Secret Wars: Battleworld #1

Previously in Secret Wars #2

Though I wasn’t feeling the second story in this issue (M.O.D.O.K. Madness), the first (Soldier Supreme) has me fully on board with Secrets Wars. I mentioned before the drawback to reading events is encountering unfamiliar characters or plot lines from previous runs. If the story is interesting enough, you’ll enjoy it without having prior knowledge of the characters. It may even drive you to read previous stories to learn more. The M.O.D.O.K. story did none of that.

Soilder Supreme takes place on 2099 where Frank Castle (Punisher) is being followed. Not just by Doctor Strange, who has attached his spirit? consciousness? to Castle and speaks to him telepathically, but also by The Infernal Four (Hulk, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine), previously trapped in the Demonic Domain, but now charged with bringing in Castle so he can answer to his crimes before the high court.

Castle makes easy work of three of the four before he’s left with just Wolverine. Rather than be taken alive - and despite Strange’s pleas - Castle chooses to go out with a grenade.

Wolverine heads to Doomgard where he meets with the sheriff (who I’m pretty sure is also Doctor Strange) and explains they’ll have to accept a dead Punisher instead of one they could toss beyond The Shield.

It’s not really clear why Castle was being pursued - just a brief mention of border hopping - or if it was Doom who wanted him or the sheriff. Why not send The Thors after him? Isn’t that their job? We don’t get the answers, but we do see Doctor Strange has attached himself to Wolverine, and since he’s immortal, this is an arrangement Doctor Strange sees working out quite well. Or else.