The Evolutionary War
| "The Evolutionary War" | |||
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Cover of X-Factor Annual 3 (1988). First issue in the story arc, cover art by Walt Simonson.
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| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
| Publication date | 1988 | ||
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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.
One of the world's premiere geneticists, the High Evolutionary 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.
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 evolution and eliminate perceived threats to mankind's genetic purity.
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Wikipedia