"War of Kings"is acomic bookcrossoverstoryline written byDan AbnettandAndy Lanning,published byMarvel Comics,and set in Marvel's mainshareduniverse.The six-issue limited series was published between March[2][3]and August 2009.
| "War of Kings" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Cover ofWar of Kings1 (May 2009), art byBrandon Peterson | |||
| Publisher | Marvel Comics | ||
| Publication date | March – August2009 | ||
| Genre | Science fiction,space opera,superherocrossover | ||
| |||
| Main character(s) | Shi'ar Inhumans Kree Guardians of the Galaxy Starjammers Nova Darkhawk | ||
| Creative team | |||
| Writer(s) | Dan Abnett(Guardians of the Galaxy,Nova,Secret Invasion: War of Kings,War of Kings) C. B. Cebulski(War of Kings: Darkhawk) Andy Lanning(Guardians of the Galaxy,Nova,Secret Invasion: War of Kings,War of Kings) Christopher Yost(X-Men: Kingbreaker) | ||
| Penciller(s) | Wellington Alves(Nova,War of Kings: Ascension) Wesley Craig(Guardians of the Galaxy) Bong Dazo(Guardians of the Galaxy) Andrea Di Vito(Nova) Paul Pelletier[1](Guardians of the Galaxy,Secret Invasion: War of Kings,War of Kings) Harvey Tolibao(War of Kings: Darkhawk) Brad Walker(Guardians of the Galaxy) Dustin Weaver(X-Men: Kingbreaker) | ||
| Road to War of Kings | ISBN0-7851-3967-2 | ||
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Book 1 | ISBN0-7851-3339-9 | ||
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Book 2 | ISBN0-7851-4127-8 | ||
| War of Kings | ISBN0-7851-3542-1 | ||
| Ascension | ISBN0-7851-4170-7 | ||
| Nova | ISBN0-7851-4066-2 | ||
The story is about a war between theVulcan-ledShi'arempire and theInhuman-ledKreeempire. TheGuardians of the Galaxy,NovaCorps,Darkhawk,and theStarjammersbecome involved in various ways. Its tagline is "When kings collide, the galaxy will tremble".
Publication history
editOn July 18, 2008, Marvel posted a news article featuring a modified cover ofEmperor Vulcanwith the phrase "Who Will Rule?", accompanied by the text "Stay tuned to Marvel and get ready for the blockbuster answer atSan Diego Comic-Con!"[4]At the SDCC, it was announced that this was part of the build-up to the War of Kings,[5]an outer-space storyline focusing on the X-Men family of characters rather than the cosmic entities. The core series was written byDan AbnettandAndy Lanningand edited byBill Rosemann.[2][6][7]
The event started in December 2008[8][9]with the mini-seriesX-Men: Kingbreakerand continued in theSecret Invasion:War of Kingsone-shot (Jan 2009) andWar of Kings#1-6 (Mar - Aug 2009). Abnett and Lanning tied the main series into their other titles,Guardians of the GalaxyandNova(vol 4).C. B. Cebulskiwrote two other tie-in mini-series,War of Kings:DarkhawkandWar of Kings: Ascension.[10][11][12]A series onMarvel Digital Comics,War of the Kings: WarriorsbyChristos GageandJay Faerber,tied into the storyline and featured different stories focusing onGladiator,Blastaar,LilandraandCrystal.[13][14]These four stories were later collected and published asWar of Kings: Warriors1-2.
Plot summary
editOpening shots
editIn the aftermath of theSecret Invasionstoryline,Black Boltand theInhumansreturn to theKreefor their right to lineage as rulers. They come into direct conflict withEmperor Vulcanand his campaign of expansion for theShi'ar.The first issue sets up this conflict and shows an attack at the wedding ofRonan the AccuserandCrystal- a betrothal arranged by the Inhuman king, Black Bolt, to unite the two races, resolve ancient hostilities, and provide common defense against mutual enemies. The Inhumans and Kree reply in kind, attacking the Shi'ar in the following issue.
War of Kings main series
editVulcanthen embarks on an ambitious plan to conquer the rest of the universe.[15]
TheGladiatorof the Shi'arImperial Guardleads the assault against theInhumans.AsCrystalof the Inhuman Royal Family andRonan the Accuserare about to be married to unite the Inhumans with theKree,they are attacked by Gladiator and the Guard. Gladiator takes onBlack Boltand is able to defeat him with some help from White Noise. The Guard also capturesPrincess Lilandrawho is with the Kree and Inhumans. Ronan also falls as he tries to help Crystal. Gladiator says that they have made their statement, and the Imperial Guard leaves.Medusashouts that the Shi'ar will pay with their blood for what they have done.
Gladiator and the Guard face off against the new batch of Nova Centurions, whom they quickly defeat. Gladiator's cousin, Xenith, shows up, informing him that the Emperor has ordered Gladiator to present Lilandra to him. Gladiator quickly leaves, though he clearly shows his dislike for his cousin and her presence. Gladiator walks a fine line in doing his duty for an emperor he personally dislikes while still protecting Lilandra from his wrath. Later, theStarjammers,accompanied by a faction of theGuardians of the Galaxy,attack Gladiator's ship to extract Lilandra. He is taken out of the fight byRocket Raccoon,aided byMarvel Girl,until he sees through their trick. He quickly defeats the rest of their team and recaptures Lilandra before she can escape. She pleads with him again but another guard interrupts her and demands that Gladiator do as the Emperor ordered and kill Lilandra and the others.
After battling the Starjammers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Gladiator is swayed by Lilandra's argument against Vulcan and kills a member of the Imperial Guard loyal to the Emperor, saying that he is loyal to Lilandra. In the next issue, Lilandra is killed by Darkhawk - Razor. Gladiator goes crazy and begins to attack all of his enemies. Vulcan and Black Bolt battle on a ship or bomb. Black Bolt has the final strike and seemingly kills Vulcan. As Crystal and Lockjaw are about to take Black Bolt away, Vulcan gets up and pushes Black Bolt to the ground. Just as Lockjaw and Crystal escape, their ship blows up and both kings are seemingly killed. Back on the Shi'ar home planet, Gladiator becomes the new emperor. Also, the explosion from the ship has literally made a hole in the fabric of space and time. This rift is actually the event that Starhawk (inGuardians of the Galaxy) was trying to prevent. It's dubbed "The Fault." The Shi'ar fleet, suffering from the explosion, surrenders to the Inhumans, but the price is too high.[16]
The Fraternity of Raptors
editA second wearer ofDarkhawkarmor, calling himself Talon, arrives on Earth and tells Chris Powell (the original wearer of the armor) he is part of an ancient organization known as "The Fraternity of Raptors," who were created to protect the universe. After millennia of dormancy, only Darkhawk and Talon are left, and their job now is to return the balance to the universe. Unfortunately for Chris, Talon has lied—when Chris accesses the memories in his armor, he concludes that the Fraternity of Raptors are the bad guys.. just as Talon apparently purges Chris's consciousness from the armor. A new identity for the armor, "Razor," emerges and takes control.
Talon and Razor then recover the Cosmic Control Rod from Catastrophus, stopping briefly for Talon to implant a suggestion in the gestatingAnnihilus.Chris's personality was not wholly destroyed yet, and a vision of his father tells him that much of what he believed about the armor was false: the prior history, evenEvilhawkhimself, was a lie made up by Chris's mind, and the other armor is a second configuration that took control to cover earlier anger issues. Horrified, Chris' psyche breaks free of the prison in which it was locked, only for Chris to find himself on a great tree adorned with thousands of amulets like his own, where he encounters gargoyle-like creatures that urge him to return to the one from which he has just emerged. Meanwhile, in theNegative Zone,Talon and Razor offerBlastaarthe Cosmic Control Rod in exchange for his assistance influencing the outcome of the War of Kings. Talon then appears toVulcan,telling him that the fraternity was created in order to keep the Imperium strong. Talon also tells him, through the Datasong, that Blastaar is helping the Shi'ar, and also tells him of Lilandra's coup on Chandilar. Razor is later seen on Chandilar, disguised as a Shi'ar. AlthoughRachel Greymanages to see his true form, he shoots several Shi'ar before he kills Lilandra.[17]
The Nova Corps
editThe newly reformed and under-trainedNova Corpssuffers great casualties facing the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. WhenNova's brother, Robbie, attempts to rescue a fellow corpsman he had befriended, he finds himself needing rescue. Nova and some more experienced centurions rescue Robbie and take Strontian and Ravenous into custody. The Kree territory that had been under Ravenous' control is left to "King" Blastarr.[18]
The Guardians of the Galaxy
editIn an attempt to prevent, and then stop, the war, theGuardians of the Galaxysplit into two groups. The team led byRocket Raccoontries to communicate with Vulcan, andStar-Lord's team appeals to the Inhumans. Neither group has had any success.
Tie-ins
editDecember 2008:[19]
- X-Men: Kingbreaker#1
- Guardians of the Galaxy#8
January 2009:[20]
- Secret Invasion:War of Kings
- War of Kings Saga
- Guardians of the Galaxy#9
- X-Men: Kingbreaker#2
February 2009:[21]
- War of Kings:Darkhawk#1
- Guardians of the Galaxy#10
- X-Men: Kingbreaker#3
March 2009:[22]
- War of Kings#1
- War of Kings: Darkhawk#2
- X-Men: Kingbreaker#4
- Guardians of the Galaxy#11
- Guardians of the Galaxy#12
- Nova#23
April 2009:[23]
- War of Kings#2
- War of Kings: Ascension#1
- Guardians of the Galaxy#13
- Nova#24
May 2009:
- War of Kings#3
- War of Kings: Ascension#2
- Guardians of the Galaxy#14
- Nova#25
June 2009:
- War of Kings#4
- War of Kings: Ascension#3
- War of Kings: The Savage World of Skaar
- Guardians of the Galaxy#15
- Nova#26
July 2009:
- War of Kings#5
- War of Kings: Ascension#4
- War of Kings: Warriors#1
- Guardians of the Galaxy#16
- Nova#27
August 2009:
- War of Kings#6
- War of Kings: Warriors#2
- Guardians of the Galaxy#17
- Nova#28
September 2009:
- War of Kings: Who Will Rule?
Aftermath: Realm of Kings
editFollowing the conclusion ofWar of Kingsin August 2009 the one-shotWar of Kings: Who Will Rule?was published, which served as an epilogue toWar of Kingsas well as setting the stage forRealm of Kings.
Realm of Kingsbegan with aneponymousone-shot in November 2009 and continued with three mini-seriesRealm of Kings: Inhumans,Realm of Kings: Imperial GuardandRealm of Kings: Son of Hulk.As withWar of KingsbothNovaandGuardians of the Galaxyalso tied into the event withNova#31-35 andGuardians of the Galaxy#20-24.[24][25]
Collected editions
edit| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| War of Kings: Road to War of Kings | X-Men: Kingbreaker#1-4,Secret Invasion: War of Kings,War of Kings Saga | June 2009 | 978-0785139676 |
| War of Kings Prelude: Road to War of Kings Omnibus | Son of M#1-6,X-Men: Deadly Genesis#1-6,Silent War#1-6,Secret Invasion: Inhumans#1-4,Guardians of the Galaxy(vol. 2) #1-12,Nova(vol. 4) #13-22,Nova: The Origin of Richard Rider,War of Kings Saga | April 2017 | 978-1302904463 |
| War of Kings(TPB) | War of Kings#1-6,War of Kings: Who Will Rule?#1,Marvel Spotlilght: War of Kings | May 2010 | 978-0785135425 |
| War of Kings(HC) | War of Kings#1-6,War of Kings: Ascension#1-4,War of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar#1,War of Kings: Darkhawk#1-2,War of Kings: Warriors#1-2,War of Kings: Who Will Rule?#1,Marvel Spotlilght: War of Kings | December 2009 | 978-0785142935 |
| Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 2: War Of Kings Book 1 | Guardians of the Galaxy(vol. 2) #7-12 | January 2010 | 978-0785141273 |
| Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3: War Of Kings Book 2 | Guardians of the Galaxy(vol. 2) #13-17,Marvel Spotlight:War of Kings | January 2010 | 978-0785140481 |
| Nova Volume 5: War of Kings | Nova(vol. 4) #23-29 | November 2009 | 978-0785140665 |
| War Of Kings: Warriors | War of Kings: Darkhawk#1-2,War of Kings: Ascension#1-4,War of Kings: Savage Sword of Skaar,War of Kings: Warriors #1-2 | June 2010 | 978-0785143680 |
| War of Kings Omnibus | Uncanny X-Men#475-486,X-Men: Emperor Vulcan#1-5,Secret Invasion: War of Kings#1,X-Men: Kingbreaker#1-4,War of Kings: Darkhawk#1-2,War of Kings: Warriors#1-2,War of Kings#1-6,War of Kings: Ascension#1-4,War of Kings: Savage World of Sakaar#1,Nova(vol. 4) #23-28,Guardians of the Galaxy(vol. 2) #13-19,War of Kings: Who Will Rule?#1,Marvel Spotlilght: War of Kings,material fromX-Men: Divided We Stand#2 | November 2016 | 978-1302945671 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Talking to War of Kings' Paul Pelletier,Newsarama,April 6, 2009
- ^abCCI: DnA and Rosemann on “War of Kings”,Comic Book Resources,July 27, 2008
- ^Abnett and Lannig: Readying for War of Kings,Newsarama,December 18, 2008
- ^Morse, Ben (2008-07-26)."SDCC '08: War of Kings".Marvel.Retrieved2007-07-18.
- ^SDCC '08 - Abnett & Lanning on Marvel's 'War of Kings',Newsarama,July 27, 2008
- ^Bill Rosemann: The Big Picture - War of Kings and More,Newsarama,November 6, 2008
- ^X-POSITION: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning,Comic Book Resources,January 13, 2009
- ^"X-Men Kingbreaker #1, Marvel Catalog".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^"Guardians of the Galaxy #8, Marvel Catalog".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^FIRST LOOK: Darkhawk Swoops into February,Marvel, November 14, 2008
- ^C.B. Cebulski Talks “War of Kings: Darkhawk”,Comic Book Resources,January 15, 2009
- ^War of Kings: Darkhawk - CB Cebulski,Newsarama
- ^NYCC '09: Marvel Takes the 'War' Online,Newsarama.February 6, 2009
- ^NYCC: Gage and Faerber Talk “WoK: Warriors”,Comic Book Resources,February 8, 2009
- ^X-Men:Kingbreaker#1 - 4 (Feb. - May 2009)
- ^War of Kings#1 - 6 (May. - July 2009)
- ^War of Kings#4-5
- ^Nova#23-29
- ^"Browse Comic Books On Sale Between Dec 1, 2008 and Jan 1, 2009 | Comic Books | Comics".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^"Browse Comic Books On Sale Between Jan 1, 2009 and Feb 1, 2009 | Comic Books | Comics".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^"Browse Comic Books On Sale Between Feb 1, 2009 and Mar 1, 2009 | Comic Books | Comics".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^"Browse Comic Books On Sale Between Mar 1, 2009 and Apr 1, 2009 | Comic Books | Comics".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^"Browse Comic Books On Sale Between Apr 1, 2009 and May 1, 2009 | Comic Books | Comics".Marvel.Retrieved2010-12-26.
- ^Richards, Dave (August 9, 2009)."CCC09: DnA's" Realm of Kings "".Comic Book Resources.RetrievedAugust 9,2009.
- ^McGloin, Matt, Luoma, Mike and Meneese, Bill (August 19, 2009)."Interview with Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Bill Rosemann".Cosmic Book News.RetrievedOctober 31,2009.
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External links
edit- Official websiteat Marvel
- War of Kingsat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
- NYCC: Marvel's War of Kings Panel,Comic Book Resources,February 6, 2009
- NYCC '09 - Marvel's 'War of Kings' FULL Report,Newsarama,February 6, 2009
- Read War Of Kings #1 Free(press release),Comics Bulletin
- ALL THE KINGS' MEN: The Kings & Queens,Comic Book Resources,February 3, 2009
- ALL THE KINGS' MEN: The Bishops,Comic Book Resources,February 18, 2009
- ALL THE KINGS' MEN: The Knights,Comic Book Resources,March 5, 2009
- ALL THE KINGS' MEN: The Rooks,Comic Book Resources,April 1, 2009
Reviews
edit- Reviews:War of Kings#1,Comic Book Resources
- War of Kings#1 Review,Comics Bulletin
- Reviews:War of Kings#2,Comic Book Resources
- War of Kings#2 Review,Comics Bulletin
- Reviews:War of Kings: Darkhawk#1,Comic Book Resources
- War of Kings: Darkhawk#1 Review,Comics Bulletin
- Advance Review ofWar of Kings: Darkhawk#2,Comics Bulletin