Courtesy of Marvel Comics, AIPT can exclusively reveal a preview of What If…? Secret Wars #1, a new one-shot by writer Alex Paknadel and artist Cafu that asks one of the biggest questions left behind by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s landmark Secret Wars: What if the Ultimate Universe survived?
The issue appears to center on Peter Parker as he struggles to make sense of a world transformed by catastrophe. The preview opens with Spider-Man alongside Nick Fury as the two witness a series of seemingly impossible events unfolding around them. Reality itself appears unstable, hinting at the far-reaching consequences of a world that should no longer exist. Or maybe it’s possibilities, either way, it’s not good!
Subsequent pages showcase Cafu’s blockbuster action chops. One striking sequence features Spider-Man dropping into the middle of a battlefield as explosions erupt around him, with Iron Man and Falcon at his side. Also, quite a slick take on the Ben Reilly sweater costume. Another page spotlights a gathering of heroes from across Marvel history, including Miles Morales, touching Kitty Pryde as she phases through a wall while holding hands with Iceman and the Human Torch.
The imagery suggests a story deeply connected to the legacy of both the Ultimate Universe and the Marvel Universe that emerged following Secret Wars. While Marvel is keeping many of the plot details under wraps, the preview hints at a world where familiar heroes have been forced into unfamiliar circumstances.
According to Marvel, the issue asks what becomes of the original Ultimate Universe after Secret Wars, how its heroes managed to defeat the Beyonder, and what kind of Spider-Man emerges after losing everything.
Check out the preview below.
WHAT IF…THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE SURVIVED THE SECRET WARS?
GOODBYE, MARVEL UNIVERSE! Starring Peter Parker, our beloved friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, as he is forced to survive in a not-so-friendly neighborhood after losing everything! What becomes of the original Ultimate Universe in a post-Secret Wars landscape? How did they defeat the Beyonder? And who does Spider-Man become after losing everything?
WHAT IF…? SECRET WARS (2026) #1
Written by Alex Paknadel
Art by Cafu
Cover by Lucas Werneck
On sale July 1, 2026
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