Last night Marvel promised the announcement to end all announcements, and it seemed like for once they weren't just being hyperbolic for the sake of it. Well they were, because they really want people to buy their big summer crossover event Secret Wars, but from the looks of it this'll be the first mini-series in a long time with actual, real repercussions for the Marvel Universe. That's because, according to that online press conference thingy, Jonathan Hickman's landmark story will see the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it. Which is kind of a big deal for Marvel DC have their Crises every few years that totally reboot their continuity. As editor-in-chief Axel Alonson put it: "The Ultimate Universe, the Marvel Universe, they're going to slap together. Imagine two pizzas: They're going to combine toppings, some toppings are going to drop off. It's more than the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe, it's all the universes you can imagine. That is the Marvel Universe going forward." But besides sounding delicious, what does this actually mean? What is a Secret Wars? And is it as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be? Here are the ten things you need to know about Marvel's Secret Wars retcon.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
