[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WoKTeaser.gif]]

--->''The king with no words has screamed in defiance, and his cry has split the universe in half. It's starting... The war that ends everything.''
---> '''Starhawk''', ''GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' #10

''War of Kings'' is a MarvelComics BatFamilyCrossover of the year 2009. It follows events of the ''SecretInvasion: Inhumans'', ''[[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} X-Men: Rise And Fall of the Shi'Ar Empire]]'' and ''X-Men: Emperor Vulcan'' storylines, and plot elements in various other titles, like ''[[Comicbook/{{Nova}} Nova]]'', ''GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' or ''ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}: Conquest''.

After their home on the Moon was attacked by Skrulls during the ''SecretInvasion'' event, TheInhumans chose to leave for space, where they not only had revenge on the green shapeshifters, but also attacked their own creators - the Kree Empire. With the Kree's defeat, the Kree leader, Ronan, gives up his position, announcing [[TheVoiceless Black Bolt]] as the new king of the Empire. This doesn't escape the sight of another cosmic monarch - Vulcan, Emperor of the Shi'Ar - who quickly finds an excuse to start a war between the two space nations. So big a conflict cannot avoid involving third parties; the GuardiansOfTheGalaxy, the Nova Corps and Blaastar's army from the Negative Zone are all brought into the conflict.

Follwing this event, Marvel put out a series of comics under the title ''Realm of Kings'', which served as a bridge to their next event, ''TheThanosImperative''.
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!!''War of Kings'' provides examples of:
* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler: Lilandra, Black Bolt, Vulcan, a whole Nova cohort and a good [[strike: number of]] Guardians of the Galaxy regular.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Crystal and Ronan. Gradually (through this and the Realm of Kings follow-up event) evolves into a PerfectlyArrangedMarriage.
* AssimilationPlot: [[spoiler: Black Bolt plans to turn all living beings in the Universe into Inhumans.]]
** [[spoiler: Possibly a ShoutOut to what an AlternateContinuity version of Black Bolt did in EarthX]].
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Black Bolt and Vulcan, full stop.
* {{Badass}}: Drax the Destroyer.
* BadassNormal: Star-Lord, Jack Flag, Major Victory.
* BadFuture: It seems that this event caused at least one.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Vulcan and Black Bolt battle with Black Bolt coming out victorious. Crystal disables the T-Bomb from its original intent and seems to convince Black Bolt the plan was flawed. But before she, Lockjaw and Black Bolt can escape Vulcan revives and Black Bolt is forced to stay to battle him. During the fight the bomb is set off by Black Bolt's voice, leaving both kings lost and a [[OurWormholesAreDifferent gaping hole]] in the fabric of the universe which is a tunnel to something... [[EldritchAbomination bad]]. Not to mention [[AncientConspiracy the Fraternity of Raptors]] still lurking in the shadows.]]
* TheBrute: Blastaar.
* CainAndAbel: Vulcan and Havok. Sort-of inverted as the good Havok is elder.
* TheCaligula: Vulcan. Man, he even resembles Caligula physically.
* CallingYourAttacks:
--->'''Smasher''': ''Accessing hyper-strength upload from my exospecs.''
---> Drax punches Smasher in the face.
--->'''Drax:''' ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny Accessing fist.]]''
* CatchPhrase: ''I AM GROOT!''
* ClearMyName: Subverted. {{Darkhawk}} is first going to stop his new ArchEnemy, then clear his name.
* ComesGreatInsanity: [[spoiler: Worldmind went mad because he was blocking the Nova Force from driving Richard crazy too much.]]
* CosmicBeing: At last, one has a short appearance.
* DealWithTheDevil: Actually, with [[spoiler: [[GrimReaper Death]] ]].
* DiscardAndDraw: [[strike:Nova]] [[strike:Quasar]] Nova. Also, Phyla-Vell.
* DistaffCounterpart: Strontian is to Gladiator what Supergirl is to Superman. [[spoiler: Phyla is one for Thanos.]]
* EnemyMine: Gorgon and Starbolt on Saakar.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
---> [[spoiler: Vulcan to Black Bolt]]: ''You act so noble, but you're a genocidal monster! And I am not going to let you do this!''
** Keeping in mind who says it to who is why this trope can be so confusing.
*** Mostly because Vulcan is so batshit crazy that he genuinely believes he's in the right.
* EvilCounterpart: Strontian to Gladiator
* EvilMentor: Talon.
* EvilerThanThou: [[spoiler: Even Vulcan found Black Bolt's AssimilationPlot insane. Yes, Vulcan.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler: Warlock. Phyla, a little]]
* FiveManBand: Several.
** Guardians of the Galaxy:
*** TheHero: Adam Warlock, Star-Lord
*** TheLancer: Martyr, Jack Flag, Rocket Raccoon
*** BigGuy: Groot, Drax, Gamora
*** SmartGuy: Mantis, Cosmo, Adam Warlock
*** TheChick: Bug, Moondragon
*** TeamPet: Cosmo, Rocket Raccoon
** Inhumans Elite:
*** TheHero: Black Bolt
*** TheLancer: Medusa
*** BigGuy: Gorgon
*** SmartGuy: Maximus
*** TheChick: Crystal
*** SixthRanger: Ronan.
*** TeamPet: Lockjaw
** Nova Corps:
*** TheHero: Richard Rider
*** TheLancer: Robert Rider
*** BigGuy: Fraktur
*** SmartGuy: Quibit
*** TheChick: Irani Rael
*** TheMentor: [[HiveMind Worldmind]]
** Starjammers:
*** TheHero: Alex Summers
*** TheLancer: Rachel Grey
*** BigGuy: Krovus
*** SmartGuy: Cho'd (not neccesarily the smartest, but by the far the most competent with the ship's mechanics)
*** TheChick: Lorna Dane
* FlyingBrick: Black Bolt, Gladiator, Strontian, Nova, Vulcan. Most of them have other powers as well, but still.
* {{Foil}}: Take a good look at Black Bolt and Vulcan. [[TheSpeechless Black Bolt]] and [[LargeHam Vulcan]]. [[RoyalBlood Black Bolt]] and [[GalacticConqueror Vulcan]]. [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Black Bolt]] and Vulcan. Got it?
** A subtle theme that Vulcan eventually makes explicit is that [[spoiler:the war is making Black Blot much less of a Foil to Vulcan]].
* FusionDance: Richard and Wendell. Also [[spoiler: Worldmind and Ego]].
* GalacticConqueror: Vulcan. Blastaar also fits.
* GambitRoulette: Drax and Phylla's adventure and all its results were planned by [[spoiler: Oblivion]]
* GreenLanternRing: The Quantum Bands.
* GrandTheftMe: What the Fraternity Of Raptors does with their hosts.
* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Gamora. Female Kree are blue skinned.
* TheGwenStacy: [[spoiler: Lilandra]] for many characters. [[spoiler: Suki]] for Robbie.
* HeelFaceTurn: Gladiator.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:The Skrull possessed by Talon killed himself in order to get rid of him. Sadly, it doesn't appear to have stopped him.]]
** [[spoiler:Black Bolt's original intention for the T-bomb]] may be interpreted as one of these.
* HumanAliens: Oh God, where to start. The Shi'Ar look like humans with weird hair; the Kree, and Strontians (Gladiator's species), look like humans but with different skin color. Phyla, Smasher, a few other members of the Imperial Guard and at least one Nova Corps member look like humans, or have very small differences.
* KryptoniteIsEverywhere: Subverted. The Guardians never had a weapon able to harm Gladiator, they only made him think they did.
** FridgeBrilliance: Gladiator's powers are directly related to his confidence. If he ''believes'' you can beat him, you ''can''.
* LargeHam: Vulcan, Blaastar, Groot and of course the largest of them all - Catastropus.
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler: Oblivion and Maelstrom]]
* MeleeATrois: Kree Empire vs Shiar Empire with the Nova Corps, Star Jammers and Guardians of the Galaxy caught in the middle trying to stop it but usually just getting into fights.
* TheMessiah: [[spoiler: Ironically Gladiator becomes one for the Shi'ar people after the war.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The Guardians' roster.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Black Bolt and Vulcan.
* PsychoForHire: Strontian.
* RetCon: The origin of the amulet that gives Darkhawk his powers (along with parts of his history).
* SelfMadeOrphan: Blaastar. Vulcan did it a long time ago.
* SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong: Starhawk's mission. [[spoiler: The Guardians who'd got transported to a BadFuture were trying to do this by sending a message into the past, but it didn't work]].
* SpacePolice: The Nova Corps.
* SpaceRomans: Vulcan wears a Roman-style outfit, and it seems like he was trying to incorporate some elements of Roman culture into the Shi'Ar.
* SuperpoweredEvilSide: [[spoiler: Magus for Adam Warlock]].
* TokenEvilTeammate: [[strike:Phyla]] Martyr.
* TookALevelInBadass: Darkhawk
* TreacherousAdvisor: Talon
* TheVoiceless: Black Bolt, of course.
** Throughout the whole event he only utters two words: "[[spoiler:''Now'']]" and "[[spoiler:''Goodbye'']]"
*** [[spoiler:He yells '''''NO!''''' to attack Vulcan.]]
* WhatTheHellHero: Many characters did this in response to [[spoiler:Black Bolt]]'s plan.
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