Marvel United: Multiverse adds Maximum Carnage to the campaign! (Plus, the High Evolutionary!)

CMON’s Marvel United: Multiverse Kickstarter campaign announced a sixth new expansion box today, and it was a major shocker to me (though it did not contain Shocker): Marvel United Multiverse – Maximum Carnage!

Why was this box such a surprise for me? I had it marked as “Not Likely” on my list of 20 possible predictions because we already have Carnage in the game. Plus, it felt like the cast didn’t contain enough possible symbiote villains or potential heroes compared to a later event like Absolute Carnage or King in Black.

It turns out, 90s nostalgia can always find a way! The Maximum Carnage box is anchored by an alternate “Dark Carnage,” who is explicitly from the much more recent recent Absolute Carnage event. (You can tell from the little swirl on his forehead.)

It also includes a “New Sinister Six” comprised of Scream, Shriek, Scorpion, Demogoblin, Doppelganger, and Morbius, which… I am fairly certain is not a thing.

(It may be a nod to a single issue reference to the “Sinister Sixty,” which included all of these characters – especially since it comes with a KS-Exclusive “Build your Own Sinister Six” play mode. Again, this concept is from the past few years – decades after Maximum Carnage.)

I have no objections to CMON being inventive in order to get an interesting group of characters together into an expansion. However, I find this particular selection puzzling considering they created a modern Carnage without Knull (one of the biggest villains of the past decade), skipped the chance for a re-do on Venom (or adding Agent Venom), and passed on several different “New Sinister Six” line-ups in the comics that include characters we’re lacking – like Lizard, Boomerang, Shocker, Beetle, and Tombstone.

If we’re being honest, I’m probably never going to touch Demogoblin or Doppelganger, but we got an Anti-Hero Morbius plus Scream, so I suppose all’s well that ends well.

I’m much more excited about one of today’s stretch goals, even if it means crossing off a possible expansion from my list: High Evolutionary!

High Evolutionary is a quintessential Marvel Villain with connections to many different characters and franchises. His sculpt looks perfect and he brings some interesting gameplay – including threat cards that double as master plan cards!

(Want to play Marvel United right now? Grab either the Marvel United or Marvel United X-Men core boxes right now. They are fun cooperative games that are fun to play with adults and kids alike.)

Suddenly, my predictive psychic powers aren’t looking so powerful. In my last post, I updated my list of 20 Marvel events and franchises that might merit an expansion box of their own. Now that we’re down to just 1-2 remaining expansion boxes in this Kickstarter campaign, will any of my 19 remaining guesses make the cut? Keep reading for the full list with tweaked odds on what we might see in the final days of the Marvel United: Multiverse Kickstarter campaign.

19 More Marvel Events to follow-up Marvel United: Multiverse – Maximum Carnage

I suspect we have a maximum of two expansion boxes left in this campaign, which means making predictions of further events is now a zero-sum game. One event on this list will almost certainly get made. Maybe two. So… what are the odds?

#1. Siege or Dark Reign AKA Thunderbolts AKA Dark Avengers – 60% odds. CMON choosing to pass over several Spidey villains with secret hearts of gold in today’s expansion might turn out to be a good thing, since a handful of them wind up as Thunderbolts at some point. Will we see this seemingly-obvious box as a final expansion… or, is CMON is holding onto it for a 4th campaign closer to the release of the Thunderbolts film! Predicted contents: Moonstone, Fixer, Sentry. Possible additions: Ares, Beetle AKA Mach X, Lady Loki, Ghost, Speedball/Penance, Mister Hyde. (Guide to Thunderbolts & Dark Avengers)

#2. Secret Wars – 55% odds. Secret Wars is currently Marvel’s highest-profile event thanks to having a future movie bearing its name. Plus, it scores major nostalgia points for being associated with Marvel’s 1980s toy line. It would complete the “Multiverse” storyline of this campaign by implementing an Incursion mechanic that’s goes hand-in-hand with the hero-vs-hero mode in the Civil War Expansion. The problem is that it lacks potential nostalgia in its actual hero and villain figure contents – all of its majors heroes have been covered already! Predicted contents: anti-hero Thanos, Molecule Man, Janet as Wasp, Hyperion, Manifold, Black Swan. Possible additions: The Maker, Smasher, Ex Nihilo, Abyss, additional members of Squadron Supreme. The Beyonder???

#3. War of the Hulks – 40% odds. With CMON focusing heavily on the 90s and 00s plus showing a willingness to anchor boxes with alternate sculpts, the chances of this all-game box still feel strong. Predicted contents: Red She-Hulk, alternate Hulk, Thundra, Leader. Possible additions: A-Bomb, Doc Samson, Skaar, Bi-Beast, U-Foes, or an alternate She-Hulk. (Guide to Hulk, Guide to She-Hulk – Jennifer Walters, & Guide to Red She-Hulk)

#4. Siege of Darkness AKA Midnight Sons and/or Legion of Monsters – 33% odds. At first I thought the chances of seeing this box have plummeted with the inclusion of Morbius’s in today’s release. But, it’s still a major 90s storyline, and today’s announcement proves that CMON is willing to fudge the cast of an event to create an interesting storyline for the game itself. Of all of the character alternates CMON could announce that would create excitement with fans, I’d say Ghost Rider on his bike is a major one. Predicted contents: classic Ghost Rider, Mephisto, Lilith, Daimon Hellstrom. Possible additions: Blaze, Werewolf by Night, Satana, Zarathos, Man-Thing. (Guide to Ghost Rider & Guide to Werewolf by Night. Plus, check out the Cosmic Circus Midnight Sons reading guide from my colleague Vin!)

#5. Fear Itself – 30% odds. Fear Itself isn’t too far outside of the 00s sweet spot of this campaign’s events. It also is a chance for another villain-focused box that offers new game modes and potential hero equipment, which is a prevailing theme across this campaign. Also, could it be used as a backdoor to sneak in some Asgardians? Predicted contents: Sin, classic Valkyrie, Attuma, Grey Gargoyle. Possible additions: Cul, alternate Thor. (Plus, it could steal from my “War of the Realms” prediction, below)

#6. AXE AKA Eternals – 25% odds. I remain firm in the belief that this set – complete with a massive Celestial figure at its center – could be the final day surprise. After all, despite fan noise that the movie was entirely unpopular it turns out that The Eternals was Disney Plus’s most-watched movie of 2022. Predicted contents: Ikaris, Sersi, Thena, Scout. Possible contents: Makkari, Deviants, a Celestial. (Guide to Eternals)

#7. Inferno – 20% odds. If CMON is looking for nostalgia, they have to be considering Inferno – one of the first truly line-wide Marvel events. That’s especially true since it is currently experiencing a boost of nostalgia due to the Dark Web storyline in Spider-Man and X-Men. However, using Meggan as a Stretch Goal this weekend leaves fewer must-have X-heroes to include in the box (though plenty of deep cuts remain). Predicted contents: Goblin Queen, Cameron Hodge, Rictor. Possible additions: one or more Marauders, S’ym, N’astirh, Wiz Kid, Artie & Leech, Power Pack.

#8. Shadowland – 18% odds. This event wasn’t very popular, but it packs in just enough interesting characters to be viable. It has to have tempted CMON to include in this campaign’s theme of 90s and 00s events. Predicted contents: alternate Daredevil, The Hand, Lady Bullseye. Possible additions: anti-hero Elektra, Misty Knight, Coleen Wing, classic Ghost Rider, White Tiger. (Guide to Daredevil)

#9. Messiah Complex – 15% odds. With the campaign’s focus squarely on the mid-00s, could this 2008 X-Men event have a real shot at becoming reality – or, will they save it for a future mutant-focused fourth campaign? Predicted contents: Exodus, Armor, Anole, The Cuckoos. Possible additions: Elixir, Dust, Hellion, Rockslide, Random, Lady Mastermind, Predator X, Purifiers, various Marauders, alternate Sinister, villainous Bishop.

#10. New Warriors – 12% odds. Even with CMON taking High Evolutionary off the table with today’s Stretch Goal, the hopes for this box remain alive on the pure power of 90s nostalgia. Predicted contents: Speedball, Night Thrasher, Justice, Namorita. Possible contents: Silhouette, Rage, Sphinx. (Guide to New Warriors)

#11. Runaways – 10% odds. There really isn’t an event for The Runaways, and they lack the MCU name recognition of the Eternals. However, I wouldn’t totally count them out as a final-day kicker for the comic fans and completionists. Predicted contents: Karolina Dean, Molly Hayes, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Alex Wilder. Possible additions: Gert & Old Lace, Victor Mancha, Katie Power. (Guide to Runaways)

#12. Atlantis Attacks AKA Agents of Atlas – 8% odds. While the first Atlantis Attacks was a full-line event, the title was repurposed recently for Marvel’s team of pan-Asian heroes. Could an expansion thread the needle between the both, in addition to bringing a Serpent Crown to the game? Predicted contents: alternate Namor, Attuma, Jimmy Woo, Amadeus Cho. Possible additions: Lyra, Ghaur, alternate Shang-Chi, Aero, Wave, White Fox, Sword-Master.

#13. Operation Galactic Storm – 5% odds. The stock of this vintage early-90s event rose slightly today thanks to CMON tapping another 90s deep cut, but it might lack the depth of figures to make it work. I think it remains a possibility because it was fronted by three big heroes we haven’t seen yet. Predicted contents: Sersi, Hercules, Starfox, Janet as Wasp, Supreme Intelligence. Possible additions: alternate White Vision, bearded Thunderstrike Thor, Mar-Vell as Captain Marvel, Kree army figures.

#14. War of the Realms AKA Asgardians! – 4% odds. Based on the branding of today’s box, it feels like for this to exist there would have to be a big 90s Thor storyline to tie into – and, that just doesn’t exist. However, almost all of these characters could be used as heroes in a Fear Itself box based on the remixing that CMON did today on Maximum Carnage. I wouldn’t count out this cast quite yet, even if we don’t get them under this (OBVIOUS) Event theme. Predicted contents: Makelith, alternate Thor, Enchantress, Warriors Three. Possible additions: Executioner, Sif, Heimdall, classic Valkyrie, Throg. (Apparently, Angela may be off-limits due to licensing issues that still affect her toy incarnations.) (Guide to Thor – The Odinson, Guide to Jane Foster – Mighty Thor & Valkyrie, Guide to Valkyrie, Guide to Angela)

#15. House of X AKA Dawn of X – 3% odds. Given Krakoa’s sustaining popularity and an X-Men film on the horizon later this decade, perhaps a Krakoa box is more of a fourth campaign stretch goal. Predicted contents: big-helmet Xavier, Moira MacTaggert, Omega Sentinel, Exodus, Quentin Quire, anti-hero modern Sinister. Possible additions: Black Tom, Proteus, Gorgon, pirate Kate Pryde, hero Pyro, Fenris, Nanny & Orphan-Maker, or mutants from Amenth or Arrako. (X-Men Reading Order)

#16. Monsters Unleashed – 2% odds. As much as I want to believe this expansion has a chance because people love huge hunks of plastic, the event feels much too recent for the trend of the expansion boxes in this campaign. Also, Elsa Bloodstone is already announced, and she was a main character in this event. Predicted Contents: Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur, Kid Kaiju, Fin Fang Foom. Possible contents: uh… other… monsters?

#17. Secret Empire – 1% odds. This could be an interesting box similar to Secret Invasion if it simply adds Hydra army-building troops, but with Falcon Cap already off the table it feels like it’s missing a potential anchor. Predicted contents: Madame Hydra, Arnim Zola, alternate Black Widow, Hydra troops. Possible additions: Viper, Baron von Strucker, Pym/Ultron

#18. AXIS – 0.5% odds. Heroes become villains. Villains become heroes. This box offers more in the realm of gameplay additions and less when it comes to new figures since we already received Magneto, Iron Man, Medusa, and FalCap in this campaign. Possible contents: anti-hero Sabretooth,… uh… psychic Red Skull? We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

#19. Maximum Security – 0.1% odds. Look, we all want to spend the entire game fighting ON the villain – Ego The Living Planet. That’s an objective truth.

Not Likely, 2020s edition: Devil’s Reign (too fresh, not enough characters), Empyre (Wiccan & Hulkling already announced), Absolute Carnage (kinda did this today, which also means no King in Black)

Not Likely, 2010s edition: Original Sin (not enough characters, Nick Fury already announced), Infinity (Black Order already used), Age of Ultron (mostly just Wolverine and Invisible Woman), Avengers vs. X-Men (already done with the Phoenix Five set).

Not Likely, 2000s edition: House of M (mostly just Wanda), Secret War (Nick Fury is already announced)

Not Likely, 1990s edition: Onslaught (already in-game), Infinity War and Infinity Crusade (basically just more of Thanos and Adam Warlock).

Not Likely, 1980s edition: Acts of Vengeance (villain-focused, but many of those villains are already covered), Contest of Champions (not really an event; most of its unique characters never were used again)