The Infinity War #1
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThe Infinity War #1 kicked off the middle chapter of Jim Starlin's early-1990s Marvel cosmic trilogy — the bridge between The Infinity Gauntlet (1991) and The Infinity Crusade (1993) — cementing the template for the multi-title, tie-in-heavy summer crossover event that would define Marvel's publishing strategy for decades. The issue introduced the concept of evil doppelgängers replacing Earth's heroes on a mass scale, a plot device that proved fertile enough to outlast the series itself: the Spider-Man Doppelganger debuted here and went on to become a recurring villain across Maximum Carnage, the Carnage family of titles, and Spider-Verse. Starlin's decision to make Thanos and Galactus reluctant protagonists rather than antagonists — characters 'normally cast in the role of antagonists' forced into heroic action — was a structurally bold inversion that distinguished the event from its predecessor. The series also introduced the narrative consequence that the Living Tribunal decreed the Infinity Gems could no longer be used in unison, a cosmological rule change that rippled through Marvel continuity for years afterward.
In The Infinity War #1 (1992), Jim Starlin’s gripping tale begins with Thanos sensing a cosmic disturbance—Eternity lies in a mysterious coma, and the universe trembles. As Thanos confronts the Magus and a chilling doppelgänger of himself, Earth’s heroes are suddenly beset by demonic versions of their own selves. With Mr. Fantastic rallying Earth’s might and Dr. Doom aligning with Kang, the stage is set for a battle that spans realities. Ron Lim’s dynamic art, brought to life by Al Milgrom’s inks and a vibrant palette from Christie Scheele and Ian Laughlin, captures the escalating dread, while the cover by Ron Lim and Al Milgrom sets the tone with haunting intensity.
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Infinity War #1 was written by Jim Starlin and penciled by Ron Lim, with inks by Al Milgrom, colors by Ian Laughlin and Christie Scheele, and letters by Jack Morelli — the same creative core that had carried the cosmic line through Starlin's Silver Surfer run and The Infinity Gauntlet. Craig Anderson edited the series under Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco. The issue carried a June 1992 cover date but shipped to comic shops on April 28, 1992, meaning it arrived less than six months after the conclusion of The Infinity Gauntlet — Marvel wasting little time capitalizing on that series' sales momentum by launching a direct sequel. The story grew organically from Starlin's Warlock and the Infinity Watch ongoing, which he had also been writing, establishing that Adam Warlock's expulsion of his good and evil aspects in Gauntlet inadvertently recreated his old nemesis, the Magus, as a resurrected external entity — the narrative seed that Infinity War #1 harvests on its opening pages.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Written by Jim Starlin, penciled by Ron Lim, inked by Al Milgrom, colored by Ian Laughlin and Christie Scheele, lettered by Jack Morelli; edited by Craig Anderson under Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco.
- Cover-dated June 1992, with an on-sale date of April 28, 1992; a six-issue limited series totaling 40 story pages per issue.
- First appearance of the Marvel doppelgängers — evil fractal duplicates of Earth's heroes created by the Magus from beings in the Dimension of Manifestations; the Spider-Man Doppelganger makes its debut in this issue.
- The Spider-Man Doppelganger is the breakout character of the series: while every other doppelgänger was destroyed when Magus was defeated, this creature survived (revived by Demogoblin's supernatural energy), became part of Carnage's 'family' during the 1993 Maximum Carnage storyline, and has recurred in Spider-Man titles through Absolute Carnage and beyond.
- Serves as the direct sequel to The Infinity Gauntlet (1991) and is itself followed by The Infinity Crusade (1993), forming the three-part backbone of Starlin's early-1990s Marvel cosmic saga.
- The main series generated tie-ins across more than a dozen ongoing titles published between July and November 1992, including Fantastic Four #366–370, Warlock and the Infinity Watch #7–10, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #42–47, Silver Surfer #67–69, and Spider-Man #24, among others.
- The issue's interior story is titled 'Chthonic Maneuvers'; the original #1 featured a wraparound gatefold cover by Ron Lim.
- Reprinted as True Believers: Infinity War #1 in 2018; the full six-issue series was collected in a trade paperback and later in a comprehensive Infinity War Omnibus (2019) collecting the core issues plus all major tie-ins.
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Reprints
Reprinted in De Infinity War #1 (1993), La Guerre du Pouvoir #1 (1993), Mega Marvel #4 (3/1994) (1994), Infinity War #[nn] (2006), La Guerre de l'infini #[nn] (2013), The Infinity War - Die ewige Schlacht #[nn] (2018), The Infinity Gauntlet #[5] (2018), True Believers: Infinity War #1 (2018), The Ultimate Graphic Novels Collection #151 (2018), Marvel. Официальная коллекция комиксов #135 (2018), Infinity War Omnibus #[nn] (2019), Thanos - La guerre de l'infini #[nn] (2019), Die offizielle Marvel-Comic-Sammlung #151 (2019)
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