Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars

Secret Wars
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1 (May 1984). Cover art by Mike Zeck.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Publication date	May 1984 – Apr. 1985
No. of issues	12
Main character(s)	Avengers Fantastic Four X-Men Spider-Man Hulk Doctor Doom Magneto Beyonder
Creative team
Written by	Jim Shooter
Penciller(s)	Mike Zeck, Bob Layton

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, commonly known as Secret Wars, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton. It was tied to the same-named toyline from Mattel.

The series was conceived by Marvel Comics' Editor-in-chief Jim Shooter:

Kenner had licensed the DC Heroes. Mattel had He-Man, but wanted to hedge in case superheroes became the next big fad. They were interested in Marvel's characters, but only if we staged a publishing event that would get a lot of attention, and they could build a theme around. Fans, especially young fans often suggested to me "one big story with all the heroes and all the villains in it", so I proposed that. It flew. Mattel thought that kids responded well to the word "secret", so after a couple of working names bit the dust, we called the story "Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars".

In the eleventh issue of the Marvel Age news magazine, published February 1984, a news column announced the series as Cosmic Champions. One month later, the twelfth issue of Marvel Age featured a cover story on the series, now titled Secret Wars.

Shooter also explained:

We went through a number of ideas for names for the toy line and series. Mattel's focus group tests indicated that kids reacted positively to the words 'wars' and 'secret'. Okay.
Mattel had a number of other requirements. Doctor Doom, they said, looked too medieval. His armor would have to be made more high-tech. So would Iron Man’s, because their focus groups indicated that kids reacted positively...etc. Okay.
They also said there had to be new fortresses, vehicles and weapons because they wanted playsets, higher price point merchandise and additional play value. Okay.
When time came to actually do it, I realized that only I could write it.