The Illuminati are a fictional secret society and group of superheroes appearing in

American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters joined forces and
secretly work behind the scenes. The Illuminati was established to exist (via story
retcon) in their first published appearance in New Avengers #7 (July 2005),[1]
written by Brian Michael Bendis. Their history was discussed in the special New
Avengers: Illuminati (May 2006).[2] The group was revealed to have been formed very
shortly after the Kree-Skrull War.[3]

Contents
1 Members
2 Publication history
2.1 New Avengers (2013–2015)
2.2 Illuminati (2015–2016)
3 Fictional group history
3.1 First meeting
3.2 Skrull Empire
3.3 Battle with the Pride
3.4 Beyonder
3.5 Marvel Boy
3.6 Sentry
3.7 Hulk
3.8 Registration and the road to Civil War
3.9 Infinity Gauntlet
3.10 Civil War
3.11 World War Hulk
3.12 Secret Invasion
3.13 Quest of the Hood
3.14 Aborted reunion
3.15 Colliding universes
3.16 Time runs out
4 Cabal
5 Hood's Illuminati
6 Roster
6.1 Original team
6.2 Recruits
7 Other versions
7.1 Earth-231
7.2 Earth-976
7.3 Earth-2319
7.4 Earth-23099
7.5 Marvel Apes
7.6 What If
8 In other media
9 References
10 External links
Members
Creator Bendis says of the group's members:

They each represent a certain something that is very special to the Marvel
Universe:

Namor is a King of the Atlantis and the Seven Oceans and represents the antihero
mindset.
Tony Stark represents the Avenger type of hero, one who understands and appreciates
that a hero can work with the government, rather than outside of it. He also
represents the common man, as he possesses no natural superhuman abilities.
Reed Richards: Leader of Fantastic Four. Represents the science-based part of the
superhero community.
Black Bolt: King of Inhumans, who are an important part of Marvel history and play
an important part in events that have not yet come to pass. He also represents a
ruler/king archetype, one that has also been filled by Namor.
Doctor Stephen Strange: Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. Speaks for the mystical/non-
scientific side of the Marvel universe.
Professor Charles Xavier: Leader of the X-Men is there on behalf of the mutant
community.
They all bring with them a unique viewpoint and perspective that isn't shared by
the others.[4]

The group forms at some time in the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull War, and probably
after the Avengers/Defenders war. Iron Man realizes that each of the individual
members had information about these alien races beforehand, and they could have
collectively stopped it. He brings together the Illuminati with the Black Panther
in Wakanda, and proposes that they form a government of superhumans. Namor refuses,
on the grounds that too many superheroes are violent outsiders (such as Hawkeye and
Quicksilver, both former criminals). Xavier refuses on the grounds that mutants are
already feared and hated, and if Iron Man thinks he can fight this with iconic
superheroes, it will result in heroes being feared and hated as much as mutants.
Doctor Strange refuses on the grounds that too many heroes are anti-establishment
and that the group Iron Man has assembled to form a governing body would not be
'anti-establishment', but rather a form of 'counter-establishment'. Reed Richards
refuses on the grounds that such an organization would be too large to run
effectively, that the heroes would spend more time dealing with bureaucracy than
actually helping people. The group does, however, agree to meet to exchange
information regularly. The only individual present who outright refuses to meet or
even participate with the others is the Black Panther, who fears the association
will end in less than altruistic actions.

Publication history
The Illuminati first appeared in the Sentry story arc of New Avengers, written by
Brian Michael Bendis. Bendis explored their history in the New Avengers: Illuminati
one-shot (May 2006), which built up to the Civil War event that summer. Bendis,
along with co-writer Brian Reed and artist Jim Cheung, produced a five-issue
miniseries filling out what the group does behind the scenes between their
formation and dissolution. The first issue of The New Avengers: Illuminati was
released in December 2006[5][6] and the final issue was released in November 2007.

New Avengers (2013–2015)

As part of Marvel NOW!, New Avengers was relaunched featuring the Illuminati.[7]

Illuminati (2015–2016)
Following Secret Wars, a new Illuminati series will be launched by writer Josh
Williamson.[8] The book will feature the Hood leading a new, villainous incarnation
of the group.[9] The new Illuminati will include Titania, Enchantress, Mad Thinker,
Thunderball, and Black Ant.[10]

Fictional group history

First meeting
Iron Man (representing the Avengers), Mister Fantastic (representing the Fantastic
Four), Namor (representing Atlantis), Black Bolt (representing the Inhumans), o
this except the Black Panther, who takes issue with their self-righteous attitudes
and predicts disaster when they disagree.[11]

Skrull Empire
The Illuminati travel to the homeworld of the Skrulls, who are still reeling from
their defeat during the Kree-Skrull War on Earth. The group warns the Empire not to
attack Earth again, but is unable to escape afterwards. The Skrulls analyze their
captives (physiology, genetics, technology, etc.) and glean information from their
behavior, until Iron Man is able to lead an escape. The Illuminati recognize that
another attack is inevitable, while the Skrull Empire begins to make use of the
data they compiled.[12] By using a clone of Black Bolt and technology from
Richards, the Skrulls were able to be undetected by superheroes.[13]