Weirdworld

"Weirdworld" was a fantasy series created by Doug Moench and Mike Ploog for American company Marvel Comics, set in a dimension of magic. A comic book series titled Weirdworld debuted in 2015 as a tie-in to the Secret Wars storyline, followed by a six issue series as a part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel branding.

Publication history

Marvel Super Action

"Weirdworld" debuted in the first issue of the black-and-white magazine Marvel Super Action.^[1][2] It then was featured in the color comic Marvel Premiere #38 (Oct. 1977).^[3][4] In late 1977 or early 1978, co-creator Ploog left Marvel in a contract dispute while in the midst of drawing a 60-page "Weirdworld" story, written by Moench, that the company had planned to publish as one of its Marvel Comics Super Special series of one-shots. Ploog recalled in 1998 he had "a disagreement with [editor-in-chief] Jim Shooter. I had moved to a farm in Minnesota, and agreed to do a hand-colored 'Weirdworld' story. Marvel backed out of the deal after I had started. I can't remember the details, but it doesn't matter. I think I was ready to move on. Marvel and I were both changing."^[5] Richard Marschall, the story's editor, said in 1978 that Ploog had been given four months to complete the art, and when it became evident the deadline would not be met, arranged to publish the story in two 30-page installments, giving Ploog two more months. Ploog sent Marvel photocopies of the first 31 pages, and was paid for them. During this time, Marvel had given work-for-hire contracts to its freelancers, many of whom, including Ploog refused to sign, resulting in cessation of work for Marvel. Ploog "took himself off the project," said Marschall, and retained his original artwork.^[6] Moench's script was eventually published as a 106-page story illustrated by penciler John Buscema, inker Rudy Nebres, and airbrush colorist Peter Ledger as the three-part "Warriors of the Shadow Realm" in Marvel Super Special #11-13 (Spring - Fall 1979).^[7][8][9] Additional Weirdworld stories were published in several issues of Epic Illustrated in 1981 and 1982.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Ploog returned to draw the first part of a "Weirdworld" trilogy, in Marvel Fanfare #24 (Jan. 1986),^[14] with Pat Broderick penciling the two subsequent issues.^[15][16]

Characters

The protagonists were the Elves Tyndall^[17] and Velanna,^[18] both from the floating ring-shaped island of Klarn, and an irascible Dwarf dubbed Mud-Butt because he tended to land on his backside in a quarrel.

Weirdworld (2015)

As part of the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, a miniseries titled Weirdworld starring Arkon was released in June 2015 which featured other characters like Morgan le Fay, Skull the Slayer, a variation of Jennifer Kale that is Queen of Weirdworld's Man-Things, and characters from The Saga of Crystar. Weirdworld is featured on the map of the storyline's version of Battleworld as a floating island composed of fragments from many alternate reality magical realms like Polemachus, Crystalium, and Klarn. By the end of the miniseries, Weirdworld manifested on Earth-616 in the Bermuda Triangle.^[19]

Weirdworld vol. 2

In August 2015, it was announced that Weirdworld will remain part of the Marvel Universe post-Secret Wars and will be the new setting of a new volume of Weirdworld.^[20]

Rebecca "Becca" Rodriguez was an American teenager who was flying from the United States of America to Mexico on board Flight 789 in order to spread the ashes of her late mother. While traveling through the Bermuda Triangle, the Boeing 747 crashed into Weirdworld where its surviving occupants were rescued by Arkon. Rebecca encountered the Ogeode who stated that he caused the plane to crash with the artifact called the Wuxian Seed. Ogeode was then killed by Goleta the Wizardslayer with a witnessing Warg informing Witch Queen le Fay about it and the Wuxian Seed falling into Rebecca's possession. Alone in Weirdworld, Rebecca agreed to become Goleta's squire and the two set off together unknowingly being tracked by the Catbeast that had emerged from Ogeode's corpse.^[21] While traveling around Weirdworld, Rebecca and Goleta are startled by the Catbeast's sudden appearance and drove off the road. They were soon attacked by Sand Sharks. Becca was forced to operate the Glorianna in order to rescue Goleta from the Sand Sharks. Upon reaching safety, the Catbeast caught up to them and revealed himself to be none other than Ogeode. This forces Becca to step between him and Goleta's axe lest he be killed again before he could send her back to Earth. Ogeode's Catbeast form then explained that in order to get Rebecca back to Earth, they need to travel across the Fang Mountains to retrieve a spare wizard body and offered to reveal the location of the Hidden Fortress of the Wilder Men in exchange for Goleta's help. Goletta only to discover they could not yet set out on this new adventure. Due to her youth, Rebecca was not a very proficient driver and had burned out the Glorianna's Emerald Fuel Injector during the escape from the Endless Desert.^[22] Rebecca, Goletta, and Ogeode's Catbeast form went to seek Nakia the Grand Mechanic in order to barter for an Emerald Fuel Injector to repair the Glorianna. Nakia refused to help them because Rebecca's presence on Weirdworld has unbalanced a truce between the Swamp Queen Alliance and the Kingdom of the Torch. After finding out that Nakia was spying on her, Morgan le Fay unleashes the Mammoth Inferno on them who led an assault on the Forge of the Grand Mechanic. During the ensuing battle as the Giant Ghost Robot engaged the Mammoth Inferno, Rebecca snuck back to acquire the parts that they need. During this time, she met Eta the Watcher who urged her not to go to the Fang Mountains or else it would bring a fullscale war to all of Weirdworld. Rebecca stole the Emerald Fuel Injector anyway. Then she gathered Goletta and Ogeode's Catbeast form where they repaired the Glorianna and continued their quest.^[23]

Other appearances

Weirdworld is also the setting for a new series starring Dane Whitman, the Black Knight.^[24] Black Knight fled to Weirdworld after using the Ebony Blade to kill Carnivore.^[25] Upon arriving on Weirdworld, he killed King Zaltin Tar to establish New Avalon and built an army with the help of Shield and Spear. Black Knight has the army built in anticipation of the arrival of the Avengers Unity Division who are seeking to bring him to justice.^[26]

Collected editions

• Weirdworld collects Marvel Premiere #38, Marvel Super Action #1, Marvel Fanfare #24-26, Marvel Super Special #11-13, and Epic Illustrated #9, 11-13, 312 pages, April 2015, ISBN 978-0785162889

References

External links

• "Middle-Earth the Mighty Marvel Way: Weirdworld". From the Sorcerer's Skull. February 1, 2010. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014.