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Secret Invasion

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"Secret Invasion"
Variant coverofSecret Invasion1 (June 2008), art bySteve McNiven
PublisherMarvel Comics
Publication dateJune2008– Jan.2009
Genre
Title(s)
Avengers: The Initiative#14-19 Annual 01
Black Panthervol. 4, #39-41
Captain Britain and MI: 13#1-4
Captain Marvelvol. 6, #2-5
Deadpoolvol. 4, #1-3
Guardians of the Galaxyvol. 2, #4-6
Incredible Hercules#117-120
Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.#33-35
The Mighty Avengers#7-8,12-20
Ms. Marvelvol. 2, #25-31
New Avengers#38-47
New Avengers: Illuminati#5
New Warriorsvol. 5, #14-15
Novavol. 4, #16-18
Punisher War Journalvol. 2, #24-25
Secret Invasion#1-8
Secret Invasion#1 Director's Cut
Secret Invasion Aftermath:Beta Ray Bill- The Green of Eden#1
Secret Invasion:The Amazing Spider-Man#1-3
Secret Invasion:Dark Reign#1
Secret Invasion:Fantastic Four#1-3
Secret Invasion: Front Line#1-5
Secret Invasion: Home Invasion#1(Digital)
Secret Invasion:Inhumans#1-4
Secret Invasion: Requiem#1
Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers#1-3
Secret Invasion Saga
Secret Invasion:Thor#1-3
Secret Invasion: War of Kings#1
Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?#1
Secret Invasion:X-Men#1-4
She-Hulkvol. 2, #31-33
Skrulls!#1
Thunderboltsvol. 2, #122-125
X-Factorvol. 3, #33-34
Main character(s)The New Avengers
The Mighty Avengers
Fantastic Four
X-Men
Nick Fury
The Initiative
Thunderbolts
Inhumans
The Skrulls
Skrull Kill Krew
Hood's Crime Syndicate
Norman Osborn
Marvel Boy(Noh Varr)
Creative team
Writer(s)Brian Michael Bendis
Penciller(s)Leinil Francis Yu
Inker(s)Mark Morales
Colorist(s)Laura Martin
The InfiltrationISBN0-7851-3231-7
Secret InvasionISBN0-7851-3297-X
Captain MarvelISBN0-7851-3303-8
Incredible HerculesISBN0-7851-3333-X

"Secret Invasion"is acomic bookcrossoverstoryline written byBrian Michael Bendisand illustrated byLeinil Francis Yu,that ran through a self-titled eight-issuelimited seriesand several tie-in books published byMarvel Comicsfrom April through December 2008. The story involves a subversive, long-terminvasionofEarthby theSkrulls,a group of alienshapeshifterswho have secretly replaced many superheroes in theMarvel Universewith impostors over a period of years, prior to the overt invasion. Marvel's promotional tagline for the event was "Who do you trust?".

Asix-episode television miniseriesof the same name, loosely based on the storyline and produced byMarvel Studiosas part of theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) debuted in June 2023 onDisney+.

Production and marketing[edit]

WriterBrian Michael Bendisstated in interviews that the motivation for the invasion is the destruction of theSkrull Empirein the 2007"Annihilation"storyline.[1]Bendis said the Skrulls believe Earth "is religiously and rightfully theirs,"[2]and that there are hints as to the plot placed in the limited seriesSecret War[3]and the titleNew Avengersfrom the first issue.[4]The limited series concluded the plot and was, according to Bendis, "a hell of an end."[5]

In November 2007, several ongoing titles and mini-series were branded as tie-ins to the mainSecret Invasionstoryline, with the tagline:Secret Invasion: The Infiltration.In addition to the core story, theAvengerstitles provided additional plot material and acted as a link between titles. Other Marvel titles also featured variant covers with the characters depicted as Skrulls.[6]Bendis stated that the series would not deal with the origins of the invasion, but is conceived from the following perspective: "If there's a character on the team who's a Skrull, we will rewind from when they got on that team, or from before they got on that team, so when they are infiltrated, how they became who they became and the effects of their actions from their 'point of view' is shown."

The Marvel website featured two online-exclusive e-comics for the event, titledSecret Invasion Prologue(a seven-page comic that reveals the replacement of a previously unknown Skrull agent) andSecret Invasion: Home Invasion(aMySpacevideo blog featuring a young teenager named Kinsey Walden and her fears regarding her brother's strange behavior), supported by comic pages by writer Ivan Brandon and artist Nick Postic.[7]

Plot[edit]

After theKree–Skrull War[8]the Earth superheroesIron Man,Mister Fantastic,Namor,Black Bolt,Professor Charles XavierandDoctor Strangejoin as a group called theIlluminatito secretly confront theSkrulls.They attack the Skrull Empire, and warn that any future invasion attempts ofEarthwould mean further reprisals; however, they are all captured and intensely studied before escaping.[9]

An eventual successor to the Skrull throne, PrincessVeranke,claims that a prophecy foretold the annihilation of the Skrull homeworld. The current Emperor, Dorrek, exiles her to a prison world for inciting religious extremism. After the destruction of the Skrull Throneworld by the cosmic entityGalactus,[10]Veranke becomes Empress by lineage, and guides an invasion of Earth, armed with the knowledge ofsuperhumansgained from having studied the Illuminati. The Skrulls capture several superhumans and infiltrate Earth's defenses, with Veranke herself posing as heroineSpider-Woman.[11]Veranke is inconvenienced when there is a breakout of supervillains at the Raft prison, which forces her to join theNew Avengersteam.[4]

After theCivil War,Elektra,the leader of theninjagroup theHand,is revealed to be a Skrull namedPagonafter dying in battle with the New Avengers.[12]Veranke takes the corpse to Tony Stark (who, at the time, led the pro-registration Mighty Avengers) to sow distrust among the superhero community. She joins the Mighty Avengers, claiming it will throw the Skrulls off balance. Posing as agents of spy organizationS.H.I.E.L.D.,the Skrulls attempt to mine the metalvibraniumin theSavage Landand battle the New Avengers before being killed.[13]The Illuminati battle an impostor posing as Black Bolt and two newSuper-Skrulls,possessing all-new powers.[14]

The Skrull invasion destabilizes the superhuman community as:

  1. Simultaneous strikes disable the S.H.I.E.L.D.Helicarrierand orbiting base The Peak.
  2. A breakout is instigated at the supervillain holding facility the Raft.
  3. TheBaxter Building(headquarters of theFantastic Four) is transported to theNegative Zone.
  4. Thunderbolt Mountain (headquarters of theThunderbolts) is attacked.

Additionally, the Avengers are attacked by Skrulls posing as heroes in theSavage Land,andReed Richardsis wounded by the SkrullCriti Noll(who was posing asHenry Pym) seconds after determining a way to identify the shape shifters.

After several battles between Earth's heroes and the Skrulls inManhattanand the Savage Land, Mr. Fantastic manages to develop a device that can detect the aliens. Criminal kingpin theHoodaids the heroes, deciding "no more Earth is bad for business." Veranke regroups with her forces inNew York Cityin a final battle against the combined Avengers, now aided byNick Furyand his new Commandos,Thor,Daredevil,Ka-Zar,and super teams such as theYoung Avengersand theThunderbolts.

Veranke is wounded by the AvengerHawkeye.Criti Noll activates abooby trapplaced on the heroineWasp,although the blast is contained by Thor at the cost of her life. Veranke is then shot and killed byNorman Osborn(using a weapon he created with intelligence stolen fromDeadpool).[15]The last remnants of the Skrull armada are destroyed, with Iron Man locating the missing heroes. S.H.I.E.L.D. is dissolved by an executive order of thePresident of the United States,while a last Skrull (posing as the Avengers' butlerEdwin Jarvis) flees with the child of heroesJessica JonesandLuke Cage.This Skrull is killed by Bullseye shortly after returning the child. Norman Osborn is placed in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D's replacement,H.A.M.M.E.R.,and forms asecret groupconsisting of himself,Emma Frost,Namor,Doctor Doom,The HoodandLokiwhich commences the "Dark Reign"storyline.[16][17]

Characters[edit]

The Mighty Avengers

The New Avengers

Fantastic Four

Skrulls

Additionally, several variants of theSuper-Skrullappear, utilizing the powers ofArchangel,Captain America, Iron Man,Doctor Octopus,Electro,Sandmanand theIlluminati,among others.

Also, several Skrulls are seen impersonating such pop culture figures asGeorge W. Bush,Stephen Colbert,Tom Cruise,andEric CartmanfromSouth Park.

Cloak

Noh-Varr

Thunderbolts

Captain America (Bucky Barnes)

Thor

Franklin Richards

Valeria Richards

Young Avengers

The Initiative

Secret Warriors

Skrull Kill Krew

The Hood's Criminal Syndicate

Howard the Duck

X-Men

Medusa

Black Panther

Sabra(Ruth Bat-Seraph)

Uatu the Watcher

Daredevil

Mockingbird

Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

President of the United States

Cabal

Reception[edit]

According to Comic Book Roundup, the core series has an average score of 6.9 out of 10, based on 79 critic reviews.[18]

Issue #1 was not very well received despite critics noting its "strong introduction to the story, good pacing, and" slick "art style",[19][20]although some concerns were raised over Bendis' dialogue.[19][20]Sales estimates suggested that around 250,200 copies were sold, more than twice as much as the second highest seller.[21]TheSecret Invasion: The Infiltrationcollected volume also topped the trade paperback chart, with an estimated 7,247 sales.[21]The second issue kept the top slot, with estimated sales dropping to 200,344.[22]

Tie-in issues[edit]

Secret Invasion: The Infiltration[edit]

The following issues were released withThe Infiltrationbanner prior to the launch of theSecret Invasionseries:

Secret Invasion[edit]

The following issues tie-in to theSecret Invasionmini-series:

Collected editions[edit]

The stories are collected involumes:

Title Material collected ISBN
Secret Invasion: The Infiltration Fantastic Four#2,New Avengers: Illuminati#1 and 5,New Avengers#31-32 and 38-39,Mighty Avengers#7,Avengers: The InitiativeAnnual #1 0-7851-3231-7
Secret Invasion Secret Invasion#1-8 0-7851-3297-X
Secret Invasion: Home Invasion Secret Invasion: Home Invasion#1-8 978-0-7851-3557-9
Secret Invasion: Front Line Secret Invasion: Front Line#1-5 0-7851-3377-1
Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust? Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?,Secret Invasion Saga,Skrulls!,Marvel Spotlight: Secret Invasion 0-7851-3409-3
Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man Secret Invasion: The Amazing Spider-Man1-3,Amazing Spider-ManAnnual 2008 0-7851-3270-8
Avengers: The Initiative Volume 3: Secret Invasion Avengers: The Initiative#14-19 0-7851-3150-7
Black Panther: Secret Invasion Black Panther#39-41 0-7851-3397-6
Captain Britain and MI13 Volume 1: Secret Invasion Captain Britain and MI13#1-4 0-7851-3344-5
Captain Marvel: Secret Invasion Captain Marvel#1-5,Civil War: The Return 0-7851-3303-8
Deadpool Volume 1: Secret Invasion Deadpool#1-5 0-7851-3273-2
Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four#1-3,Fantastic Four#300 and 357 0-7851-3247-3
Incredible Hercules: Secret Invasion Incredible Hercules#116-120 0-7851-3333-X
Secret Invasion: Inhumans Secret Invasion: Inhumans#1-4 0-7851-3248-1
Mighty Avengers Volume 3: Secret Invasion, Book 1 Mighty Avengers#12-15 0-7851-3009-8
Mighty Avengers Volume 4: Secret Invasion, Book 2 Mighty Avengers#16-20 0-7851-3649-5
Ms Marvel Volume 5: Secret Invasion Ms Marvel#25-30 0-7851-3019-5
New Avengers Volume 8: Secret Invasion, Book 1 New Avengers#38-42 0-7851-2946-4
New Avengers Volume 9: Secret Invasion, Book 2 New Avengers#43-47 0-7851-2948-0
Secret Invasion: New Warriors New Warriors#14-20 978-0-7851-3176-2
Nova Volume 3: Secret Invasion Nova#13-18 0-7851-2662-7
Punisher War Journal Volume 5: Secret Invasion Punisher War Journal#24-26 and Annual #1 0-7851-3148-5
Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers#1-3 0-7851-3266-X
Secret Invasion: Thor Secret Invasion: Thor#1-3,Thor#142 0-7851-3426-3
She Hulk Volume 8: Secret Invasion She-Hulk#31-33,X-Factor#34-35 0-7851-3180-9
Thunderbolts Volume 3: Secret Invasion Thunderbolts#122-125,Breaking Point,International Incident,Reason in Madness 0-7851-2394-6
Secret Invasion: War Machine Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.#33-35,Iron Man#144 0-7851-3455-7
X-Factor Volume 6: Secret Invasion X-Factor#33-38,She-Hulk#31 0-7851-2865-4
Secret Invasion: X-Men Secret Invasion: X-Men#1-4 0-7851-3343-7

Sequels[edit]

From November 2022 forward, Marvel released a new Secret Invasion title composed of five issue miniseries that serves as a spiritual sequel to the original event and sees new hints from the Skrulls to invade again Earth that will force Maria Hill to put out an alert in the intelligence community to prove that they are ready for another Skrull invasion. After dealing with the various Nick Fury imposters, she alerts the Avengers and assures them that it is unlikely that they have been infiltrated, unfortunately she is wrong.[23]While the world's most clandestine forces move in silence to quell the situation before it gets out of hand, Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been left wondering who among them might be an alien infiltrator. Thankfully, Maria Hill is quick to move on to the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes for immediate blood testing. Though her methods are certainly intrusive, to say the least, the Avengers all acquiesce to her demands for a blood sample. This leads to Black Widow being uncovered as a Skrull, which when coupled with the lack of any other failed tests, is enough to calm the rest of the heroes' nerves for the time being. And, in the case of Tony Stark, it is enough to assure him that his fellow Skrulls' plans are going exactly as intended. Upon returning to his lab, Stark is met by another version of himself while revealing the blood bag taped to his arm which he used to pass Hill's test. This is more than enough to make it perfectly clear that Stark has been replaced without anyone else realizing it. It also sets the stage for the latest Skrull invasion to do untold amounts of damage before anyone can stop him, assuming no one figures out the truth anytime soon.[24]

Other versions[edit]

Earth-3290[edit]

In this reality, Earth surrendered to the Skrulls.[25]

What If?[edit]

An issue ofWhat Ifrevolves around the Secret Invasion with two stories.[26] The first story asks what would happen if the Skrulls won the Secret Invasion and solved mankind's challenges such asfreedom.Here, the Skrulls are celebrating their anniversary of taking overEarth.Some humans have been converted into Skrulls. TheAvengers Alliance of Freedom(led byCaptain AmericaII and consisting ofBlack Panther,Blue Marvel,Human Torch,a heavily alcoholicIron Man,Khn'nr,Ms. Marvel,Night ThrasherII,Spider-Man,Spider-WomanII,Storm,Thing,Thor,andWolverine) are considered terrorists to the rest of the world. The Skrull's broadcast is interrupted by a pirate footage of Captain America stating that Earth is really under occupation. Queen Veranke's consortNorman Osborntells her that it would be best to crush the Avengers Alliance of Freedom inWakandawhere they are currently hiding. Wolverine has brought one last remaining sample of the modifiedLegacy Virusto use against the Skrulls.Verankeappears before theUnited Nationsand gets approval to invade Wakanda and take down the Avengers Alliance of Freedom. As soon as the virus is ready, the Skrull forces attack Wakanda. The Avengers leap into action to repel them. When the cannon meant to release the vaccine is destroyed, Thor uses his powers to spread it across the globe. But instead of doing what was expected, every Skrull and converted humans perishes. The culprit is in fact Norman Osborn. He explains that this was all an elaborate ruse to get what he wants. Due to Iron Man's alcoholism, Spider-Man helped him infiltrate Wakanda to help them but he did not expect that Norman Osborn would cross the line. Osborn admits that he did create a cure for the virus, so that he could survive and get back at the Skrulls for using him. Enraged, Captain America beheads Osborn with his shield. The Avengers surrender to the UN forces sent to arrest them. Meanwhile, far up on theMoon,Uatu the Watchercan only lament how this alternate Earth turned out.

The second story asks what would happen if the Secret Invasion remained secret. Norman Osborn is shown wondering what would happen if he was in charge of national security. Already on this Earth, Captain America has been pardoned for his role in theCivil Warand is seen shaking hands with theRed Skull.Hours later, Norman Osborn and theThunderboltsare dispatched to investigate a situation in theSavage Land.They infiltrate a mysterious structure full of duplicates of superhumans. The Thunderbolts attempt to fight through, only for them all to be massacred and Osborn captured. He is brought before Veranke/Spider-Woman. She tells him a little story about how a priest stood up to her and told her that she would die by the hands of Norman Osborn himself. Therefore, the Skrulls had to integrate themselves into human society and eventually fade away. She claims that the prophet became Osborn himself. Though Norman Osborn tries to deny it, Veranke insists that he is and asks that he kiss her true face. Instead, Norman Osborn commits suicide, and reverts him to his Skrull form.

In other media[edit]

Television[edit]

  • The plot of theSecret Invasionstoryline was adapted in the animated seriesThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.A newspaper seen at the beginning of the episode "Masters of Evil" includes a headline for aBaxter Buildingtenant's recollections of becoming replaced by an alien. Also, in the episode "The Kang Dynasty",Kang the Conquerorreferences bothCivil WarandSecret Invasionby saying 'Captain America's betrayal is just the beginning... The worst is yet to come.' Later, towards the end of episode "Widow's Sting", the capturedMadame Hydrais revealed to be a Skrull in disguise. At the end of the episode "A Day Unlike Any Other", after the Avengers return from their battle withLoki,Captain Americais attacked and replaced by a Skrull who goes on to say 'The infiltration has begun' as the Skrull takes Captain America's place. In "The Private War of Doctor Doom",Invisible Womanof theFantastic Fourwas also revealed to be a Skrull. However, as of "Welcome to the Kree Empire", onlyDoctor DoomandNick Furyseem aware of the infiltration. In "Who Do You Trust?", it is shown that Veranke is posing asMockingbird(mirroring Veranke impersonatingSpider-Womanin the original comic). In the episode "Infiltration", the Skrull Invasion begins andMs. Marvelis tricked by Skrull Avengers to help attackWakandaand theBlack Pantherbut the Skrull Avengers are later defeated whenHawkeyeandthe Waspshow up. Veranke also installs a virus in Iron Man's armor. In the episode "Secret Invasion", Nick Fury and Maria Hill saveIron Man,Captain America returns to Earth (along with the real heroes and villains who had been revealed to be replaced before), and the Avengers defeat the Super-Skrulls and Thor destroys their backup plan to wipe out humanity. The invasion is thwarted and the Skrulls are put in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.
  • In December 2020, aDisney+Secret Invasiontelevision show based on the limited comic series was announced as part of theMarvel Cinematic Universe(MCU). It starsSamuel L. JacksonasNick FuryandBen MendelsohnasTalos,both reprising their roles from the MCU films.[27]Also starring areKingsley Ben-Adiras rebel Skrull leader Gravik,Emilia Clarkeas Talos' daughter G'iah,[28]Olivia Colmanas MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth,[29]Killian ScottasPagon,[30]andCarmen Ejogoin an undisclosed role.[31]The series premiered on June 21, 2023.[32]

Video games[edit]

Merchandising[edit]

  • MarvelHeroClixreleased a "Secret Invasion" -themed set based on the storyline. The set included Captain Marvel, Dum-Dum Dugan,Criti Noll(as Yellowjacket), Pagon (asElektra), Ms. Marvel, Edwin Jarvis, and many more. Veranke (as Spider-Woman) andLyja(as Invisible Woman) were released as chase figures in their Skrull-only personality.

References[edit]

  1. ^Annihilation#1 - 6 (Oct. 2006 - Mar. 2007). Marvel Comics.
  2. ^Richards, Dave (June 14, 2007).""New Avengers#31: Bendis Talks About the Big Twist "".Comic Book Resources.Archived fromthe originalon July 26, 2018.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
  3. ^Secret War#1 - 5 (Apr. 2004 - Dec. 2005). Marvel Comics.
  4. ^abNew Avengers#1 (Jan. 2005). Marvel Comics.
  5. ^""Baltimore '07: Brian Bendis TalksSecret Invasion"".Newsarama.September 10, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon May 16, 2008.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
  6. ^Johnston, Rich (April 7, 2008)."Lying In The Gutters".Comic Book Resources.Archived fromthe originalon June 2, 2019.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
  7. ^Hundson, Laura (July 4, 2008)."Marvel's Viral Marketing Invasion".Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2008.RetrievedJune 2,2019.
  8. ^Avengers#88–97 (June 1971 – Mar. 1972)
  9. ^Shown in flashback inNew Avengers: Illuminati#1 (Dec. 2006). Marvel Comics.
  10. ^Fantastic Four#257 (Aug. 1983)
  11. ^New Avengers#40 (Apr. 2008)
  12. ^New Avengers#31 (June 2007). Marvel Comics.
  13. ^New Avengers#41–43 (May–July 2008). Marvel Comics.
  14. ^New Avengers: Illuminati#5 (Nov. 2007). Marvel Comics.
  15. ^Deadpoolvol. 4 #3. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^Secret Invasion#8. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^Dark Reign: Dark Avengers#1 (Mar. 2009). Marvel Comics.
  18. ^""Secret Invasion Comic Series Reviews"".Comic Book Roundup.RetrievedAugust 8,2022.
  19. ^abReview ofSecret Invasion#1ArchivedDecember 1, 2008, at theWayback Machine,Comics Bulletin
  20. ^abReview ofSecret Invasion#1,Comic Book Resources
  21. ^abSales Estimates for April, 2008 Books,Comic Book Resources,May 20, 2008
  22. ^Sales Estimates for May, 2008,Comic Book Resources,June 17, 2008
  23. ^Secret Invasion(Vol. 2) #1
  24. ^Secret Invasion(Vol. 2) #2
  25. ^Dark Reign: Fantastic Four#3
  26. ^What If?: Secret Invasion
  27. ^Gelman, Vlada (December 10, 2020)."Secret Invasion, Marvel Series Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Coming to Disney+".TVLine.Archivedfrom the original on December 11, 2020.RetrievedDecember 10,2020.
  28. ^Brezican, Anthony (March 31, 2023)."Secret Invasion Revealed: Inside Samuel L. Jackson's Eye-Opening New Marvel Series".Vanity Fair.Archivedfrom the original on March 31, 2023.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
  29. ^Miller, Leon (September 13, 2022)."Marvel Confirms Secret Invasion Link to Captain America's Howling Commandos".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on September 13, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 13,2022.
  30. ^Andreeva, Nellie (May 26, 2021)."'Secret Invasion': Christopher McDonald Joins Marvel Series For Disney+ ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2021.RetrievedMay 26,2021.
  31. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 12, 2021)."'Secret Invasion': First Looks Unveiled For Nick Fury & Talos Team-Up Marvel Series – Disney+ Day ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on November 13, 2021.RetrievedNovember 13,2021.
  32. ^Lovett, Jamie (April 2, 2023)."Secret Invasion Poster Released By Marvel Ahead of Trailer Debut".ComicBook.com.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2023.RetrievedApril 2,2023.
  33. ^Dornbush, Jonathan (November 30, 2015)."See the history of the canceledAvengersvideo game ".Entertainment Weekly.Archived fromthe originalon April 6, 2016.RetrievedJuly 6,2019.

External links[edit]