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From battles with monsters like Thanos to wars between alien races, here are the best cosmic crossover events in Marvel Comics history.
10) Imperial
The latest Marvel Comics crossover event could rise up the ranks of the best cosmic storylines, but it is still ongoing, and its lasting effects remain unknown. Imperial started off confusing, with Hulk taking Amadeus Cho and She-Hulk to Sakaar when his son was murdered, only to find out that several planets’ rulers have been assassinated. This led to an all-out war, with Wakanda framed and the Shi’ar, Nova, Star-Lord, the Hulks, and the Kree-Skrull Alliance seeking revenge. There have been lots of twists and turns in the Imperial storyline, and it has been exciting, but it remains to be seen if it sticks the landing.
9) Empyre
Empyre ended one of the longest-running wars in Marvel Comics history. This was the Marvel cosmic crossover series that finally united the Kree and Skrull races, forming the new Kree-Skrull Alliance. It all began when the former Young Avengers member Hulkling discovered something shocking. His father was Captain Mar-Vell, and his mother was a Skrull princess. Because he was a hybrid, it made him the heir to both races. He and his husband, Wiccan, then worked not only to unite them but to make them one of the strongest forces in the universe. Seeing Hulking and Wiccan become royalty was exciting, and this entire series was full of big-league heroes and political intrigue.
8) Infinity War
The Marvel Comics cosmic crossover series, which shared a title with an Avengers movie, The Infinity War, was the sequel to the superior Infinity Gauntlet storyline. It was followed by a third part, titled The Infinity Crusade. While the Avengers movie took inspiration from the previous crossover series, this story was very different, as Thanos is no longer the villain. Instead, it is Adam Warlock, who ended up giving in to his Magus side, who used five Cosmic Cubes to take out Eternity and create evil mirror opposites of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Written by Jim Starlin and Ron Lim, this series crossed over with most of the main Marvel comics, and it included the original version of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Quasar, and the members of the Infinity Watch, who all had to work together to bring down Magus and save the universe.
7) Annihilation: Conquest
The one thing that holds down Annihilation: Conquest is that it was the follow-up to Annihilation, and the latter was one of the best Marvel crossover events in history. However, don’t be fooled because Annihilation: Conquest is well worth reading, and is a quality sequel, even if it doesn’t match up to the overall brilliance of the first series. In this series, a techno-organic alien collective turns life into robotic slaves. The Guardians of the Galaxy have to work with an infected Nova and Quasar to battle the Phalanx, along with a major heel turn by Gamora and a returning Adam Warlock, who Ultron controls.
6) The Kree-Skrull War
The first real Marvel Comics crossover series featuring cosmic storylines dates back to 1971 with the Kree-Skrull War. The crossover was mainly known for featuring the Avengers, as they recognized that the massive, long-standing war between the Kree Empire and the Skrulls threatened Earth and the rest of the universe. The storyline was revolutionary at the time, with Earth depicted as a small part of the universe, essentially nothing more than an island where the Kree and Skrull military could fight and use as a pawn in the battle. As a side note, this was the issue where it was revealed that Mar-Vell had an affair with a Skrull princess, and that paid off decades later when Hulkling was shown to be the child from that affair. As the first cosmic-level crossover, this remains a notable achievement.
