Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeMarvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6 (Marvel UK, July 1985) is a British reprint edition whose lead story content — the US original issue titled 'A Little Death...' — marks the shadowed cameo debut of Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman, a character who has since evolved through the mantles of Arachne and Madame Web and appeared in major animated and live-action adaptations. That same US story also advances the Wasp's near-fatal wounding by the Wrecking Crew and Dr. Doom's infiltration of Galactus's worldship, pivotal beats in a twelve-issue maxi-series that redefined the scope of Marvel crossover publishing. For British readers in 1985, this fortnightly issue was their primary gateway to the Secret Wars saga — a commercially dominant American event — alongside John Byrne's Alpha Flight as a backup strip, making it a small but tangible document of how Marvel UK packaged and delivered American superhero continuity to a transatlantic audience.
In "Marvel's Secret Artist," the tide turns sharply as the villains overwhelm the heroes, dismantling their base and capturing their allies. With Thor and the Enchantress returning to a battlefield they can't win, the X-Men make an unexpected alliance with Magneto while the Wasp seizes her moment to break free. As Torch and Captain Marvel channel their powers through Iron Man to escape a crushing mountain range, they find refuge in a hidden alien village—where a mysterious woman tends to their wounds, unaware that Galactus looms above, watching. Written by Jim Shooter and illustrated by Bob Layton, with inks by John Beatty and colors by Christie Scheele, this 1985 UK release features a cover by Bob Wakelin.
In a lighthearted two-page tale from *Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6* (1985), an unnamed artist recounts his surreal night of inspiration, culminating in a hilarious parody of Hawkeye caught in a bizarre scene—his arrows tangled, while Disney’s Robin Hood characters look on in amused disbelief. The story’s charm lies in its playful take on creative chaos, with the artist’s wild imagination on full display.
In "Situation: Hopeless!", the heroes are crushed under the weight of defeat as the villains seize control, leaving Thor and the Enchantress to face the aftermath. With the X-Men and Magneto forced into an uneasy alliance and the Wasp exploiting a moment of chaos, the surviving heroes find refuge in an alien village—where healing comes from an unexpected source, and the ever-watchful presence of Galactus looms above.
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The parent series, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, was conceived by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, who also wrote the story; the series was originally announced as 'Cosmic Champions' before being retitled following market research conducted on behalf of Mattel, whose concurrent toy line shaped aspects of the event's character design and setting. The UK edition launched as a fortnightly title on 27 April 1985, reprinting the American series as its lead feature with backup strips — including Alpha Flight from John Byrne — and an original humorous strip called 'Marvel's Secret Artist.' Issue #6 (on sale July 6–19, 1985) was one of the final fortnightly issues before the title's strong sales prompted a shift to weekly publication from issue #10 onward, at which point the book was also retitled simply 'Secret Wars.'
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by Marvel UK, on sale July 6–19, 1985; 30 pages, partial colour, in the larger British tabloid-adjacent format (approximately 8¼ × 11 inches).
- Lead story reprints US Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #6 ('A Little Death...,' cover-dated October 1984), written by Jim Shooter, pencilled by Mike Zeck, inked by John Beatty, with cover art on the US edition by Bob Layton.
- The reprinted story contains the first (shadowed/cameo) appearance of Julia Carpenter, the second Spider-Woman — created by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck — who appears only as a silhouette in the final panel of the US issue.
- Also in the reprinted story: Dr. Doom infiltrates Galactus's worldship and recruits a reconstituted Klaw; the Wasp is shot by the Wrecking Crew and left gravely wounded; Professor X dispatches the X-Men to spy on the villains; and the beginning of Colossus's feelings for the alien healer Zsaji.
- Julia Carpenter went on to become a long-running Marvel character, later adopting the identities of Arachne and then Madame Web, and was portrayed by Sydney Sweeney in the 2024 Sony film Madame Web and appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
- Backup strip in this UK issue reprints Alpha Flight by John Byrne, alongside the recurring UK-originated humour strip 'Marvel's Secret Artist.'
- The Marvel UK series launched as a fortnightly publication on 27 April 1985; its commercial success prompted a switch to weekly frequency beginning with issue #10, which also brought a title change to simply 'Secret Wars.'
- The US Secret Wars series was tied to a Mattel toy line and a TSR role-playing game, and was originally announced under the title 'Cosmic Champions' — renamed after Mattel focus-group feedback favoured the words 'wars' and 'secret.'
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Alpha Flight #2 (1983), Alpha Flight #3 (1983), Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #4 (1984)
Key issues in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
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