Comic Book Classics Revisited is back!  Today, we’re going to crack open Secret Wars #6!  Last issue, the heroes held back another attack by the villains with the help of the X-Men.  All the while, Galactus is preparing to devour Battleworld and all those on it.  A love triangle is forming between Colossus, the Human Torch, and the alien healer Zsaji.  Most importantly, Doctor Doom sneaked aboard Galactus’ ship and is looking for ways to gain all the power and take the war for himself.

As issue #6 opens, we see a ship piloted by the Wasp careening out of control.  She’s questioning why the X-Men didn’t follow her since she knows all their plans – thus preventing her from flying a death trap and breaking a nail.  After the ship’s computer gives her a holographic map, she decides to use her own wings to follow the map and destroys her former transport.  When Wasp reaches the spot on the map, she finds the Lizard romping about.  The Lizard’s not been seen for a while (that’s to say that I’m not exactly sure when he slipped away to go to this locale as he’s not been a factor in this story at all).

In Galactus’ ship, Doom approaches a console and it ends up reconstructing something out of sound.  When that something fully forms, it’s revealed to be Klaw.  Apparently, he had gotten sucked up by Dazzler when they first confronted each other.  Then, when Galactus came to get Dazzler for some reason or another, she expelled Klaw as a blast of energy that pretty much got him stuck there.  Klaw warns Doom that the longer they stick around on the ship, the sooner Galactus will notice them, the sooner it will be curtains for them.  Doom surveys the situation to see if there is anyway to slow down Galactus from finishing his world-devouring machine.  Despite believing Cap’s heroes could be manipulated into attacking Galactus, he knows they are too battle weary to accomplish any resistance.  The X-Men are not powerful enough.  So, that leaves his own troops, but without his leadership, he’s not feeling particularly great about that aspect.  So, he sends Klaw to deliver the orders for what he wants them to do to spoil Galactus’ meal, however, the world-devourer has stopped and looking home as if he knows something’s wrong.

In the swamp, Wasp notices that the Lizard is hurt and scared.  There’s a large gash on his arm and she offers help to get it cleaned and bandaged.  It appears that the Lizard doesn’t quite have all his mental faculties about him, but he accepts her help so she can leave the swamp he’s claimed.  At Magneto’s fortress, Professor X listens in on some of Doom’s lackeys’ minds and learns that he’s dispatching some to a volcanic plain.  He orders Cyclops to lead a small group to intercept, which angers Storm (the current leader of the X-Men in normal situations).  She’s put in her place by Professor X who threatens to use his powers to ensure loyalty among his X-Men.  She leaves stating that his style of leadership will lead to catastrophe.

At the village that Captain America’s squad is calling a temporary home, Colossus is healing and admiring how Cap’s team is working so well together and looking after the innocents drug into this war.  He’s struggling with his feelings for the healer Zsaji.  Cap is putting together a plan to attack Galactus if he starts devouring the planet.  However, She-Hulk thinks they should go after Magneto for kidnapping the Wasp (even though they know she’s escaped thanks to Colossus).  Additionally, the Hulk is getting antsy.  He’s wanting to just smash someone, anyone.  Spider-Man and Hawkeye lament how Richards has cannibalized their tech to make Iron Man stronger (when they were stuck under the mountain range).  Meanwhile, Captain Marvel realizes there is something off with Iron Man as if he’s a different person inside the armor (and she’d be right).  And for Iron Man, since his armor was upgraded, he’s complaining of headaches.

In the volcanic area of Battleworld, Cyclops, Rogue, and Wolverine run into Doctor Octopus, Titania, Absorbing Man, and Molecule Man.  They start fighting and it’s clear the three X-Men are over-matched, but they are able to win and force the villains to retreat back to Doombase when Wolverine slashes Molecule Man pretty badly.  Cyclops uses a blast to ignite a volcanic eruption and they split.

In the swamp, Wasp and Lizard have become fast friends.  All of a sudden, Wasp is shot by a cannon on a vehicle driven by some of the other villains.  They came to collect Lizard for Doom’s plan, but Lizard does not take kindly to Wasp being shot.  In a rage, he fights against his former allies.  They eventually are able to hold him in a stasis ray to transport him and the Wasp’s body back to Doombase.  At the heroes’ camp, they see that Galactus’ machine is nearly finished, but what they don’t see is a shadowy figure watching them silently…

This issue was really more of a reset issue than anything.  There were no real main offensives done by either side.  With the series now halfway done, this issue was simply there to set up the second half that will put an end to the battle but not without some big moments to come.  In fact, the next two issues have some big moments – including the introduction to a new hero that is still active today, and a major fashion statement.

I think now is a good point to discuss something that has been building during each issue of the series.  While the villains are acting normally, and maybe even more cohesive than expected, there is a very noticeable shift in how the heroes are acting.  Cap is oversleeping when he should be on watch duty and isn’t actually formulating any plans to attack the villains in any way.  Hulk is given intelligence, but that is fading fast.  People are questioning their leaders within both of the “good” camps.  Professor X ditches his wheelchair and has become a massive douche of a leader.  A lot of characters are experiencing deep depression over not being with their loved ones.  Something doesn’t seem right with the heroes.  Many characters are more focused on how they are never coming home than being their normal selves not worrying about that until the war is over.

Now you could say that it was just written in that way.  Jim Shooter may have been injecting some inner drama into the story and it was easiest to do so with the heroes.  You could say that it goes back to the point I made previously about how the heroes are mostly from groups and they trade barbs or question others from other groups in a “be true to your school” sort of way.  As we continue, we may find there’s a specific reason for this, but it’s almost as if the heroes are being mentally tweaked to keep them from being able to easily defeat the villains.  And the villains are tweaked just enough to be able to work in just the right way to prevent them from imploding and fighting too much internally.  Again, it could just be a plot device to keep the series interesting and giving it enough material to go the full twelve issues, but if you look at it as a potentially mental hazing by the Beyonder, it becomes a little more interesting.  Plus, I also have to say that I liked this cover quite a bit as an opposite to the heroes see on the cover to issue #1.  So there is some symmetry of sorts as well.

Well, we’ll wrap it up here for this week.  Come back Monday and we’ll meet that shadowy figure and get introduced to a brand new heroine to join the fight against the villains!