Ruins, a limited series from 1995, presents a bleak and disturbing alternate reality where Marvel's heroes meet horrific fates. Examining the story's impact and its controversial legacy, this article delves into why Ruins remains a unique and unsettling chapter in Marvel's history.
In the past three decades, Marvel Comics has yet to release a story as depressing as its infamous story Ruins. The publisher has occasionally given fans a darker interpretation of its beloved universe, but none that are as uncompromisingly grim as this perturbing story. In 1995, Marvel Comics released Ruins, a 2-issue limited series that was set in a world quite unlike the world fans were familiar with.
Instead of a universe filled with heroes born out of scientific achievement, Marvel's biggest icons were the victims of botched experiments, fascist politics, or simply bad luck. And 30 years on, Marvel Comics has yet to create a story that's more disconcerting than Ruins. The following article discusses sensitive content and features disturbing imagery. Marvel Comics' Darkest Story Gave Almost Every Hero the Worst Fate Possible. Marvel Literally Ruined Its Entire Universe in One Seriously Disturbing Story. Close Ruins was created by Warren Ellis along with Terese and Cliff Nielson, Chris Moeller, and Jonathan Babcock. The story follows everyman Phillip Sheldon, who has recently left his job at the Daily Bugle to write a book. Haunted by the darkness that's around every corner of his world, Sheldon sets out to investigate phenomena that have resulted in pain and death to prove that something has caused his world to go terribly wrong. Sheldon sees the deaths of the freedom fighter militia, the Avengers, and later interviews Mar-Vell in a Kree concentration camp on an old atomic bomb testing ground. ...this world’s version of Banner is transformed into a twisted collection of tumors. Sheldon continues his trek around the globe, where he hears more stories of this awful alternate Earth. Sheldon meets with a deranged Nick Fury, who shoots Jean Grey, a sex worker, before killing himself. Sheldon also meets with Rick Jones, who tells the writer about how Bruce Banner saved Rick from the gamma bomb, much like his 616 equivalent. However, instead of becoming a powerful Jade Giant, this world’s version of Banner is transformed into a twisted collection of tumors. Sheldon’s journey takes him to a prison that holds numerous mutants, who have been mutilated to rein in their powers, and later visits a carnival where Johnny Blaze commits suicide in a final stunt by setting his head on fire. The only safe ‘hero’ in this world is Ben Grimm, who chose not to pilot the ship carrying the Fantastic Four, sparring him the grisly fates that befell Reed Richards and his associates. Sheldon’s worldwide investigation comes to an end when he succumbs to a virus passed onto him by Peter Parker after suffering a bite from an irradiated spider. Why Ruins Hits So Much Harder Than Any Other Alternate Marvel Story. Ruins' Creative Team Took Major Risks in The Story's Deviations. One may ask why Marvel Comics would make such a daring and, frankly, uncomfortable, re-imagining of its usually bright world. Ruins was conceived as a parody of Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ Marvels miniseries, which also tells a story about the Marvel Universe from the perspective of an average human (with both stories using the Phillip Sheldon character). Ruins also utilized painted artwork like Marvels, essentially serving as a dark mirror to the more positive story. This is even reinforced in the opening pages of both of Ruins’ issues, which posits the idea of the Marvel Universe having a twisted opposite. Busiek and Ross' Marvels miniseries was released one year before Ruins in 1994. Now, Marvel Comics is no stranger to darker takes on its iconic world. Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe saw Frank Castle unceremoniously murder every single hero and villain in the world. Earth X examined an alternate world where society has fallen apart, and the world is torn apart by a worldwide population of superhumans. And Marvel Zombies gave fans a serious scare by presenting a world filled with undead heroes and villains who showed no mercy towards anyone. But unlike these stories, Marvel Comics’ Ruins gave readers something completely devoid of hope and fun. While some of these other stories were unconventional to the usual Marvel formula, they were usually over-the-top or meant to be examples of black humor. But with Ruins, there’s nothing very funny about what happens to the heroes fans know and love. It’s just one grim re-imagining after another and watching suffering for suffering’s sake. It’s uncomfortable and cruel, and it takes readers to a dark place that Marvel Comics doesn’t go to often, and it’s probably better that the publisher never try to go to that kind of place again. Marvel Will Never Make a Darker Story Than Ruins And It's Better the Publisher Never Even Attempt One. In the decades since its publication, Ruins remains one of the most controversial stories Marvel Comics has ever put out (rivaling books like Marville and Trouble).
MARVEL COMICS RUINS ALTERNATE REALITY DARK FICTION COMICS HISTORY
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