MYS-TECH WARS is not just a story involving the heroes and villains of the Marvel UK titles but it runs through the entire Marvel Universe. Spider-Man, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Hulk, Nick Fury and SHIELD, the X-Men, X-Factor, Dr. Strange, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers along with the UK heroes are beset by perhaps the greatest threat they've ever faced on a highly lethal level.
Mys-Tech: a group of mages from the 10th century, alive today because of a deal made with Mephisto all those years ago. They asked for power and immortality to which they have used all these years to manipulate individuals and shape the course of the world. Their grand scheme: total world domination. Now, our present, Mys-Tech succeeded in creating the Unearth: a 1/20th scale replica of the real Earth in the exact detail with a voodoo like symbiosis with our Earth. In short, what happens on the Unearth happens on the real Earth. The first step: Unleash a swarm of nigh unkillable demons on the Earth to kill all potential threats.
Dark Angel and the X-Men are attacked. The Avengers and Fantastic Four convene and are attacked. Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Ghost Rider along with thousands of innocent people are killed. Dark Angel informs them all of Mys-Tech's terrible machinations. All the surviving heroes band together and make way for Mys-Tech's stronghold. During the assault Cyclops, Jean Grey, Thor, Beast, Ice-Man, and Archangel are all killed. The heroes feel demoralized and frightened but must press on. Death's Head, teleporting between worlds, accidentally teleports to the surface of the Unearth. What happens on the Unearth happens on the real Earth. Death's Head upon landing starts killing all of Mys-Tech's demons, saving our Earth without even knowing it, throwing a monkey-wrench in the evil organization's plans.
Mys-Tech sends the Warheads, their private kill squad, in to the Unearth to stop him. The Warheads realize their employers evil plans and return to Earth along with Death's Head to stop them. X-Factor and the Knights of Pendragon join the fray. More heroes die but Mys-Tech is defeated. Before destroying the Unearth Professor X and six other heroes tap into the Unearth and reset it back 24 hours before Mys-Tech unleashed their demonic hordes. Whatever happens on the Unearth happens on our Earth. The events of the day are erased. And the memories of the Mys-Tech War remains only with the seven heroes who tapped into the Unearth. The Unearth is shut down. never to be used again.
Simply put, Mys-Tech Wars is one helluva story. Dan Abnett's writing is brutal and extreme. The deaths have impact. Bryan Hitch's art is top notch. The crossovers aren't bad either but some of them are completely unnecessary. Here are the books you need to read and the order to read them in:
Motormouth & Killpower #9
Mys-Tech Wars #1
Dark Angel #10
Mys-Tech Wars #2
Knights of Pendragon #12
Death's Head II #5
Warheads #11
Mys-Tech Wars #3
Mys-Tech Wars #4
Read the story in this order. Don't bother reading Dark Angel #11. It has nothing to do with the story whatsoever. Anyway, I really liked this story. It represents a high point for the Marvel UK line in the 1990s. It puts the heroes in real peril and effectively demonstrates the terror felt by the loss of a loved one. It is very intense. Plus Death's Head II is awesome! If you remember my post on Revolutionary War, these are the same characters in the prime of their careers. Good comic book fun!
Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10
I've read it twice already. You should read it too.
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