The Illuminati have already been established, so these issues show how they’ve been operating in secret for about as long as there’s been a shared 616 Universe. Each issue is organized around a significant event, but there’s lots of fun interactions between the Illuminati members.
Issue #1 shows the collective’s roots, forming during the Kree-Skrull war, and sets up Secret Invasion.
#2 shows their behind-the-scenes coordination during the Infinity Stone sagas. There’s a very cool sequence where the Illuminati get all the stones together and Reed Richards puts on the glove.
He’s immediately awed and tempted by its power, so Uatu pays a visit.
Reed decides that each of them will protect one stone.
Cool.
Issue #3 revisits the Secret War.
The cover is a tribute to the cover of Secret Wars #1.
Beyonder asks the group a poignant question…
Exactly. Bendis draws a solid connection between the self-righteous exercise of power by the Illuminati and the naked, unpretentious ways of Beyonder.
Unfortunately, the issue also tries hard to justify Secret Wars II–which was largely a jumbled mess–and ignores a lot of things we saw with our own eyes during that event. But, I loved Secret Wars and didn’t absolutely hate SWII, so this was a fun read for me.
Issue #4 looks at how they became aware of Marvel Boy (Noh-Varr). It also touches on a bunch of other storylines, like the time Tony Stark banged Madam Masque.
It’s the weakest of the lot because…Why is this such a major event?
Finally, #5 brings us up to the current time across the Marvel books. It is the direct Secret Invasion tie-in, as they wrestle with the reality of the dead Elektra skrull (delivered to Tony Stark by Spider-Woman in New Avengers.
While the geniuses are debating what to do about the body, Black Bolt speaks…
Yup. He’s a skrull. And we don’t know how long he’s been one, but this at least explains how Hulk beat him during World War Hulk–because Black Bolt should have at least been able to shatter Hulk’s eardrums.
Bendis joyfully retcons Marvel history and sometimes he bumps into things that don’t quite fit, but overall this is a fun “different view” of major Marvel events.
I’m only tagging the major characters in this series–since it flashes back to many major events, I could be tagging characters forever and…I have a life.
English (US) · 