Comics to Read Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars
Marvel’s building toward its biggest event yet: Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
And if you’re already hearing terms like Doctor Doom, Battleworld, and Incursions — yeah, it can feel like a lot.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need decades of comics to get it.
I’ve done that deep dive already. Out of thousands of issues, only a handful actually matter for what’s coming.
So this is your shortcut — the essential Comics to Read Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars, minus the homework.
Let’s start with the guy about to run the whole show: Doctor Doom.
In This Post
Why These Comics Matter Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars
Common mistake: thinking Secret Wars is just another crossover.
It’s not. It’s basically Marvel’s “everything event.”
Universes collide. Realities get wiped out. And standing in the middle of it all is one man who thinks he can save reality better than anyone — Victor Von Doom.
Here’s the truth: if Marvel follows the comics even loosely, Doomsday and Secret Wars won’t just be heroes vs. villains. It’ll be impossible choices, collapsing universes, and a fight over who gets to rebuild reality.
Which is exactly why Doctor Doom, Reed Richards, the Fantastic Four, the Illuminati, and Incursions actually matter here.
And luckily, Marvel Comics already handed us the roadmap.
1. Books of Doom (2005)
Why You Should Read It
If you only know Doctor Doom from previous movies, forget everything you think you know.
Books of Doom is widely considered the definitive origin story for Victor Von Doom. Written by Ed Brubaker, this series transforms Doom from a typical comic book villain into one of the most complex characters in Marvel history.
You’ll learn about:
- Doom’s childhood in Latveria
- His relationship with his mother
- His obsession with knowledge and power
- His rivalry with Reed Richards
- The events that led him to become Doctor Doom
What makes this comic special is that Doom doesn’t see himself as a villain.
In his mind, he’s the only person capable of saving the world.
That mindset becomes incredibly important when we eventually reach Secret Wars.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential
Recommended read
Books of Doom #1
See Doom’s life from the early moments
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If you’re only going to read one Doctor Doom comic before Avengers: Doomsday, make it this one.
2. Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman
Why It Matters
This is where things start getting really interesting.
Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four run isn’t just a Fantastic Four story. It’s the foundation for everything that eventually leads to Secret Wars.
Hickman expands Marvel’s cosmic mythology in a massive way. He introduces mind-bending concepts, alternate realities, and some of the most important ideas that will later shape the Multiverse Saga.
More importantly, this run develops Reed Richards into one of Marvel’s most important characters.
If Doctor Doom is the emotional heart of Secret Wars, Reed Richards is its intellectual heart.
Their rivalry isn’t about good versus evil.
It’s about two geniuses who genuinely believe they’re right.
And that’s what makes their conflict so compelling.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential
Recommended read
Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman
A complete modern Fantastic Four collection, ideal for Marvel readers exploring Hickman’s acclaimed run.
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Think of this as Phase One of the Secret Wars reading experience.
3. Avengers (2012) by Jonathan Hickman
The Moment Marvel Starts Thinking Bigger Than Ever
Now we’re entering the territory that will likely have the biggest influence on Avengers: Doomsday.
When Jonathan Hickman took over Avengers in 2012, he had one simple philosophy:
“Everything dies.”
That sounds dramatic, but it perfectly summarizes what’s coming.
Instead of focusing on a small team of heroes, Hickman expands the Avengers roster into a massive global force capable of facing threats on a universal scale.
You’ll see:
- Captain America building a larger Avengers initiative
- Earth facing threats beyond normal comprehension
- Cosmic civilizations preparing for war
- Strange warnings about the future
- Seeds being planted for the collapse of reality itself
At first, some storylines may seem disconnected.
Trust me, they’re not.
Hickman is famous for planting ideas years before they pay off.
And when those ideas finally come together, the result is incredible.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential
Recommended read
Avengers By Jonathan Hickman
Hickman’s Avengers saga begins with cosmic threats and multiversal incursions.
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4. New Avengers (2013)
The Most Important Comic Before Secret Wars
If you only read one major series before Secret Wars, make it New Avengers.
Seriously.
This comic is the foundation of everything.
While the main Avengers team is dealing with cosmic threats, another group is secretly trying to solve a much bigger problem.
That group is the Illuminati.
The lineup includes:
- Reed Richards
- Doctor Strange
- Black Panther
- Namor
- Beast
- Iron Man
- Black Bolt
And they’re about to discover something terrifying.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Essential
Recommended read
New Avengers (2013-2015) (2 book series)
The Illuminati fight to stop universes from colliding and destroying reality.
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If you’re short on time, read this before anything else.
5. Infinity (2013)
Marvel’s Last Great Cosmic War Before the End
While New Avengers focuses on secret meetings and moral dilemmas, Infinity delivers the blockbuster action.
This is Marvel at its biggest.
The Avengers leave Earth to fight an intergalactic war against an unstoppable force known as the Builders.
At the same time, Earth faces another threat.
Thanos.
Yes, that Thanos.
But comic-book Thanos is often even more terrifying than his MCU counterpart.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended
Recommended read
Infinity #1 (of 6)
A massive cosmic war begins as Thanos returns and threatens Earth and the universe.
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Not mandatory, but highly rewarding.
6. Time Runs Out
The End of Everything Has Arrived
This is where Hickman’s Avengers story starts heading directly toward Secret Wars. The Incursions are getting worse, the Illuminati have fallen apart, former allies are turning against each other, and even the smartest heroes in the Marvel Universe are running out of ways to save reality.
The story eventually builds toward the final Incursion between the main Marvel Universe (Earth-616) and the Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610). At this point, stopping the collapse of the Multiverse feels almost impossible.
This is also why Time Runs Out could be very relevant to Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU has already introduced Incursions, and this storyline provides the perfect bridge between a collapsing Multiverse and the beginning of Secret Wars.
Reading Priority
Recommended read
Avengers: Time Runs Out Collection
The Avengers race against time as the multiverse collapses toward Secret Wars.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Essential
7. Secret Wars (2015)
The Comic That Could Define Marvel’s Future
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve finally reached the story everyone talks about: Secret Wars (2015). This is where almost everything Hickman has been building through Avengers, New Avengers, the Incursions, and Time Runs Out finally comes together, and trust me, the payoff is worth it.
When the final Incursion happens, the heroes are basically out of options. They’ve tried everything they can to stop the Multiverse from collapsing, but this time there is no last-minute solution. The Multiverse dies, and I don’t mean just a few alternate universes. The main Marvel Universe, the Ultimate Universe, alternate realities and parallel worlds — everything is gone.
Normally, that should be the end of the story, but this is where Doctor Doom completely changes the game. While everyone else was desperately trying to prevent the end of reality, Doom had been working on his own solution. He doesn’t just find a way to survive the destruction of the Multiverse; he manages to save pieces of what remains and reshape them into an entirely new reality.
And that’s where we get Battleworld, one of the biggest and craziest concepts in Secret Wars.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Required Reading
Recommended read
Secret Wars (2015-2016) by Jonathan Hickman
The multiverse is destroyed, leaving Doctor Doom to rule the patchwork world of Battleworld.
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If Avengers: Secret Wars follows even 30% of this comic, you’ll appreciate the movie on a completely different level.
Should You Read The Original Secret Wars (1984)?
Short answer? Yes.
But don’t expect it to blow your mind.
The original Secret Wars from 1984 matters because it’s the comic that introduced Battleworld — the same concept that’s likely fueling Avengers: Doomsday.
It’s also the reason Spider-Man got his iconic black suit. So yeah, its fingerprints are everywhere.
Here’s the truth though: it’s nowhere near as deep as the 2015 version. No multiversal chess game, no Doctor Doom playing god.
Simple rule: think of this one as classic, fun, easy comic-book action — not the mind-bending Multiverse epic you’re expecting.
If you’re going through the list of Comics to Read Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars, this one’s optional homework, not required reading.
Reading Priority
⭐⭐⭐ Optional
Worth reading for Marvel history, but not required for understanding Avengers: Secret Wars.
Quick Reading Order For Casual MCU Fans
If you don’t want to read dozens of comics, follow this shortcut:
- Books of Doom
- New Avengers
- Time Runs Out
- Secret Wars (2015)
That’s it.
These four stories will give you most of the context you’ll need before Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars arrive.
Complete Reading Order For Hardcore Marvel Fans
For the full experience:
- Books of Doom
- Fantastic Four by Jonathan Hickman
- FF
- Avengers (2012)
- New Avengers (2013)
- Infinity
- Time Runs Out
- Secret Wars (2015)
| Casual MCU Fans | Hardcore Marvel Fans |
|---|
| 1. Books of Doom | 1. Books of Doom |
| 2. New Avengers (2013) | 2. Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman) |
| 3. Time Runs Out | 3. FF (Future Foundation) |
| 4. Secret Wars (2015) | 4. Avengers (2012) |
| 5. New Avengers (2013) |
| 6. Infinity (2013) |
| 7. Time Runs Out |
| 8. Secret Wars (2015) |
This reading order delivers one of the greatest long-form stories Marvel has ever published.
Comics Reading Priority Comparison Table
| Comic | Why It Matters | Importance Before Secret Wars | Approx. Reading Time | Beginner Friendly? |
| Books of Doom | Definitive Doctor Doom origin story and character development | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential | 2–3 Hours | ✅ Yes |
| FF (Future Foundation) | Expands Hickman’s story and develops key characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended | 8–10 Hours | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Avengers (2012) | Introduces universe-scale threats and sets up the endgame | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Essential | 12–15 Hours | ⚠️ Moderate |
| New Avengers (2013) | Introduces Incursions and the Illuminati storyline | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Required Reading | 10–12 Hours | ✅ Yes |
| Infinity (2013) | Major cosmic event that occurs during Hickman’s Avengers run | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommended | 4–6 Hours | ✅ Yes |
| Time Runs Out | Direct bridge between Incursions and Secret Wars | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Required Reading | 6–8 Hours | ⚠️ Moderate |
| Secret Wars (2015) | The main event that inspires the upcoming MCU film | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mandatory | 4–5 Hours | ✅ Yes |
| Secret Wars (1984) | Original Battleworld story and Marvel classic | ⭐⭐⭐ Optional | 3–4 Hours | ✅ Yes |
Final Thoughts
If you only read one thing from this list of Comics to Read Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars, make it New Avengers.
Got more time? Add Time Runs Out and Secret Wars.
Want the full experience? Start with Hickman’s Fantastic Four and ride the whole journey.
Here’s the truth: fans aren’t hyped just because these are big crossover movies. They’re hyped because they’re built on some of the best storytelling Marvel’s ever put out.
Doctor Doom. Incursions. Battleworld. The Multiverse falling apart.
It all starts here.
So don’t just wait around for trailers.
Pick up a few of these comics — and you’ll finally get why readers have been obsessing over Secret Wars for over a decade.
Who’s Joining Earth’s Biggest Battle?
Before Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters, it’s worth taking a look at the massive roster Marvel is assembling. From Avengers veterans and Fantastic Four members to X-Men and Multiverse characters, the cast could reveal major clues about the movie’s story and its connection to Secret Wars.
👉 Read next: Avengers: Doomsday Full Cast & Characters – Complete Breakdown
The lineup alone hints at how ambitious Marvel’s next crossover event could be—and which comic storylines may be influencing it the most.
Want to Know How the MCU Is Setting Up Doomsday?
If you’re excited about Avengers: Doomsday after reading these comics, don’t miss our detailed trailer analysis. We break down the biggest moments, hidden details, Doctor Doom clues, Multiverse hints, and what they could mean for Avengers: Secret Wars.
👉 Read next: Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Breakdown – Every Big Reveal, Explained
Understanding the trailer alongside comics like New Avengers, Time Runs Out, and Secret Wars can give you a much clearer picture of where Marvel may be heading next.
FAQ
1. Do I need to read Secret Wars before watching Avengers: Secret Wars?
No, but reading the comic will help you understand Battleworld, Doctor Doom, and the Multiverse concepts that may inspire the movie.
2. What is the most important comic before Avengers: Doomsday?
New Avengers (2013) by Jonathan Hickman is widely considered the most important lead-in to Secret Wars.
3. Who is God Emperor Doom?
God Emperor Doom is a version of Doctor Doom who gains near-omnipotent power and creates Battleworld after the collapse of the Multiverse.
4. What are Incursions in Marvel Comics?
Incursions are events where two universes collide. If neither universe is stopped, both realities are destroyed.
5. Is Secret Wars (1984) connected to Secret Wars (2015)?
They share the Battleworld concept, but Secret Wars (2015) tells a completely different and much larger story.
6. What are the best Comics to Read Before Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars?
Start with New Avengers — it’s the one non-negotiable read. If you’ve got time, add Time Runs Out and Secret Wars. And if you want the full ride, begin with Hickman’s Fantastic Four and work your way through.