Marvel relies heavily on large, interconnected storylines and events. These big events seem to be happening more and more frequently—2025 alone will bring Imperial, Age of Revelation, and One World Under Doom. This trend started in the 1980s with successful series like Contest of Champions and Secret Wars. While many of these events have spawned sequels, and some of those sequels have even surpassed the originals, not all follow-ups have lived up to the hype or impact of the initial story.
As a movie reviewer, I’ve seen a lot of follow-ups – whether they’re directly continuing a story, tying into larger universes like Marvel, or just plain sequels. I’ve put together a list of five follow-ups that really delivered, and unfortunately, five sequels that left most fans – and me – wanting more.
10) Best: Annihilation Conquest
Released in 2006, *Annihilation* dramatically reshaped the Marvel Cosmic universe. The initial storyline featured heroes like Nova, the Silver Surfer, Super-Skrull, and Ronan the Accuser fighting against the villain Annihilus and his powerful Annihilation Wave. This event revitalized the Marvel Cosmic Universe, giving it renewed significance after a long period of relative obscurity.
The success of the first series led to a follow-up in 2007, *Annihilation Conquest*, which many fans considered even better. This sequel was particularly notable for introducing the version of the Guardians of the Galaxy that would later appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also highlighted the strong dynamic between Star-Lord and Nova as depicted in the comics, and brought back the character Adam Warlock, making it a major success for Marvel Comics.
9) Worst: Infinity Crusade
Okay, so I really loved *Annihilation Conquest* as a follow-up to that huge cosmic event, but the third part of the *Infinity Gauntlet* story just didn’t hit the same way. That’s a bummer because *The Infinity Gauntlet* itself was amazing, and *The Infinity War* was a fantastic cosmic crossover series too! I remember being blown away by the first story – Thanos wiping out half of everything and then fighting Adam Warlock and the remaining heroes. Then, in the second part, it was wild seeing Warlock get corrupted by the Gauntlet, forcing Thanos to *team up* with the heroes to fix things!
Unfortunately, things went downhill with *The Infinity Crusade*. Adam Warlock split himself into his good and evil sides – the evil being Magus (who appeared in *Infinity War*), and the good being a Goddess – but both sides proved problematic. The story felt slow and the potential impact wasn’t as strong (much like the problems with *House of M*), which led to a significant decline in quality after a promising beginning.
8) Best: Secret Wars (2015)
As a critic, I have to say that *Secret Wars* really delivered. It picked up the threads from *Time Runs Out*, but smartly also acted as a kind of sequel to the very first *Secret Wars* events. Doctor Doom, in a move that felt both classic and clever, recreated Battleworld – a nod to the original series – after swiping power from the Beyonders. It was a bold move connecting so many storylines, but it paid off. Marvel was able to tell a truly imaginative fantasy, reinventing its heroes in surprising and compelling ways. It wasn’t just a continuation; it felt like a fresh start, built on decades of history.
With fun team-ups like God Emperor Doom and Sheriff Strange, and groups like the Thor Corps, this story has a lot going for it. It brings together different versions of characters from across the Marvel Universe – including those from realities like Earth-616, the Ultimate Marvel universe, and timelines like 2099 and the Age of Apocalypse. This event affected almost every Marvel comic series, offering a new and exciting take on the characters, and many consider it to be the greatest world-changing event in Marvel Comics history.
7) Worst: Contest of Champions II
The original *Contest of Champions* was a warm-up to the *Secret Wars* event, using a similar format where heroes fought each other. It was Marvel’s very first limited series, and it proved incredibly popular, letting fans see their favorite characters compete for the title of strongest. The story also featured a rivalry between the Grandmaster and the Collector, who orchestrated the battles. A sequel followed 17 years later, but it wasn’t well-received.
The main issue with *Contest of Champions II* is that it wasn’t a true sequel. Released in 1999, the Brood manipulated heroes into competing in a series of contests by falsely promising them advanced technology. All the heroes were drugged to focus solely on fighting each other, with Iron Man as their only chance for rescue. Unlike the enjoyable battles of the original series, this sequel suffered from a poor storyline and quickly moved away from actual superhero fights.
6) Best: King in Black (Sequel to Absolute Carnage)
Although the story of *King in Black* feels like a standalone event, it actually began with the *Absolute Carnage* storyline. *Absolute Carnage* originated from the *Venom* comic series and brought back Cletus Kasady as Carnage, impacting every character in Marvel history who has ever bonded with a symbiote. In response, Eddie Brock created a special sword, the Necrosword, to defeat Carnage and protect his son, Dylan. However, this act unintentionally unleashed Knull, setting him on a destructive course.
The *King in Black* storyline is even better than *Absolute Carnage*. It features Knull invading Earth with an army of symbiotes, forcing the remaining heroes to defend the planet. With help from characters like Silver Surfer and Doctor Strange, the fate of Earth ultimately rests on Eddie Brock, his son, and Venom. Overall, *King in Black* is a thrilling crossover event that successfully delivers the intense action and dramatic stakes Marvel is known for.
5) Worst: Secret Wars II
While not Marvel Comics’ very first limited series, *Secret Wars* was by far its biggest hit. It sparked Marvel’s interest in creating large-scale crossover events, leading to the many annual events the company releases today. The original series featured the powerful being known as the Beyonder kidnapping heroes and villains and forcing them to battle on a planet called Battleworld, promising the victors anything they wanted.
Despite the success of the first *Secret Wars*, the sequel was a letdown. This time around, the incredibly powerful Beyonder came to Earth, but his appearance – a white jumpsuit – felt silly even for the 1980s. He was trying to understand humanity, which was difficult given his godlike abilities and potential to unravel reality. Ultimately, *Secret Wars II* didn’t have the same impact as the original and felt like a tedious read.
4) Best: Realm of Kings
Realm of Kings is a continuation of the 2009 Marvel story, War of Kings. War of Kings centered on a conflict between the Shi’ar and Kree Empires, involving teams like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova Corps. It concluded with the Shi’ar Empire’s surrender to the Inhumans, setting the stage for the events in Realm of Kings, which began in 2010.
The *War of Kings* storyline introduced the Cancerverse, arguably one of the most terrifying realms in Marvel Comics. The events of the series led to both Black Bolt and Vulcan going missing, and the resulting tear in the fabric of space and time created this dangerous universe. It also brought Thanos back into the comics. Beyond the long-term consequences, the story itself was packed with exciting action and was truly enjoyable to read.
3) Worst: Civil War II
The first *Civil War* storyline divided fans. While many enjoyed it, others grew tired of seeing superheroes constantly battling each other. Despite the U.S. government portraying Iron Man as the hero of the conflict, it damaged his reputation with comic book readers for years. Unfortunately, when Marvel followed it up with *Civil War II*, the resulting event is widely considered one of the company’s biggest failures.
The storyline involving the Inhuman with precognitive abilities, and Carol Danvers’ unwavering trust in him, felt very similar to the plot of Philip K. Dick’s *Minority Report* – and Dick himself believed that was problematic. Similar to the original *Civil War* event, the government praised Carol for blindly following the precog’s predictions, even though it led her to target a young, heroic character who hadn’t done anything wrong. While Carol wasn’t as villainous as Iron Man and his side in the first *Civil War*, the entire story felt rushed and poorly planned, as if it was created simply to benefit from the success of the original series.
2) Best: World War Hulks
The *World War Hulk* storyline revealed the existence of the Illuminati, a secret group whose actions had negative consequences for Earth. Their decisions were linked to both the Secret Invasion and the devastating Incursions that threatened the planet. Specifically, they exiled the Hulk to space, a move that backfired when he returned seeking revenge and defeated them.
Though technically a sequel, *World War Hulks* had a significant impact on the Hulk family. It explained how both the Red Hulk (General Ross) and Red She-Hulk (Betty Ross) came to be, and introduced Hiro-Kala, the Hulk’s second son, who later died in the *Imperial* storyline. The action sequences were excellent—even more exciting than the fights in *World War Hulk*—and the story arc served as a satisfying conclusion to Greg Pak’s work on the series.
1) Worst: Brand New Day (Follow-Up to One More Day)
The storyline “One More Day” was controversial, and rightfully so. It involved Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson making a deal with the devil, Mephisto, to save Aunt May’s life. While fans didn’t want to see May die, many felt Peter shouldn’t have made such a deal. The story also led to the end of Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage, which was unpopular with readers.
While *Brand New Day* was the next chapter in the Spider-Man comic, it’s when many fans started to lose interest. Peter and Mary Jane had a rocky relationship, and the writers tried to establish this as the new normal. Readers weren’t interested in Peter’s new girlfriend, Carlie Cooper, and only perked up when Black Cat reappeared. Though things eventually improved, *Brand New Day* seemed to show that the editors at Marvel didn’t want Peter Parker to have a lasting happy relationship.
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2025-10-13 01:44