When The Think-Tank Spills

The Illuminati. If you've been active on the internet for the past decade or locked up in your basement with a dart board of speculation theories that word must send a shiver down your spine. To speak of the real/not real Illuminati theory is a subject for another website, but believe it or not The Illuminati does have a comic book presence, a less menacing one at that. This is Marvel Comic's Illuminati.

After the 1972 comic event "Kree-Skrull War" Tony Stark/Iron Man gathered several heroes in the African city of Wakanda for a private meeting. The men invited included: Earth's ultimate sorcerer Dr. Strange, Namor the King of Atlantis, Black Panther the King of Wakanda, Black Bolt the King of The Inhumans, Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four and Professor X of the X-Men. Stark noted that information withheld by various heroes could've prevented the alien war between the Kree and the Skrulls and that by united together as a representative body, the heroes of Earth could better protect it from threats like said war. The various intellectuals debated on the idea and although they generally saw faults with Stark's idea, they agreed to join in secrecy as The Illuminati.

The Illuminati played large parts in the background of several events. They divided the all-powerful Infinity Gems among themselves to keep their power away from anyone else. After The Hulk destroyed Las Vegas, Stark proposed the idea to The Illuminati of sending The Hulk to another planet. They came to a vote, Hulk was launched off Earth, and he later returned seeking revenge (see "Planet Hulk" and "World War Hulk"). The Illuminati were the first to learn about Tony Stark's Superhuman Registration Act before the "Civil War" event. During "Secret Invasion" The Illuminati studied a shapeshifting alien who disguised himself as an Earthling, then learned that their own Black Bolt had been replaced by another disguised invader. Recent events have shown the slow destruction of The Illuminati. Beast of the X-Men had replaced Professor X after the Professor's death, Captain America had briefly joined the team until a disagreement in morals led to Cap ordering the arrest of The Illuminati, and Black Panther killing fellow member Namor after a war between Atlantis and Wakanda led to hundreds of Black Panther's subjects drowning. The Illuminati now stand against The Avengers in how to properly defend Earth.

I understand the need for organizations like these, groups of individuals willing to make the tough decisions in order to save the Earth. Sometimes that means eliminating an ally, other times it means destroying an entire planet to protect Earth. A think-tank of Marvel's most intelligent heroes is something I would be fine with seeing in the background, though. Watching a roundtable of costumed men speak in "science talk" is only entertaining for so long. Groups like these must exist in the real world, as they should if our security and safety is a priority. This Illuminati can be chalked up as an undercover United Nations. I'd like to see The Illuminati presented as more cynical anti-heroes in Marvel Comics, as well as maybe a Cinematic version of the group. They'd be lacking Mr. Fantastic and Professor X, though. Hey, just throw Hank Pym in there. On second thought, don't throw Pym in there, he might go all "abusive husband" again. Thanks for reading.