Throughout the Marvel Comics Universe's history, war has ravaged countless planets. Billions have died, futures have been altered, and superheroes have fallen in an attempt to end them. When so much is at stake, we've been engrossed in each one, holding our breaths until the final pages as each monumental story comes to a close.
These wars have also been on a smaller scale, but the outcomes have been just as horrible. No matter the reason for them beginning, they've given us some of the most epic story arcs and events ever to come to fruition, so we rank the 10 most devastating wars in Marvel Comics, looking at the scale of destruction and the implications that have come about as a result.
10 Secret War
In 2004, legendary writer Brian Michael Bendis brought us Secret War. When Nick Fury learns of a potential terror attack on America by Latverian Prime Minister Lucia Von Bardas and presents it to the President, he won't authorize an attack on Latveria to stop it. Going behind the President's back, he organizes a team of superheroes to make sure it never happens.
A year later, New York is attacked by Von Bardas using Doctor Doom's tech, putting Luke Cage in a coma. The threat is neutralized, but, as a result, Nick Fury leaves S.H.I.E.L.D., allowing Maria Hill to take over. The superheroes that went with Fury on the original mission turn their backs on him, as he wiped their memories from remembering what happened a year earlier in Latveria.
9 Civil War
When the Superhero Registration Act was passed by the U.S. government, it drew a firm line in the sand between those that wanted their identity to be revealed and those that didn't. The two icons of Marvel Comics, Iron Man and Captain America, stood opposed as both freedom and control became main themes of the event.
Many people died, and long-standing friendships were ruined as a result, with many fights breaking out between the superheroes who were against the act and those that saw it as a positive. Iron Man eventually won the hearts of the public, leading Captain America to surrender due to the untold damage done by the ensuing war.
8 World War Hulk
When the Illuminati send the Hulk into space after his rampages on Earth becoming far too frequent, he crashes onto Sakaar and becomes a gladiator in their combat arena. Managing to escape, he saves the others enslaved there and falls in love with Princess Caeira. When his ship explodes, killing his wife and unborn child, he believed the Illuminati to be responsible.
The Hulk defeats many superheroes who stand in his way, enraged by the pain he believes the Illuminati has caused him. He is eventually stopped and it is revealed that it was one of the Sakaar gladiators who caused the explosion. Regardless, we saw the Hulk stronger than he'd ever been before, and that maybe the Illuminati were right in the first place.
7 Secret Wars
Not to be confused with the Secret Wars that took place in Battleworld in the 1980s, it saw the destruction of many alternate Marvel Universes, leaving just Earth-616 and Earth-1610 left. Plenty of heroes die during the incursion of the two universes such as Black Bolt, Thing, and Spider-Woman. When the incursion is completed, there's a bizarre union of dictatorship in this new universe.
Doctor Doom is a God, Thor leads the Thor Corps (a variety of all the different Thors, including a boar!), and Doctor Strange as a sheriff, although Doom ends up killing him. More die, including Cyclops. It's a superb event, featuring some stunning artwork and dream fights alongside plenty of fighting between a huge cast of heroes and villains.
6 The Infinity War
After the events of Infinity Gauntlet, Adam Warlock swore to protect it, but in the process expelled both good and evil versions of himself in order to guard the gauntlet with a team of superheroes known as the Infinity Watch. However, his evil persona Magus wants the gauntlet for his own use and leads a team of doppelgangers to Earth as a result.
The story features Thanos helping Warlock to stop Magus, evil versions of superheroes doing horrible things, and so many twists and turns. Doctor Doom, Kang the Conquerer, and Galactus all play a part in the story, making it an incredible event filled with a whole host of fantastic characters.
5 The Age Of Apocalypse War
After Legion kills his own father, it gives Apocalypse the perfect opportunity to wage war on North America. Magneto decides to lead the X-Men in Xavier's place and helps to keep his late friend's dream of peaceful coexistence between mutants and humans alive. Magneto comes up with a way to defeat Apocalypse and his minions, but not without considerable fatalities along the way, including the deaths of millions of humans.
Amongst all the carnage and destruction, we witnessed Havok and Cyclops working for Apocalypse, eventually leading to a scrap when it's revealed that Cyclops isn't exactly buddies with the mutant despot, and Colossus goes crazy and kills Iceman and his wife Kitty Pryde to save his younger sister Illyana. It's an epic event taking place over 8 mini-series, each having a devastating effect on the population of the world.
4 War Of The Realms
War of the Realms only came out earlier this year, but the scale of devastation has been ridiculous. The Dark Elf Malekith has conquered almost every realm except Midgard. In an attempt to take Earth for himself, he enlists all the powers of the various realms such as Frost Giants and Fire Goblins to do his bidding.
Many superheroes are involved in the epic war, with Captain Marvel's War Avengers, European heroes Black Knight, Union Jack, and Spitfire, as well as Namor, Spider-Man, Ka-Zar, and Ghost Rider being just a few to team with famous Asgardians to defeat Malekith and his army.
3 The Ultron War
In Age of Ultron, after Ultron returns to Earth to exact his revenge, he wipes out billions of innocent humans. It's a devastating war that pushes the last remaining superheroes to lead a last-ditch attempt at eliminating Hank Pym's creation. Early attempts from Luke Cage and She-Hulk to stop him fail, so Wolverine goes behind the other survivor's backs to go back in time to kill Hank Pym.
This has some drastic effects on the future, leading Wolverine to get the past Wolverine he created as a result of Pym's death to kill him, as he couldn't face living with the things he'd seen. The Avengers rescue Spider-Woman and defeat Intelligencia, then unleash a virus that destroys Ultron. Due to all the time travel, it affects Earth greatly, heralding the return of Galactus, as well as introducing Angela from the Spawn comics.
2 The Kree/Skrull War
Perhaps the most famous of all Marvel Comics wars, the 1970s story saw two of the biggest alien races come to blows, leading to a monumental war that crossed over into multiple civilizations and planets, including Earth. It blew open the doors to what was possible in Marvel Comics and is widely regarded as some of the best work to feature in the pantheon of Marvel history.
The returning Mar-Vell arrives back on Earth after spending time in the Negative Zone, eventually being captured by the Skrulls to build the Omni-Wave Projector, a devastating weapon that would kill the Kree. The war ends when Rick Jones unlocks the Destiny Force and stops the Skrulls, but the war is filled with so many superheroes such as The Avengers, the Inhumans, and the Fantastic Four, making it a truly epic masterpiece.
1 The Annihilation War
Billions ended up dying during the Annihilation Wave thanks to the actions of insectoid leader Annihilus. Managing to harness the cosmic energy of Galactus, he uses it to exact his plans to wipe out the entire galaxy so that he can be the only thing left standing. This leaves the United Front to be the last bastion of hope, including the likes of Nova, Star-Lord, and Ronan the Accuser.
Thanos comes up with a way to stop Galactus being used by Annihilus, but Drax kills him before he succeeds. Luckily, Drax manages to free the Silver Surfer so that he can save his former master. Annihilus is finally defeated when Nova seemingly kills him in devastating fashion, but things aren't as they seem.