10 Best Illuminati Marvel Comic Books Ever

The Super Bowl trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teased a lot of different things for the upcoming movie, including what appears to be an MCU version of the Illuminati. This secret council in Marvel Comics includes Professor X, who seems to be in the movie considering the trailer. Some of the best Illuminati comic books could help decipher the team’s movie future.

The Illuminati have been at the center of many of Marvel Comics’ most significant events of the 21st century, including Secret Invasion, in which they are likely to be involved in live-action as well. They also have strong connections to the multiverse in the comics and their MCU version is likely to include characters who aren’t part of the traditional Earth-616 lineup in the comics.

New Avengers #7

One of the best Illuminati comics is the first. The team makes its first appearance in New Avengers #7, when Iron Man convenes the secret council to discuss the emergence of the Sentry, one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe.

The thesis behind the council is sharing intelligence between some of the Marvel Universe’s smartest and most experienced characters, but in this case, only Mr. Fantastic has information on The Sentry, which Iron Man uses to try and keep him under control.

World War Hulk #1

Some of the best Hulk comics of the 2000s include World War Hulk #1, and it’s also one of the best Illuminati comics. This issue perhaps more than any other demonstrates the negative consequences of the council’s unilateral actions.

After banishing the Hulk to outer space following his rampage through Las Vegas, Hulk returns with a vengeance to Earth seeking revenge. He wrongly believes the Illuminati killed his wife, but the consequences for the world are staggering.

Civil War #6

The Illuminati don’t play a direct role in the events of Civil War, one of the best Marvel Comics events ever, but the inaction of Doctor Strange makes this one of the most intriguing chapters in their saga. Strange refuses to intervene in the conflict after Tony Stark forces it to happen.

This refusal to act sets up the inherent conflict within the council on several matters and could inform the upcoming movie, as it’s clear from the trailers that the debate over acting and not acting in cosmic matters is of major consequence.

New Avengers vol. 3 #3

New Avengers vol. 3 #3 is a great issue for showing just how far the Illuminati will go to carry out their ambitions. The secret council decides to erase the memory of Captain America, with a spell cast by Doctor Strange, after he disagrees with them on policy.

The disagreement involves the Illuminati using the combined Infinity Gems to create a cosmic weapon that will potentially defend the Earth against the incursion of other universes on Earth-616. Steve Rogers doesn’t think they should and loses his memory for it.

New Avengers: Illuminati #5

The Illuminati played a major role in another massive Marvel Comics event, Secret Invasion, The true scope of their involvement comes out in New Avengers: Illuminati #5, when they examine the body of a Skrull who had been impersonating Elektra.

The issue reveals that the Illuminati are likely responsible for the Skrull invasion as they traveled to the Skrull homeworld in the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull War, part of the best Avengers comics of the 70s, in a fruitless bid to de-escalate the conflict. The issue builds on the mystery and intrigue of the storyline by revealing Black Bolt as a Skrull and throwing doubt into the council’s actions.

New Avengers: Illuminati #2

One of the best stories involving the Illuminati could have potential MCU impacts down the road. In New Avengers: Illuminati #2, the council falls into chaos after Reed Richards assembles the Infinity Gems in an effort to destroy them all and remove their threat.

While the Infinity Gems are out of the MCU’s main universe, the Loki series has made it clear that many other versions of them exist in the multiverse and the Illuminati may seek to capture them to prevent another Snap from ever happening.

New Avengers Vol. 3 #14

One of the best Illuminati issues and one likely of interest to MCU fans is New Avengers Vol. 3 #14. This issue introduces a variant of the secret council that includes two versions of Captain Britain and is a reminder the live-action version may not be as expected.

This version of the council emerges as the multiverse in Marvel Comics beings to collapse, something that may be happening in the movie. The MCU council could include its own version of Captain Britain in the form of Peggy Carter from the What If..? animated series.

Avengers #43

Another great Illuminati comic book that seems to have some influence on the MCU is Avengers #43, in which the council frees the Superior Iron Man from a glass cube he’s being held in by The Cabal, a dark version of the Illuminati in the comics.

The Illuminati seem to be holding America Chavez and perhaps Doctor Strange in glass cages in the trailer for the movie, and what appears to be a version of the Superior Iron Man is fighting the Scarlet Witch in the Illuminati compound.

Incredible Hulk #92

One of the best Illuminati comics and one of the most consequential is Incredible Hulk #92, in which the secret council arbitrarily banishes the Hulk from Earth by sending him into outer space. He crashes on Sakkar, leading to the Planet Hulk storyline, one of the best Hulk arcs ever.

This act would have truly cosmic consequences, not just for Hulk and Sakaar, where he would become ruler and have a family, but for the Earth as well. This act is just one of the things Black Panther warned the council about when they formed.

New Avengers: Illuminati #1

New Avengers: Illuminati #1 is perhaps the best Illuminati comic book, as it delivers the origin of the secret group. It shows that Black Panther was offered a chance to join, but refused, believing that the council’s secrecy and hubris would lead to disaster.

Black Panther would eventually join in more recent years, but his warnings would in many ways come true, with the council acting with increasingly unilateral impunity, something that is likely to play out in the MCU.

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