Secret Wars II #4

Secret Wars II #4, published in 1985, serves as a pivotal installment in Marvel Comics' first ambitious attempt at a line-wide crossover event. Following the commercial success of the original 1984 Secret Wars, this sequel was commissioned to explore the character of the Beyonder as he navigated the human experience on Earth. The narrative, written by Jim Shooter with art by Al Milgrom, depicts the cosmic entity's struggle to find meaning in mundane human existence, eventually leading to his disillusionment with civilization.

The creative direction for this series was heavily influenced by editorial mandates to integrate a cohesive meta-plot across dozens of disparate monthly titles. While the original Secret Wars was praised for its toy-driven accessibility, the sequel received a more polarized reception from contemporary critics, who often found the existential tone a sharp departure from the action-oriented premise of its predecessor. Despite this, the series remains a significant artifact of 1980s comic book history, marking an early milestone in the industry's shift toward large-scale, interconnected event storytelling.