MATT, JOE 397
Another signifi cant aspect of the series is that of an all-powerful being in control
of one’s fate. Th e character of the Beyonder is akin to that of an omnipotent being — a
god-like individual who has the power to create and to destroy, merely on a whim. Th is
sets up themes of life, death, and what constitutes real power. For instance, in one issue
the Wasp dies in battle but then in another she is brought back to life.
In addition, several important changes and additions were made to the Marvel
universe. Professor X was able to walk on the Battleworld, and thus joined his X-Men
in battle. Th e villainesses Titania and Volcana were created by Doctor Doom. Julia
Carpenter was introduced as the second Spider-Woman. Most famously, Spider-
Man gets a new black costume (later revealed to really be an alien symbiote) in book
eight. Finally, the Th ing decides to stay behind to fi nd himself, a journey self-discovery
(thereby leading to She-Hulk becoming the fourth member of the Fantastic Four).
When the heroes and villains are transported back to Earth, the events on the Battle-
world become part of each book’s own lore.
In the end, Secret Wars was a fi nancial success; and in 1985, Marvel released Secret
Wa r s I I , a nine-part series where the Beyonder comes to Earth to battle the superhe-
roes. Likewise, Secret Wars spawned such series as the Infi nity Gauntlet , the Infi nity War ,
the Infi nity Crusade , and Civil War , but none are as impactful and successful as the
original.
Alec R. Hosterman
MATT, JOE 1963. Best known for his unfl inchingly revealing and unfl attering
autobiographical series Peepshow , fi rst published in 1992, Joe Matt is an American artist
and writer who is well known for writing about things many people would rather keep
private. His works generally take his own life as primary subject material, ranging from
his suburban childhood and Catholic upbringing to his notorious and well-documented
obsession with pornography and allegedly somewhat lax work ethic.
Born in Philadelphia in 1963, Matt began drawing comics in 1987 toward the
end of his time studying at the Philadelphia College of Art, though his interest in
collecting comics as a child later developed into an extensive accumulation of vintage
Gasoline Alley strips. Matt’s tightly-packed panel style, in which he often directly
addresses the reader, developed during this time frame, though his panels gradually
became more open and easier to read. (One early self-referential piece pokes fun at
how many tiny panels he could pack into a single page.) Th ese strips, spanning 1987
to 1991 (initially published in 1992 as Peepshow: Th e Cartoon Diary of Joe Matt by
Kitchen Sink Press and republished fi ve years later by Drawn & Quarterly), tend
to be single-page stand-alone pieces rather than smaller parts telling an ongoing
sequential story.
Matt moved to Canada in 1988 and became part of the “ Toronto Th ree” consisting
of himself, Chester Brown ( I Never Liked You ), and Seth ( Palookaville ), both accom-
plished comics creators. All published by Drawn & Quarterly, these three creators often
reference one another in their works, including illustrated forewords to collections and
