Secret Empire Reading Order (Updated 9/15)

Possibly my last update as the main event really draws to a close with the release of Secret Empire: Omega; I’ve already listed all the Generations one-shots; and we’ll see what happens with the couple of remaining supposed “Aftermath” issues, though the others haven’t amounted to much.  As you can see from this week’s update placing Secret Warriors #6 and Deadpool #36 under the Honorable Mentions category.  (And it helps my sanity they ended up there as I don’t want to have to try to reconcile the timeline between the two…)

One change I am making to the reading order this week, after much discussion with reader Tyler G, is splitting up Mighty Captain Marvel #8.  The issue rehashes Carol and Company’s adventures from Secret Empire #7 and #8.  I am trying to keep the splitting of issues to a minimum with this reading order, but this one feels required, and I blame event fatigue on this previous oversight.  Thanks Tyler.

I could also start splicing Mighty Captain Marvel into the Secret Empire issues, but this is clunky enough as it is.  Particularly since, while it rehashes the events in Secret Empire, Mighty Captain Marvel actually makes changes to dialogue and alters a very important plot point for some reason.

1. Opening Salvo

1. Road To Secret Empire [Trade]
2. Captain America: Sam Wilson #21 [Unbranded]
3. Uncanny Avengers #22 [Unbranded]
4. Captain America: Steve Rogers #15 [Unbranded]
5. Deadpool #31
6. U.S. Avengers #5 [Opening Salvo]
7. Thunderbolts #12 [Opening Salvo]
8. Captain America: Steve Rogers #16 [Opening Salvo]

2. Secret Empire

9. Secret Empire #0
10. Mighty Captain Marvel #5
11. Uncanny Avengers #24
12. Uncanny Avengers #25
13. Ultimates2 #7
14. Amazing Spider-Man #29
15. U.S. Avengers #6
16. X-Men: Gold #7
17. X-Men: Gold #8
18. Secret Empire: Brave New World #3 (Daily Bugle and Starbrand stories)
19. Secret Empire Free Comic Book Day 2017
20. U.S.Avengers #7
21. Amazing Spider-Man #30
22. Amazing Spider-Man #31
23. Avengers #9
24. Mighty Captain Marvel #6
25. Mighty Captain Marvel #7
26. Secret Empire: Brave New World #1 (Giant Man and Gwenpool stories)
27. Champions #10
28. Occupy Avengers #8
29. Occupy Avengers #9
30. Secret Empire: Brave New World #4 (Misty Knight and Emma Frost stories)
31. Secret Empire #1
32. Secret Empire: Brave New World #2 (Patriot story)
33. Champions #11
34. U.S.Avengers #8
35. U.S.Avengers #9
36. Deadpool #32
37. Deadpool #33
38. Secret Empire #2
39. Captain America: Sam Wilson #22
40. Captain America: Steve Rogers #17
41. Secret Empire #3
42. All-New Guardians of the Galaxy Annual (2017)
43. Avengers #10
44. Secret Empire: Uprising #1
45. Doctor Strange #21
46. Doctor Strange #22
47. Doctor Strange #23
48. Doctor Strange #24
49. Captain America: Sam Wilson #23
50. Secret Empire #4
51. Captain America: Steve Rogers #18
52. X-Men: Blue #7
53. X-Men: Blue #8
54. X-Men: Blue #9
55. Secret Empire: United #1
56. Secret Empire: Underground #1
57. Secret Empire: Brave New World #2 (Hydra Bob story)
58. Secret Empire: Brave New World #5 (Blade and Domino stories)
59. Secret Warriors #1
60. Secret Warriors #2
61. Secret Warriors #3
62. Secret Warriors #4
63. Secret Warriors #5 pages 1-2
64. Secret Empire #5
65. Secret Empire #6
66. Secret Empire #7
67. Mighty Captain Marvel #8 pages 1-6
68. Captain America: Sam Wilson #24
69. Captain America: Steve Rogers #19
70. Secret Empire: Brave New World #1 (Invaders story)
71. Secret Empire: Brave New World #2 (Invaders story)
72. Secret Empire: Brave New World #3 (Invaders story)
73. Secret Empire: Brave New World #4 (Invaders story)
74. Secret Empire: Brave New World #5 (Invaders story)
75. Deadpool #34
76. Deadpool #35 pages 1-17
77. Secret Warriors #5 pages 3-20
78. Captain America #25
79. Secret Empire #8
80. Mighty Captain Marvel #8 pages 7-20
81. Secret Empire #9
82. Secret Empire #10

3. Generations

These one shots can mostly be skipped from a Secret Empire point of view, but occur during Secret Empire #10.

83. Generations The Strongest #1
84. Generations: The Phoenix #1
85. Generations: The Best #1
86. Generations: The Thunder #1
87. Generations: The Archers #1
88. Generations: The Iron #1
89. Generations: The Bravest #1
90. Generations: The Marvels #1
91. Generations: The Spiders #1
92. Generations: The Americas #1

4. Aftermath

93. Deadpool #35 pages 18-20
94. Secret Empire: Omega

Honorable Mentions

A collection of things that might add (or distract) from your Secret Empire reading experience.

• The Road To Secret Empire trade paperback covers a lot of this, but basically everything involving Steve Rogers, Captain America and/or written by Nick Spencer between Avengers: Standoff and Opening Salvo (particularly the Captain America: Steve Rogers series) acts as prologue to the event.
• Amazing Spider-Man #25 – the comic features a pre-Secret Empire back up story showing how Superior Octopus joins Hydra.
• Ultimates2 #9, Ultimates2 #100 – a tricky aside that is more a Galactus tale but the Ultimates do appear in the midst of Secret Empire.
• Uncanny Avengers #26 – a handful of pages are worthy for consideration as an Aftermath issue, dealing with the Scarlet Witch’s role in Secret Empire.
• Deadpool #36 – Kinda, sorta deals with the fallout of Deadpool’s escapades in Secret Empire, but to little consequence of that storyline.
• Secret Warriors #6 – Quake is after Deadpool for [spoiler] [spoiler], which does follow directly from Deadpool’s actions in Secret Empire.  I was on the fence about this one, but decided that it is removed enough from the main story to leave it out.  Perhaps Secret Warriors #7 may change my mind.

That’s it for now.  If anywhere along the way you spot anything missing or incorrect or are wondering why I placed something where I did, feel free to use the comments below or message me directly.