An
Elder of the Universe, the
Grandmaster, challenges a hooded female called the "Unknown"—eventually revealed to be
Death—to a game for the life of his fellow Elder, the
Collector (killed by the cosmic being
Korvac in the title
Avengers). The pair decide to use various superheroes from Earth as pawns, the goal being to collect the four pieces of a prize called the "Golden Globe of Life". A victory for the Grandmaster's team means the Collector may be
resurrected, while a loss indicates the character must remain dead. The Grandmaster's team consists of
Captain America,
Talisman,
Darkstar,
Captain Britain,
Wolverine,
Defensor,
Sasquatch,
Daredevil,
Peregrine,
She-Hulk, the
Thing, and
Blitzkrieg. Death's team consists of
Iron Man,
Vanguard,
Iron Fist,
Shamrock,
Storm,
Arabian Knight,
Sabra,
Invisible Girl,
Angel,
Black Panther,
Sunfire, and the
Collective Man. Although the storyline depicts a tie and the Grandmaster's team is written as being successful, Death advises that the Collector can only be resurrected if the Grandmaster takes his fellow Elder's place in the Realm of the Dead, with the character agreeing to the terms. International heroes Blitzkrieg (Germany); Collective Man (China); Defensor (Argentina); Peregrine (France); Shamrock (Ireland); and Talisman (Australia) debut in the series, and each issue contained a catalogue of all featured heroes and was the prototype for the publication the
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. In 2015 ''
Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars'' revealed that alongside the main contest a bonus round occurred featuring lesser-to-unknown characters. The Grandmaster's team consists of
Rocket Racer,
She-Man-Thing, The Vile Tapeworm, and
Frog-Man. Death's team consists of
Deadpool,
Howard the Duck,
Doop and The Pink Sphinx. Death's team wins, the prize being a 'participant' trophy. An
Avengers Annual eventually reveals that this was a ruse perpetrated by the Grandmaster as he is able to steal Death's powers and then, via another deception, forces the entity to banish all Elders from her realm, effectively making them
immortal. ==
Contest of Champions (2015)==