3 Big Ways The MCU’s Illuminati Differed From The Comics

One of the most hotly anticipated parts of the second Dr. Strange movie was the reveal of the Illuminati. Marvel’s secret society of heroes had long been popular with fans for its impressive roster of members and clandestine, covert methods of protecting the earth.

Those who watched the film would soon find that the Illuminati presented to them on-screen was far different from the group that they may have been familiar with in the comics. This is in no way a criticism of the movie or the MCU as a whole as the various differences were necessary to be relevant to the story told.

That being said, this is one of the MCU’s biggest departures from the source material and for some of us who just love pointing these things out, here are 3 ways that the MCU’s Illuminati were different from the group we saw in the comics.

Disclaimer: There will be MAJOR spoilers for those who have yet to watch the movie. So carry on at your own risk.

3: A different line-up

Perhaps the most obvious difference between the film and comic renditions of the Illuminati would be its line-up. From the trailer, it was revealed that the film would feature variants of Professor X and Baron Mordo as part of the group. In the movie itself, we would meet the rest of the group.

Aside from Mordo and Xavier, the other members of the Illuminati included Captain Peggy Carter, Blackbolt, Mr. Fantastic and Maria Rambeau who possessed the powers of Captain Marvel. The group, hailing from another universe, later identified as Earth-838 also had that universe’s Stephen Strange among its ranks prior to his death.

This is a slight but noticeably different line-up than from the comics where the Illuminati existed in the main universe. Although both incarnations of the Illuminati contained Professor X, Mr, Fantastic, Blackbolt and Dr. Strange, the comics did not have Baron Mordo, Captain Carter or Captain Marvel as members. Instead, Iron Man and Namor were among the group’s original members. Besides the different line-up, Dr. Strange remained a constant member of the Illuminati as he was alive throughout the entirety of the original group’s run.

As mentioned earlier, these changes are not only not a bad thing, but were in fact necessary to reflect the story being told. As the MCU’s Illuminati were portrayed as hailing from a completely separate universe, changes had to be made to its line-up to better reflect its status and purpose.

Speaking of which…

2. A Different Purpose

In the comics, The Illuminati was formed following the events of the Kree-Skrull war (an event which has not taken place in the MCU). Following this event, Iron Man discovers that various superhero groups possessed information that, if shared with one another, could have prevented this conflict from taking place completely. Together with Black Panther, the two heroes sought to establish a wide network of heroes comparable to a United Nations sort of body.

Although Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, Black Bolt, Dr. Strange and Namor agreed to form such a union, they spoke out against taking the group public. Thus, The Illuminati was formed as a secret cabal where its members could secretly convey information to one another without having to worry about bureaucracy or mistrust between their respective groups. Disagreeing with this format, Black Panther refused to join the re-imagined Illuminati.

The appeal of the Illuminati in the comics was that each of its members represented a different superheroic faction and brought a unique area of expertise to the group.

• Iron Man represented The Avengers and could use his public influence and government connections for The Illuminati’s benefit.
• Mr. Fantastic represented the Fantastic 4 and as one of the smartest people in existence, offered his perspective as the group’s scientific expert.
• Black Bolt was the king of the Inhumans and had powers considered strong even by the group’s standards.
• Professor X represented the X-Men and fought for mutant interests. He was in many ways the group’s conscience as well.
• Namor, the King of Atlantis represented the interests of his fellow sea-dwellers while also bringing a more ruthless and anti-heroic edge to the group.

The Illuminati in the comics was a multi-faceted group who did not mind pushing the ethical boundaries of heroism. They were also a fairly loose alliance whose members met only when necessary and often heavily disagreed with one another. While most heroic groups often fought to stop an existing threat, The Illuminati sought to prevent such issues from arising in the first place.

In Dr. Strange 2, The Illuminati’s purpose was far different. Founded by the Earth-838 version of Dr.Strange, The MCU Illuminati were dedicated to monitoring the Multiverse and dealing with any threats against it. A closer-knit group than their comic counterparts, this Illuminati also banded together to defeat their universe’s Thanos. However, this came with a heavy price.

The group’s leader, Dr.Strange had used the corrupting power of the Darkhold in a desperate (but successful) bid to prevent Thanos’ invasion of Earth. After confessing his use of the Darkhold to his comrades, The Illuminati branded their own leader a threat to the multiverse and reluctantly killed him. Choosing to not reveal the true nature of Strange’s death to the public, they instead honored him as a hero who sacrificed himself to save the universe from Thanos.

Following the death of that universe’s Dr.Strange, his replacement as Sorcerer Supreme, Karl Mordo also took his place in the Illuminati. Continuing to monitor for any threats to the Multiverse, the group apprehends the mainline Strange and America Chavez, a person with the power to travel across the multiverse. Before the group could come to a consensus as to what to do with their otherworldly visitors, they are interrupted by a rampaging Scarlet Witch.

That brings us to our last point…

A Different Fate

In the comics, The Illuminati were an on-again-off-again group that met only when necessary to solve problems from behind the scenes. The members often shared a tense and mistrusting relationship with one another and would disband after heated disagreements, reuniting only when another cataclysmic event necessitated their combined efforts.

Throughout their various meetings, The Illuminati would play a role in the Secret Invasion, World War Hulk and also fought against the Great Society, a group of heroes from a parallel universe. The Illuminati would also clash against their villainous counterpart, The Cabal. Most significantly, the Infinity Gems would be divided amongst the group after Mr. Fantastic gathered them in a failed attempt to have them erased from existence.

In the MCU, The Illuminati’s fate was conclusively and permanently sealed. When Scarlet Witch broke into their lair to seek out America Chavez, The Illuminati sought to prevent this themselves. Unfortunately, almost every member of the group would be swiftly and gruesomely killed by the rampaging Wanda Maxmimoff. Black Bolt would inadvertently kill himself when he panickedly made a sound after his mouth was moved into the inside of his head. Mr. Fantastic would soon follow after being blown up by Wanda. Captain Carter would be sliced in two by her own shield while Captain Marvel would be crushed by a statue after being mercilessly bombarded by energy blasts. Lastly, Professor X would be killed by having his neck snapped while trying to telepathically rescue the Wanda of his universe from the control of the mainline Scarlet Witch.

The only member of the Illuminati to survive this onslaught would be Mordo who suffers a humiliating defeat after unsuccessfully attempting to kill the mainline Dr.Strange. It is safe to say that we have seen the last of the Illuminati in the MCU for the foreseeable future.

That does it for this list! If you made it this far, let me thank you for taking the time to read this! The MCU has shown that even a loose adaptation from the source material can be sufficient if such changes are made to suit an equally compelling story.

Personally, I enjoyed the fan service and cameos that the MCU’s Illuminati allowed to be brought into the latest Doctor Strange film and while some may find their appearance abrupt, I felt that they could be used to test the waters for their mainline counterparts while paying homage to both the fans and shows of the past.

Do let me know your thoughts on the MCU’s Illuminati. I am really interested to hear your opinions. Until then, take care!