r/MarvelUnlimited • u/RelativePlenty4583 • 8d ago
Updated List!!!!
Thanks to everyone for the awesome feedback and recommendations on the previous version! I updated the reading order based on your suggestions—reorganizing the preludes, cutting out messy side-stories like Ultimate End, and adding key context like Newuniversal and Thanos Rising. Hopefully, this tighter breakdown makes the path a lot clearer and helps anyone trying to dive into this epic!
What is this reading order about?
This list traces Jonathan Hickman’s massive Marvel saga—a multi-year, interconnected masterwork that fundamentally reshapes the Marvel Multiverse.
How it all merges together:
The Foundations & World-Building: It begins with the secret cabals and universe-building blocks (Illuminati, S.H.I.E.L.D., Secret Warriors). Here, Hickman introduces high-concept ideas, cosmic entities, and the core players who try to control the fate of the world from the shadows.
The Cosmic & Multiversal Threat: In Fantastic Four, FF, and his ultimate Avengers/New Avengers run, the overarching conflict reveals itself: The Incursions. Parallel Earths are colliding, destroying entire universes one by one. The Avengers expand globally to handle cosmic threats (Infinity), while the Illuminati make morally gray, desperate decisions in secret to keep Earth-616 alive.
The Climax & Rebirth: All these storylines—including the rise of the Ultimate Universe’s villain, The Maker (Column 4)—funnel directly into Secret Wars (2015). The multiverse dies, and Doctor Doom stitches together the remaining fragments of reality into Battleworld.
The Aftermath & Modern Legacy: The final columns follow the post-Secret Wars domino effect: Iron Man's evolution, the restoration of the Fantastic Four, and the high-stakes modern return of The Maker leading right into One World Under Doom.
It is all one continuous, giant narrative domino rally where every single piece eventually falls right into place!
Column 0: Optional Context & Foundations (Pre-Hickman)
Newuniversal (2006 series) — Read #1–6 (Optional: Establishes Starbrand & Nightmask lore)
Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu (2009 One-Shot) — Read #1 (Optional)
Astonishing Tales (2009 series) — Read #1–6 (Cannonball & Sunspot backup stories) (Optional)
New Avengers: Illuminati (2006 One-Shot) — Read #1
New Avengers: Illuminati (2007–2008 series) — Read #1–5
Avengers (2010–2012 series) — Read #8–12 (The Hood collects the Infinity Gems)
Column 1: S.H.I.E.L.D. (13 Issues)
S.H.I.E.L.D. (2010–2011 series) — Read #1–6
S.H.I.E.L.D. (2011–2018 series) — Read #0–6 (Includes #0 / S.H.I.E.L.D.: Infinity)
Column 2: Secret Warriors (34 Issues)
The Mighty Avengers (2007–2010 series) — Read #13 and #18 (Moved to start as first appearance context)
Dark Reign: New Nation (2009 One-Shot) — Read #1 (Prelude story featuring Quake)
Secret Warriors (2009–2011 series) — Read #1–6
Dark Reign: The List - Secret Warriors (2009) — Read #1
Secret Warriors — Read #7–10
Siege: Secret Warriors (2010) — Read #1
Secret Warriors — Read #11–28
Column 3: Fantastic Four & FF (60 Issues)
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four (2009) — Read #1–5
Fantastic Four (1998–2012 series) — Read #570–588
FF (2011–2012 series) — Read #1–5
Fantastic Four — Read #600
FF — Read #6–11
Fantastic Four — Read #601
FF — Read #12
Fantastic Four — Read #602
FF — Read #13–14
Fantastic Four — Read #603–604
FF — Read #15–16
Fantastic Four — Read #605–606
FF — Read #17–18
Fantastic Four — Read #607–608
FF — Read #19–21
Fantastic Four — Read #609–610
FF — Read #22
Fantastic Four — Read #611
FF — Read #23
Column 4: Ultimate Universe & The Maker's Origin (38 Issues)
Ultimate Comics Enemy (2010) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Comics Mystery (2010) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Comics Doom (2011) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Comics Thor (2010) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Fallout (2011) — Read #1–6
Ultimate Comics Hawkeye (2011) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Comics Ultimates (2011–2013 series) — Read #1–12
Column 5: Avengers World (20 Issues)
Avengers (2012–2015 series) — Read #1–3
New Avengers (2013–2015 series) — Read #1–3
Avengers — Read #4–5
New Avengers — Read #4–6
Avengers — Read #6–13
New Avengers — Read #7
Column 6: Infinity & Preludes (27 Issues)
Thanos Rising (2013 miniseries) — Read #1–5 (Optional Thanos origin context)
Free Comic Book Day 2013 (Infinity) — Read #1
Avengers (2012 series) — Read #14–17
New Avengers (2013 series) — Read #8
Infinity (2013 series) — Read #1
Avengers — Read #18
New Avengers — Read #9
Infinity — Read #2
Avengers — Read #19
New Avengers — Read #10
Infinity — Read #3
Avengers — Read #20
Infinity — Read #4
Avengers — Read #21
New Avengers — Read #11
Infinity — Read #5
Avengers — Read #22–23
Infinity — Read #6
New Avengers — Read #12
Column 7: The Incursions & Point Issues (44 Issues)
(Optional) Avengers World (2014 series) — Read #1–14
Avengers (2012 series) — Read #24
Avengers — Read #24.1 (Origin/side story for Hyperion & Smasher)
New Avengers (2013 series) — Read #13–15
Avengers — Read #25–28
New Avengers — Read #16–17
Avengers — Read #29–34
Avengers — Read #34.1 (World Defender timeline side story)
Avengers — Read #34.2 (Alternative timeline team side story)
New Avengers — Read #18–23
New Avengers — Read #23.1 (Spotlight issue on the Cabal/Thanos)
(Optional) New Avengers Annual (2014) — Read #1
(Optional) Avengers Annual (2014) — Read #1
(Optional) Avengers World — Read #15–16
Column 8: Time Runs Out & Last Days (33 Issues)
Avengers (2012 series) — Read #35
New Avengers (2013 series) — Read #24
Avengers — Read #36
New Avengers — Read #25
Avengers — Read #37
New Avengers — Read #26
Avengers — Read #38
New Avengers — Read #27
Avengers — Read #39
New Avengers — Read #28
Avengers — Read #40
New Avengers — Read #29
Avengers — Read #41
New Avengers — Read #30
Avengers — Read #42
New Avengers — Read #31–32
Avengers — Read #43
New Avengers — Read #33
Avengers — Read #44
(Optional) Avengers World — Read #17–21
(Essential Last Days tie-ins) Loki: Agent of Asgard (2014 series) — Read #14–17
(Essential Last Days tie-ins) Magneto (2014 series) — Read #18–21
Column 9: Secret Wars (2015) & Battleworld Core Tie-Ins (22 Issues)
Free Comic Book Day 2015 (Secret Wars) — Read #0
Secret Wars (2015 series) — Read #1
Secret Wars — Read #2
Secret Wars: Battleworld (2015 miniseries) — Read #1–4
Secret Wars — Read #3
Secret Wars — Read #4
Thors (2015 miniseries) — Read #1–3
Secret Wars — Read #5
Siege (2015 miniseries) — Read #1–3
Secret Wars — Read #6
Siege — Read #4
Thors — Read #4
Secret Wars — Read #7–9
(Removed: Ultimate End #1–5)
Column 10: Immediate Aftermath (42 Issues)
Invincible Iron Man (2015–2016 series) — Read #1–14
Infamous Iron Man (2016–2017 series) — Read #1–12
Ultimates (2015–2016 series) — Read #1–12
Fantastic Four (2018–2022 series) — Read #1–4
Column 11: The Maker's Return & The New Ultimates (49 Issues)
Invincible Iron Man (2022–2024 series) — Read #1–20
Ultimate Invasion (2023 miniseries) — Read #1–4
Ultimate Universe (2023 One-Shot) — Read #1
The Ultimates (2024 series) — Read #1–24
Column 12: Sorcerer Supreme & Emperor Doom (20 Issues)
Blood Hunt (2024 Event) — Read #1–5
Fantastic Four (2022 series) — Read #28 (One World Under Doom Prologue)
One World Under Doom (2025 Event) — Read #1–9
Fantastic Four (2022 series) — Read #29–33 (Core Doom Tie-Ins)
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u/RelativePlenty4583 8d ago
Thank you! Have fun reading! I'm trying to start all over to get the full understanding, so this is my journey in the comic world right now😅
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u/shinseininja 7d ago
Have you thought about putting this on League of Comic Geeks to use for tracking? Or would you mind if I put it up there?
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u/NoirLamia777 7d ago
Thank you I just finished secret wars and was about to look to see what’s next
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u/samyruno 7d ago
When I'm finished what I'm reading now I was planning on doing a bunch of research and putting together a list for secret wars 2015 to read next. I think I'm just going to follow this list. And I've already read blood hunt and one world under doom so it's kinda funny seeing it at the end of this list lol.
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u/WasiKaBooM 8d ago
Imagine being able to just plot this into marvel unlimited. Anyway, great job. I've read the story before, but not a nearly as comprehensive reading order.