #1, Marvel Comics, November 2010.
The mystic Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, formerly Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, tasks 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 ....
and others to find the dead Marlo Chandler
Marlo Chandler
Marlo Chandler is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Peter David, she first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #347 , and became an ongoing supporting character, first in that book, and later in the Captain Marvel series published between 1999–2004...
, who contains part of the essence of the personification of Death. Brian Banner
Brian Banner
Brian Banner is a fictional villain from the Marvel Comics Universe created by Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola and first appearing in print in late 1985...
, the dead father of the Hulk's original self, Dr. Bruce Banner, is resurrected, becomes a Devil Hulk
Devil Hulk
-Publication history:The Devil Hulk was created by Paul Jenkins, Ron Garney, and Sal Buscema. He first appeared in The Incredible Hulk Vol.2 .-Fictional character history:...
/Guilt Hulk creature and fights his son.Pak, Incredible Hulks #618-620, Marvel Comics, December 2010 - January 2011. A number of dead members of the mutant superhero team 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...
also return, seeking a prophetic diary that holds information for defeating Mikaboshi. The Dead X-Men managed to prevent Carrion Crow from claiming the diary at the cost of the lives of some of them.Claremont, Simonson & Braithwaite, Chaos War: X-Men #1-2, Marvel Comics, December 2010 - January 2011.
Hercules' sister, the Greek goddess Athena
Athena (Marvel Comics)
Athena is a fictional deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek Goddess of the same name. Athena first appeared in the pages of Thor #164, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
, believing the current reality is irreparably metaphysically corrupt, and wishing to start fresh with a new Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
, is revealed as Mikaboshi's accomplice. The primeval Earth goddess Gaea and her daughter Pele, the goddess of fire, summon the surviving gods to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The young genius Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho, also known as Mastermind Excello, is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa, the character first appeared in Amazing Fantasy vol. 2 #15...
calculates that Mikaboshi by now has consumed most of the multiverse
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
, and Cho urges humanity to escape to an unpopulated and sealed-off continuum of which he knows. Hercules argues to go down fighting, and is confronted by Athena. But Gaea and Pele destroy and recreate Hercules as a maintainer of the cycle of life, and Hercules annihilates his sibling.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #4, Marvel Comics, December 2010.
While the Hulk and his allies, the God Squad, Alpha Flight, and the surviving Dead Avengers fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi's forces, Amadaeus Cho and Galactus work on a machine that will transfer Earth to the sealed-off continuum. Hercules throws Mikaboshi inside it, sealing the entity off. He then restores all that Mikaboshi had destroyed by expending his entire power, turning into a "regular" mortal.Pak & Lente, Chaos War #5, Marvel Comics, January 2011.
Reception
Critical reviews for Chaos War #1 were mostly positive. Doug Zawisza of Comic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
gave it four stars out of five, saying it "could only be made better if it were extra-sized". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated in 7.0 out of 10, calling it "a fine read that has its problems. If you're a fan of [Hercules] then you'll love this escalated continuation of Hercules' story. And for those new to it all, I still recommend giving it a chance [since] the epic nature of the story may sway you to read Herc's quality back catalog".
Zawisza was equally impressed with issue #2, and IGN, though critical of the artwork, rated it 8.0, remarking, "While I am still not a fan of Khoi Pham's artwork in this series, the story is being told well enough in every aspect that it is hard not to recommend the book".
The third issue met with mixed reactions. Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources gave it two of five stars, saying, "A book involving Hercules and the other pantheons of gods fighting off the Chaos King should have been a lot of fun, but this is just a mish-mash", and that, "It doesn't help that Khoi Pham and Thomas Palmer's art is looking equally uninspired here". IGN, conversely, gave it another 8.0 and bringing up a heretofore unmentioned "pacing problem" with the previous issues, and calling it artist Pham's "strongest issue so far".
Reception for the fourth issue was somewhat better with Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources giving it three and half out of five stars, stating "Chaos War story started off with a really loud crash, a deafening noise that threatened all who heard it, but the story since has slowed considerably". Jesse Schedeen of IGN was less impressed giving the issue a 6.5 out of 10, commenting that "Chaos War has had its ups and downs so far. Sadly, it doesn't appear to be shaping up to be the fitting conclusion to the Incredible Hercules saga it should have been".
The fifth and final issue was also meet with mixed reactions. Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave it another four out five stars stating, "This book was big, loud, comic book fun. Sure, it may not have warranted all of the tie-ins, crossovers, and pop-outs it got, but at its core, it provided a wild adventure that changed the landscape of the Marvel Universe". However Dan Iverson of IGN gave the issue its lowest rating, a 5.5 out of 10 remarking, "If anything can be said for Chaos War #5 it is that it truly felt like the end of the Herc and Cho story, with both fulfilling their destinies. Fans of The Incredible Hercules will at least be able to glean some sort of nostalgia from the ending... but it isn't enough to justify the picking the book up at the $3.99 price point".
Collected editions
- Chaos War (Chaos War #1-5)
- Chaos War: Avengers (Chaos War: Avengers #1-3, Chaos War: Thor #1-2, Chaos War: Ares #1)
- Chaos War: X-Men (Chaos War: X-Men #1-2, Chaos War: Alpha Flight #1, Chaos War: Chaos King #1, Chaos War: The God Squad #1)
External links
- Chaos War at the Marvel Database Project