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Last Days
- The final pages of Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #9, with a doctor checking up on a patient (which is more or less implied to be the reader), brought to him after saving a group of children from falling rubble and rescued by Luke Cage and Iron Fist. He points out that both you and him were members of the Mighty Avengers and we all should be proud to be an Avenger to the very end. Doubles as a Heartwarming Moment.
- Ms. Marvel (2014) #17 has Kamala and Carol discovering an apartment abandoned saved for an entire collection of cats. Kamala wants to save them all, but Carol reminds her her brother is in very big trouble. Kamala is obviously hurt by this, though Carol reassures her that she isn't the only one going through this sort of thing: she wants to save them, too (and everyone else), but there's no way anyone can.
- The last stand of the Punisher
. - Spider-Woman #10 has Jessica Drew basically being forced to the front lines of the Incursions, while she laments being back in her old costume and also being dragged back to the high-stakes superhero life she tried to get away from. She didn't even say goodbye to her friends, Urich and Porcupine.
- Deadpool has turned a new leaf over in his life, after he managed to utterly wreck the most powerful faction with a personal grudge against him, get away with loads of money and now he is celebrating with his wife and friends on a yacht. A happy ending. Then the sun explodes. Deadpool's first reaction is basically "The world is ending and the Avengers didn't figure out a way to stop it this time?" As everyone and everything burns, he embraces his daughter and thinks to himself, "I am safe in love. I can live with this finale."
Secret Wars (main title)
- Each time a character dies in the first issue. Death Is Cheap in comics, sure, but that doesn't make it hurt any less here...
- The Last Days stories involve several heroes realizing that they can't do anything to stop the Incursions, and how they react to knowing that they and everyone they love are going to die. It at least seems to be mitigated by the presence of the actual event itself, which seems to indicate that a number of people will survive at least until the main event. The easiest way to drive this home is the cover to Captain America and the Mighty Avengers, which has various street-level characters, not-so street-level characters and citizens all flocking around, worry, panic, fear and defeat all on their faces. Especially Kamala: poor kid just got started in the business, and already things are just going to shit.
- The Fantastic Four have built a spaceship, the Raft, designed to evacuate approximately 60 people off Earth, surviving the impending apocalypse. Not only are a majority of the people selected reluctant to do so, as they’ve been practically forced to leave their friends and family behind, but most of them are killed in the skirmish.
- Issue #1 and Reed Richards crossing the Despair Event Horizon.Mr. Fantastic: You spend your entire life looking for that perfect someone, and when you find her, you think you'll never love anything more... Then, you have children, and realize what a fool you were to believe that. And now, I have lost everything. We have lost everything. My entire life I believed in better days ahead. I believed in tomorrow. I hid that belief in my heart — a stronghold against a world that devours hope. But now, the walls have fallen. I have been overrun. And I hope... I believe...
... in nothing.- Why does Reed hit this Heroic BSoD? As the Raft is taking off, it gets caught up in an electrical storm caused by the Incursion. The ship gets hit by lightning. This causes part of it to break off, separating Reed from his entire family. In desperation, he pleads with T'Challa to lower the shield so that he can reach out and pull the wayward remnant back. T'Challa gives him 10 seconds to do so. His arm stretches out, while Sue tries to generate a forcefield to protect herself, Johnny, Ben and her children. It looks like either Reed will retrieve them, or Sue will shield them, when out of nowhere, the broken piece of the Raft just disintegrates. Reed belts out a Big "NO!" as Carol tries to stop him jumping out while T'Challa regenerates the shield.
- The final page of the first issue, an epitaph to the comic universes that have collided. That page brings to a close a combined comic book history of 69 years — 54 for the original universe, and 15 for the Ultimate Universe. It is the capstone for the stories that countless readers have followed for a very long time.
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
1961-2015
THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE
2000-2015 - Issue #2: Doom has sentenced Jamie Braddock to die on the Shield. He leaps down into a pit of Zombies, Venoms, and Zombie-Venoms, and it's not hard to imagine what's next for him, as cool as it might be.
- The conversation between Doom and Susan in Issue #3. Doom, of all people, is having doubts about his role as God, believing that he is the flaw in an otherwise perfect world. He even reflects that for all he has accomplished, he still cannot undo the damage to his face. This culminates in Susan telling him that she loves him for who is is, not what he looks like, and for the first time in Marvel Comics history, we are allowed to see the ruin that is Doom's face. And it is grotesque, and awful, but the artist also did an amazing job at keeping it human, not monstrous, and, more importantly, pitiable. You can see it for yourself here.
- Of course this same issue reveals that Susan and Doom sentenced poor Johnny to be a sun for the rest of his life, so he's probably deserving of far more sympathy.
- Miles' reaction to hearing his world is gone. He seems to be on the edge of a Despair Event Horizon. Even as Stephen Strange tells him that part of his New York was saved, it doesn't tell us if any of his friends or family were spared.
- Doom informs Owen Reese that Stephen Strange is dead, and that it was he who killed him.Molecule Man: I know. Did you think I couldn't smell the guilt on you? You reek of shame.
- Franklin vows to find those who killed Stephen Strange and grind them to dust. The panel focuses on Doom. Given that we're told he feels guilt for the murder, one wonders how he would react if Franklin found out it was him.
- Both Reeds (616 and the Maker) are formulating plans on how to remove Doom's godlike power. When the 616 Reed points out that defeating Doom might have unintended consequences to Battleworld, the Maker brushes it off and notes that his counterpart looks aged, believing it to be caused by his softness which makes him weak. The 616 Reed counters that you get to be that way when he cares about other people than himself, then the Maker pulls up a projection of Susan standing besides Doctor Doom to get his counterpart's reaction. 616 Reed's expression is full of pain and anguish at his wife alongside his worst enemy.
- Issue 6, Valeria meets Peter Parker and Miles Morales in Doom's garden. She knows the way into the realm under the statue, but decides she doesn't want to go in. She knows that Doom has been lying to her, but she points out that, brilliant as she is, she is, in the end, still a child who needs to believe in her father. And she knows that learning the truth will destroy that.
- Peter is delighted to see Valeria, who he knew personally during his time at the Future Foundation. But she doesn't remember now who Peter is because she's not Valeria of 616 Universe.
- She may well be the 616 Valeria, but Doom might've sealed away her memories, along with Susan, Franklin and the rest of the Fantastic Four of anyone inside the Raft.
- Issue #7: T'Challa and Reed talk before T'Challa heads off with Namor to take command of the Zombies and throw them at Doom. Reed has a moment where he tries to say goodbye to T'Challa if they fail, and T'Challa only says, "I'll see you on the other side."
- Becomes a Heartwarming Moment, as T'Challa can once again see his ancestors, after having been banished from doing so by T'Chaka before Time Runs Out.
- Issue #8: The Thing confronts Galactus and sees Franklin on top, defiant. Once Franklin tells the Thing his last name - Franklin Von Doom, the Thing doesn't have it in him to just smash his godson and allows Franklin to kill him.
- Issue #9: Doom finds Susan and Valeria in the garden at the entrance to the Molecule Man's sanctum. Susan demands an explanation, and Doom tells her that he will explain things, but that for now she has to trust him. Susan inquires if he means trusting him like Stephen Strange did. Doom can't even respond, bowing his head in quiet shame.
War Zones
Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows
- The status quo of Renew Your Vows is pretty depressing; the Avengers and many street-level heroes are dead, the Regent rules New York, and Peter's given up being Spider-Man to support his family, to the point of ignoring the Vulture's robbery-in-progress.
1602: Witch Hunter Angela
1872
- Ten years ago, Tony Stark invented a high-powered repeating rifle for the Union army, and went to see the first battle in which they were to be deployed. He expected the Confederates to surrender in the face of such overwhelming firepower, but instead the Union officer accompanying him reveals that they kept the rifle's existence a secret so that when the Confederate soldiers move in expecting an even fight, they get massacred. This is the incident that drove him to drink.
- After a confrontation with Fisk's assassins, Sheriff Rogers calls Mayor Fisk out, along with rallying the people of Timely to take a stand against the corruption of their leaders. He then gets distracted long enough for Bullseye to shoot him In the Back with a hidden sleeve-pistol, and Fisk throws his still barely alive body away to be eaten by pigs.
A-Force
- A-Force #1 has Miss America banished to beyond the Shield for accidentally launching a Megalodon out of Arcadia and into the Deadlands. With Nico and Lady Loki both helpless in trying to save her. Especially so since it seemed like they were her adoptive family (it's mentioned America and Nico are Loki's wards).
- In issue #3 we have Medusa's Heroic Sacrifice and what it leads to. Nico is so devastated she needs a moment to cry in Singularity's arms and in case of She-Hulk you just can see she sees it as her personal failure as a leader. And then we cut to Black Bolt waking up and looking at the side of his bed to see his wife is gone. It's rather clear he's been doing this for some time, wondering is she's safe every time she's with the team and now his deepest fears come true.
- The Mole being Loki, especially when it's made clear that as much as she might have loved Nico and America, she loved the idea of ruling Arcadia much more. Her actions are directly responsible for America's banishment, and when it's clear that she won't get the throne, she blows a hole in the Shield, knowing full well that this puts Nico in danger.
Age of Apocalypse (2015)
Armor Wars (2015)
Captain Britain and The Mighty Defenders
Captain Marvel and The Carol Corps
Civil War (2015)
Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars
- During the stretch of time when Zsaji's healing made him handsome, Deadpool had a fling with Wasp. After Zsaji gave her life to resurrect Colossus, Deadpool's cancer came back with a vengeance, and Wasp found herself unable to touch him. At the end of the story, when the energies of Battleworld give everyone a chance to have whatever they desire most, Wasp (whether out of disgust or feeling personal guilt over her reaction to his deformity) wished to forget Deadpool so hard that everyone forgot that he had ever been there.
E is for Extinction
Future Imperfect (2015)
Giant-Size Little Marvel: a vs. x
Guardians of Knowhere
Hail Hydra
Hank Johnson, Agent of HYDRA
House of M (2015)
Howard The Human
Inferno (2015)
- The concluding chapter of a classic storyline declared on its original cover, "This Issue: Everybody Dies!" And they all did, with only 2 survivors. The same declaration applies to Inferno's conclusion, with 5 survivors.
The Infinity Gauntlet (2015)
- Inifnity Gauntlet #1 has Anwen beating an alien bug, while releasing all the anger and frustration towards her mom leaving the family. And before that her grandfather's Heroic Sacrifice to save her life.
Mrs. Deadpool and The Howling Commandos
M.O.D.O.K. Assassin
Old Man Logan (2015)
- Old Man Logan #1 has Logan confronting Emma Frost, who reveals that, with the Hulk Clan dead, a power shift took hold, with the Punishers taking some of the land. Emma lets down her psychic powers and reveals to Logan that she'd been mortally wounded by the Punishers and was hanging on just to help him.
- Especially when both quietly and somberly admit that they miss being teachers rather than what they had become.
- Logan meets up with the 616 heroes who take him to meet the 1610 heroes, his alternate universe son Jimmy Hudson among them. This confuses the two of them. 616!Emma tells him that she thought he'd like to see another version of his life where things weren't quite so bad. Reflecting back on his life, Logan sheds tears before noting Jimmy is a "cute kid".
Planet Hulk (2015)
- In issue #3, The Red King tells Steve that he hasn't been holding Bucky prisoner. He killed Bucky and sent the head to Doom months ago. The sole reason for Steve's determined push through Greenland was built on a lie.
- To twist the knife even further, issue #4 reveals that not only did Steve's guide, Doc Green, know about this, but Doc Green was himself also a Steve Rogers, and the only difference in their lives was that his Bucky died sooner, turning him into a selfish misanthrope who joined his domain's Gamma program instead of the super-soldier program Steve joined alongside his best friend.
Secret Wars 2099
Spider-Island
- Agent Venom's Heroic Sacrifice, with both Flash and the symbiote giving their lives to take out the Spider-Queen.
Spider-Verse (2015)
- Spider-Verse #1 reveals that Spider-Gwen, Spider-UK, Anya Corazon, Spider-Man India and Spider-Ham have all suffered memory loss and are essentially spiders without a web to call home. Even worse is Gwen as, in this world, she's already dead. She's an Un-person.
- To say nothing of her finding poor Spider-Ham captive and in some sort of lab deep within Oscorp. For a character usually used as comic relief, it's horrible to see Spider-Ham that way.
- Gwen parts ways with her fellow Spiders because she instinctively knows that Norman Osborn is bad news, but can't convince any of them of that. The only place she can think to go is her own grave.
Squadron Sinister
Weirdworld
Where Monsters Dwell
X-Tinction Agenda
Years of Future Past
Battleworld
Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies
Battleworld
- The mini involving the Bar Sinister version of Matt Murdock secretly trying to poison Mr. Sinister while serving as his chef. One night, he accidentally ends up poisoning Elektra, but assumes she was given a non-lethal amount when he sees her alive and well the next day. Over the next few months, he secretly places trace amounts of the poison in Elektra's meals every night to help her develop an immunity to it since Sinister sometimes has her check his food for this very thing. On the night when he finally tries to poison Baron Sinister, Sinister reveals that he knew of the plot all along and that Elektra had died every single night from the poison since there is no non-lethal dosage of it. He simply replaced Elektra with a new clone every night while having her retain the memories of Matt poisoning her each and every night.
Ghost Racers
The Inhumans: Attilan Rising
- The ending of the series: Medusa and Black Bolt reconcile and finally kiss, before she releases Terrigen to heal and empower him before Thors kill them both. Black Bolt discovers his power, but accidentally vaporises Medusa with his voice. He then charges Doom, who it is revealed knew of the whole struggle and so cannot be persuaded to change his rule as they intended. Instead he has staged the whole area as an experiment, has seen this result before, and restarts it again, this time with Black Bolt's and Medusa's positions as baron and bartender reversed.
The Korvac Saga (2015)
Marvel Zombies
Master of Kung-Fu
Red Skull
- The ending: Magneto is double-crossed by the Red Skull and is killed by the zombies.
Runaways
- From issue #2 Jubilee being utterly devastated after finding out that Pixie is dead.
- In issue #4, despite her earlier confidence that everything she did was for the greater good as long as it served Doom's will, Valeria is utterly destroyed when Bucky is executed by the Doombots for helping the Runaways escape, and there's nothing she can do to stop it.Bucky: Valeria. I disobeyed direct orders. I helped the students escape. There's no overriding this one.
Valeria: I don't care what you did. This is my school—I make the rules.
Bucky: This is your rule. What is it you said, about the machine that no longer serves its purpose? It has to be destroyed.
Valeria: I didn't mean you!
