Illuminati (Marvel Comics)
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The Illuminati are a fictional
secret society A secret society is an organization about which the activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ag ...
group of
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
es appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. The characters joined forces and secretly work behind the scenes. The Illuminati was established to exist (via story
retcon Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
) in their first published appearance in ''
New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...
'' #7 (July 2005), written by
Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an Americans, American comic book writer and artist. Starting with crime fiction, crime and hardboiled, noir comics, Bendis eventually moved to mainstream superhero fiction, superhero work. While a ...
. Their history was discussed in the special ''New Avengers: Illuminati'' (May 2006). The group was revealed to have been formed very shortly after the
Kree–Skrull War The "Kree–Skrull War" is a story arc that was written by Roy Thomas, and drawn by Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, and John Buscema. The story was originally published in the Marvel Comics comic book title '' Avengers'' #89–97 (June 1971 – March 19 ...
. The Illuminati appeared in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
film ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...
''.


Members

Creator Bendis says of the group's members: The group forms at some time in the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull War, and probably after the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
/
Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: * Defense (military) * Defense (sports) ** Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre Film * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The D ...
war. Iron Man realizes that each of the individual members had information about these alien races beforehand, and they could have collectively stopped it. He brings together the Illuminati with the
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
in
Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
, and proposes that they form a government of superhumans. Namor refuses on the grounds that too many superheroes are violent outsiders (such as Hawkeye and Quicksilver, both former criminals). Xavier refuses on the grounds that mutants are already feared and hated, and if Iron Man thinks he can fight this with iconic superheroes, it will result in heroes being feared and hated as much as mutants. Doctor Strange refuses on the grounds that too many heroes are anti-establishment and that the group Iron Man has assembled to form a governing body would not be 'anti-establishment', but rather a form of 'counter-establishment'. Reed Richards refuses on the grounds that such an organization would be too large to run effectively, that the heroes would spend more time dealing with bureaucracy than actually helping people. The group does, however, agree to meet to exchange information regularly. The only individual present who outright refuses to meet or even participate with the others is the Black Panther, who fears the association will end in less than altruistic actions.


Publication history

The Illuminati first appeared in the
Sentry Sentry or The Sentry may refer to: Marvel Comics *Sentry (Kree) *Sentry (Curtis Elkins) *Sentry (Robert Reynolds) *Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry Vehicles *Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data *E-3 Sentr ...
story arc of ''
New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...
'', written by Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis explored their history in the ''New Avengers: Illuminati ''one-shot (May 2006), which built up to the Civil War event that summer. Bendis, along with co-writer Brian Reed and artist
Jim Cheung Jim Cheung ( ; born 1972) is a British comic book artist, known for his work on the series such as ''Scion (comics), Scion'', ''New Avengers: Illuminati'', ''Young Avengers'' and ''Avengers: The Children's Crusade''. He co-created the Marvel su ...
, produced a five-issue
miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
filling out what the group does behind the scenes between their formation and dissolution. The first issue of ''The New Avengers: Illuminati'' was released in December 2006 and the final issue was released in November 2007.


New Avengers (2013–2015)

As part of Marvel NOW!, ''New Avengers'' was relaunched featuring the Illuminati.


Illuminati (2015–2016)

Following ''Secret Wars'', a new Illuminati series was launched by writer Joshua Williamson. The book features the
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...
leading a new, villainous incarnation of the group. The new Illuminati includes Titania, Enchantress,
Mad Thinker The Mad Thinker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is portrayed to be an evil genius specializing in robotics. He is sometimes referred to just as "The Thinker". Publication history The Mad Think ...
, Thunderball, and Black Ant.


Fictional group history


First meeting

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
(representing the
Avengers Avenger(s) or The Avenger(s) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of "The Infinity Sag ...
),
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...
(representing the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism i ...
),
Namor Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...
(representing
Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...
),
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
(representing the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
),
Professor Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
(representing the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
),
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
(representing
Wakanda Wakanda (), officially the Kingdom of Wakanda, is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the country first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' ...
) and
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
(
Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
of Earth) meet in Wakanda, in the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull War that ravaged Earth. Iron Man highlights the fact that numerous heroes possessed information that could have prevented the war had they been combined, as well as the fact that Earth's heroes are the only defence against an attack on that scale. From this, he concludes that a representative body, similar to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, be established amongst the heroes. The others in attendance debate the effectiveness of such a body, pointing out issues of trust amongst heroes and the bureaucracy that would result; however, most agree that continued secret meetings such as this one could help deal with larger threats in the future. All agree to this except the Black Panther, who takes issue with their self-righteous attitudes and predicts disaster when they disagree.''New Avengers: Illuminati One-Shot''. Marvel Comics.


Skrull Empire

The Illuminati travel to the homeworld of the
Skrull The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
s, who are still reeling from their defeat during the Kree-Skrull War on Earth. The group warns the Empire not to attack Earth again, but is unable to escape afterwards. The Skrulls analyze their captives (physiology, genetics, technology, etc.) and glean information from their behavior, until Iron Man is able to lead an escape. The Illuminati recognize that another attack is inevitable, while the Skrull Empire begins to make use of the data they compiled. By using a clone of Black Bolt and technology from Richards, the Skrulls were able to be undetected by superheroes.


Battle with the Pride

When Tony Stark relocated to Los Angeles after
Obadiah Stane Iron Monger is an alias used by multiple fictional characters, supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The most well-known version, Obadiah Stane, first appeared in ''Iron Man'' #163 (Oct. 1982), and the Iron ...
took over his company, the other Illuminati members leave him alone after Namor pointed out that Stark would never accept charity and needed this time to prove himself worthy of his membership. While establishing a new company, Tony encountered the
Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...
– the six families who controlled crime in the city, parents of the future makeshift superhero 'team' the
Runaways Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...
– and learned about the Gibborim that they worshipped, prompting him to contact Doctor Strange for information about the Gibborim. This led to a brief fight between the Illuminati and the six Pride families, but although the Illuminati won and the Pride were temporarily locked up, Tony knew that the Pride were too well-connected to keep them contained for long. With that in mind, Tony left Los Angeles after leaving the Pride a warning message to inform them that he would be back if he had any reason to suspect that they were acting against his new company.


Beyonder

During the opening moments of the first "
Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
," Professor X and Mister Fantastic unsuccessfully attempted rendering the abducted heroes and villains forced to participate in Secret Wars unconscious using Professor X's powers of telepathy. The rationale behind their failed plan was that doing so would deny the
Beyonder The Beyonder () is a fictional cosmic entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck, the Beyonder first appeared in ''Secret Wars'' #1 (May 1984) as an unseen, nigh-omnipote ...
the pleasure of watching the two sides fight solely for his entertainment. The issue also contends that the Illuminati confronted the Beyonder during the events of
Secret Wars II ''Secret Wars II'' is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom. The series wa ...
, a storyline with major continuity errors (Tony Stark referenced as participating in the first Secret Wars when it was shown in issue 9 to actually be James Rhodes in Stark's Iron Man armor. The Beyonder is proclaimed to be an
Inhuman Inhuman may refer to: Comics *Inhumans, a fictional race in Marvel Comics ** ''Inhuman'' (comics), a comic book series focusing on Inhumans ** ''Inhumans'' (TV series), a television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Music *InHuman ...
who was a mutant before he was exposed to the
Terrigen Mist The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
s, as well as the implication that the events of
Secret Wars II ''Secret Wars II'' is a nine-issue comic book limited series and crossover published from 1985 to 1986 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Marvel's then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and primarily pencilled by Al Milgrom. The series wa ...
never really happened and took place within an asteroid replica of Earth the Beyonder created, and that
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
, under the guise as the Beyonder's "king", convinced him to go into another dimensional exile).


Marvel Boy

The Illuminati approach
Noh-Varr Noh-Varr is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Boy'' #1 (August 2000). He later appeared in the '' Civil Wa ...
, a
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
warrior who tried to take over the Earth, in his prison, reasoning that it is better to convince him to change on his own rather than to just try to make him change using their abilities. They demonstrate the Kree connection to the Inhumans, and their desire to protect Earth. They demonstrate the primitive nature of humanity, but also the potential of the race to evolve and better itself. Ultimately, using Captain Marvel (a deceased, Kree-born superhero), they try to convince Noh-Varr to use his powers to protect the Earth and guide humans to better themselves.


Sentry

Iron Man informs the Illuminati of the formation of a new Avengers team in light of the breakout from the Raft. All but Namor wish him well in his endeavor, and Iron Man moves on to the issue of the
Sentry Sentry or The Sentry may refer to: Marvel Comics *Sentry (Kree) *Sentry (Curtis Elkins) *Sentry (Robert Reynolds) *Senator Ward (comics) or Sentry Vehicles *Sentry (AUV), an autonomous underwater vehicle used to measure deep-ocean data *E-3 Sentr ...
. Although none of the Illuminati have any recollection of him, Mr. Fantastic discovers that he has files on the Sentry and Professor Xavier discovers that his mind has been tampered with. Mr. Fantastic is able to use the files to get through to Robert Reynolds, a.k.a. the Sentry, and help him reverse what has been done to him. Iron Man tells the group that the Avengers take full responsibility for the Sentry, should he ever lose control, but dodges their questions about other recent Avengers inquiries.


Dealing with Hulk

Maria Hill Commander Maria Christina Hill is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch (comics), David Finch, the character first appeared in ''The New Avengers (comics), The Ne ...
, Director of
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
, approaches Iron Man concerning the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, who has recently destroyed Las Vegas. Iron Man presents a solution to the problem of the Hulk to the Illuminati (excluding an absent Professor X), suggesting that they shoot him into space toward an uninhabited world. Alone, Namor dissents to the plan from the outset. He argues that they have no right to banish their ally from Earth and accuses them of not helping to cure Bruce Banner to the best of their abilities. The other four members vote in favor of the plan, and Namor departs after a brief skirmish with Iron Man beneath the waves (Namor manages to tear off Iron Man's face mask before both are returned to the surface by Doctor Strange). While leaving, he says that the Black Panther was correct and Namor predicts (correctly) that the Hulk will eventually return to seek justified revenge.


Registration and the road to Civil War

Despite deciding not to meet again, Iron Man calls together the Illuminati (excluding Professor X, who is in exile in Scotland after the " M Day" event) to introduce them to the Superhuman Registration Act. He illustrates the fact that recent events have raised suspicion of all super-powered individuals and groups, and that one wrong move on the part of a hero will trigger disaster.
A hero, probably a young one... One of the
Young Avengers The Young Avengers are the names of two superhero teams appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung, the first team appeared in ''Young Avengers'' #1 (April 2005). The Young Avengers tea ...
, or those kids in Los Angeles... Some carefree happy go-lucky, well-meaning young person with the best of intentions will do something wrong. He will be trying to save someone do something heroic but he will make a mistake. Turn to the left instead of the right and people will be hurt or killed because of it. And it will happen on live TV, or it will be recorded... and like
Rodney King Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was a Black American victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was severely beaten by Police officer, officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during his arrest after a high spe ...
, it will play over and over. All over the world. Until the unrest that is already bubbling over will boil over... and every politician looking to make a name for himself will run right on TV and they will tell America how they are going to save the world from these out-of-control costumed characters who think the law does not apply to them. And half of us will go along with it and half of us will not. And because of this mini-rebellion, our lawmakers will be forced to make an example of someone. Someone like our friend
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
. Someone they can make a real spectacle of. Someone they can unmask on TV, destroy his marriage and family and pin a crime or two on! All for the whole world to see. And the country will rupture. Sides will be taken and people will be hurt. Friend against friend. People who used to be adversaries finding themselves teamed up against a common cause. Friends dying at the hands of a former ally or teammate. That is what will happen.
If the Act passes, a war amongst heroes will result and cause untold damage. In order to avoid it, Iron Man reiterates his idea of a representative body of superheroes, and urges the group to come out in favor of registration prior to a disaster. While Namor dismisses the issue as none of Atlantis' business and Doctor Strange and Black Bolt disagree on principle, Mr. Fantastic agrees with Tony. The damage is done, however, and the Illuminati dissolve.


Infinity Gauntlet

Mister Fantastic reveals to the group that he has been collecting the
Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems can grant ...
, and hopes to collect them all with the help of the Illuminati. Despite a general apprehension, the group manages to acquire all six gems. When the Gems are assembled, Mister Fantastic attempts to will the Gems out of existence, but he is unable to do so. Faced with this failure and a reprimand from
Uatu Uatu (), often simply known as the Watcher, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #13 (April 1963). He is a member o ...
the Watcher, he makes the controversial decision to give each Illuminati member one gem to hide so that they may never be combined and used again.


Civil War

Although the Illuminati never met or operated as a group during Civil War, their actions in the conflict reflect their reactions at the last meeting. Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic became two of the leading members of the pro-registration side, and worked closely with the United States government and S.H.I.E.L.D. Doctor Strange stayed out of the conflict, meditating and fasting, though he later admits, after joining the New Avengers and finding new love, that he regrets his lack of involvement. Afterward, he would join the New Avengers, who continue to operate underground without registering. Black Bolt and the Inhumans stayed out of the conflict, but began their own
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
with the United States. Namor was involved only so far as it served his interests. This included avenging the death of his cousin in the Stamford tragedy, and coming to the aid of his friend Captain America's forces in the final battle. Professor X was not on Earth during the conflict.


World War Hulk

During Civil War, Reed is contacted by
Amadeus Cho Amadeus Cho is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by American writer Greg Pak and Canadian artist Takeshi Miyazawa, the character first appeared in '' Amazing Fantasy'' vol. 2 #15 (January 2005). C ...
, who informs him that Hulk did not land on the intended planet. When the Hulk ultimately returns to Earth, he seeks revenge on the Illuminati as Namor had warned. He became King of the planet he landed on, before the ship self-destructs and destroyed millions of the inhabitants, along with the Hulk's wife and unborn child. His first act is to attack and defeat Black Bolt at the Inhuman settlement on the moon. Hulk arrives on Earth and sends a transmission to hand over Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Mister Fantastic to him while giving the citizens of New York City time to evacuate. After providing New York with a twenty-four-hour time limit to hand the other three Illuminati over to him, the Hulk approaches Professor X at the X-Mansion to determine whether he would have supported the Illuminati plan had he been present. After scanning Hulk's mind, Professor X confirms that he would have agreed with the plan, but only until a method could be found to prevent the Hulk endangering others. He battles the X-Men. After learning of the mutant population's recent severe losses as a result of " M-Day" from Mercury, the Hulk decides that the X-Men have suffered enough and departs. Having then taken over Manhattan Island, the Hulk is attacked by Iron Man in a new ' Hulkbuster' armor, only for him to be defeated and
Stark Tower The Stark Tower Complex is a high-rise building complex appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA, the complex is named after its owner Tony Stark, who is the alter ego of the su ...
to be destroyed. Despite the aid of the other members of the Fantastic Four, including temporary members the Black Panther and
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
, the same fate befalls Mister Fantastic. Doctor Strange tries to enter the Hulk's mind, but Hulk tricks Strange into presenting himself in a physical form that he attacks upon appearance. Strange later invokes and is possessed by the demon spirit of
Zom Zabu Zadkiel Zadkiel is a former archangel in the service of Heaven and an enemy of the Ghost Rider, named after the Zadkiel, mythical angel of the same name. Created by Jason Aaron, the character debuted in ''Ghost Rider (comic book), Ghost Ri ...
, hoping that he could stop the Hulk before it was too late. However, he loses control of his newfound power, and he almost caused some civilians to die during his battle with the Hulk. Although the Hulk saves them, this action makes Strange lose his confidence in his powers and makes him vulnerable for the Hulk to defeat him. Hulk then implants the Illuminati members with obedience discs and forces them to fight each other in his makeshift gladiatorial ring in Madison Square Garden. However, the Hulk spared them from killing each other, showing them that he proved his point to the world. They survived the encounter by Hulk's mercy and the timely intervention of the Sentry which leads to a prolonged battle where both Hulk and the Sentry reverse back to their human forms and Bruce Banner knocks out Robert Reynolds with a final punch. This allows enough time for Stark to use prototype defense satellites to negate the Hulk's powers. The Illuminati is also partially cleared from the responsibility of Sakaar's destruction when
Miek Miek is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Originally depicted as a heroic insectoid alien and ally of the Hulk, Miek later metamorphoses into a colossal female form and becomes his enemy. Miek appe ...
admits he saw the Red King's forces breach the ship's warp core and kept quiet to initiate what Miek felt was Hulk's destiny as the "Worldbreaker". Namor, the only Illuminati member opposed to shooting Hulk into space from the beginning, was spared from the Hulk's vengeance and remained uninvolved throughout the conflict.


Secret Invasion

Iron Man calls the Illuminati together one more time to show them the body of the
Skrull The Skrulls () are a race of List of fictional extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They first appeared in ''Fantastic Four (comic book), Fantastic Four'' #2 and were crea ...
that was posing as
Elektra Electra, also spelt Elektra, was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. Electra or Elektra may also refer to: Animals * ''Electra'' (bryozoan), a genus of aquatic invertebrates * ''Elektra'' (bug), a genus of insects in the ...
. He feels that the Skrull represents a secret invasion of Earth, and that the group is responsible (after traveling to the Skrull Homeworld years before). His suspicions are proven to be correct when Black Bolt reveals himself to be a disguised Skrull. The five remaining members are able to barely defeat it, and its two compatriots, and begin making plans to detect and defeat the remaining Skrulls. They soon realize, however, that this is pointless, as they cannot trust each other, going each his own way, for better or for worse, upon realizing that they have lost far more than just a world: they have lost each other's trust, and have lost the last hope of uniting the superheroes against the Skrulls. Though in ''Secret Invasion'', just like in Civil War, though for reasonably different incentives (they could not trust each other because of their own actions during the War, and they could not trust each other because of the actions of outside enemies during the Invasion), the Illuminati never worked together as a group, and the Illuminati itself is most likely to be permanently shattered. However, all six of them were affected in some way during the invasion, as were all inhabitants and allies of Earth. Iron Man and Mister Fantastic were the two chief fighters of the Secret Invasion, taking central roles in the main battles, and key to the ultimate failure of the Invasion, though neither survived unscathed. Iron Man brought the Skrull corpse to the world's top minds, and summoned Criti Noll (in the form of Henry Pym) and Mister Fantastic to examine and dissect the body. Stark was soon, as planned by the Skrulls, called in, along with his
Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of ''New Avengers'', the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered s ...
to the
Savage Land The Savage Land is a fictional prehistoric land that features in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve, hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in '' Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other relate ...
, where one of the first and most significant of battles of the invasion took place. It started when a spaceship crashed there, several dozen superheroes came out, and the New Avengers also arrived on the scene. Just as Mister Fantastic ingeniously discovers the method of concealment the Skrulls have been utilizing to become virtually undetectable, Criti Noll acts, using a special, Skrull-designed gun to subdue Reed Richards and prevent him from maintaining solidity; the remaining members of the Fantastic Four are also swiftly taken out elsewhere for most of the invasion, though all survive, if but barely. Agent
Abigail Brand Abigail Brand (Abigail Thanriaguiaxus) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday, the character first appeared in ''Astonishing X-Men'' vol. 3 #3 (September ...
of
S.W.O.R.D. S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department) is a fictional counterterrorism and intelligence agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Its purpose is to deal with extraterrestrial threats to world s ...
frees Mister Fantastic and takes control over the Skrull ship he was held in to the Savage Land, but sadly not before the Skrulls manages to infect Iron Man with an alien virus disabling himself, his armor, and S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
Veranke Veranke is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The queen of the Skrull Empire, first introduced under the guise of Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew), she is the main antagonist of ''Secret Invasion'' in which she ...
, disguised as
Spider-Woman Spider-Woman is the code name of several fictional characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first major version is Jessica Drew (and later impersonated by Veranke), the second major version is Julia Carpenter, and the third m ...
, also attempts to crush and destabilize what remains of Stark's morale, will, and faith by trying to convince him he is actually a Skrull
sleeper agent A sleeper agent is a spy or operative who is placed in a target country or organization, not to undertake an immediate mission, but instead to act as a potential asset on short notice if activated in the future. Even if not activated, the "sle ...
, but the Black Widow convinces him, at least slightly, otherwise. Richards and Brand arrive, with Reed using a self-designed machine to reveal the Skrulls in the midst of the Savage Land battle, which are quickly disposed of by the heroes. Reed and Tony lead the other heroes back to the now chaotic New York for the final battle, in which Reed exposes the Skrulls and which he is a prime target. Reed survives, and Tony, though his secondhand and relatively crude armor he had quickly constructed suffer enough damage to force him to initially retreat from the battle scene, uses a spare old Iron Man armor to enable him to aid the struggle against the Skrulls, freeing the prisoners, including Pym and Jarvis.


Quest of the Hood

The Illuminati reunited with founding members Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Doctor Strange and Professor X returning.
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
has joined the group as well (filling in for the presumably deceased Black Bolt) after learning that the
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...
is targeting them for the Infinity Gems, seeking to reform the Infinity Gauntlet and regain the power he lost after the Siege of Asgard. With the Hood having been defeated once more, the Infinity Gems were re-divided among the Illuminati members with
Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...
in possession of the sixth gem in Black Bolt's absence.


Aborted reunion

Captain America arranged another meeting of the Illuminati during the war between the Avengers and the X-Men in an attempt to talk with Namor after he was possessed by the
Phoenix Force The Phoenix Force is a fictional entity appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum, the Phoenix Force is famous for its central role in ''The Dark Phoenix Saga'' storyline, and is in ...
, but the meeting quickly fell apart; Professor X resented how the other four members were subconsciously blaming him for the current mess, Mister Fantastic felt that the Phoenix Five were not actually doing anything wrong as their actions had all been fundamentally beneficial, and Doctor Strange and Tony Stark felt that the meeting was pointless as they doubted that Namor would appear. When Namor arrived in the room after the others had left, Captain America asked him to stand down, but Namor refused, although he acknowledged that he still respected Captain America as a friend and ally.


Colliding universes

When Black Panther discovered a threat to the entire Marvel Universe, he saw no option but to call together the Illuminati again, including former member Black Bolt and, later, mutant scientist
Beast Beast most often refers to: * Animal, a multicellular, eukaryotic organism in the biological kingdom Animalia * The Beast (Revelation), one of three beasts described in the Book of Revelation * Monster, a type of creature found in fiction, folklo ...
, to deal with the threat. Professor X is not part of the call because he was killed by
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
at the end of the war between the Avengers and the X-Men. This new convocation of the Illuminati is now composed of the team of
New Avengers The New Avengers are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The title has been used for four American comic book series. The first two were written by Brian Michael Bendis and depicted a version of Ma ...
. Before the meeting with the Illuminati, Black Panther privately confronts Namor (who had previously killed hundreds of Wakandans) in a locked and guarded room. Their conversation is brief but tense, with Namor, still king of Atlantis, unbowed before Black Panther's tightly controlled rage. Black Panther informs Namor that as soon as the current crisis is settled, Black Panther will kill him. When Captain America attempts to use the Infinity Gauntlet to push the colliding planet back for some time, he makes a valiant effort, but the gems are destroyed, with the exception of the time gem, which vanishes to parts unknown. Afterwards, Captain America argues that the Illuminati are wrong to consider building a world-destroying weapon to help save Earth, and that doing so will corrupt them. Iron Man has already anticipated that Captain America will respond in that way, and therefore Doctor Strange has prepared a spell that he uses to wipe Captain America's mind of the Illuminati meeting. During the "
Original Sin Original sin () in Christian theology refers to the condition of sinfulness that all humans share, which is inherited from Adam and Eve due to the Fall of man, Fall, involving the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the Image ...
" storyline, following the murder of Uatu the Watcher, Captain America's exposure to Uatu's eye during the confrontation with the Orb restores his memory. After Captain America and the Avengers are transported into the future realities with the time gem, Captain America announces that the Illuminati are to be arrested.


Time Runs Out and Secret Wars

Later, the Illuminati face off against the Great Society (Sun god/Zoran, Boundless,
Doctor Spectrum Doctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character to date—three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging ...
, The Rider, The Jovian and Norn) a team of heroes from the latest parallel Earth that involved in an Incursion. Black Panther initially intends to destroy the Great Society's world by using an antimatter bomb, but relents at the last minute after realizing he cannot commit mass murder. However, Namor steals the trigger from Black Panther, and destroys the planet himself, resulting in his expulsion from the group. It is later revealed that Namor has partnered with a group of villains to form a new
Cabal A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state (polity), state, or another community, often by Wiktionary:intrigue, intrigue and usually without the kn ...
in order to destroy parallel worlds that may become involved in Incursions. Eight months later, the Avengers are shown to be working with
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism government agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, this agency first appeared in ''Strange Tal ...
to track down and capture the Illuminati.
Amadeus Cho Amadeus Cho is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by American writer Greg Pak and Canadian artist Takeshi Miyazawa, the character first appeared in '' Amazing Fantasy'' vol. 2 #15 (January 2005). C ...
,
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
and
Hank Pym Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by penciller Jack Kirby, editor-plotter Stan Lee and writer Larry Lieber, Pym debuted in ''Tales to Astonish'' #27 (Ja ...
have joined the team in the aftermath of Namor's expulsion, and work against the Avengers to protect the Earth by any means necessary. Despite Namor's Cabal achieving legitimacy as Earth's protectors, Namor grew weary of the wholesale slaughter they carried out in the name of preserving their universe. Although he collaborated with the Illuminati in a plan to destroy the Cabal by trapping them on the next Earth to be destroyed, Black Panther and Black Bolt left him behind to die with the Cabal, disgusted at his earlier actions. However, that world had a second simultaneous Incursion happen, allowing Namor and the Cabal to escape to the third Earth, in the
Ultimate universe The Ultimate Universe is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2023; the imprint is overseen by writer Jonathan Hickman. It reimagines several classic Marvel characters in a new fictional continuity, after Hickman and ...
. The Avengers and the Illuminati learned Hank Pym had discovered that the
Beyonders The Beyonders are a fictional higher-dimensional race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They live outside the Multiverse (Marvel Comics), multiverse and are responsible for the multiverse's destruction during Jonathan ...
are responsible for the Universe Incursions that have been plaguing the Multiverse and that they annihilated the Cosmic entities in the entire Multiverse. When the final incursion occurs during the ''
Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
'' storyline, resulting in all realities collapsing into one Earth, Mister Fantastic and the Black Panther survive the incursion in a specially designed 'life pod' along with a few other heroes, while Strange comes through the incursion while assuming a role as Doctor Doom's 'sheriff', aiding Doom in ruling the new '
Battleworld ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'', is a 12-issue American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter ...
' created from the multiple realities. Meanwhile, Namor survived with the Cabal and the Ultimate Reed Richards when they escaped the Ultimate Marvel universe during the final incursion. Once the two groups were awoken on Battleworld, faced with the threat of Doom, Namor and Black Panther put aside their past issues to work together and gather weapons to oppose the god-level Doom after Strange sacrificed his life to send the heroes to safety. While Reed researched the source of Doom's power, Namor and T'Challa followed clues left by Strange to reassemble the Infinity Gauntlet (Strange having manipulated events so that Doom's castle was built in the one area where a complete set of Infinity Gems still existed), which T'Challa wielded against Doom in the final battle while Richards found a way to disrupt Doom's power and take it for himself to rebuild the multiverse.


Ultimate Invasion


Cabal

The Cabal was a more villainous and antiheroic counterpart of the Illuminati consisting of the
supervillain A supervillain, supervillainess or supercriminal is a major antagonist and variant of the villainous stock character who possesses Superpower (ability), superpowers. The character type is sometimes found in comic books and is often the primary ...
s and
anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...
es
Norman Osborn Norman Virgil Osborn is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July 1964) as the first and best-known incarnation of th ...
,
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
,
Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...
,
Loki Loki is a Æsir, god in Norse mythology. He is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mythology), Laufey (a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to the goddess Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi (son of Lo ...
,
Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
,
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
, and
Namor Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appeared in '' Moti ...
. Namor later forms a second incarnation of the Cabal to combat incursions which consists of himself,
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
, Maximus the Mad,
Terrax Terrax the Tamer () is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist John Byrne and writer Marv Wolfman, the character first appeared in October 1979, and is a herald of cosmic entity Galactus and ene ...
,
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large Anatidae, waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent ...
, and Black Order members
Corvus Glaive Corvus Glaive is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Jim Cheung, he is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. ...
and
Proxima Midnight Proxima Midnight is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, she first appeared in ''New Avengers'' #8 (September 2013). She is a prominent member of the Black Order working ...
.


Hood's Illuminati

As part of the ''
All-New, All-Different Marvel All-New, All-Different Marvel (ANADM) is a 2015–2019 branding for Marvel Comics' entire main line of comics. Taking place after the crossover storyline "Secret Wars", it details the new Marvel Universe, with nearly 60–65 titles relaunched wi ...
'' event, Hood creates his version of the Illuminati to acquire power and become part of the "big leagues" of the supervillains. Besides Hood, the members consist of a rebuilt Black Ant (a
Life Model Decoy A Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is a fictional android appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. LMDs duplicate all outward aspects of a real living person with such authenticity that they can eas ...
of
Eric O'Grady Eric O'Grady is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first is an immoral Irish human superhero who is the third character to use the Ant-Man name, created by writer Robert Kirkman ...
that was created by Father),
Sylvie Lushton Enchantress is the common primary alias of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first of these is a powerful sorceress with the real name of Amora, one of Thor's greatest enemies. The second ...
(the current Enchantress),
Mad Thinker The Mad Thinker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is portrayed to be an evil genius specializing in robotics. He is sometimes referred to just as "The Thinker". Publication history The Mad Think ...
, Thunderball and Titania. During the '' Avengers: Standoff!'' storyline, Hood and Titania raid Pleasant Hill to retrieve
Absorbing Man The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and writer-artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Journey into Mystery'' #114 (cover dat ...
when
Baron Helmut Zemo Helmut Zemo is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Roy Thomas, Tony Isabella and Sal Buscema, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Captain America (comic book), Captain America'' #16 ...
and Fixer restore the memories of the inmates there. Absorbing Man sides with the Illuminati as they plan their revenge on S.H.I.E.L.D. with other recruited prisoners such as
Whirlwind A whirlwind is a phenomenon in which a vortex of wind (a vertically oriented rotating column of air) forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and flow ( current) gradients. Whirlwinds can vary in size and last from a cou ...
.


Roster

Members as of ''New Avengers'' Vol. 3 #3


Original team


Recruits


Other versions


Earth-231

In this reality, Mister Fantastic killed the other Illuminati members to keep them from being too ambitious.''Dark Reign: Fantastic Four'' #3. Marvel Comics.


Earth-976

In this reality, the Illuminati consisted of Iron Man, Mister Fantastic, Namor, Black Bolt,
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
and
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
. The Superhuman Registration Act and the Initiative were successfully implemented because Doctor Doom and Magneto were members of the Illuminati.


Earth-2319

This Illuminati included
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...
,
Doctor Doom Doctor Doom is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' The Fantastic Four'' #5 in April 1962, and has since endured as the arch ...
, the
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
,
Yellowjacket Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genus, genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of ...
, Captain Britain (Betsy Braddock), Captain Britain (Brian Braddock),
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
and
Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne (comics), John Byrne, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''The Uncanny ...
. They and their world were destroyed by Mapmakers during an incursion event.


Earth-23099

This Illuminati included
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...
,
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
,
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
,
Shuri Shuri may refer to: People *, ring name of Syuri Kondo, a Japanese professional wrestler, shoot boxer and kickboxer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese professional wrestler Characters * Shuri (character), a Marvel Comics superhero ** Shuri (Marv ...
,
Black Panther A black panther is the Melanism, melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical Rosette (zoology), rosettes are al ...
,
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
,
Magneto A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce periodic pulses of alternating current. Unlike a dynamo, a magneto does not contain a commutator to produce direct current. It is categorized as a form of alternator, ...
and
Mar-Vell Captain Marvel (real name: Mar-Vell; Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan, the character first appeared in '' ...
. They and their world were destroyed by Black Priests during an incursion.


Marvel Apes

In the ''
Marvel Apes ''Marvel Apes'' is a four-issue limited series by comics publisher Marvel Comics which started publication in October 2008. The series is written by Karl Kesel with art by Ramon Bachs and covers by John Watson. The Marvel Apes reality is designa ...
'' universe, the Illuminati are referred to as the Prime Eight. They consist of Black Bolt, Cleook, Doctor Doom, Nicole Furry, Hulk, Iron Mandrill, Professor X and Silverback Surfer.


Ultimate Universe

As the Maker escapes Earth-616, he comes across
Earth-6160 The Ultimate Universe is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2023; the imprint is overseen by writer Jonathan Hickman. It reimagines several classic Marvel characters in a new fictional Fictional universe#Fictional c ...
, deciding to alter its history, and establishing himself as its Imperator. He reshapes the global status quo and forms an equivalent of the Illuminati known as The Maker's Council. The Council is composed by world leaders of the incorporated nation-states created since history started to diverge with the Maker's arrival in 1963, functioning as a worldwide form of shadow government. It follows his personal philosophies, perpetuating a constant state of
war economy A war economy or wartime economy is the set of preparations undertaken by a modern state to mobilize its economy for war production. Philippe Le Billon describes a war economy as a "system of producing, mobilizing and allocating resources to su ...
between the members' power blocs as their populace is kept controlled and unaware of the artificial nature of international conflicts. The group initially consists of
Obadiah Stane Iron Monger is an alias used by multiple fictional characters, supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The most well-known version, Obadiah Stane, first appeared in ''Iron Man'' #163 (Oct. 1982), and the Iron ...
,
Emmanuel da Costa Emmanuel Da Costa (born 3 September 1977) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He currently works as manager at the club Hesperange. Managerial career Da Costa played football at an amateur lev ...
,
Captain Britain Captain Britain is a title used by various superheroes in comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with Excalibur. The moniker was first used in publication by Brian Braddock in ''Captain Britain'' #1 by writer Chris Cl ...
, Lord Ra, Lord Khonshu, the Rasputin family (consisting of
Colossus Colossus, Colossos, or the plural Colossi or Colossuses, may refer to: Statues * Any exceptionally large statue; colossal statues, are generally taken to mean a statue at least twice life-size ** List of tallest statues ** :Colossal statues * ...
,
Magik Magik (Illyana Nikolaievna Rasputina) (Russian language, Russian: Ильяна Николаевна Распутина) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cock ...
, and
Omega Red Omega Red (Arkady Rossovich) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. In 2009, Omega Red was ranked as IGN's 95th-greatest comic book villain of all time. ...
),
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, and the Harada-Yoshida Alliance (consisting of Emperor Sunfire,
Viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...
, and
Silver Samurai Silver Samurai is the name of two different supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, both acquaintances of Wolverine. The character has appeared in several X-Men-related animated series and video games before m ...
). Following Stane's death during an assault on
Latveria Latveria is a fictional country appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted within the storylines of Marvel's comic titles as a small, isolated European country ruled by the fictional Supreme Lord Doctor Doom, su ...
,
Howard Stark Howard Stark is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a background character in stories featuring Iron Man and stories featuring Captain America. He is the founder of Stark ...
is appointed in his place as the ruler of the North American Union, but he eventually rebels against the Maker and traps him inside his City, forcing the Council to deal with his absence as they decide to redistribute the Union's territories among themselves. They conduct a
false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
attack on Stark Tower using a Stark/Stane satellite, causing thousands of casualties in the Manhattan area, framing
Tony Stark Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
and his
allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
as terrorists.


What If

A ''
What If What If may refer to: Film * ''What If'', a 2006 TV film starring Niall Buggy * What If... (2010 film), ''What If...'' (2010 film), an American film * What If... (2012 film), ''What If...'' (2012 film), a Greek film * What If (2013 film), ''What ...
'' detailed alternate outcomes of the ''
Age of Ultron "Age of Ultron" (abbreviated AU) is a 2013 comic book fictional crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that involved the conquest of the Earth by the sentient robot tyrant Ultron. The storyline consisted of an eponymous, 10-issue core ...
'' storyline. In this reality, the Illuminati plan to restore a national symbol of hope after the death of Captain America. They choose
Frank Castle The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher mad ...
as Captain America's successor, because his service to his country makes him that symbol. Mister Fantastic gives Castle a better version of the Super-Soldier serum, making him the new Captain America. Decades later, Iron Man's plan to mass-produce serum-powered "Captain Americas" for each state for the Captain Americorps initiative disillusions Castle, who decides to retire.


In other media

* The Illuminati make a cameo appearance in ''
Planet Hulk "Planet Hulk" is a Marvel Comics storyline that ran primarily through issues of '' The Incredible Hulk'' starting in 2006. Written by Greg Pak, it dealt with the Marvel heroes' decision to send the Hulk away, his acclimation to and conquest of the ...
'', consisting of
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
,
Doctor Strange Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as ...
,
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...
and
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
. * The Illuminati appear in ''
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ''Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'' is a 2022 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Doctor Strange. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel ...
'' (2022). This version of the group hails from
Earth-838 The multiverse is a fictional setting within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Based on the setting of the same name from the Marvel Comics, it is a collection of infinitely many alternate realities and dimensions. First ex ...
and consists of its versions of Karl Mordo, Captain Peggy Carter,
Black Bolt Black Bolt (Blackagar Boltagon) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #45 (December 1965). Black Bolt is the ruler of A ...
, Maria Rambeau / Captain Marvel, Reed Richards, and
Charles Xavier Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
. Their universe's Stephen Strange was also a member until the Illuminati executed him for drawing power from the ''
Darkhold The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...
'' and replaced him with Mordo. They arrest Stephen Strange of
Earth-616 In the fictional Multiverse (Marvel Comics), Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity (fiction), continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. Origins of the term The designation "Earth-616" has its origins in ...
and
America Chavez America Chavez is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Vengeance'' #1 (September 2011). Chavez is a List ...
for threatening the
multiverse The multiverse is the hypothetical set of all universes. Together, these universes are presumed to comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, energy, information, and the physical laws and constants that describ ...
, but all save for Mordo are killed by the
Scarlet Witch The Scarlet Witch is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The X-Men #4 in March 1964, in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
.


References


External links


Illuminati
at Marvel.com
Illuminati
at Marvel Wiki
Illuminati (Hood's version)
at Marvel Wiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Illuminati (Comics) Comics characters introduced in 1971 Comics characters introduced in 2005 Marvel Comics American superheroes Marvel Comics organizations Comics by Brian Michael Bendis Works about the Illuminati New Avengers