Throughout its history of publications, Marvel Comics has produced many inter-company crossover stories combining characters from different series. The following is a list of crossover events involving superheroes and characters from other series.
"Event": (main story starts and ends in core limited series and side stories runs in multiple books) "Crossover": (main story starts and ends in a single or multiple ongoing books and side stories run in single or multiple books or main story can start and end with bookends and continue in multiple one-shots or ongoing books) "Limited Series": (main story starts and ends in single limited issue book) "One-Shot": (main story start and end in a single or multiple book)
Line-wide events
1980s Secret Wars was the first modern Marvel event where a separate limited series was launched, with other tie-ins following it. After its release, Marvel started having annual crossover events where a miniseries was established for the event, which impacted most Marvel comic books. EventDateDevelopmentsSecret WarsMay 1984 – April 1985The Beyonder kidnaps selected heroes and villains of Earth to battle on a planet of his creation.Secret Wars IIJuly 1985 – March 1986The Beyonder heads to Earth in a bid to understand humanity, creating a human form for himself in the process.
1990s The Infinity Trilogy is a three-event arc about the Infinity Gems. Part 2 (Infinity War) and Part 3 (Infinity Crusade) deal with the fallout of the Infinity Gauntlet: the creation of separate parts of cosmic hero Adam Warlock, Goddess, and Magus. EventDateDevelopmentsThe Infinity Gauntlet May–December 1991 Thanos uses the power of the Infinity Gems to become Supreme Being in an effort to win the heart of Mistress Death.Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al. (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. p 254The Infinity War June–November 1992 Magus, Adam Warlock's "Evil Side", creates evil doppelgangers of Earth's heroes to gain ultimate power.The Infinity Crusade June–November 1993 Goddess, Adam Warlock's "Good Side", recruits an army of heroes to fight her holy war.
2000s Event Date DevelopmentsHouse of M August–December 2005 The Scarlet Witch creates a world where mutants are in charge and humans are second-class citizens.House of M (2006) Marvel Publishing, New York,
Decimation: The House of M's aftermath focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witch stripping nearly all of the mutant population of their powers. It also heralded the relaunch of New Excalibur and X-Factor, and included several mini series — Son of M, Generation M, Sentinel Squad O*N*E, X-Men: Deadly Genesis, and X-Men: The 198.Civil War May 2006 – February 2007 Heroes are divided when the U.S. government passes the Superhuman Registration Act, forcing the heroes to either reveal their identities or become wanted fugitives.Civil War (2007): Millar, M., Marvel Publishing, New York,
Initiative: With Captain America dead, the world moves on. The United States government approves the creation of a unified hero program, the Fifty States Initiative.World War Hulk May–October 2007 Following his exile into space (New Avengers Illuminati One-Shot, 2006),Civil War: The Road to Civil War (2007), Grunwald, J. (ed), Marvel Publishing, New York, Hulk returns to Earth to exact revenge on those responsible.Marvel Chronicle: A Year by Year History (2008) Saunders, Catherine et al. (eds), Dorling Kindersley, London. p 336
World War Hulk: Aftersmash: The events following World War Hulk.Secret Invasion April–December 2008The remnants of the Skrull Empire have been infiltrating Earth for years, and their plans to take the world for themselves are put in motion. The New Avengers, Mighty Avengers and Thunderbolts must unite to stop them.
Dark Reign: After killing the Skrull queen Veranke, Norman Osborn is lauded as a hero for stopping the invasion, and is given the reins of a newly created H.A.M.M.E.R.. He also creates his own hero team, the Dark Avengers.
2010s Event Date DevelopmentsSiege January–May 2010 In the wake of Dark Reign, Norman Osborn attempts to invade Asgard, one of the last strongholds not controlled by H.A.M.M.E.R.
Heroic Age: In the aftermath of Siege, the Marvel Universe is more united than ever, with Captain America taking the post previously held by Norman Osborn.Shadowland July–December 2010 A prison–temple is constructed on the ruins of a Hell's Kitchen building, destroyed (along with numerous lives) by Bullseye during the Dark Reign event. Matt Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen from Japan and seeks to use the Hand as a force for justice; however, Murdock is not the same person anymore.Fear Itself April–November 2011 The Serpent is sowing fear and doubt among Marvel's superheroes to use it against them.
Shattered Heroes: This event shows the ways that many superheroes continue their lives and battle new threats soon after the attack of the Serpent and his Worthy, as well as how their actions during the attack affect them now.Avengers vs. X-MenMarch–October 2012 Preceded by mini series Avengers: X-Sanction, with the return of Cable to the main Marvel Universe. Nova (Sam Alexander) alerts Earth about the coming of the Phoenix Force to Earth. The Avengers believe that the cosmic entity will destroy mankind, but the Uncanny X-Men believe it will restore mutantkind after the Decimation. A war breaks out between both groups to decide the role of Hope Summers and mutantkind. At the climax of the story, Professor X is killed.
Marvel NOW!: A number of relaunches follows Avengers vs. X-Men, and each were branded under the name "Marvel NOW!".Infinity August–November 2013 While the Avengers are in space to combat the Builders, Thanos attacks a now-vulnerable Earth.
All-New Marvel NOW!AXIS October–December 2014Following Uncanny Avengers, the Red Skull uses the world's greatest telepath to broadcast hate. Secret Wars (2015) May 2015 – January 2016 Preceded by the Time Runs Out concurrent arcs in Avengers and New Avengers. The main mini series was originally solicited with 8 issues (plus a Free Comic Book Day issue #0), but later extended with a ninth extra issue. A series of Incursions between realities collides the main Marvel Universe with the Ultimate Marvel Universe, destroying both. Pieces of the two universes (called domains) are combined with other post collision universes creating the "Battleworld", where many past Marvel events are revisited in the domains. These past events include: Iron Man: Armor Wars, Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk, Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect, Infinity Gauntlet, X-Men: Age of Apocalypse, Civil War, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, X-Men: Inferno, Marvel Zombies, Age of Ultron, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Avengers: The Korvac Saga, House of M, The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider Island, The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Verse, X-Tinction Agenda, X-Men: Mutant Massacre, Marvel 1602, E Is for Extinction, Marvel 2099, Siege, One More Day, Killraven, New Warriors Forever Yesterday, Weirdworld, Avengers vs. X-Men (a Skottie Young version) and a return to the continuity of X-Men: The Animated Series with X-Men '92.
All-New, All-Different Marvel: Following the "Secret Wars" storyline, a new universe is established by combining the 616 universe and the Ultimate Universe, with nearly 55–60 titles relaunched with first issues.Civil War II May–December 2016 Preceded by Road to Civil War II. The sequel to the 2006 crossover. Ulysses Cain, an Inhuman with precognitive powers, draws the attention of the superhero community. Marvel heroes are divided about the best way to use his powers: a faction led by Captain Marvel wishes to profile future crimes and attacks before they occur, and another, siding with Iron Man, believes that punishment cannot come before the crime.
Marvel NOW 2.0: In the aftermath of Civil War II, the Marvel Universe explodes with new heroes, new villains, new teams, and more.Inhumans vs X-MenNovember 2016 – March 2017 After the Death of X event and the dispersal of the Terrigen mists over the Earth's atmosphere, tensions between mutants and Inhumans reach an all-time high as Beast and Iso travel the world to learn a desperate truth and both species fight for survival.
ResurrXion: In the fallout of the Inhuman–mutant war, the X-Men and Inhuman lines are relaunched with two one-shot issues entitled X-Men: Prime and Inhuman: Prime, which pick up directly after Inhumans vs. X-Men. The standalone issues set the stage for the X-Men's and Inhumans' status quo, and introduce the new teams that are part of the line, primarily Jean Grey, Iceman, Cable, Weapon X, Generation X, X-Men Blue, X-Men Gold, Royals, Black Bolt and Secret Warriors.Secret Empire April–August 2017 The Marvel Universe is under siege from within! Due to the manipulations of the Red Skull, Captain America, secretly a true believer in the cause of Hydra, uses the trust and respect he has gained over the years to a position where he can enact Hydra's ideals against the Marvel Universe and it is up to all heroes to unite against one of the greatest challenges they have ever faced. The story is preceded by Steve Rogers: Captain America, an ongoing series where Captain America's .
Generations: Generations features team-ups between current heroes and their predecessors. The series involves 10 self-contained one-shots, all of which take place in between Secret Empire #10 and Secret Empire Omega #1. Marvel Legacy: Following the conclusion of the storyline, the initiative brings a greater focus to Marvel's core superheroes, unlike recent relaunches which gave prominence to newer and younger heroes. The relaunch began in late 2017 with the release of a one-shot titled Marvel Legacy #1. Marvel comic series reverted to their classic cumulative numbering system. The series having a Legacy numbering are Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Black Panther, Cable, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Despicable Deadpool, Doctor Strange, Falcon, Generation X, Guardians of the Galaxy, Incredible Hulk, Invincible Iron Man, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Mighty Thor, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Punisher and Spider-Man. Marvel revived six cancelled comic book series along with their classic numbering as special one-shots: Darkhawk, Dazzler, Master of Kung Fu, Not Brand Echh, Power Pack, and Silver Sable and the Wild Pack.Infinity WarsAugust–December 2018Following Infinity Countdown the search for the Infinity Gems leads to cosmic madness like never before. A new enemy going by the name Requiem is searching for the Infinity Gems and no one is prepared to its true identity.
Infinity Warps: spinning-out from Infinity Wars #3, Requiem had gathered the Infinity Gems and uses them in a more creative fashion, to reduce the universe's lifeforms in half, however things don't go as she planned and only the reality around the heroes of Earth is warped and transported inside Soul World where a cosmic entity dwelling at the heart of the Soul Gem named Devondra is waiting to feed.War of the RealmsApril–July 2019Thor and the heroes of the Marvel Universe must unite to stop the twisted Dark Elf Malekith and his evil armies from conquering Earth from across the Ten Realms.
2020s