If you were a child of the ‘80s like I was and read comics, you probably found yourself caught up in Marvel’s Secret Wars limited series’ that were published in the middle of the decade. While I didn’t wind up reading the first instalment until years later, I did read all nine issues of the second series, while also collecting virtually every single tie-in that was published. That was a big job for a kid not yet nine years old, but I was lucky to have parents that supported my comic book ways.
The protagonist, who we’d come to know as The Beyonder, was basically God; an omnipotent being trying to learn about himself via his interactions with heroes, villains, and every day humans as well. The character has come and gone over the years in Marvel Comics, with his story and race explored, but I have to say no story has ever really captured my imagination the way Secret Wars II did.
The Beyonder’s latest return comes in Avengers Beyond #1, written by Derek Landy and illustrated by Greg Land. The story ties in with recent happenings in All-Out Avengers, but the good news is you don’t have to be completely aware of that storyline to appreciate this issue. All you need to know is that someone or something has been manipulating the Avengers, and guess who it is.
The high point for me with Avengers Beyond #1 is the return of The Beyonder, complete with his pop star curls and naïveté, and his belief that the heroes are his friends. While I’m not sure how many fans unfamiliar with the character will care about this book at first, I enjoyed Avengers Beyond #1 and I’m keen to see where it goes next. If anything, it could send fans back to rediscover Secret Wars II and the beginning of The Beyonder as he is today.
Someone has been manipulating the Avengers for the past several months, altering the very fabric of reality in an attempt to prepare the planet for a threat that could destroy everything. Here, now, this unseen individual is to be dragged, kicking and screaming, from the shadows and into the light – and is revealed as the Beyonder! Something big is coming to the Marvel Universe…
